1991 Mercedes W124 250D Manual
Discussion
There I am giving out advice to people on what not to do and what to do etc.. What do I do? Throw the rulebook away! Here is a tale and tribulation of how I acquired my W124, not quite in the spec that I wanted either! But let's see how this began!
A few years back I sold my 205 GTi. In return I got a sheddy W124 300D Auto back as part of the deal.
Great deal some of you would say if you knew the value of 205s back then! However, this W124 was not without its issues as the buyer told me when I got it off him. In short, it didn't turn itself off, it was slow and it was tattier than it should have been in places!
But it was a cheap 124 and the core of the car seemed fine! Despite the issues you could also sense part of the W124 magic ; it was silent at speed and just wafted everywhere! I was debating keeping it but after the troublesome it went onto a friend of mine. It's looking pretty good these days but then it should for the cash that's been put into it! I'm told it drives a little better now too and since doing the repairs initially it's been a solid car! Being a well kitted W124 initially the wheels, seats and other bits really have transformed it!
After this I almost bought an OM606 NA estate instead of the Clio 172! They were a bit cheaper then for a good W124! But it was not to be!
Eventually I bought a car which I thought nailed many things. Speed, comfort, the lot! My E46 M3:
Not a retro I know but they are getting on a bit now! A bit I soon realised with quite a few bills that hit me within quite a short space of time! A little like my first 944 S2 this somewhat dented my enthusiasm for the car, until I drove it again! But at least I made it past Xmas without going into a hedge of sorts! Maybe it wasn't that bad!
So one night after coming back after a few beers I felt a bit of a sensible cap moment coming on ; strange I know! I fancied something cheaper to run than the M3 but without paying much money for it, shed money if I could! Going old has its issue and PCP was not an option for me! I also didn't fancy modern diesels with injector, EGR and other issues to go wrong ; good examples were also more than I was looking to spend! Of course the W124 lust came back into the frame unfortunately! After doing my research I decided I wanted a 300D Auto, preferably an estate and that I could settle for a 220TE ; the MPG and performance isn't meant to be that different.
Little did I know I would whack on a bid onto a W124 despite barely checking the MOT history, and buying sight unseen or even speaking to the seller! It was also miles away! 160 miles from home to be exact ; I stopped travelling for cars this far away many years ago after a lot of dissapointment! Yup, you can blame the beers!
A week later it popped up to say that I won the damned thing! Damn! The BMW had been on a good stink ; I placed the bid thinking I wouldn't win it, I rarely do! There was only one thing to do. Collect it. With many things getting in the way of collection for both me and the seller it seemed like this car and me were not meant to be! But eventually I finally got my train ticket to go down to deepest, darkest Devon:
A few years back I sold my 205 GTi. In return I got a sheddy W124 300D Auto back as part of the deal.
Great deal some of you would say if you knew the value of 205s back then! However, this W124 was not without its issues as the buyer told me when I got it off him. In short, it didn't turn itself off, it was slow and it was tattier than it should have been in places!
But it was a cheap 124 and the core of the car seemed fine! Despite the issues you could also sense part of the W124 magic ; it was silent at speed and just wafted everywhere! I was debating keeping it but after the troublesome it went onto a friend of mine. It's looking pretty good these days but then it should for the cash that's been put into it! I'm told it drives a little better now too and since doing the repairs initially it's been a solid car! Being a well kitted W124 initially the wheels, seats and other bits really have transformed it!
After this I almost bought an OM606 NA estate instead of the Clio 172! They were a bit cheaper then for a good W124! But it was not to be!
Eventually I bought a car which I thought nailed many things. Speed, comfort, the lot! My E46 M3:
Not a retro I know but they are getting on a bit now! A bit I soon realised with quite a few bills that hit me within quite a short space of time! A little like my first 944 S2 this somewhat dented my enthusiasm for the car, until I drove it again! But at least I made it past Xmas without going into a hedge of sorts! Maybe it wasn't that bad!
So one night after coming back after a few beers I felt a bit of a sensible cap moment coming on ; strange I know! I fancied something cheaper to run than the M3 but without paying much money for it, shed money if I could! Going old has its issue and PCP was not an option for me! I also didn't fancy modern diesels with injector, EGR and other issues to go wrong ; good examples were also more than I was looking to spend! Of course the W124 lust came back into the frame unfortunately! After doing my research I decided I wanted a 300D Auto, preferably an estate and that I could settle for a 220TE ; the MPG and performance isn't meant to be that different.
