RE: The W124 Mercedes guru | PH Fleet
Discussion
My parents bought a 230TE with steel wheels and a manual box in 1989. Dad regretted not pushing the boat out and getting the 300TE but the funds were not available!
That car was wonderful. As the author says there are so many great design details (the visibility, the rear view mirrors, the way the rear seats folded, the clarity of the instruments, the space utilisation) that you appreciated more and more the longer you had it. It replaced a 1983 Volvo 240 GLT estate. Both that and the Merc had the fold-away bench seats in the boot. The quality of the Merc's design was in stark contrast to the Volvo, as it should have been given it was a 20 year younger design.
The only things that really bugged me (as a teenage car geek) were the manual gearbox - notchy and hard to sync with the foot-operated parking brake - and the front seats which I found horribly uncomfortable after an hour or so. I guess the seats had to accommodate powerfully built German industrialists and relatively few skinny teenagers would be driving them, but does anyone else find them so painful?
Mum eventually sold it six years later having done 195,000 miles. The garage that maintained it bought it from her and, she tells me, ran it for another ten years...
That car was wonderful. As the author says there are so many great design details (the visibility, the rear view mirrors, the way the rear seats folded, the clarity of the instruments, the space utilisation) that you appreciated more and more the longer you had it. It replaced a 1983 Volvo 240 GLT estate. Both that and the Merc had the fold-away bench seats in the boot. The quality of the Merc's design was in stark contrast to the Volvo, as it should have been given it was a 20 year younger design.
The only things that really bugged me (as a teenage car geek) were the manual gearbox - notchy and hard to sync with the foot-operated parking brake - and the front seats which I found horribly uncomfortable after an hour or so. I guess the seats had to accommodate powerfully built German industrialists and relatively few skinny teenagers would be driving them, but does anyone else find them so painful?
Mum eventually sold it six years later having done 195,000 miles. The garage that maintained it bought it from her and, she tells me, ran it for another ten years...
TWPC said:
My parents bought a 230TE with steel wheels and a manual box in 1989. Dad regretted not pushing the boat out and getting the 300TE but the funds were not available!
That car was wonderful. As the author says there are so many great design details (the visibility, the rear view mirrors, the way the rear seats folded, the clarity of the instruments, the space utilisation) that you appreciated more and more the longer you had it. It replaced a 1983 Volvo 240 GLT estate. Both that and the Merc had the fold-away bench seats in the boot. The quality of the Merc's design was in stark contrast to the Volvo, as it should have been given it was a 20 year younger design.
The only things that really bugged me (as a teenage car geek) were the manual gearbox - notchy and hard to sync with the foot-operated parking brake - and the front seats which I found horribly uncomfortable after an hour or so. I guess the seats had to accommodate powerfully built German industrialists and relatively few skinny teenagers would be driving them, but does anyone else find them so painful?
Mum eventually sold it six years later having done 195,000 miles. The garage that maintained it bought it from her and, she tells me, ran it for another ten years...
The seats are great, and I can imagine the price between a 230te manual on steelies compared to 300te in those days That car was wonderful. As the author says there are so many great design details (the visibility, the rear view mirrors, the way the rear seats folded, the clarity of the instruments, the space utilisation) that you appreciated more and more the longer you had it. It replaced a 1983 Volvo 240 GLT estate. Both that and the Merc had the fold-away bench seats in the boot. The quality of the Merc's design was in stark contrast to the Volvo, as it should have been given it was a 20 year younger design.
The only things that really bugged me (as a teenage car geek) were the manual gearbox - notchy and hard to sync with the foot-operated parking brake - and the front seats which I found horribly uncomfortable after an hour or so. I guess the seats had to accommodate powerfully built German industrialists and relatively few skinny teenagers would be driving them, but does anyone else find them so painful?
Mum eventually sold it six years later having done 195,000 miles. The garage that maintained it bought it from her and, she tells me, ran it for another ten years...
Zonergem said:
The art of buying old Mercs is to find one the previous owner spent all his money on
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233511138025
"Approx £15K has been spent on the car in the last 5 years by the last owner including new front Mercedes wings, replacement differential, new alternator, new coil springs, new subframe mounts, new cylinder head gasket, new glow plugs, aircon overhauled with new condenser, new exhaust system, new Goodyear Efficiency Grip Tyres etc etc.
The car starts on the button and drives beautifully with no smoke or bad noises especially after the cylinder head was overhauled."
Mine has done a little over 300,000 miles. 1995 E300 the 606 engine. I have had it around twelve years now.
Never had any really big mechanical trouble other than that caused by blundering mechanics.
Rust has been a problem in the floor pan. the underseal is really top quality but when water does get in it rots. luckily really isolated patches not the horrible cancerous rot you got in old English and Italian cars of the 70's.
Its a relaxing drive but capable of high speeds carries heavy and big stuff.
I now have a W203 c class 2006 its such a sensitive car electronically. Really fast and super handling but inhabited by gremlins. not a keeper.
Never had any really big mechanical trouble other than that caused by blundering mechanics.
Rust has been a problem in the floor pan. the underseal is really top quality but when water does get in it rots. luckily really isolated patches not the horrible cancerous rot you got in old English and Italian cars of the 70's.
Its a relaxing drive but capable of high speeds carries heavy and big stuff.
I now have a W203 c class 2006 its such a sensitive car electronically. Really fast and super handling but inhabited by gremlins. not a keeper.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff