W123,hmmmmm........

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esox

Active Member
Joined
May 15, 2003
Messages
727
There is a W123 230 coupe for sale local to me in good shape which has captured my interest............

What are they like?

I fancy something a little bit different and the retro image/coolness of an old-school "chrome" Merc appeals.

Will it feel 20+years old (an eon in car design) or will it still be an acceptable drive?I dont mind soft suspension but what about engine/wind/tyre noise?
I`m not particularly interested in performance/traffic light Grand Prix`s but if it is a nice,calm,pleasant ride that i can simply waft around in it might suit.A personal hate though is noise.....
When i see these vintage Mercs i remember the "riding on air" phrase,or is the reality somewhat different?

Are they pillarless and do the rear windows go down?
Are spares readily available?


Thanks.
 
Well the first thing you will notice is the steering is rather vague. Its an all round laid back ride, years ago it didnt seem slow. But with the performance you get from a modern 2.3 engine it will seem a tad slow.
 
the retro 80's cool is unbeatable ....

many 123s have rusted or are rusting away, so if you find a good one, it's worth buying.

My Dad had two 123s, a 230E and a 240D (prior to these he had the 114 [a 250 -- I would love a well preserved one of these] ... each of them was fabulous, and probably explains my addition to MB



esox said:
There is a W123 230 coupe for sale local to me in good shape which has captured my interest............

What are they like?

I fancy something a little bit different and the retro image/coolness of an old-school "chrome" Merc appeals.

Will it feel 20+years old (an eon in car design) or will it still be an acceptable drive?I dont mind soft suspension but what about engine/wind/tyre noise?
I`m not particularly interested in performance/traffic light Grand Prix`s but if it is a nice,calm,pleasant ride that i can simply waft around in it might suit.A personal hate though is noise.....
When i see these vintage Mercs i remember the "riding on air" phrase,or is the reality somewhat different?

Are they pillarless and do the rear windows go down?
Are spares readily available?


Thanks.
 
Good 123s are great cars, particularly as they can be picked up for not a lot of money. I had a 230E for 6 years, and loved it. Smooth to drive, and confortable, although hard, flat seats by modern standards, and the seat bases are prone to collapse, so need checking carefully. The 2.3 is a smoother and quieter engine than the 2.8, and I don't think there is much difference in terms of power (not everyone will agree on this point though). Unless it's a high mileage engine, it should not be noisy. Timing chain does need changing every 50k though. The coupes are pillarless, and the windows should go all the way down. Ride quality is superb, but handling is somewhat boat-like.

The only reason I don't have one now is because I do over 20k miles a year, and they are not economical, even the incredibly sluggish diesels, especially in traffic.
 
Yes my dad had a w123 280 te before his w124 300 te .....

Took a long test drive in the w124 to convince him to part with the w123, its like it was his co-joined twin, he just wouldn't let it go until he discovered the w124 ...

W123's rock, not quite as much as w124's ;) but they still rock !!! :rock:

80's uber cool :bannana:
 
Whilst the steering is a little vague compared to modern cars, it shouldn't be too bad - if it is the steering components are probably worn out. If you're not doing a lot of miles then I recommend the 280 - it has 50 BHP more than the 230 and is a 6 cylinder. Check VERY carefully for water leaks - under carpets etc.
 
Usual caveats about buying 20+ year old cars, specially be aware of rust under the bonnet hinges and water in the floorpan, but yes, excellent cars and yes, parts readily available. Certainly everything I've needed, down to little colour-coded cappings to cover the screws supporting the under-dash tray. And yes, fully pillarless when the four windows are down, preferably at the touch of a button.

Provided all the bushings are sound there's no problem with road noise and, provided the windows and sunroof are properly aligned, no problem with wind noise. Plenty of sound deadening was inbuilt, and more is available should you want it. Seats are absolutely fine, but be aware of limited headroom. 'Coupe' does mean 'cut' after all, and it's been cut both in height (roof lowered) and in length compared with the saloon, and there are those of us who are quite happy about a slightly collapsed driver's seat! Legroom can be gargantuan.