Little did I know I would whack on a bid onto a W124 despite barely checking the MOT history, and buying sight unseen or even speaking to the seller! It was also miles away! 160 miles from home to be exact ; I stopped travelling for cars this far away many years ago after a lot of dissapointment! Yup, you can blame the beers!
A week later it popped up to say that I won the damned thing! Damn! The BMW had been on a good stink ; I placed the bid thinking I wouldn't win it, I rarely do! There was only one thing to do. Collect it. With many things getting in the way of collection for both me and the seller it seemed like this car and me were not meant to be! But eventually I finally got my train ticket to go down to deepest, darkest Devon:
Edited by SebringMan on Friday 10th November 19:48
Edited by SebringMan on Saturday 11th November 16:36
160 miles away in a 250d - he won't be home yet!
A mate of mine had a 190d 2.0 auto many years ago - the most dangerous car I've ever been in!
You needed a gap of at least a quarter of a mile to try to enter a roundabout, even if 20 minutes or so later it could cruise along at the NSL!
A mate of mine had a 190d 2.0 auto many years ago - the most dangerous car I've ever been in!
You needed a gap of at least a quarter of a mile to try to enter a roundabout, even if 20 minutes or so later it could cruise along at the NSL!
Cheers, the pace part did initially worry me! I remembered how slow my 300D was!
.
Back to the car.
I did leave one bit of the tale out! After I found out that I won it I spoke to him over the phone. He was saying the bodywork could be tidier and mentioned the other points that I already knew about but otherwise it was a solid car. I really did have my reservations. However, since I committed to the bid it was only right to go down and see what was occurring.
After leaving Warwickshire I soon hit Reading station! It's not a bad stations, but maybe not in the top ten. After grabbing a bacon butty and a coffee I sat down waiting for the train to Exeter. As soon as it arrived I hopped on I saw yet more green fields with the odd scrapyard popping up next to the railways! I would have taken a photo if my phone didn't freeze up for the first time ever during my ownership! Was it really that bad to buy this car?
What I did notice however was my second change on the train looking unlikely! With an 11 minute delay on my train I could see that I could possibly see my other train leaving rather than being on it! Thankfully the train companies made the other train wait due to this.
Going on a GWR train reminded me of everything that was wrong with trains! It was smelly, worn out, old and even looked like it belonged in the 80s! I even saw someone having a swift swig of Hostein Pills at 11am on the train! Yup, the scenery had changed somewhat! In some ways this was for the better. I was rewarded with stunning views however for my patience and perseverance! Suddenly this trip was beginning to make more sense!
Before I knew it I came across the well spoken man known as Ken. He rocked up complete with his beard and long white hair in quite a sheddy W124 Estate, also a manual and a 250D! I know these are rare but this obsession is sounding unhealthy! Despite the rot ridden exterior I was looking forward a little more to picking up the car. Once I saw the car I had won I knew from then I would be taking it away.
A quick drive around the block surprised me! Sure, it was a normally aspirated and on first impressions it had the wrong 'box but it certainly had a charm that won you over! Sure, the engine lost one cylinder but except it sounding slightly more Audi 5 pot like you couldn't really tell it was down on power! If anything it felt a little pokier! It was no road burner but it did gather speed at a nice pace ; it seemed quicker than my old Pug 206 DTurbo! And then there was the W124 factor: The feeling of a well built, wafty car. It drove much better than I expected it to. With that done I agreed to the deal.
Part of the other reason for agreeing to it was down it having a new timing chain, evidence of regular oil changes and with the exception of mismatched panels a nice honesty. Oh, and it is solid!
With that all done it was time to fill the old girl up and hit the open road:
It was an utter joy to drive this back! It just cruised at motorway speeds! I was banking on the return journey taking me a while. It's fair to say that I had underestimated the car. It just loves the motorway and feels right in its element! It's not been taxing on fuel either so far!
Before I knew it I arrived back home quite pleased with the purchase. Yes, this car was a 'if only you were closer' car and I broke every rule of mine buying it! But for once the outcome hasn't been that bad
So, do I have a plan? Well, I am working on that! It has a couple of minor electrical issues that need seeing to, like the headlights that either work, sort of do or don't at all (I had to use the inner driving lights ; I think they are fog lights!). See why my new radio doesn't work and then decide what to do about the exterior. It's an ideal workhorse as it is! The interior is not too shabby at all and it's clear the car has been taken care of. That said, lows have been uttered around me with even the correct spring compressors offered for the deed!
