123 300d

[nic]

can anyone give me any pointers on buying one of these mercs?
A family friend has owned it for several years, he has undertaken tasks such as tightening the steering box,valve clearances, discs and pads, front and back, prop bearings.The car has been looked after well and the body and chassis are clean apart from a couple of rust spots under the headlights. It does'nt smoke and drives nicely.Anything in perticular to look out for?????? . Its £500....to a friend

 

[Russel Weston]

Nic. I have 2 X 123, a 230e and a 280e. I chose the mercs over a brand new Vectra as they are character cars. Easy to drive and have a certain Status about them. My colleagues have Vectra's and 3 series BM's, yet when we go to the pub or take clients for drinks, most times we go in my car. Body wise, look in the wheel arches for rust. Check the holes the jack fits into, and the sorrounding metal. Lift the carpets in the rear foot wells and also in the boot. Check the bottom of the doors, and I had problems in the little holes where the bonnet hinges are bolted to the bodywork. Other than that, my experience has shown these cars are solid and lasting. At the moment I have the engine out of the 280, and could not believe how easy(in comparison to a volvo) it was to get out. The brakes are easy to work on as are wheel bearings. In all, I love my two cars. If you have any questions please let me know.
Regards

 

[mezza]

check http://groups.msn.com/W123Club/messageboard.msnw to see how much these cars are loved

I have a 230e and rate it as the most comfortable car I've owned. Reliability is excellent due to true over-engineering by the teutonic boffins.

Watch for any electrical problems - not complex, but time consuming.

Also watch out for any signs of water ingress as these can take some time to diagnose - again, not a problem to repair, just time-consuming, and difficult to do so in the UK climate. Check under mats as above, also under boot carpet, footwells and have a good sniff about.

Prepare to get addicted to driving the thing! Expect solid build and feel, instant starting every time, smooth transmission, surprising acceleration and moderate economy. Parts are readily accessible and there is a wealth of advice on the net.

£500 sounds good though