W123 as daily driver?

[soarhead]

Hi guys,

Currently using a 190 2.0lt (carb) auto as my daily driver on a 30 mile round trip commute. Nice car which I enjoy driving and it generally returns 30mpg on easy B road drive.

However I have always fancied a W123 and have been offered a 1978 W123 200 (carb) 4 speed manual with very low milage and in outstanding condition. I can't afford to keep both cars, nor do I have the garage space for both.

Would I be mad to consider this change?
What mpg could I expect from a 2.0 manual W123?

Your thoughts would be most welcome!

Soarhead

 

[trapperjohn]

Wow what a choice. I have never had a 123 so I'm not even going to guess - oh yes I am - I would say about the same, perhaps slightly more (ever so) with the 123 as its a manual. It will be interesting to see what the thoughts are.

 

[jaymanek]

Well a lot comes down to condition of the W123.

Unfortunately most of these are rotten now.

However if it is very clean and tidy then they are fantastic cars to drive and own.

A tidy W123 is Worth a lot more than a carb 190.

 

[st4]

For a daily car I'd want something more modern than a 123. A 124 or 201 I'd keep.

Keep the 190

 

[jaymanek]

Ive just bought a cheap W123 yesterday... 230E with a 5 speed manual...

Interior spotless, engine perfect, just needs a small amount of bodywork...

Its actually a lot of fun to run around in...

 

[st4]

Ive just bought a cheap W123 yesterday... 230E with a 5 speed manual...

Interior spotless, engine perfect, just needs a small amount of bodywork...

Its actually a lot of fun to run around in...

Is it easy to keep a car like that in tip top nick or is it a case there's always something needing done?

 

[jaymanek]

There is nothing as expensive as a cheap Mercedes.

The expensive things on these cars is bodywork and body related items such as seals and trim.
If you have a solid body then the rest is easy to look after and very simple. Parts are around cheap as they rarely go wrong.

Buy a rusty one and you will be welding at every MOT.

 

[190mad]

Ive just bought a cheap W123 yesterday... 230E with a 5 speed manual...

Interior spotless, engine perfect, just needs a small amount of bodywork...

Its actually a lot of fun to run around in...

I'm a bit jealous jay as a 123 manual is next on my list for restoring hopefully an estate too.

 

[219]

Provided the car is in reasonably decent order I would have no problems running a 123 as a daily driver ( I've been doing exactly that with my 126 over the past four years ; never missed a beat and the 126 is in many ways just a bigger 123 ) .

While I would need to start with a car that is reasonably sound and not a box stored up of other peoples' neglect over the last 30 years , I would have no problems running any older model - this from someone who ran a Ponton as a daily driver throughout the 1980's and less often into the 1990's .

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with ANY Mercedes that would make it unsuitable for daily use : they were all designed for everyday use when they were built - it just comes down to maintenance . OK , well , perhaps a 200 Diesel could arguably be unsuitable for modern day use due to its absolute lack of performance , but more or less any petrol model will be fine , along with the more powerful Diesels .

You can just as easily get a two or three year old death trap if a car has been neglected or bodged , as you can a well looked after 50 year old car with everything working as it should .

 

[soarhead]

W123 as daily driver

Many thanks for replies to date which are all very sensible and encouraging.

Yes the W123 in question is as close to concourse as I've seen with about 65k on the clock. It is part of a collection and may even be too good to use as a daily driver! Out of curiosity, would anyone like to put a value on such a car?

While my 2.0lt 190 is an excellent daily car and easy to live with I wonder if an early W123, with no power steering and only a four speed box would be as practical.

Anyone got reliable mpg figures for a 4 speed manual 2.0lt W123? I do little or no town driving so would be plodding at around 50mph most of the time.

 

[trapperjohn]

This may help.

Mercedes W123 as a commuter car? - PistonHeads

 

[219]

Many thanks for replies to date which are all very sensible and encouraging.

Yes the W123 in question is as close to concourse as I've seen with about 65k on the clock. It is part of a collection and may even be too good to use as a daily driver! Out of curiosity, would anyone like to put a value on such a car?

While my 2.0lt 190 is an excellent daily car and easy to live with I wonder if an early W123, with no power steering and only a four speed box would be as practical.

Anyone got reliable mpg figures for a 4 speed manual 2.0lt W123? I do little or no town driving so would be plodding at around 50mph most of the time.

