Discussion
Seen a nice one of these for sale, 69k miles from new and apparently used in the dry only (unlikely!). Would be my first 'classic' car purchase and run as a sole vehicle, though I don't need a daily and only cover around 7k miles a year.
Is this likely to be an expensive nightmare or can I run it on a sensible budget? I'm hoping/assuming the car may be relatively rust-free and hopefully there's some life left in the mechanicals...
Any owners of W124 300E or 300CEs on here willing to share their experiences?
Cheers for any info!
Is this likely to be an expensive nightmare or can I run it on a sensible budget? I'm hoping/assuming the car may be relatively rust-free and hopefully there's some life left in the mechanicals...
Any owners of W124 300E or 300CEs on here willing to share their experiences?
Cheers for any info!
As long as it's been previously well looked after and you maintain it correctly, then it shouldn't be a problem.
Obviously with age comes the possibility of perishing rubber items. They can be expensive depending on where they are on the car.
General problems with the engines are head gaskets and wiring harnesses, although at that mileage these shouldn't be too much of an issue - oil leaks around the engine block and the idle not being smooth are usually the give away to these.
Gearbox should be smooth shifting with no over-revving or consistent clunking between changes and selection of D, N, R and P. If a clutch pack is on the way out, that's a gearbox rebuild or replacement.
Make sure there is no knocking from the diff - could be on its way out or a drive shaft with not much life. Also ensure the diff isn't dripping oil. A bit of seepage will indicate some future work is required, but not immanently essential.
Re: Rust.
The obvious places....
Front arches, rear arches, under doors (a little rust is fine, but holes are terminal) and where the door sides and top of the plastic mouldings meet.
Furthermore...
Check in the engine bay behind the headlights - this area can rust right through is an expensive exercise to repair.
Also, check the rubber bung holes in front of the rear wheel arches - again expensive as interior trim must be removed.
Get it up on a ramp to inspect the underside for any softening and obvious rust.
If any patches are required, post-repair a decent wax oil is a good idea.
Interior wise, they are pretty robust. With that mileage it should be fine. Just be aware that interior items have long been NLA from Mercedes.
They are the basics, and the various things that I have had happen during my 9 years ownership of my C124 E320 Coupe and 3 years of a W124 230E before.
It should still be fine as a daily driver, going by how many 124s are still on the road here and abroad. Indeed for the first 5 years, my E320 was a daily, the 230E was always a daily covering 197,000 miles.
Good luck with your search and inspection of this 69k miler.
Darren
Obviously with age comes the possibility of perishing rubber items. They can be expensive depending on where they are on the car.
General problems with the engines are head gaskets and wiring harnesses, although at that mileage these shouldn't be too much of an issue - oil leaks around the engine block and the idle not being smooth are usually the give away to these.
Gearbox should be smooth shifting with no over-revving or consistent clunking between changes and selection of D, N, R and P. If a clutch pack is on the way out, that's a gearbox rebuild or replacement.
Make sure there is no knocking from the diff - could be on its way out or a drive shaft with not much life. Also ensure the diff isn't dripping oil. A bit of seepage will indicate some future work is required, but not immanently essential.
Re: Rust.
The obvious places....
Front arches, rear arches, under doors (a little rust is fine, but holes are terminal) and where the door sides and top of the plastic mouldings meet.
Furthermore...
Check in the engine bay behind the headlights - this area can rust right through is an expensive exercise to repair.
Also, check the rubber bung holes in front of the rear wheel arches - again expensive as interior trim must be removed.
Get it up on a ramp to inspect the underside for any softening and obvious rust.
If any patches are required, post-repair a decent wax oil is a good idea.
Interior wise, they are pretty robust. With that mileage it should be fine. Just be aware that interior items have long been NLA from Mercedes.
They are the basics, and the various things that I have had happen during my 9 years ownership of my C124 E320 Coupe and 3 years of a W124 230E before.
It should still be fine as a daily driver, going by how many 124s are still on the road here and abroad. Indeed for the first 5 years, my E320 was a daily, the 230E was always a daily covering 197,000 miles.
Good luck with your search and inspection of this 69k miler.
Darren
Edited by iluvmercs on Thursday 27th February 15:58
I had a 300TE, and love the solidity and simplicity of the 12valve straight 6.
With the coupe, check for damp under the substantial foam floor mats as the window design and complex seals makes them more prone to water ingress.
The seat belt butlers are a troublesome fix if the snap or fail, and a number of coupes suffer from milky rear windows around the edges.
The M103 engine shouldn't have inherent wiring loom or headgasket issues, although nothing lasts forever.
With the coupe, check for damp under the substantial foam floor mats as the window design and complex seals makes them more prone to water ingress.
The seat belt butlers are a troublesome fix if the snap or fail, and a number of coupes suffer from milky rear windows around the edges.
The M103 engine shouldn't have inherent wiring loom or headgasket issues, although nothing lasts forever.
Thanks for the replies guys. I had some of those items on my checklist already but not all of them. Looks like rust is going to require thorough checking...
Unfortunately the car is fitted with air con which is another potential can of worms, but otherwise is a fairly simple spec.
I believe/hope the earlier 12V engine does not suffer from the wiring loom issues of the later twin cam, the downside being less power and worse fuel economy.
Unfortunately the car is fitted with air con which is another potential can of worms, but otherwise is a fairly simple spec.
I believe/hope the earlier 12V engine does not suffer from the wiring loom issues of the later twin cam, the downside being less power and worse fuel economy.
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