Buying guide W123 (saloon vs coupe)

[DiksmuideSteve]

Guys, it is a sad day. I was second in line for the coupe, whos' owner was only ever going to take his asking price. And as he was asking only €5000 for a 230c in stunning condition, I was never going to get a test drive.

Oh hum.

So. I have a 230e booked for this weekend. Std. 4 door. 1983 with 120,000km and one owner from new!

Really like the colour. And it goes really well with the light beige leather interior.

Just a few questions, if I may:

1 What socket size(s) to get the battery out.
2 When inspecting the mounts, is it just a visual test (perished looking), or will bad ones be noticeable on the test drive.

I'm happy to replace them myself, just for piece of mind, if/when I get my new W123..

3 Noticed it only had drivers' door mirror. They are available secondhand, but are they an easy 'retro' fit, or were they always factory fitted. Drilling holes concerns me, but std. automotive fasteners, and door panels off doesn't.


only the three questions.

Cheers for you interest and input,


rgds

stephen

 

[grober]

I think by that time 83 they had two mirrors the drivers one manual and the passenger possibly electrical. prior to that they may have had only one. Can't really tell from the image.
battery post clamps = 10mm combination spanner open-ender/ringer should do it if memory serves correctly.
engine mounts- look for excessive engine movement/clunks on engine start or blipping the throttle- if visible check for oil contamination.

 

[alabbasi]

1 What socket size(s) to get the battery out.

Either 10mm or 13mm

2 When inspecting the mounts, is it just a visual test (perished looking), or will bad ones be noticeable on the test drive.

What mount? IF Engine mount, have someone stand on the brake and put into gear and reverse while revving . You stand outside with the hood up and see if the engine tries to jump out of the car.

3 Noticed it only had drivers' door mirror. They are available secondhand, but are they an easy 'retro' fit, or were they always factory fitted. Drilling holes concerns me, but std. automotive fasteners, and door panels off doesn't.

Find a manual mirror, all the holes should be there on the doors as they don't make special doors for RHD cars

 

[jaymanek]

Just saw this thread.

It takes me back a little!

W123 Engine Swap - A satisfying weekend

The M115 engine will go on forever. The diesel variant was used in all sorts of commercial applications. Boats, plant etc aswell as many millions of cars.

However the M115 petrol in combination with the Stromberg 175CD or CDT carb was always a pain. I think it made 90 bhp not the 109 quoted above. That was the early carb M102 version that made 109ish.

We never got ours running right. We went through many carbs and carb rebuilds. There were always times it wasnt happy. If you got it to run well when cold, it would run like a pig when warm. The autochoke was simple and clever but I could never get it to work effectively.
I remember one time it got me stranded on the A406 North Circular near Wembley. No hard shoulder. Pushing a W123 uphill by myself is not an experience I want to repeat.

In the end I gave up and found an M102 crash damaged car and swapped it.

The M102 carb engine was a joy. It was simple, the same carb seemed ultra reliable. Never once touched it again. Just oil and filter changes.

In fact in my opinion, if you want the most repliable engine, the M102 Carb engine is probably up there. The injected engines come close, but with all the extra bits like idle valves, sensors etc, at this age they can need attention.

Since the above, my car has a 560 V8... now that shifts.

 

[MangoMan]

Guys, it is a sad day. I was second in line for the coupe, whos' owner was only ever going to take his asking price. And as he was asking only €5000 for a 230c in stunning condition, I was never going to get a test drive.

Oh hum.

So. I have a 230e booked for this weekend. Std. 4 door. 1983 with 120,000km and one owner from new!

Really like the colour. And it goes really well with the light beigeView attachment 74147 leather interior.

Just a few questions, if I may:

1 What socket size(s) to get the battery out.
2 When inspecting the mounts, is it just a visual test (perished looking), or will bad ones be noticeable on the test drive.

I'm happy to replace them myself, just for piece of mind, if/when I get my new W123..

3 Noticed it only had drivers' door mirror. They are available secondhand, but are they an easy 'retro' fit, or were they always factory fitted. Drilling holes concerns me, but std. automotive fasteners, and door panels off doesn't.


only the three questions.

Cheers for you interest and input,


rgds

stephen

A much later w123 and much better than the earlier models of w123 in my humble opinion. And surprisingly quick!

Ok, not as pretty and as desirable as the Coupe, but a better car all round.....

Good luck!

 

[DiksmuideSteve]

A much later w123 and much better than the earlier models of w123 in my humble opinion. And surprisingly quick!

Ok, not as pretty and as desirable as the Coupe, but a better car all round.....

Good luck!

this is a head over heart purchase. Still 'cool retro' looks at a bargain.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Be wary about Autonomous W123's, as they can end up in awkward situations.

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