1986/7 230E Auto

[c2raig]

Hi all,

As I have mentioned in my new member thread, I have taken a job which requires a car that can cope with some insane miles, and I may have found just the thing.

One of my UK neighbours has a 1986 "D" Registered 230E Auto in pale metallic blue, with blue cloth interior.

He has offered it to me for £400 as he bought it for his father to drive, but it was too big.

Original owner was a doctor, then passed on to the doctor's son, then the current owner bought it and has only driven around 350-400 miles in it in three months. It has tax and has just passed a test, only needing a coil spring and the headlamps adjusting. It's only driven 15 miles a week to keep things fluid.

The car has 97,000 miles on the clock, warrented, original.

I have a few questions:

Can I trust a 24 year old car to do 3,000+ miles a month?

Will this vehicle have air conditioning? (I didn't have the opportunity to ask before I had to return to France)

Is there anything in particular I should look out for before I buy it?

Also, what is the approximate value of this car for insurance purposes? I know it's verging on classic, and I know my neighbour is offering it to me cheap to get it out of his garage.

Much appreciate any help the forum can offer.

Regards,

Craig

 

[312 Sprinter]

The car should be perfectly capable of being used like that, but it'll require meticulous maintenance. Very often people get into the mindset that it is a 400 pound car and skimp on maintenance, use poor quality replacement parts and cheap pattern bits and the whole thing starts to unravel.

Maintain it with proper parts, quality lubricants and dedication and it'll run and run.

Edit

I doubt it'll have airco BTW

I'd also change all the lubricants, coolant and brake fluid before requiring it to be used that hard.

 

[c2raig]

That's good news, thank you.

I don't mind looking after a car that has been looked after all it's life. I'd rather throw money at a 25 year old car that's been looked after than a five year old one that hasn't. I also like the idea of running a classic, I've done it before but never a car I could trust to do rocketship miles (Austin Montego VP).

 

[219]

If the car has been well maintained then it could handle that mileage with alacrity . However , the vehicle is an unknown quantity so who can say ?

I have had similar cars of a similar age and with higher mileages that I would not hesitiate to use in this way - ONCE I HAD GOT TO KNOW THEM - but to jump into an unknown car and expect it to run these distances is a bit of a lottery .

I'd give it a full service including engine oil & filter , gearbox oil & filter , diff oil change , brake discs/pads as required and take a close look at the tyres - you can tell from the codes on the side how old they are - if more than two or so years old and having had little use , I'd invest in new tyres before piling the miles on which , from what you say , will surely involve high-ish speed/long distance . If you are going to be blasting down through France on a regular basis , also check over the cooling system , looking at all hoses and replace any that look at all suspect , also any drive belts for engine anciliaries .

If you can manage to run the car around locally for a week or two to see how it goes , and if all seems well , it would be worth doing at least the above before piling on the miles . Having said the foregoing , they are very robust cars which , with proper maintenance , will be well suited to what you want to do - the PROPER MAINTENANCE is the big question since one person's standard of maintenance is very different from another's .

I doubt it will have air-con : it was a relatively rare option on the more basic cars , but you never know - even more of a bonus if it is present will be if it actually works .


Good luck with it - hope it works out .

Edit , I'd also replace ALL the fuses as these tend to corrode at the ends without actually failing , but form high resistance joints which cause electrical gremlins , also pull and resolder the relays under the bonnet , particularly OVP ( over voltage protection ) relay and fuel pump relay as 'dry joints' from on the circuit boards leading to problems .

312 Sprinter and I must have been typing at the same time and said much the same things .

If you can find a good indy who knows these cars , he will know what needs to be done - what part of the country are you in ?

 

[Sp!ke]

Expect to get about 26mpg from this old girl. If you're doing 3000 miles per month perhaps you should consider something more fuel friendly?

 

[312 Sprinter]

Expect to get about 26mpg from this old girl. If you're doing 3000 miles per month perhaps you should consider something more fuel friendly?

One sensible option for mileages like that is an LPG conversion. It'll cost around £1500 for a top quality one like a Prins or some such. Availabilty of LPG in France is excellent.

