Gutted....being forced to sell my W124

[Vlad]

Early last week I got a job offer from a new company....great news all round!!

Now found out that I can't use my beloved W124 as my company car....the new employer has a rule that any car used on company business can only be upto 5 years old.......so no 17 year old W124 then!!!!

So, whilst I never thought that I would have to say it, my very well looked after and rust free W124 300D is sadly for sale.

He's not going to be cheap, but for anybody wanting to lay their hands on a very well turned out and maintained 300D, please proceed to the Classified section where they will find more info.

Its kind of taken the edge off the new job

 

[Shude]

Can't you take the money option instead?

 

[Vlad]

I am taking the money option, but as part of that option they state that any car you run on company business must be no older than 5 years.

 

[Ian B Walker]

What about the Hammer? are you still doing that monster up?

 

[Vlad]

After a year of searching for the right people, the engine is being rebuilt as we speak by R&D Automotive in Manchester.

They are owned and staffed by the ex-mechanics of Strattons, the AMG agents for the UK in the late 80's, so they know these engines well and amazingly still have all of the original AMG tools and timing data etc for these engines......hurrah!

I travelled upto Manchester last Friday to have a look at the latest developments. Good news is that on strip down they have found nothing terminal and other than some slightly bent valves, and some missing timing sprockets its all looking very positive. The engineering on the AMG heads is quite mind boggling when you see what lengths they went to to make them fit the M117 engine block.

Thankfully I have the timing sprockets from the right hand bank which are being used as a template for the replacements which are being run off by a local engineering shop.

Once the engine is done, I will be sending the car upto Manchester for it be reunited with its engine and for R&D to get the old girl fettled and back on the road to terrorise all you other road users....that's once all the R&D mechanics have finished having a go!

 

[Ian B Walker]

Just love it when a plan comes together :bannana: :bannana: :bannana: :bannana:

 

[GrahamC230K]

I am taking the money option, but as part of that option they state that any car you run on company business must be no older than 5 years.

I am not surprised - fairly standard.

Only way is to keep the 300 on a low miles policy as well I guess. Not possible?

 

[Vlad]

I am not surprised - fairly standard.

Only way is to keep the 300 on a low miles policy as well I guess. Not possible?

Always a last option. Danger for me is that it would get very little use and that would be a crying shame. My garage already has another car residing in it, so it would just have to sit outside slowly turning green as all old, underused cars seem to go and I can't face that.

Could always get the missus to sell her A Class, but then again that could end up being nasty!

 

[DITTRICH]

...Vlad, you have pm
Les

 

[anarchy-inc]

Now found out that I can't use my beloved W124 as my company car....the new employer has a rule that any car used on company business can only be upto 5 years old.......so no 17 year old W124 then!!!!

Sorry to hear that your company is so short sighted. Our company tried that but made it 4 years, meaning the CLK would have had to go. They quickly changed their mind when all the guys like us said (me included), "what would you rather I took a client out in, a 5 year old CLK or a 2 year old Mondeo, cause that's all I can afford that new". Their response was along the line of, "oh, yes, well . . um, we hadn't thought about that". Exactley, they didn't think. Our case was also bolstered by one of the directors in Manchester had a 6 year old 911, which he was not about to get rid of.

 

[RichardM]

Sorry to hear that your company is so short sighted. Our company tried that but made it 4 years, meaning the CLK would have had to go. They quickly changed their mind when all the guys like us said (me included), "what would you rather I took a client out in, a 5 year old CLK or a 2 year old Mondeo, cause that's all I can afford that new". Their response was along the line of, "oh, yes, well . . um, we hadn't thought about that". Exactley, they didn't think. Our case was also bolstered by one of the directors in Manchester had a 6 year old 911, which he was not about to get rid of.

Our policy is even worse, we are told it has to have at least 4 doors.

 

[anarchy-inc]

Our policy is even worse, we are told it has to have at least 4 doors.

That's just to stop anyone other than the MD from having a "sporty" car. Our company didn't officially drop the rules but it seems they are "overlooking" some of our cars. One of them has a 2 year old Vectra but I wouldn't be seen dead in it.