Almost fully restored W124 cab....and I can't be bothered anymore :(

[Celicasaur]

Hey guys, I don't post often here and when I do, it's normally to post something about my A124. I'm at a bit of a cross roads and was thinking it might be an idea to ask the MB collective over here for their thoughts.

In short:
I bought a shed of an E230 124 cab back in 2016 thinking it would be a fun project to work on as a resto-mod. It's at this point where I wish somebody would have told me that buying an old classic for 'cheap' that needs a lot of work, is a TERRIBLE idea...of course...nobody was there to tell me that and boy did I have to learn the hard way. Safe to say that 98% of my ownership of this car has been nothing more than work in progress and enjoying it sporadically when the sun is out on those 5 days a year. I could tell you guys a story of my ownership, but perhaps you might be able to figure it out by reading the list of work below:

• New main roof rams from Top Hydraulics
• Replacement roof module (my goodness - finding one was the bane of my life!!!)
• Replacement seat belt modules (yep, the first one I bought got cooked because of the leaking roof of course)
• Brand new Mohair roof and headliner (Jan 2019) from Car Hood Warehouse
• New windscreen
• Brand new upper engine harness from MB Brentford in 2017 (there was only one more in stock in the Milton Keynes warehouse after my one apparently)
• 18" AMG wheels
• H&R lowering springs all over
• Bilstein B8 shocks all over
• Re-laquered interior wood (looks great, especially the gearknob area)
• Replacement gear knob and steering wheel in that wooden trim
• Full underbody surface rust treatment, protective coating and then wax
• Rear subframe off, restored and fitted with new bushes
• Diff out, new bushes
• All rear suspension arms and bushes replaced
• All front suspension arms and bushes replaced (including that weird steering damper thing)
• Engine and transmission mounts replaced
• Replacement transmission to remedy a shift-flare from the original box
• Full exterior respray (Nautic Blue) - clear over clear flow-coated
• Leather interior restored

So, you get the idea - it's had a LOT of time and money invested. I've got a few remaining niggles to iron out but nothing that I won't get done over the coming weeks:

• Bit of rust under the doors to treat and remedy
• ABS light is on
• Full suspension alignment as it's a bit floaty at speed for some reason
• Refit rear bumper on hinge (i drove off a high kerb and popped it off)
• Fix rear tailgate plastic handle crack
• Straighten out front wing guard (that high kerb really screwed me....ambulance was coming through and i didn't want to hold up the emergency)

BUT

Despite all of this work and the fact that it gives me tingles when I look at it, particularly from the side or any rear angles - I just don't enjoy driving it. When I bought it, I had visions of being cool in my boring yet stylish Mercedes once I'd restored it. But the truth is....while it is incredibly boring and very pretty...I enjoy driving my wifes 2004 1.3 Yaris more and I just see the A124 as nothing more than a liability....needing to keep it happy and dry and treating it with kid-gloves for fear of needing any more rare parts to give it TLC with. The list of work above is one thing, but it's another to factor in the sheer man hours required...

Does it sound like it's time for me to weigh up selling it? Or shall I pay for some secure storage and forget about it for a year and weigh it up in 12 months? I think I've only covered 3 or 4000 miles since owning it. I think the sheer amount of work I've done on the car has kind of killed the 'fun' of actually owning it which is kind of tragic when you think of it. Thoughts?

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Sounds to me like you need a road trip in it! I’ve experienced similar before with some of my cars, I think if you spend so much time fixing and restoring etc it can easily overshadow the reason of having them. But you might find a good road trip, or even weekend away in it rekindles the reason you bought it?

 

[grober]

Your ABS light on may be down to a dodgy OVP [overvoltage protection] relay which supplies the Engine ECU, the idle control valve and the ABS Control unit. They normally have one or two fuses on the top which should be checked first- after that its a new OVP or possibly a resoldering job on the existing OVP small internal circuit board.

 

[alabbasi]

Sell it while the economy is still good. If you're not in love with it, move it on and get something that you'll love.

 

[baxlin]

Wow! Congrats on what you’ve done so far.

The sentence which shouted out to me was 'driving it sporadically during the 5 days or so of sunshine'.

So could using it more be an answer, at least in part?

If I’m on my own, and it’s not actually raining, the top's usually down on my Volvo C70. Although the heater's good, I just make sure I dress warmly this time of year. Think of motorcyclists, no one looks twice at them in winter, yet a 'vert driver's sanity is questioned....

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Wow! Congrats on what you’ve done so far.

The sentence which shouted out to me was 'driving it sporadically during the 5 days or so of sunshine'.

So could using it more be an answer, at least in part?

If I’m on my own, and it’s not actually raining, the top's usually down on my Volvo C70. Although the heater's good, I just make sure I dress warmly this time of year. Think of motorcyclists, no one looks twice at them in winter, yet a 'vert driver's sanity is questioned....

I agree, Driving with the roof down is a pleasure even in winter. Drive it more often, drive it further, and drive it with the roof down, and if that doesn’t make it an e joy able experience then either move it on or accept that the way you’ll enjoy it is by looking at it. It is a lovely looking car.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Advertise it for sale at a stupidly high price and when no one buy's it you have an excuse for keeping it, for just one more summer.