 

[c2raig]

Very helpful! Thank you!

Well I am returning to the UK for ten days next week, and will have the use of the Mercedes then, on a trial basis, to see if I can handle spending 10/11+ hours at a time in it. It seems to be a comfortable car, and I have been hankering for an automatic for some time now, so that's an added bonus.

The service history was, for the first five years, is from the supplying dealership in Norfolk, then a Mercedes Benz specialist in the same area.

I meant to add, and was reminded with your point regarding tyres, the two fronts were replaced with new Continentals when he bought the car, although I will be replacing the rears as they only have a couple of thousand miles left in them.

The car has been garage stored all it's life, the bodywork is good, but not perfect. It does have all it's original wheel trims, which is always, for me, a good (but not 100% accurate!) sign that a car has been looked after. Even if they're replacements, someone has gone to the effort of finding genuine Mercedes ones, rather than Halfrauds £15 affairs.

 

[c2raig]

My fuel mileage comfortabely covers 32mpg, at 40ppm. I only get around 38mpg on my Citroen, as it's a 1.1i, it drinks when it's run at 4,000 revs, which is 80mph.

LPG is a no-go, as it is not allowed on the Channel Tunnel.

Thank you all for your very helpful replies!

 

[312 Sprinter]

My fuel mileage comfortabely covers 32mpg, at 40ppm. I only get around 38mpg on my Citroen, as it's a 1.1i, it drinks when it's run at 4,000 revs, which is 80mph.

LPG is a no-go, as it is not allowed on the Channel Tunnel.

Thank you all for your very helpful replies!

You're restricted to the ferry with LPG it is true. I used to do those sort of mileages in a LPG converted car and it never bothered me. I just bought a P&O season ticket. It allows you to turn up any time without any of the hassle about missing your slot. Have a decent meal on board and by the time you're finished eating you're across. With a season ticket it is only 40 quid or so per crossing. I wouldn't do the conversion yet anyway, first discover if you like the car and if it wants to play ball.

My personal weapon of choice is a Volvo 940, the seats are better than in a Mercedes

 

[c2raig]

I have been considering Volvos too, but the Mercedes is offering itself to me, and a Volvo will be expensive for me to insure, as I am 21 with a conviction. The Mercedes would be a straight swap on my insurance, which is extorsionate already because of the monumental business miles.

Oh, and my fiancee will not be seen in a Volvo.

 

[d w124]

Hi there Craig and welcome to the forum.Would a diesel one not be a better option considering the mileage?!!

 

[c2raig]

Thank you,

I have a strong dislike for diesel, which is why I turned down a company car (Citroen C5 HDI) in favour of fuel mileage. As I've said, fuel isn't an issue for me, as long as the car will last.

Plus, I really do need an automatic, I've had quite enough of stirring clutch soup now. Diesel + Automatic + Reasonable price (under £1500) is very, very rare.

 

[312 Sprinter]

Hi there Craig and welcome to the forum.Would a diesel one not be a better option considering the mileage?!!

A C250 would be a pretty sensible choice if he wants a diesel. I'd be wary of an early CDI though.

On the Volvo front I wouldn't touch a diesel 940 with the proverbial barge pole, the petrol ones are as bullet proof as a Mercedes. I had an early V70 diesel, comfortable car but I couldn't live with the torque steer.

I replaced the V70 with an E320 CDI, which was a disaster. I ended up driving my Citroen 2CV whilst Mercedes attempted to fix the E320; laughable really

 

[d w124]

Thank you,

I have a strong dislike for diesel, which is why I turned down a company car (Citroen C5 HDI) in favour of fuel mileage. As I've said, fuel isn't an issue for me, as long as the car will last.

If that`s the case,just do a complete check before you start any long trips.The old girl will cope with the miles without any problem

 

[c2raig]

A C250 would be a pretty sensible choice if he wants a diesel. I'd be wary of an early CDI though.

On the Volvo front I wouldn't touch a diesel 940 with the proverbial barge pole, the petrol ones are as bullet proof as a Mercedes. I had an early V70 diesel, comfortable car but I couldn't live with the torque steer.

