RE: Shed of the Week: Mercedes-Benz E430 (W210)
Discussion
rtz62 said:
".. Bless him, he went to the nearby Toyota dealer and bought an Avensis D4D auto, as it is to be his last car before giving up driving (and he was prepared to spend serious wedge on his last MB).
Whilst waiting for the Toyota to be built he drove around were he lives in North London with a big home-made sign in his Merc telling people to avoid the marque
T?
Donuts on the Merc dealer's forecourt followed by going through the salesman's girlfriend like a dose of salts too I'll wager. Textbook handling of the scenario. Whilst waiting for the Toyota to be built he drove around were he lives in North London with a big home-made sign in his Merc telling people to avoid the marque
T?
Great engine with a decent soundtrack. I've had a 4.3 in the CLK, and it was a pretty nippy car.
Had a few E55 AMGs, but never the E430 model.
Earlier, pre-facelift versions don't rust as bad and I think they look better.
The 'frog-eyed' 210 are getting better with age. Sold my E300 TD last week, and lady who bought it described the cars as 'understated elegance'.
Had a few E55 AMGs, but never the E430 model.
Earlier, pre-facelift versions don't rust as bad and I think they look better.
The 'frog-eyed' 210 are getting better with age. Sold my E300 TD last week, and lady who bought it described the cars as 'understated elegance'.
Every one of these "AMG'd" W210s I see now seems to be driven by the local hardman, usually an angry looking, middle aged guy with a shaved head, a massive beer gut hidden under a vest, tattoos, a bunch of sovereign rings, and a moderate case of sunburn.
And I can't remember the last time I saw one without rotten front wings.
I like German barges as a rule, and a nice, standard, cared for W210 is probably a lovely thing, but not this one.
And I can't remember the last time I saw one without rotten front wings.
I like German barges as a rule, and a nice, standard, cared for W210 is probably a lovely thing, but not this one.
Limpet said:
Every one of these "AMG'd" W210s I see now seems to be driven by the local hardman, usually an angry looking, middle aged guy with a shaved head, a massive beer gut hidden under a vest, tattoos, a bunch of sovereign rings, and a moderate case of sunburn.
Particularly in the harf-hearted murdered-out spec of the SOTW - black tints and 'period' (unlikely to be genuine) AMG wheels.There was a big trend a few years ago of young immigrants from eastern Europe coming to the UK, and buying Mercs like this one for a fraction of the prices of continental Europe. Some of these lads may indeed have matched Limpet's description above. But they all drove the cars home every holiday to let everyone know how well they were doing in Blighty. The mentality still exists, but they've moved on to newer cars, equally blinged up (both the cars & the drivers).
I think this is an excellent shed. My first car cost £1,200 - a knackered old Punto GT. To think that sort of money could get you into a knackered old Merc V8 is pretty cool.
Yes it has it's faults, but if it lasts a year and scratches the 8cyl itch for someone it's almost worth a punt for the eventual scrap value.
Yes it has it's faults, but if it lasts a year and scratches the 8cyl itch for someone it's almost worth a punt for the eventual scrap value.
For several years now we've been running an W210 E280, bought from my dad when he got offered nothing as a trade in a few years ago.
I was reluctant about it to start with, but felt my dad wanted to "keep it in the family". It's got the classic W210 issues e.g. rusty wings, pixels missing on dash, intermittent airbag light etc but none of these affect everyday driving.
Apart from a new CPS to stop the cutting out issue my dad got rid of it for, its been absolutely spot on. We expect it to fail its MOT every year, given the state of the wings but MOT man says its all great, apart from the wings.
Given its original high specification, I'm loathed to get rid, as I know I'll really miss it. Super comfy, powerful enough when you need it to be, drives well (steering rack on these compared to ball on W124s), 30 mpg average, has leather seats and still smells new inside - lovely!
I'm generally more BMW than Merc but imo, apart from the rusty outer panels, interior-wise puts most modern BM's to shame. 146k miles on the clock doesn't seem to have affected it that much.
I should really sort the wings, and maybe get the alloys refurbed. We'll probably just run it until something major needs doing, as it owes me nowt.