Well , I haven't had a 200 , but I did have a W115 220/8 ; its predecessor . That car was owned from new by my dad , until he gave it to me after passing my driving test when it was about six years old .

I didn't drive it particularly economically , but still reckon it must have returned high twenties/ low thirties mpg .

The 123 , compared to the W114/5 series it replaced , was more aerodynamic and lighter so if anything should be more fuel efficient .

The early 200 engine in the 123 you are looking at ( from memory the M115 ) was developed for the 'new generation' cars then carried over into the 123 before it was replaced by the M102 which was also used in the 190 and eventually the 124 .

Incidentally , the 220/8 I had did not have power steering , just like my Ponton , and both my dad's Fintail 190 and the Fintail 220S I had . All these cars were heavy to manoeuvre at parking speeds but fine once on the move , although the low speed heaviness was exacerbated if you neglected your tyres and let the pressures drop even slightly .

 

[BoyracerAU]

I would say the 123 is a little archaic compared to a modern car, but no doubt they're still head and shoulders above anything else from the era.

123's are exceedingly easy to drive and exceptionally easy to park. I can park our's to within an inch of anything, front or rear. I'm never in any doubt where the car's extremities are. I haven't been able to say that about any other modern car I've had in the last 15 years.

They have a nice compliant suspension. Very comfy. The only bad thing is they're not great on fuel.

 

[219]

I would say the 123 is a little archaic compared to a modern car, but no doubt they're still head and shoulders above anything else from the era .

I suppose that depends on your viewpoint .

For someone who grew up around later cars , it may seem 'old' .

Then again for someone who grew up in the 50's & 60's and has had a lot of earlier cars , a W123 is actually 'modern' and really not so different to drive than a lot of later models . I suppose , for me , any car I can remember driving when it was new counts as modern , and anything that was long out of production before then is merely 'older' .

 

[jaymanek]

A concourse low mileage car is worth around £5K... I recently sold a really nice saloon car, but lacking the service history for £4K and I had a line of people around the block.

The coupe's fetch a lot more.

I have a 200 carb model (M102) and its pretty good to drive.
If you drive the 230E it makes the 200 seem a little sluggish but its perfectly fine for 80 on the Mway with ease.
I converted my 200 to five speed and it gives 25-30 MPG. A four speed would err towards 25 I guess but a LOT better than the auto models.

If its the very early model with the M115 engine (engine number will start 115...) then those are a little more historic and dont really give great MPG.

Its one of the only Mercedes that I would say a manual is much better to drive than an auto... Simply because the auto boxes werent amazing.

I am also on the look out for a 5 speed manual estate... into which I will drop a 5.6 V8 with the help of the man who does...

 

[219]

If its the very early model with the M115 engine (engine number will start 115...) then those are a little more historic and dont really give great MPG.

I was guessing he has an M115 because he said it was an early one without PAS ?

I've never seen a 123 with manual steering , although have driven a few /8's without PAS .

The 220/8 I had for several years wasn't bad on fuel , unlike the W114 280E which replaced it ( both were manual - the 220 four speed with column change and the 280 had the 5 speed close ratio box ) .

 

[jaymanek]

Im pretty sure the W123 has PAS as standard.

 

[kaapstad]

I think it was only from a certain year (maybe 1982) that all UK 123's had PS as standard. Prior to that it was optional but probably a box ofter ticked.

 

[soarhead]

This has been an interesting thread and I appreciate the feedback. I thought you might be interested to know my own verdict having driven the car over the weekend.

Pontoneer was correct, the car in question is a 1977 W123 (200) 4 speed manual and it has the earlier M115 engine. Very nice car in outstanding condition and obviously well cared for. Seats are very comfortable, lack of power steering not a major issue and for a 36 year old car it drove very well on a variety of roads during my test drive. Its "happy speed" seemed to be about 50mph but I'm sure was capable of more - I just didn't want to upset the owner!

Overall it's a very nice car to be enjoyed on the weekends for a bit of a run. I'm not sure such an early model W123 would hack it as a daily driver. A later model with the M102 engine mated to a 5 speed manual box and with PAS would perhaps be a better bet.

I have decided to keep my W201 190 as it still has those classic MB looks and poise, but handles like a modern car and is much easier to live with! It has also been 100% reliable and never let me down.

Thank you to all who responded to my initial post and in particular to Pontoneer and jaymanek for their very useful inputs.

Soarhead