I replaced the V70 with an E320 CDI, which was a disaster. I ended up driving my Citroen 2CV whilst Mercedes attempted to fix the E320; laughable really

So I may not be the only member with a Citroen/Mercedes driveway combination!

It'll be novel moving back into a car with "traditional" technology. My C2 has automatic everything, lights, wipers, locking, stereo adjustment et cetera, so having to do all of this for myself again will be... satisfying.

On top of this, I've always liked the W124 design. It's a "proper" Mercedes, and to boot is rapidly becoming a stylish classic car.

 

[aircut666]

A friend and I last year drove a 1990 200TE with 250k miles on the clock down to Timbuktu. We covered 6500 miles, many of them offroad, crossed the Sahara, running on pretty awful petrol and the engine never missed a beat. Mind you, I did break the self-levelling rear suspension hitting a rock in the desert! I found the big Merc much more comfortable, particularly over long distances and rough roads, than the BMW 325i which was my daily driver at the time.

 

[Sp!ke]

I've never seen a properly working W124 LPG conversion and the general consensus is to not go this route.

If you're doing 36,000 miles a year you are absolutely barking not to take the company car option. The break even point is about 17,500 miles a yearover a fuel card and car allowance. By opting out you'll be seriously out of pocket.

Free insurance, free servicing, a new car, and a fixed taxable amount per year for fuel regardless of spend - I suggest you should seriously think about taking the company car.

 

[jdrrco]

If you're doing 36,000 miles a year you are absolutely barking not to take the company car option. The break even point is about 17,500 miles a yearover a fuel card and car allowance. By opting out you'll be seriously out of pocket.

Free insurance, free servicing, a new car, and a fixed taxable amount per year for fuel regardless of spend - I suggest you should seriously think about taking the company car.

What he said. You'd be :bannana: not to!

 

[219]

Craig isn't the only one who feels that way .

In my previous job , seven or eight years ago now , I likewise declined a company car and chose to run my 300TE , clocking up similar mileages without any difficulty , but then I'd already had the car five years , knew it inside out and maintained it myself so no problems ( since my job with as an engineer with an AV installation company based in Edinburgh but covering the UK and mainly Scotland often saw me blasting up Loch Lomondside , through Glencoe or up the Great Glen during the early hours of glorious summer mornings , with someone else paying for the fuel , it felt like I had the best job in the world ) - the insurance was neither here nor there as I would never part with my own car even if presented with a rubbish car for work ( this is what I do in my current job as I have the use of a little van for work and use my own car for personal use as well as for business when the van is off the road , which it has been for the last two weeks ) .

I'd far rather drive a quality car at some expense to myself than have to endure a horrid , plastic box of unreliable electrickery which sounds like a tractor at the lights and is running out of steam just when my cars are getting into their stride . I regard the others at work as bonkers when they're making monthly payments of half what I paid for my car outright just to lease something that will never be theirs and that is a piece of junk compared to my car ( my car has been faultless over the last two years needing nothing more than tyres , brakes , oils & filters plus now an exhaust at 24 years old ; so many of these guys running new cars have had them in for all manner of serious trouble , including one with a CLK who needed a new gearbox thanks to the Valeo problem ) .

My 12V 300 died at 200K with a faulty ASD diff ( my negligence for not changing the oil - something I won't overlook again ) but the 24V one I had later clocked up 430K before being written off by an uninsured driver . My current W126 500SEL is the same age as the 230E Craig is buying and has double the mileage but ( notwithstanding it needing a new exhaust which will be done soon ) I would happily jump into it tomorrow and drive across Europe and back without any concerns about reliability .

 

[c2raig]

What Pontoneer said.

I've had a company car before (a loathesome, but brand new, "56" plated Nissan Note), it was just not my thing, I was doing around 25k a year when I ran that.

I don't mind shelling out a little bit if it means I get to choose my car.

At the moment, my choices are very restricted: PSA Peugeot Citroen Diesels.

Oh, I should also mention, I work in quality assurance for automotive manufacturers, and my customer is PSA.

I don't expect a free car, I don't mind contributing if it means I can choose.