Mercedes w210 E430 (no titivating allowed)
Discussion
These are the screws: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/machine-screws/01905...
I do not know what the rationale is. I have always like them. They look very solid. I detest the sticky pads and still more the practise of drilling holes in the bodywork. My boot lid has both. I couldn't be chewed to remove the sticky pads (a major ball ache, I've found in the past) but I caked the holes in Dynax S50. The holes aren't even symmetrically or evenly positioned. Philistines.
Mind you, the Mercedes screw solution is imperfect. Often they become stuck fast and the heads come off when you try to remove them.
I do not know what the rationale is. I have always like them. They look very solid. I detest the sticky pads and still more the practise of drilling holes in the bodywork. My boot lid has both. I couldn't be chewed to remove the sticky pads (a major ball ache, I've found in the past) but I caked the holes in Dynax S50. The holes aren't even symmetrically or evenly positioned. Philistines.
Mind you, the Mercedes screw solution is imperfect. Often they become stuck fast and the heads come off when you try to remove them.
It is dead on accurate. I check it against my Road Trip App. Speaking of which, I filled up at the Bargista's service station of choice, the Shell at Coneygarth just off the A1. The trip computer said 28.5mpg; the old-fashioned calculation said 28.51mpg. That is good enough for me. I then made progress home during that wonderful 9pm to 10pm summer evening time. At no time did I exceed 155mph.
bmthnick1981 said:
Sounds like it is serving you very well.
Would you consider getting rid of this and the W124 and consolidating into a late W211 e500 (5.5 N/A) ?
It's serving me very well. It really hasn't cost me very much money at all so far and pretty much everything is working; it is very easy and pleasant to use, fast, quiet, comfortable, long-legged.Would you consider getting rid of this and the W124 and consolidating into a late W211 e500 (5.5 N/A) ?
I've thought about swapping the 124 for a 210 estate; or swapping both for a 211 E500 estate as you suggest (I'd avoid the 5.5litre, the early versions of that engine have a serious manufacturing defect). But. But. But the 210 and 211 lack the character of the 124; the 210 definitely does not ride as well as the 124 (although I thing an E500 with its Airmatic suspension would); neither a 210 nor a 211 is built anything like as well as the 124; and the V8 is very thirsty on my commute—it's not so much the cost of fuel as the inconvenience of having to put it in. Besides, E500 Elegance estates with sub-100k miles are pretty thin on the ground.
So my conclusion is just to stick to the plan. I'll use the E430 for long distance business work to relieve the strain on me and the 124 and 129.
ian316 said:
That mpg is impressive given your habit of pressing on, the w124 can't be doing a great deal more
The 124 gives 30mpg no matter what I do with it. My wife gets 35mpg somehow, although she rarely ventures above 55mph.I am pretty amazed by the 210's performance "on a run", but then my 129 (same engine) was always pretty economical in the same circumstances. It is another story on a heavily-trafficked commute or when running cold. Then they give about 22 or 23mpg.
I have done 5,000 miles or so in this car now and I really like it. It is utterly invisible and unremarkable, really free of any image or associations or status, which is great. But it goes like stink. For motorway cruising it is really relaxed and easy; but a single-carriage way 'A' road, heavily trafficked, against the clock, it is very good indeed. I think the soft suspension makes it much faster in the real world. And the big motor is very well-suited to blitzing traffic.
Anyway, some scrote vandalised the antenna. I obtained a replacement from www.merecedes-benz-parts.co.uk for something less than £60 delivered. It comes ready painted which must make keeping a parts inventory tedious. Two minutes to swap. I haven't tested it yet (!) but I suspect that this is one of those jobs even I can't mess up.
Anyway, some scrote vandalised the antenna. I obtained a replacement from www.merecedes-benz-parts.co.uk for something less than £60 delivered. It comes ready painted which must make keeping a parts inventory tedious. Two minutes to swap. I haven't tested it yet (!) but I suspect that this is one of those jobs even I can't mess up.
I'm getting really fond of it, too. It's a really grown up car. I've just driven it to Barnsley and back. Without hanging around, it has given me 29.6mpg and I have just over half a tank left; it reckons its range is over 500miles. This is better and faster than the diseasel 124 could manage, not to mention infinitely more refined. If the 124 doesn't get fixed up, I'm going to enjoy taking this one on holiday.
I need to open my wallet, however. It needs front discs and pads up, front anti-roll bar bushes and drop links and a pair of rear tyres. That'll set me back £500 but it can wait until after my holiday.
I need to open my wallet, however. It needs front discs and pads up, front anti-roll bar bushes and drop links and a pair of rear tyres. That'll set me back £500 but it can wait until after my holiday.
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