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bob1179 said:
Lovely car! Can you tell me a bit more about it?
What is like to drive?
Today, as the sun was shining I backed her out of the garage and gave her a good clean and polish then couldn't resist going for a bit of a spin. Lovely!What is like to drive?
Two gallons of premium well spent.
I've not had the car that long. Bought it last spring from here http://www.avantgardecars.co.uk/home
Paid quite lot for a 17 year old car I suppose, but it really is in very good condition and has clearly been looked after. Legended to only be 3 left in UK???
It’s the first car I have ever had where a random stranger entered into a conversation about it – I was returning to the station car park yesterday and one of the guys working for the contractors refurbishing the car park came over as I was putting my trappings in the boot and said how it was the best preserved w124 he’d ever seen and wanted to know all about it. That’s definitely never happened before. He seemed a knowledgeable chap too and said he’d had an early w124 in the past but it had long since died of rust. Had a few folk toot and wave as well. There was even a young lad in a souped up Corsa giving me the thumb up.
I think it still the shape looks good. Discuss. To me the form is pretty timeless, just not “modern”. It sits quietly and confidently in the works car park like a leather bound Dickens on a shelf of airport paperbacks. It doesn't jostle for attention like some of the showier up-to-the-minute offerings with their alluring curves and me, me, me corporate fashion cues.
As to driving, well, it’s now become a bit of an occasion as opposed to a simple journey. I like the way the speedo needle can’t quite make its mind up until you are doing about 35 mph and it flits up and down like the speedo in my 1962 mini used to when I was about the same age this car is now. It settles down OK at motorway speeds but it’s hopelessly optimistic when compared to the GPS readout.
I quite like the smell of the interior. Who was it on Top Gear said they bought a car for its smell? When the guy who fitted the new radio (Blaupunkt Toronto with Bluetooth) was sat in it he said that with his eyes closed he’d be able to tell it was an old Merc. Is that true I wonder?
There’s no need to drive fast in this car. It will show much newer cars a clean pair of metaphorical heels if required, but I reckon my average speed has dropped by about 10 mph on motorways and I have turned into something of a pootler on urban roads. Mind you, with oscillating speedo needle, your guess on the actual speed is as good as mine. I’m perfectly happy just proceeding calmly and carefully toward my destination.
For those who may be interested, it is presently giving an average of 29.7 mpg at 85% motorway 15% urban.
The engine has a pleasing tone. There is a satisfying chord when it starts and settles to tick-over and if you want to overtake on the motorway, anything above about 3000 rpm delivers a resonant, harmonic baritone that remains as background music and never dominates like 55s and 63s. Not that I find the modern AMG pipes unpleasant, it’s just a tune played on a different instrument.
Her Ladyship (who doesn't drink) borrowed it the other night for a girly night out taxi and as she was driving away there was a lovely key change as it shifted up.
The handling is better than I expected. Firm but not arduous like a BMW. I’ve not exactly explored the limits of grip, but when pushed it felt like it knew what it was doing and only needed me to hang onto the steering wheel. Nicely relaxed, no roll or drama. It had Pirelli tyres on when I bought it and they were very noisy on motorways. Now have some Continentals on and it's much quieter.
The brakes are as good as my C280 but I suspect it will be needing some new disks before long. Perhaps it would be nice to get the calipers refurbished too.
The electric aerial is jolly entertaining. It rises in its own sweet time and just like me, it never quite achieves the same degree of erection as it did when it was younger. When the radio is turned off it lowers like a flag at sundown in about the same time as it takes to get out of the car and lock it. I’ve given it a spray of silicone lubricant but to very little effect. It needs some sort of telescopic Viagra I suspect. I've just bought a new OE mast on eBay so hopefully that will improve things.
The driving position is pretty well perfect and even Her Ladyship can get comfy. I’m not convinced she really gets this old car thing but she can see I’m happy so she humours me.
The seats are comfy but still supportive, they don’t appear to have sagged at all and the leather is nicely lived in and looks good.
What do I miss when compared with the fripperies available on modern machinery? The volume controls on the steering wheel for sure and the ability to change radio station, CD track, etc.
I miss that 3 flashes thing on the indicator for a flick of the stalk, oh and I miss the stalk being on the left – still.
I’ll miss it when the car tells you it wants a drink of oil and a service. Note to self – must get back into the habit of weekly checks.
For sure there's a few minor faults that are to be fixed soon, but nothing that’s taken the shine off ownership. For peace of mind I bought the full 3 year warranty on it. It covers any single “claim” up to £2K so I hope that should cover most eventualities. It was very good value for money I though too.
It's had a new coil pack.
There are a few tiny paint blemishes and stone chips I want touched up but that's about the extent of paint issues.
One happy man.
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