Classic Mercedes ?

[Slowprop]

Hi guys,

First post on the forum.

I am hoping to take early retirement soon and will be needing to buy a second car otherwise I'm unlikely to get access to 4 wheels without depriving my good lady of er ' her car'.

I don't think the second car would do awfully high mileage. Maybe 3000 or so per year. I am thinking that a Mercedes W123 might be a good bet ? I've always liked these and feel it could provide me with another interest. Plus I can't really get very enthusiastic about modern cars.

Do you guys think this has the potential to be a reliable car which could be used most days ? I'm not an enthusiastic or very capable mechanic unfortunately.

I'm flexible on budget and would rather spend more to get a good one than buy a cheap one which needs a lot of work as I'd like to avoid potential money pits.

Whatever I buy would need to go on the drive as my garage is for motorbikes !

Do you guys think this sounds feasible or am I asking for a heap of trouble ?

If it sounds reasonable what kind of budget would you say I need to set ?

Thanks.

 

[brucemillar]

I would say it is feasible assuming that you can find one that is "sorted". With your predicted mileage being low and the car kept dry and garaged? Really you should only be looking at routine maintenance.

The problem is the obvious one: These are old cars. If not "sorted" they are expensive when they go wrong. The biggest potential expense being rust. On older cars some have had years of owners managing to hide rust. This means that the most expensive bits are the bits that can't be seen.

Mechanically: It's an engine and gearbox. If well maintained and you can see proof of this then I would not be too worried.

My 124 thread http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/bodywork/203841-my-124-300te-4matic-restoration.html will give some clues as to what can go wrong. Bear in mind that this was bought as a restoration project. But the unexpected and un-budgeted still happens.

Then we have owners on here who have barely made it out the showroom before disaster strikes.

You have come to the right place. You may even find a car for sale on here. Usually buying via an owners forum from a genuine enthusiast will offer some comfort.

Good luck.

 

[Slowprop]

Thanks Bruce. I think the fly in the ointment could be that it won't be garaged.

I had a 2002 EClass 220 which I got new as a company car. Best company car I ever had by a mile. I'd also consider something like that if it was a more practical proposition for me.

 

[grober]

There's a long thread going on elsewhere about how parts for these older cars are becoming more difficult to source- even from Mercedes. Decent or fully restored cars fetch all the money- while mechanically these cars are sound they are prone to rust coming from an age when rust protection was marginal and simply because they have been around 30 odd years. A W124 or W126 are better bets IMHO.

 

[neilrr]

W123s are too old & too rusty to find a sorted one that doesn't cost a lot of money now.

Have you ever driven a 190E? Might consider one of those.

 

[brucemillar]

Thanks Bruce. I think the fly in the ointment could be that it won't be garaged.

I had a 2002 EClass 220 which I got new as a company car. Best company car I ever had by a mile. I'd also consider something like that if it was a more practical proposition for me.

Keeping them dry (in my opinion) is a must. They have more holes than a string vest where rain gets in and settles.

With my 124 estate. When I got it I parked it facing down hill. Two puddles formed in the front foot wells as the water drained forwards. The rain on 124 gets in viai the window seals (they don't seal) unless properly maintained.

 

[Slowprop]

W123s are too old & too rusty to find a sorted one that doesn't cost a lot of money now.

Have you ever driven a 190E? Might consider one of those.

No I haven't but I will consider that. Thanks

 

[Slowprop]

Ok guys thanks for the help.
Maybe I should've hung onto my old company car. It was one of the last ' old shape' E Class from 2002. Because of that my company must've got a great deal on them because they were very good value on our company car scheme at the time. In 2005 replacing it with another was going to cost me a bomb and by that time I had family commitments so I ended up with a Mondeo. I've always fondly remembered it.

I think maybe I'll have a look for a nice example from that sort of era. It would seem to suit my circumstances a bit better.

 

[190]

Finding a rust free W123 is a a tall order and a good one will not be remotely cheap. While I admire the the romantic notion of a W123 because you would be reliant on others for maintenance and repairs the reality would most probably be a very expensive heap of trouble.

A W124 or W201 would be a little more feasible but the same concerns apply in that that you would still have to find a cared for rust free example and they too are no longer cheap.

 

[dinoy]

w124 facelift is good to look at too if you budget allows convertible n e36

 

[Slowprop]

Finding a rust free W123 is a a tall order and a good one will not be remotely cheap. While I admire the the romantic notion of a W123 because you would be reliant on others for maintenance and repairs the reality would most probably be a very expensive heap of trouble.

Yeah this is what I was concerned about and also that it would be kept on my drive. I also hadn't appreciated tgat rust would be such an issue.

 

[Slowprop]

W123s are too old & too rusty to find a sorted one that doesn't cost a lot of money now.

Have you ever driven a 190E? Might consider one of those.

Actually this looks like a good suggestion. Looks like even very good low mileage ones are not silly money. Nice looking cars as well.

 

[219]

I'd agree that a W124 or a W201 ( 190E series ) would be the best bets .

Good W123 examples are now hard to find ( many were stolen and exported to Africa ) , and when you do find a good one they tend to be expensive . Running costs were also higher as they were less fuel efficient than later cars , although a good car would be reliable enough and useable as an everyday car .

The later W124 series is a little easier to still find , but even there there are good cars and rough ones - the very best cars command high prices , but a decent useable example should be available for £3-4K While the six cylinder cars are the nicest to drive , have decent performance and generally come with the highest specs , if you have running costs to think about then the mid range petrol models , either a 230E or the later E220 would be a reasonable bet for reasonable fuel economy and ease of maintenance . Rough W124 cars can still be had for around £1K , but they will tend to need money spent on them . There are plenty of buying guides online , but look at the area around rear jacking points under the sill , and at the inner wings behind the headlamps as these places are where rust tends to appear first , besides obvious visible rust on front and rear wings ( front wings are easy bolt on replacements though ) .

The W201 is also a very good option , and good examples are still quite plentiful , your budget should buy a really nice one . They are just as nice to drive as the bigger cars , although rear passenger space can be quite limited , but OK for smaller children . The W201 is not immune from rust , but they do seem to suffer less than other models , check in the same places as with the W124 . Engine wise , my personal feeling is to avoid the 1.8L units ( I had problems with one , and know of numerous others who did too ) ; the 2 litre unit is a proven and reliable unit , later ones with duplex timing chains are preferable , and the six cylinder 2.6 litre unit is the cream of the crop ( usually the 2.6 litre cars come with better spec too ) , although fuel economy is poorer . The 16 valve cars offer fantastic performance , but can be much costlier to buy and maintain , and finding one that hasn't been thrashed can be a challenge !

There's a very good one-model web forum Mercedes-190.co.uk which is worth a look .

 

[neilrr]

Actually this looks like a good suggestion. Looks like even very good low mileage ones are not silly money. Nice looking cars as well.

I'd steer clear of low mileage cars & wouldn't pay a premium for one.

A car is a complicated machine that benefits from being used regularly & properly. Look for on that's covered 8-12K miles p.a. & has been serviced annually.

 

[219]

Nick Froome ( Bolide on here ) has dealt in these cars for many years , although I suspect the supply of cars to his standard has dried up somewhat .

Nevertheless , a look at the 'for sale' page on his website will show some lovely photographs of a fine range of cars

w124 dot co dot uk ( for some reason I can't post the web address , but I'm sure you can work it out ) .

 

[Slowprop]

Thanks Derek. Looks good.

 

[dinoy]

on the 190 theme

1993 MERCEDES 190E WHITE | eBay