Titivating my Mercedes 124

[Zonergem]

EJH said:

Fleet redundancy to ensure that you have (in theory) a fully operational estate car whenever you need one?

Famous (and expensive) last words

[EJH]

Zonergem said:

Famous (and expensive) last words

Once upon a time I adopted a similar approach. Even that wasn't failsafe when I had one car a ferry ride away having its suspension re-built and another car in the bodyshop for some moderately invasive works.

Hertz are a very useful organisation at such times.

[Biglips]

I fear the 211 will not live up to the 124 for you. It is better in every measurable way but the sum of the parts is not necessarily greater. Yours has become part of the family and has so many memories too.

I have had several s124 and they have much greater character than the 211. I like their looks and the fact that they are smaller and narrower making them much easier to pilot. They have amazing visibility and have a simplicity and honesty of design that makes them a joy. No laptop needed to fix.

However They are thirsty (especially my E36), noisy at speed, rust for fun, have rubbish headlights and windscreen wipers and need constant attention. Whilst they do have airbags and ABS I am not sure I fancy being in a collision in one. If you don’t have time for all of that then the 211 is the tool required. For my busy family life the 211 is necessary. However whenever I see a s124 I cannot help but look on wistfully. The v8 under the bonnet helps to soften the pain. I now get my classic fix with a 1989 eunos roadster that I buzz around in. A perfect foil to the more modern family transport.

[r129sl]

So, Biglips, your advice is to get both.

The character is the big attraction of the 124 for me. You have summed up its virtues extremely well.

[Biglips]

r129sl said:

So, Biglips, your advice is to get both.

Can’t argue with that

[idiotgap]

3 years on and I still pine for my S124. I do still like my 211 and it's better in so many ways, but it really doesn't have the character or get under your skin. As a result I've got bored with fixing the 211 in a way I used to forgive the 124. Later e-class estates don't seem to come with 7-seats or hood ornaments, so a newer one wasn't really an option. Can't really go back to a 124 for the moment because of the lack of a proper belt in the back and the 3 sons.

So, for now, we're just eking the 211 out until our Kodiaq arrives, we ordered it in June, but it's not likely to come before Christmas. I guess having new car will be a novelty for a month or two, after that I wonder how things will be. I still check out AT/carandclassic/ebay for 124 estates once in a while, there doesn't seem to be a cure for that.

[bungz]

What kind of man has two estates?

A champion of a man that's what.

[harrykul]

I've currently got 3 1990s Mercedes e class estates.

My wife certainly doesn't think it's clever.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

harrykul said:

I've currently got 3 1990s Mercedes e class estates.

My wife certainly doesn't think it's clever.

What does she know Harry? It's the internet that matters!

[Zonergem]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

What does she know Harry? It's the internet that matters!

Amen!

It struck me over the weekend buying the brown C124 that I have probably interacted online with 75% or more of that tiny subsection of the population whose eyes would light up at such a thing. Everyone else would shudder with disgust.

[harrykul]

You're absolutely right, silly me for almost being swayed by the wife!! Onward!!

[r129sl]

olly22n said:

Zonergem said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

What does she know Harry? It's the internet that matters!

Amen!

It struck me over the weekend buying the brown C124 that I have probably interacted online with 75% or more of that tiny subsection of the population whose eyes would light up at such a thing. Everyone else would shudder with disgust.

I get this a lot. I fawn over stuff that most think is mere junk

Well that's high praise in my book. After all, quality is inversely proportional to popularity.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

r129sl said:

olly22n said:

Zonergem said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

What does she know Harry? It's the internet that matters!

Amen!

It struck me over the weekend buying the brown C124 that I have probably interacted online with 75% or more of that tiny subsection of the population whose eyes would light up at such a thing. Everyone else would shudder with disgust.

I get this a lot. I fawn over stuff that most think is mere junk

Well that's high praise in my book. After all, quality is inversely proportional to popularity.

Amen chaps, but I've got young-adult daughters. We might as well be speaking foreign as far as the youngsters (at least in my life) are concerned, but I see the main role of a father as being to ruthlessly and relentlessly embarrass his children. In that respect I am a model-dad, at least with my car choices.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

olly22n said:

My daughter’s eight, and still for the most part likes my quirky approach to vehicles.

I gather this may change

I think it may.
At 8, my first-born could name every car on the road.
Within 5 years she'd forgotten what a car was.
When it came to (paid-for-by-other-people) driving lessons and (paid-for-by-other-people) tedious car stuff like insurance and, well, a car, the only important metric was that it be not too tragic and free.
I have lived your future my friend.

[bolidemichael]

The 211 for sale has sound provenance and a string of PHers having owned it. I think that you would enjoy the 211 as it is now old enough to become a light-hobbyist obsession whilst performing its duties with aplomb. The sleeper element is hilarious for rapid drivers and it handles really well on 17" wheels. If you have to chuck money at it then the car will return to you a greater satisfaction than the sum of its parts. It is super - comfortable, powerful and spacious.

Moreover, I believe that the alternative E500 for sale on autotrader with a single owner and FMBSH (Europe wide mobilo life cover) in avantgarde spec with the 5.0L engine at 135k (no overheating ECU to go bang ££££) represents a more enticing proposition and, if mine is anything to go by, has all the power one would require in a 'must-overtake-a-chain-of-six-or-seven-cars-on-a-short-straight-A-road-section-as-I'm-in-a-hurry' scenario.

Additionally, it is fitted with heated (Newcastle and northward) and vented (Sunderland and southward) seats. As it has been on sale now for about two months, I would say that an offer of £5,500 would tempt a conversation.

The 124 has seen you good and has been a wonderful exercise in astute and dogged maintenance, but it may now benefit the intrigue of a new owner whilst you can turn your attention to your extended fleet of vehicles.

Edited by bolidemichael on Wednesday 10th October 00:54

[paul-o5f9h]

Well you certainly have it bad, but like real men you embrace a project.

I had 2 W124 500E's and still crave another but somehow so does everyone else hence their price!!

I'll scratch my itch with a SL R230 500 which needs TLC (KeylessGo and other problems), but will keep me occupied !!

[simont001]

Fellow Northumbrian, your car looks very familiar. Will I have seen it around Hexham? I'm just along the road at Fourstones. The windfarm in an earlier photo is probably just a bit to the north ... I'm a fully paid up believer in depreciation ravaged cars - Volvo, Alfa (and Spitfire) at the moment - and often ponder Mercs. Might appreciate your wisdom on a purchase at some point!

[r129sl]

simont001 said:

Fellow Northumbrian, your car looks very familiar. Will I have seen it around Hexham? I'm just along the road at Fourstones. The windfarm in an earlier photo is probably just a bit to the north ... I'm a fully paid up believer in depreciation ravaged cars - Volvo, Alfa (and Spitfire) at the moment - and often ponder Mercs. Might appreciate your wisdom on a purchase at some point!

You may have seen it around Hexham, it gets about, but it lives on the coast near Amble and spends most days in Newcastle.

[tanneman]

Well, this has always been an enjoyable thread to read. Time to make it known. Thanks.

Linky: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/mer...

[0a]

tanneman said:

Well, this has always been an enjoyable thread to read. Time to make it known. Thanks.

Linky: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/mer...

E300? 300D surely!