See how you feel after that

 

[Abb]

I can totally empathise with you OP. I have recently 'restored' a W202 C43, whilst I knew it wasn't going to be easy (especially on the financial side of things) it took considerably longer than expected, cost significantly more than estimated, and on my own admission, I fell out of love with it several times and even considered throwing in the towel on more than one occasion.

I am yet t drive it (don't have it back at the min from my indy) and am seriously hoping my love for it is rekindled.

I would definitely keep yours, it looks lovely and the money you have ploughed into it you may/may not recoup. Give it some time, drive it and enjoy it, reassess in 12 months time would be my advice.

 

[Eddy77]

Use it more. I have a weekend / Sunday use CLK cab which does around 2k miles a year. I sometimes think I should get rid, but then when I get it out on a sunny day it is just lovely to waft around in. I get pleasure from looking at it parked up (it’s factory fresh condition, so looks unusually good for a CLK). So I keep it and bring it to BOTG each year.

I’d keep it for one more summer and decide in September!

 

[grober]

HANDLING WISE you may have a set of mismatched springs/dampers - both components may be fine in their own right but their rates/travel may not totally compatible with each other. "Floating" is usually down to poor damping characteristics.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Odd as the Bilstein B8 is very good.
You’ve had lots of suspension work done, has the geometry been properly set (not just an alignment).
Somewhere like Wheels in Motion in Chesham, or somewhere else with a full Hunter System?

 

[grober]

The other thing that improves the W124 "feel" is a Sportline [ higher geared] steering box. NLA and rare as hen's teeth unfortunately.

 

[kid-jensen]

Like Ex-Wives/girlfriends, you've fallen out of love with it and there's no going back.

Sell it whilst it has some value and buy something that hasn't any unpleasant history...

I was traumatised when I had a surprise offer for the Jensen and let it go on the spot.
But.....I've never regretted selling it, and regularly think of all those jobs I "never got round to" and are someone else's skinned-knuckes now.

Sometimes you just have to walk away.

 

[optimusprime]

Celicasur I would see this project out,, because these cabrios are getting hard to find in good condition .

 

[Deleted member 11979]

I feel your pain, what a beautiful car.

I had a very lovely e320 cabriolet (probably my favourite car of all time) and, come the end, didn’t enjoy driving it.

Mine was a decent, but not perfect, example, but had continually been looked after and had had considerable money spent on keeping it up together.

I found that almost every time I drove it the bloody thing would break, and the resulting bill would be a big one, rear window regulator, exhaust, ECU x2, rust x lots, seatbelt butlers, random electrical fault etc etc.

it came to the point that I was scared to drive it and then my thought turned to what would happen if something proper let go, like the five speed auto, roof operation, comfort relay etc etc

So I sold it when it was all working.

These cars are properly bespoke and not many people know them inside out now. Cars are being broken and trim parts are being 3D printed so the situation may get better.

I wish I still had the car but don’t miss it if that makes any sense

 

[grober]

I suspect that cabriolets, of whatever make, are really designed for dry climates where you can confidently leave the top down most days of the year! The British Isles , God bless em, with a predominantly maritime influenced climate is not one of them.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

I suspect that cabriolets, of whatever make, are really designed for dry climates where you can confidently leave the top down most days of the year! The British Isles , God bless em, with a predominantly maritime influenced climate is not one of them.

I agree, I’ve had 4 and each one has had a lot of rust on the underside, they are extremely complex cars, and the complex bits are starting to fail

 

[Celicasaur]

Thanks for the comments guys. Some interested points made by all, but funnily enough the two which have stuck with me, seem to be "Like Ex-Wives/girlfriends, you've fallen out of love with it and there's no going back." and "I wish I still had the car but don’t miss it if that makes any sense". It would be nice to keep and show off every now and again...but honestly, if I managed to sell it this summer, then I doubt I'd miss it. I have other cars that are performance orientated and I think I'd just much prefer those. That being said...I might be tempted to sway back into my personal favourite Mercedes 211 model again as the family work horse. But yeah either way, I think the fate of my E320 is sealed once I get the remaining last bits sorted.

Case in point - I needed to pop to my brother in laws house yesterday evening. It would have been a slow drive in lots of traffic...nothing strenuous on the E320...but I chose to drive the X3 instead

Some last points -
Thanks for the heads up about the OVP. I'll certainly check that out and maybe even give the abs sensors a quick once over.
Mis-matched springs/dampers - very good point....i'll have a think about if I can be bothered to buy and the fit a different set of springs (bearing in mind that i hate doing the front springs on this car (even with the special tool) and I've done it loads of times to try multiple spring pads to dial in the ride height)

 

[Celicasaur]

Your ABS light on may be down to a dodgy OVP [overvoltage protection] relay which supplies the Engine ECU, the idle control valve and the ABS Control unit. They normally have one or two fuses on the top which should be checked first- after that its a new OVP or possibly a resoldering job on the existing OVP small internal circuit board.

Hey Grober, I've opened it up today....not sure if anything is even wrong with it? Looks good to me......?

 

[Celicasaur]