One thing is for sure. While the M3 can go into hibernation over winter (as I decide what to do with it) this is a great way to waft around.
ian316 said:
A manual 250d I had one to say the box is pedestrian is being polite, you can see why 99% are autos 
C'mon this is Pistonheads. It's a manual gearbox or nothing here I thought .Back to the car.
I did leave one bit of the tale out! After I found out that I won it I spoke to him over the phone. He was saying the bodywork could be tidier and mentioned the other points that I already knew about but otherwise it was a solid car. I really did have my reservations. However, since I committed to the bid it was only right to go down and see what was occurring.
After leaving Warwickshire I soon hit Reading station! It's not a bad stations, but maybe not in the top ten. After grabbing a bacon butty and a coffee I sat down waiting for the train to Exeter. As soon as it arrived I hopped on I saw yet more green fields with the odd scrapyard popping up next to the railways! I would have taken a photo if my phone didn't freeze up for the first time ever during my ownership! Was it really that bad to buy this car?
What I did notice however was my second change on the train looking unlikely! With an 11 minute delay on my train I could see that I could possibly see my other train leaving rather than being on it! Thankfully the train companies made the other train wait due to this.
Going on a GWR train reminded me of everything that was wrong with trains! It was smelly, worn out, old and even looked like it belonged in the 80s! I even saw someone having a swift swig of Hostein Pills at 11am on the train! Yup, the scenery had changed somewhat! In some ways this was for the better. I was rewarded with stunning views however for my patience and perseverance! Suddenly this trip was beginning to make more sense!
Before I knew it I came across the well spoken man known as Ken. He rocked up complete with his beard and long white hair in quite a sheddy W124 Estate, also a manual and a 250D! I know these are rare but this obsession is sounding unhealthy! Despite the rot ridden exterior I was looking forward a little more to picking up the car. Once I saw the car I had won I knew from then I would be taking it away.
A quick drive around the block surprised me! Sure, it was a normally aspirated and on first impressions it had the wrong 'box but it certainly had a charm that won you over! Sure, the engine lost one cylinder but except it sounding slightly more Audi 5 pot like you couldn't really tell it was down on power! If anything it felt a little pokier! It was no road burner but it did gather speed at a nice pace ; it seemed quicker than my old Pug 206 DTurbo! And then there was the W124 factor: The feeling of a well built, wafty car. It drove much better than I expected it to. With that done I agreed to the deal.
Part of the other reason for agreeing to it was down it having a new timing chain, evidence of regular oil changes and with the exception of mismatched panels a nice honesty. Oh, and it is solid!
With that all done it was time to fill the old girl up and hit the open road:
It was an utter joy to drive this back! It just cruised at motorway speeds! I was banking on the return journey taking me a while. It's fair to say that I had underestimated the car. It just loves the motorway and feels right in its element! It's not been taxing on fuel either so far!
Before I knew it I arrived back home quite pleased with the purchase. Yes, this car was a 'if only you were closer' car and I broke every rule of mine buying it! But for once the outcome hasn't been that bad
So, do I have a plan? Well, I am working on that! It has a couple of minor electrical issues that need seeing to, like the headlights that either work, sort of do or don't at all (I had to use the inner driving lights ; I think they are fog lights!). See why my new radio doesn't work and then decide what to do about the exterior. It's an ideal workhorse as it is! The interior is not too shabby at all and it's clear the car has been taken care of. That said, lows have been uttered around me with even the correct spring compressors offered for the deed!
One thing is for sure. While the M3 can go into hibernation over winter (as I decide what to do with it) this is a great way to waft around.
Edited by SebringMan on Saturday 11th November 11:55
ian316 said:
Two other guys near me own w124s and we wave when we see each other, my wife calls it the sad c@nts club I still smile
I can only guess you own an old Mercedes of sorts? What is it? .Well, today was the day I put the W124 into use. For for the last couple of weeks I've been using a Mondoe 2.5T, and then briefly an '07 Saab 9-3 1.8t 150BHP. Unsurprisingly, the M3 went from feeling reasonable to pretty bloody rapid especially with temperatures down to 5 degrees C! Going from the M3 to the W124 was slightly surprising! But that said once I got my mind out of warp drive I just got on with enjoying wafting about, and still somehow trying to stay within speed limits ; it's quiet in this car!
