TroyPhoenix
New Member
Hi all!
Treated myself this christmas & bought a W123 230E...on hydro's!
I've always wanted a classic german barge, and the lines on the W123 just done it for me. That, along with the hydro's, sealed the deal, and I brought her home in time for christmas. The car itself had sat on a friends drive for just over a year, only with the occasional start up. Initially the mileage did scare me a bit (208,000!) but after some research, my mind was settled, as there are many examples that have done well over 400,000!
She started up first time after I put a new battery & some petrol in. The power steering & hydro's are all working perfectly & should be strong for a fair few miles (touch wood). The engine seems sweet, and theres not a spot of rust underneath. It also had 2 new front calipers fitted, which I wasn't aware of until I got underneath the car.
As with any old motor, there are a few issues. The dreaded vacuum central locking needs rectifying, along with the gearbox - the box itself seems fine, however the lever is stiff to push over to select 1st/2nd. It does move through the gears fine, which leads me to believe its just a stiff selector that needs lubricating? Apart from that, its mechanically sound (again, touch wood!).
The interior does need a good clean/revamp - The heater controls are stiff and are falling apart, & the interior lighting is dim as. The seats are gonna be treated to a wet vac, along with the carpets & other fabric bits. I will be looking at a full interior retrim as some point in the future though.
I thought parts would have been stupidly expensive, however I was surprised at how cheap they are, and how easily available the parts are. With that nice shock to the system, I purchased some clear indicators, along with a new grill and a few other bits and pieces.
Lastly, I have also acquired some Centra's, which I understand to be quite rare. They'll be going off for a refurb in time for show season!
My plans for the barge are as follows:
Interior revamp/retrim
2 stage paint correction
New pads & discs
Service, including fluid change
Euro headlights
Window polish (there are some horrible scratches on there)
Vacuum central locking revamp
Hydraulics revamp (maybe)
Possible respray at the end of the year!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated & hopefully i'll get a chance to meet some fellow enthusiasts later on this year!
Troy
Treated myself this christmas & bought a W123 230E...on hydro's!
I've always wanted a classic german barge, and the lines on the W123 just done it for me. That, along with the hydro's, sealed the deal, and I brought her home in time for christmas. The car itself had sat on a friends drive for just over a year, only with the occasional start up. Initially the mileage did scare me a bit (208,000!) but after some research, my mind was settled, as there are many examples that have done well over 400,000!
She started up first time after I put a new battery & some petrol in. The power steering & hydro's are all working perfectly & should be strong for a fair few miles (touch wood). The engine seems sweet, and theres not a spot of rust underneath. It also had 2 new front calipers fitted, which I wasn't aware of until I got underneath the car.
As with any old motor, there are a few issues. The dreaded vacuum central locking needs rectifying, along with the gearbox - the box itself seems fine, however the lever is stiff to push over to select 1st/2nd. It does move through the gears fine, which leads me to believe its just a stiff selector that needs lubricating? Apart from that, its mechanically sound (again, touch wood!).
The interior does need a good clean/revamp - The heater controls are stiff and are falling apart, & the interior lighting is dim as. The seats are gonna be treated to a wet vac, along with the carpets & other fabric bits. I will be looking at a full interior retrim as some point in the future though.
I thought parts would have been stupidly expensive, however I was surprised at how cheap they are, and how easily available the parts are. With that nice shock to the system, I purchased some clear indicators, along with a new grill and a few other bits and pieces.
Lastly, I have also acquired some Centra's, which I understand to be quite rare. They'll be going off for a refurb in time for show season!
My plans for the barge are as follows:
Interior revamp/retrim
2 stage paint correction
New pads & discs
Service, including fluid change
Euro headlights
Window polish (there are some horrible scratches on there)
Vacuum central locking revamp
Hydraulics revamp (maybe)
Possible respray at the end of the year!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated & hopefully i'll get a chance to meet some fellow enthusiasts later on this year!
Troy