I was reluctant about it to start with, but felt my dad wanted to "keep it in the family". It's got the classic W210 issues e.g. rusty wings, pixels missing on dash, intermittent airbag light etc but none of these affect everyday driving.
Apart from a new CPS to stop the cutting out issue my dad got rid of it for, its been absolutely spot on. We expect it to fail its MOT every year, given the state of the wings but MOT man says its all great, apart from the wings.
Given its original high specification, I'm loathed to get rid, as I know I'll really miss it. Super comfy, powerful enough when you need it to be, drives well (steering rack on these compared to ball on W124s), 30 mpg average, has leather seats and still smells new inside - lovely!
I'm generally more BMW than Merc but imo, apart from the rusty outer panels, interior-wise puts most modern BM's to shame. 146k miles on the clock doesn't seem to have affected it that much.
I should really sort the wings, and maybe get the alloys refurbed. We'll probably just run it until something major needs doing, as it owes me nowt.
It's almost worth buying to cruise around somewhere like Crawley or Swindon with this blaring:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHZRHEJHS2k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHZRHEJHS2k
Once, it was a simple descriptor of the engine size: 320 meant 3.2 litres, 500 5 litres. Over at AMG, 43 meant 4.3 litres, 63 6.3 litres and so on. It was all so dreamily easy.
Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
matbat said:
Once, it was a simple descriptor of the engine size: 320 meant 3.2 litres, 500 5 litres. Over at AMG, 43 meant 4.3 litres, 63 6.3 litres and so on. It was all so dreamily easy.
Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
Also, the E240 for example, has a 2.6 litre V6 engine. Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
W220 S600 has a 5.8 litre V12 in n/a form, and the 5.5 V12 twin turbo in the later models.
They have been doing this for years.
I love the look of a 210 on Monoblocs. From behind and from the side, anyway.
If it didn't have the frilly wings I'd say machine polish it, clear up the crusty headlights and off you go. Perfect shed/station car/wafter.
But I had two 202's of that period. One was fine in my tenure but I've been following it's MOT progress since and there's been a lot of welding done - sills, seatbelt mounting points, etc.
I got shot of the second one when it started turning into an Alkaseltzer before my very eyes.
It's a shame as they were otherwise great cars.
If it didn't have the frilly wings I'd say machine polish it, clear up the crusty headlights and off you go. Perfect shed/station car/wafter.
But I had two 202's of that period. One was fine in my tenure but I've been following it's MOT progress since and there's been a lot of welding done - sills, seatbelt mounting points, etc.
I got shot of the second one when it started turning into an Alkaseltzer before my very eyes.
It's a shame as they were otherwise great cars.
pSyCoSiS said:
matbat said:
Once, it was a simple descriptor of the engine size: 320 meant 3.2 litres, 500 5 litres. Over at AMG, 43 meant 4.3 litres, 63 6.3 litres and so on. It was all so dreamily easy.
Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
Also, the E240 for example, has a 2.6 litre V6 engine. Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
W220 S600 has a 5.8 litre V12 in n/a form, and the 5.5 V12 twin turbo in the later models.
They have been doing this for years.
matbat said:
Once, it was a simple descriptor of the engine size: 320 meant 3.2 litres, 500 5 litres. Over at AMG, 43 meant 4.3 litres, 63 6.3 litres and so on. It was all so dreamily easy.
Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
I had a 1972 W114 250 with.... a 2.8 straight six. That's how they came. Then there was the 280SE 3.5 (or 4.5 if you lived stateside), the 300SEL 3.5... you get the idea. The model name hasn't definitively told you the engine size for over 50 years.Almost... for most of the range the 63 was actually a 6.2L (the exception being the S63 with the V12.) I seem to recall they used 63 badge in homage to the 300SEL 6.3
I like the reference to 'advanced features' in 2000 like electric windows and central locking, on a £42k Merc.....Top sales banter! https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/4.gif
Nice enough motor but agreed, not the best example. Too many rust issues on these old Mercs for my liking.
Nice enough motor but agreed, not the best example. Too many rust issues on these old Mercs for my liking.
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