W124 Estate hunting newbie

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ap999

Member
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May 27, 2011
Messages
32
Car
mercedes w124
Afternoon everyone.

I finally joined the forum but wasn't sure whether to post in the new member's section or here as I haven't actually bought a car yet!

Anyway, for the past few weeks I've been on the lookout for a 6cyl W124 estate, either a 300TE or E280.

This will be the main family car and am looking to to do approx 6-8k miles per year, so it needs to be fairly reliable. It will also be my first Mercedes so I'm a little unsure as to what I should be really looking for.

I've looked at a couple of early 300TEs already, but they were rather tatty, and I rather pay a little bit more to get a good useable example. Max budget is around £2.5k, but could stretch to £3k.

There's a 300TE listed on Ebay at the moment which seems to be a good price/condition combo (I know the ad has just expired) :

1992 MERCEDES 300TE AUTO BLUE | eBay UK

I spoke to the owner yesterday (a very nice chap) , and am planning to view tomorrow morning.

Is there anything particular to the 300TE that I need to look out for over the E280 models?

Having looked on EBay there are also two other cars (E280s) listed by a trader which I'm interested in :

1995 (M) Mercedes Benz E280 7 Seater Estate | eBay UK

1994 (M) Mercedes Benz E280 Estate Automatic | eBay UK


Anyone know anything about Oysternet Motor Company based in Swansea as both are low owner and described as immaculate?


Would anyone recommend that I hold out for the later E280 model rather than the 300TE?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Where to start. Buy on condition and history. Dont worry about mileage if it has a big pile of receipts. Fuel consumption is much the same on all the 6 cylinder cars.
Look out for rust - front wings including inner wing, rear arches, jacking points and rear subframe mounts.
Mechanically very strong but they need looking after properly. Whatever you find will need some small jobs doing at the very least but the major issue is the engine wiring loom especially on later cars. It will give up at some point so best to find one that has been done already. Engine mounts, serpentine belt, steering and suspension bushes can all need replacing and transform the drive and handling. Check all the electrics work. Aircon is really powerful and you should be able to find a 6 cylinder with this fully working. Check all the electrics work especially the tailgate items - HRW, wiper, electric lock etc. These can be a ******* to fix. Sunroof is also a difficult fix if broken.
Dont let all this put you off. There is nothing quite like a well sorted 124 estate for lugging a load in comfort and style. Great cars.
 
Just had a look at the cars above. The 300TE looks very good and at a good price. Neither of the swansea cars have aircon which would put me off but perhaps not you. I would be tempted to go and see the 300TE if its not yet sold. I doubt it is Tansanite blue as stated in the ad as this colour was not available then.
 
Thanks for the pointers GP.

The 300TE does seem sensibly priced, but I agree doesnt look like Tanzanite.
I'll feedback on the 300TE after I get to see it tomorrow.

Aircon is a must if the car has leather, but not a deal breaker if it has a cloth interior.


Regarding the E280 wiring loom, is there a date stamp on it which identifies it as an early/original loom?
 
300TEs seem to come in two varieties: thirsty and unbelievably thirsty. I think the E280 is much more economical and is a better bet - though I know lots of people here prefer the older cars

I'd agree that a broken sunroof can be a nightmare. I've rarely had real problems with boot locks and self-levelling rear suspension - maybe I've been lucky

There's a list of faults to look out for on Honest John's website

Nick Froome
the independent Mercedes Estate specialists
 
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There is no date stamp on the loom. The insulation deteriorates. If they say its been changed make sure there is a receipt. The part alone is around £600.
The electrics on ours have been fine but we did need a new self levelling valve and ECU. Many pounds but a warranty company picked up most of the bill.
 
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300TEs seem to come in two varieties: thirsty and unbelievably thirsty.

Yep, i can vouch for that!! Use it reasonably hard & you will see way less than 15MPG, even a light throttle will only get just over 20MPG round town!!
 
Had not realised they were that thirsty. E280 does around 26mpg in general use, 34 on long motorway run.
 
avoid also 300 te 24 as the gearbox does on them but the engine same as in the sl, the 300 te non 24v is a good engine and reliable, next best thing is non multi valve diesel this reliable and u can go to the moon and back known to run 500k without rebuild, the multi valve diesel has performance comparable to 300 te but has issues with gearbox nearer to 250k miles.

great cars although personally i like w123 estate better but hard to find low mileage ones now as they are built like a tank

another model not talked about much equally good is the g wagon would love to find a diesel 3 litre lwb 9 seater not priced too high
 
Had not realised they were that thirsty. E280 does around 26mpg in general use, 34 on long motorway run.
Hi there
I've just sold my 1991 300TD for £2500. I would recommend these 6cyl diesels. Not as fast as the petrols but just as refined, and good 80 mph cruisers, and capable of huge mileages with little problem. I got 30 mpg round town and up to 37 on a run. Obviously condition is the critical factor on cars this age but I did want a good spec too and found one with air con, HLWW, OTG, elec sunroof, windows, mirror, etc and a lovely cloth interior.
I am missing it already!
Good luck with the search - could be worth paying more for one of Nick Froome's lovely and well sorted W124 estates with a 12 month warranty?
Cheers Rick
 
What rick said^

I use my 124 300TD just about every day. What a fine old bus it is. 227K miles and just does exactly what it says on the tin. There could not be a better multi purpose vehicle methinks.

Good Luck with the search.
 
My '96 E280 estate is for sale, leather, aircon, loom replaced etc, since you can't use private messaging yet, you can contact me at [email protected]. Some photos in my album.
 
The older 250TD / 300TD models are great things but feel very old compared to the newer cars. In the same way an E280 makes a 300TE seem like a previous-generation car

The gearboxes on the post-facelift cars seem to be much more alert and the cars are a little more agile

Nick Froome
the independent Mercedes Estate specialists
 

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