Shall i buy a 280 CE???

[Y15HAL]

Thank you for all your informative replies. You've put me off taking a gamble. It sounds like there's a lot of potential problems under the skin and although I'm competent, I'm not Edd China.
I've always wanted to restore a car, but it sounds like this might not be the one to start with.

I may be interested if he's still willing to sell, and you're definitely pulling out

 

[ChipChop]

Thank you for all your informative replies. You've put me off taking a gamble. It sounds like there's a lot of potential problems under the skin and although I'm competent, I'm not Edd China.
I've always wanted to restore a car, but it sounds like this might not be the one to start with.

Only you can really judge that.

To get the best value, especially at the moment, maybe consider buying a good example instead of a project. There will be bargains out there right now on restored cars which will have had huge sums spent on them.

It is a buyers market so ignore the asking prices and offer what you are willing to pay.

 

[Dazsw]

Get someone who knows about this specific model to have a look at it with you.

 

[219]

Hi. I would like some advice please.
My neighbour has a 1986, C reg 280 CE auto in black, with 146,000 on the clock and a cloth interior. Its not been driven for at least 10 years and is effectively a non runner. The bodywork isnt in very good condition, the bonnet has been badly keyed and there is rust on the cills and the bonnet hinge needs replacing.
He wants to sell it for £1,000.
Im a fairly competent hobby mechanic, although i cant weld, dont have a ramp and would be a bit scared to take agear box out.
Do you think this is too ambitious as my first project car? Are spares still available? What would the car be worth restored and running.
Many thanks and any advice would be appreciated.
David

To change the bonnet hinge on a W123 , you need to remove the front wing . As before , how do I know this ? Prevention being better than cure , keep your hinges well greased ( although there is a hidden bit you can't get to without removing said wing , which fortunately is quite a simple matter ) . W126 ( in essence a bigger W123 ) also needed the wing removed to change the bonnet hinge , which from memory was of a similar design , and I bought a car with a failed one .

I've had all three variants : 280E ( both W114 and W123 ) , 280CE and 280TE ( W123 ) then a succession of W124s .

 

[Y15HAL]

To change the bonnet hinge on a W123 , you need to remove the front wing . As before , how do I know this ? Prevention being better than cure , keep your hinges well greased ( although there is a hidden bit you can't get to without removing said wing , which fortunately is quite a simple matter ) . W126 ( in essence a bigger W123 ) also needed the wing removed to change the bonnet hinge , which from memory was of a similar design , and I bought a car with a failed one .

I've had all three variants : 280E ( both W114 and W123 ) , 280CE and 280TE ( W123 ) then a succession of W124s .

Very nice!!

I'd love a 280CE (123) and a 320CE (124)

 

[219]

Very nice!!

I'd love a 280CE (123) and a 320CE (124)

They were either current models when I had them , or had just been succeeded ; most of my cars back then tended to range between 3-10 years old .

 

[roviw1]

Car restoration can be very rewarding but it tends to be a money pit as well, a friend of mine has several early classic cars in his collection , he has an amazing 1986 230CE, a wonderful car and out of all his cars it attracts the most attention in petrol stations, this includes a 2016 as new Mulsanne as well !
there are certain things that are absolutely impossible to find, the rear wing chrome trims down the waist of the car for instance.
bear in mind that parts for the saloon w123 will be easier to find as the coupe was a much rarer car when new.
he has a superb BMW 520i and an amazing BMW 3.0l That we found last year.
the 3.0L appeared to be in very good condition but to bring it up to his required standard he has already spent 15k on it , again spare are rare, we have purchased items from UK, USA, Germany, France, Italy , Indonesia and Australia. Literally world wide !
waist chrome trims have cost in the region of £2000 already as we needed two but wanted to find spare pieces “ just in case” they are needed. be aware of all the issues, oh and none of his cars have needed any major bodywork and have not needed any welding either !

 

[cal1962]

Been down this road with a W123D Estate a few years ago, the fact that the car had been sitting for a while created loads of unexpected issues, from tyres up so to speak. However, I did learn a lot, and if looked on as a hobby rather than a money making exercise worked out cheaper than golf or salmon fishing. I did have to learn to weld and take on electrics but enjoyed the process.

 

[Screwdriver]

Maybe not. But this one definitely is

Online Classic and Collectible Car Auctions: Cars for Sale

24/7 Online Auctions for Classic Cars, Supercars, Vintage Cars and Modern Classics.

themarket.co.uk

 

[Classico]

I had a 280CE, gorgeous car though a heavy drinker it was!
Market wise they are on the up, specially well maintained ones.
As someone mentioned before, is a buyers market right now (it wont last hopefully). Buy it at 500 quid and put your skills to test, at least mechanically. If you feel you can bring the rest of the car back, go for it too. Otherwise, sell it by pieces you’ll get your money back and some.

 

[hugo lundie]

It's a bargain at £1K. You'll be able to sell it on for a profit or even more if broken into parts.

If looking to restore, as already said it's the hidden rust which normally does for these cars, so look not just underneath and the wheel arches but also front and rear bulkheads.

By the time you've restored it, those will be fetching £15-20K ......... R107s have quadrupled in 10 years and the 280 CE is already a desirable car.

BUT - the mileage and cloth interior will deeply affect the value ... the former can be offset by mechanical overhaul, but the interior really needs to be leather .... and original for that model, if you are going to get your top price.

Of course, you may just want to keep and enjoy it!

Good luck!

Not sure if I would agree with cloth interior impacting on the cars value. I have a 230ce with an immaculate blue cloth interior, wouldn't change it.