The headlamps are behaving better but I may check the bulbs given that the main beams are working fine.
But now it's at home I can begin to crack on with the niggles. Sourcing an OEM engine mount for sensible money is proving interesting. I have options from GSF but being Vetech items I'd rather use them as a last resort. But then this a shed car :/.
Mine's a 300d it's my 3rd the 1st was a 300d auto 2nd a 250d manual, they really are relaxing places to be the only cars I regret selling I don't think I could part with the present one. They're great round town and on a steady cruise so quiet at 80 which I think is the lack of tyre noise compared to newer stuff but you are going to be out hustled by a new 2ltr diesel but its paid for and parts are cheap, ENJOY ps do the front ball joints
ps do the front ball joints ian316 said:
Mine's a 300d it's my 3rd the 1st was a 300d auto 2nd a 250d manual, they really are relaxing places to be the only cars I regret selling I don't think I could part with the present one. They're great round town and on a steady cruise so quiet at 80 which I think is the lack of tyre noise compared to newer stuff but you are going to be out hustled by a new 2ltr diesel but its paid for and parts are cheap, ENJOY ps do the front ball joints
It's funny you say that, I was out hustled by a Honda Accord VTEC unsurprisingly! A Ka however, not quite. But as said I'm chilling more and more with this boat! ps do the front ball joints I suspect it is the lack of wind and tyre noise that make them so quiet! Like you say I am surprised how good this car is around town, even as a manual! I think the 300d had the edge for just wafting around town but the 250D can move when it wants to!
Are the balljoints a known weak point on these? So far the tyre wear is OK on the front
.I've been busy again despite pushing this car into service only yesterday! Yes, I know it has its issues but needs must!
You may recall that the headlights went to briefly working to not working at all, but also working intermittently! Gah! Would I be driving on foglights every night like below? I could not even pull off the rudely look in this form! But they are vaguely convincing headlights! I even had the glorious light bulb warning going on and off!
The one clue that it could be a simple fix was that the beams worked perfectly with the light warning bulb going out! Being dual filament bulbs that ruled out an earthing fault to me. That left in my eyes a switch, connection or a relay problem. Tapping the fuse box did nothing. Opening it and wiggling the fuses however did. Gone are the intermittent headlights, and now come the reliable shiny lights! The bulb warning light that seems to plague most W124s has gone out now too! You have to love a free and easy fix!
Yes, yes I know about the leaves! I'll have to hoover them out!
My plan for these fuses are to sand back the contacts on iffy fuse connections, vaseline the connections and replace any tarnished fuses.
Another thing? When I collected the car it came with a crappy Grundig HU from a Corsa! I ended up taking it out and putting in very swanky Alpine, a 9887R for those wondering what it is!
But hang on, why is it not in the dash? A few reasons:
-I pulled it out as it didn't power up when I put it in first time. This was down to the power wires not being connected on the Alpine harness
-Some clown/C-unit has cut the godforsaken wires and bullet connected/ taped the stupid connections! Some connections are intermittent, some are just plain wrong! Right speaker connected as a left speaker anyone? At least they got their front and back speakers right.
PLEASE people. Don't be just tight gits! Don't curse word up the wiring over the price of a few beers! Just go out and splash some cash on a proper HU harness converter! It will be quicker and deliver a better result. To this day I've never owned a car where the wires have been cut and then put together correctly! ARRRGGGGHHH. Ah well, it's a soldering job I can do. I can add it to the list of previous cars I have done the same with. I've very rarely had an issue with harness converters.
Speaking of other jobs the inventory has started for the car! This is in the form of :
-Bosch Aeroblade wiper for a W124 : I have these on my M3 and I have to say I am really impressed with their quality and longevity; it's way better than their normal blades or even Valeo's offerings now!
-Hydraulic steering filter. Yes I did just say that. I plan to change that when I change my PAS lid O-ring ; the reservoir is leaving a mess around the engine bay! Let's be honest, if it drips on the floor, none of your friends with clean driveways like the 'drippy' car. But £3 for an O-ring? Mercedes saw me coming! Mind you, it's still cheaper than what a local specialist want, but they do have it on the shelf, but then Mercedes are closer to me...