Steering can seem a bit vague, but as likely as not a new steering damper (£25 or £30 and fitted in ten minutes, including the mandatory cup of tea) will improve it a lot. Replace the damper if there is even the hint of a weep on it. Change all the fluids unless they look clean and bright, along with appropriate filters, and use the best oil and petrol you can afford or find. Oil pressure should go up to 3 bar when starting from cold and will then settle back to 0.5 or 1 bar when idling hot, but must go straight back up to 3 bar as you accelerate. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge to be sure the fan/s cut in at the right temps. The cooling system works fine provided all the sensors/relays/contacts/earths are good. If not, the systematic application of logic will lead you to the right answer. That's one of the good things about these cars; they were designed and built along logical engineering lines as a successor to the 114/115 and have inherited those cars' principles but draped in 'eighties' fashion.

I bought mine ('85 230ce auto) a year ago, after some years of driving a 114/5 (can't remember which is which. 2 litre, anyway) in another country, and have found it a complete pleasure. OK, have had a few problems; head gasket went, which was as much time-induced as anything else, and the aircon compressor needed replacing, but I knew that when I got it. Certainly nothing that couldn't be fixed by a halfway competent mechanic and parts from MB.

I kept my other car when I got the Merc. but felt after using the Merc. for a couple of months that I was happy to dispense with the second car. And then in the summer, after the head gasket and valve seals etc were done, I took it off for a run down to Barcelona, a trip I have done innumerable times in an assortment of vehicles, and had the most relaxed drive ever. As a way of invading Spain over the highest find-able passes over the Pyrenees at 30 mpg, it's the way to go!

So good luck! There's a ton of knowledge here and elsewhere on the www to support you. Don't necessarily buy the first one (unless it's a peach) but take your time to find the right one. They turn up quite regularly.
 
Thanks for the comments.
These cars sound like they are very well liked by their owners.
Hopefully go and see one in the next few days........
 
esox, as mentioned on here, don't worry about the seat base. My brother in law bought a 123 a couple of months back and th drivers seat was knackered. He found a bloke in Wales who re-cons them. My old man and BIL took the seat apart, sent it to Mr Seat Man, took him a couple of days to sort it, got it back, now good as new.

It does feel a little sluggish by modern standards (Steves is a 230E), but it looks proper old school, drives really well (it has 153K on the clock) and has very little tin worm on it, not bad for a 22 y/o car anyway.

Heck, Steve even got a new set of mats for it from MB!

Good luck,
Greg
 
123s are wicked. I have lost count of how many I have had. I would avoid the 200 as it's painfully slow. I always found the 250 (hard to find) to be the best for mix of performance and economy. The 280 likes a drink if driven hard but I always managed 25mpg - pretty much the same as the 230s I've had but with much more grunt.

There's a 50bhp(ish) difference between the 230 and 280 and it's very apparent!

As mentioned above, steering is vague on 123s but they are a better drive than many newer cars. The 123 is a very smooth drive and the auto box is a must as the manuals I've had have been a bit thrashy.

The last 123 I had was a 300D with 450,000 on the clock and would give 40mpg and just about break 100mph! I bought it for £100, did 7000 miles in it and sold it for £450! All I ever spent on it was the cost of diesel. I had a 280E a couple of years ago and when I sold her she had just over 1 million miles on the clock - original engine and 3 speed auto 'box!

Good ones are now hard to come by but a little searching will get you a decent one for not a lot of cash.

Remember that they were pretty much ahead of their time so don't feel like really old cars. Yes, they rust, but what doesn't from that era? Parts for them are really cheap and available as so many were made and sold - testament to how good they are.

They're a great ride, cheap to insure, easy to fiddle with and generally reliable if looked after. It's definitely worth spending an extra few quid on a good one - and don't be scared of non leccy window ones as the motors always get tired.

I still rue the day I sold my 1977 250...... It had only done 100k, was totallt rust free, ran like a new car and would do 130mph. The inside was like new and it made me appear better looking;).
 

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