-Ruville engine mounts. I went for Corteco mounts and I believe they are meant to be the OEM mounts as used by Mercedes. However, CP4L did kindly tell me that I'd have to wait which to be fair is decent of them. As a result I've decided to give these items a go. Will they work as good as the OEM items or will they shake the car like mental like one of them does currently at idle? We shall wait and see. They were a reasonable price mind you! They are still meant to be hydraulic mounts apparently. If other folks have tried these let me know
.
Yup. For a car that was cheap I should be careful what I get! But the core of the car is pretty good and let's be honest, who likes a car were you can't see where you are going in the rain in addition to vibrating itself inside at a warm idle?
ian316 said:
The ball joint squeaking is a sign it needs replacing, it's a press out joint unless you have sportline wishbones. Googling w124 ball joint failure makes you want to do it
I *may* be lucky in that respect. I think mine had play in them a few MOTs ago and as such were replaced despite being an advisory. I'll have to check the paperwork and also see what is fitted to the car.The ball joints make an almighty creaking when they are finished. You get plenty of warning. You'd have to drive for thousands of miles with it creaking like a galleon before they let go. But people do and they do let go spectacularly. Yours will have press-in-press-out ball joints. Merc ones are about £25 each and a specialist will know how too change them within an hour for both sides (in my experience, if you change one side, six weeks later you'll be back changing the other). The process of changing them is brutal.
ian316 said:
R129sl the true expert, the thread on his car is amazing
I shall have to take a look at that one of the days Edited by ian316 on Wednesday 15th November 06:31
.Anyway, I've been making progress again!
As for my car have I been busy with it? Yes, I've been driving it daily already! While I plan to sort out storage for the M3 to go into hibernation it will give me the time to sort out the few niggles on this car. One niggle I wanted sorted sooner though was an oil leak. It's wet underneath the engine and part of the engine bay too! After carefully looking it seemed that not all was well with the hydraulic steering reservoir. This is why I got the filter
. Despite me gently tightening the filler cap further it only leaked more! It looked like the seal was shot ; I had a similar but less extreme issue with my M3 PAS reservoir seal.
Mine was grubbier and definitely damper than this item however! Even the airbag behind it had a misting of PAS over it, along with the entire PAS pump!
If there is anything I hate as well as your friends with nice or new driveways it's oil leaks. It makes the cars a pain to park and you become 'that guy', joking aside about 'only real cars leak' etc. With that in mind I got the seal at a price of £3 from Mercedes. Pricey I know, but not when they were cheaper than the local specialist. Always check the dealer prices first peeps!
And so off I went to change it. On first impressions the seal looked OK in the cap, to the point I could barely tell if it was there or not!
It was only when I compared the new seal to the old that I realised something was amiss.
Yup, that seal was toast! It's almost half of the thickness!
With the seal changed I then went to clean the housing with some rag and carb cleaner. I'll do the rest of the engine bay when I get a spare weekend ; what's one of those? Suffice to say at least it's lost this leak and hopefully keep everything a little cleaner
It can be funny at times. For one reason or another you keep on procastinating over doing the job. It could be down to laziness or life simply getting in the way. In this case it was also down to the poor weather being a driveway warrier as well as the fear factor ; I don't really fancy having my hand taken out by a heavy OM602 lump just in case it falls down.
With that in mind I recently acquired storage for the M3 so that it can hibernate over winter. It however can also be used as work space. This left me with a problem. Bar a few specialist tools and my ratchet gun I don't actually have a toolset! Yes, I know! I simply used to borrow my dad's set over the years! After all, we'd normally fix the modern stuff together so it made life easier. Taking socket sets down can become a pain however. Something needed to be done to rectify this.
Enter stage left, or rather Black Friday (Yes, I know!).
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrI've been meaning to get one of these for ages. One so that I have a better charger than the fully automatic Halfords jobby. Two because in order to code/remap the gearbox ECU on my M3 I need a 10A and 13-14V supply while doing updates. Why? If the voltage drops below 13V during the update over the 1/2 hour period it takes to perform there is a chance that the ECU will brick itself; I plan to finalise the CSL updates on that which until now I've only partly done due to the above. If it saves the large battery in there and on other cars then I guess it is a win. The fact that it was cheaper than ever on an Amazon Black Thursday deal sweetened the deal for me. I've already used it twice!
Finally, this is the second item:
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrYes, I could have gone secondhand, some will say. But they do say a workman is only as good as his tools. That and IME things like these tend to be pretty abused by the time they are sold. With that many parts in the toolbox I couldn't complain at what it cost me.
So, I had the tools, I had the workshop, all I needed was a weekend. With last weekend's crazy schedule gone this weekend gone was looking promising. And so off I went with a very packed W124 down to the unit.
When I came to look and check out the driver's side engine mount it wasn't in bad condition at all. If anything it looked almost brand new!:
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrHowever, as soon as I looked up the passenger side I knew I found the source of the problem:
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrYup, that mount had gone big style! The rubber had split and then fallen away from the mount. On top of that the fluid if there was fluid even in there had long gone! No wonder it was shaking like mental at idle! By the looks of it the power steering leak it previously had looked like it may have finished off the engine mount. With that in mind I got out the carb cleaner, soaked the area thoroughly and then proceeded to remove the engine mount. That way I can also find it easier to trace leaks in the future.
It's fair to say it had seen better days.
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on Flickr
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on Flickr
Engine mounts by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrMuch to my surprise the job actually went quite well! Within a couple of hours I had cleaned myself up and packed everything away before I was on my way home.
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on Flickr
Socket set Halfords BF by Charanjeet Randhawa, on FlickrYup, the new mounts were fitted with the passenger side being thoroughly cleaned up prior to fitting the new mount.
Is there a difference! Definitely! The engine is no longer shaking the entire car to smithereens at idle, but then I guess the ladies will be missing that. Not that they were good vibrations. Gearchanges have also improved and the car is generally alot nicer to drive, especially in town. All in all it was a result, with the car now being more suitable for tackling daily driving.
I then proceeded to go to an old friend's place who deals with W124s. While he was showing me some wheels I can have for my car he fancied a drive of the 250D. After all, manual 250Ds aren't that common! This is the same guy I sold my 300D to. In short he was perplexed by the spec of the car. After all, it had electric windows all round, a full wooden trim package inside but not much else! He loved how the car had zero injector knock but also how quick the car was. OK, I mean quick for a 250D ; quicker than his 300D auto he felt and possibly on a par with a 220E Auto. Not bad at all! He was very complimentary about the drive. A result indeed.
Will I walk away some day with his 15 hole wheels for £90-120 depending on if I get his part worn tyres. We shall see. I am trying not to let mission creep affect things!
Oh, I heard you guys ask about MPG? I finally managed to refill the car after 3 weeks and 470 miles! Not bad at all! With mixed work and me trying to be a little too quick at times (cough, running late for Roadkill!) I have managed 35MPG. Not great, but not terrible, a Pug 407 2.0HDI I had previously could only usurp this by driving like a nun in that car. It's fair to say it's alot cheaper to run than the M3's V-Power'd 24MPG on average!
Excellent thread ! Very well written tale and sounds like a good project.
Keep us updated on the progress...it sounds like it will become 'more than a shed' and the temptation will be, as most PH'ers know, to keep on improving the car.
I have just bought a Fiat Grande Punto 1.9 Mjet Sporting as my daily commuter car, but I have to resist the urge to spend money on it !
It has 130 BHP anyway, but if I got a wee remap it would be a real hot hatch...almost as good as my P&J which is an Alfa 156 JTDM with a remap. The Fiat is supposed to be used to keep the miles ( and more importantly the salt etc ) off the Alfa, which has been rustproofed underneath in an attempt to preserve it !
Anyway, apologies for going OT, but quite envious of your old Merc !
Keep us updated on the progress...it sounds like it will become 'more than a shed' and the temptation will be, as most PH'ers know, to keep on improving the car.
I have just bought a Fiat Grande Punto 1.9 Mjet Sporting as my daily commuter car, but I have to resist the urge to spend money on it !
It has 130 BHP anyway, but if I got a wee remap it would be a real hot hatch...almost as good as my P&J which is an Alfa 156 JTDM with a remap. The Fiat is supposed to be used to keep the miles ( and more importantly the salt etc ) off the Alfa, which has been rustproofed underneath in an attempt to preserve it !
Anyway, apologies for going OT, but quite envious of your old Merc !
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