advice on buying 300TE 24v auto, want to spend about £2000

[mattsavage]

Hi there, can anyone tell me some things to look for when looking at a 300TE. I want to spend about £2000, what year Mercedes could I get for that? H reg?
I really want the 24 valve, auto with air con and all the bits. Any advice welcome.
Many thanks,
Matt Savage

PS, I've just been looking on ebay, and there seem to be auto, switchable auto and 4matic. THe 4matic is 4wd yeah? Does this give any known problems? are all the autos switchable?
Any info much appreciated

 

[300TE Battle Wagon]

£2000 is towards the low end for a 24v. If you can find one check the history is true. MAKE SURE the gearbox is not slipping...does it change up when it should and stay there? does the economy / stsndard switch make a difference to the changing patterns and is the transmission fluid clean (it should be a clear red colour) if is contaminated or smells of burning then walk away. Rust on the rear arches is very commom as is rust just infront of the front arches. Neither is serious but will need attention. Also self leveling rear end needs to be working..take along a heavy friend and sit them in the boot to check the car rises when loaded. There is plenty of information on this site, try a search on w124. If you find a good one they are superb cars good luck

 

[mattsavage]

Great thanks for the info, very usful. So you think more than £2000. How much do you reckon?
Also when did that shape (W124) stop? K reg?
Cheers,
Matt

 

[mikemoss]

Hi Matt
300TEs are fabulous - just p/e'd my trusty 1990 for an E320 from the next series and while it's smoother, quieter and altoghether posher, I still hanker after the sheer, solid build quality of the 124 series.

Things that went wrong with mine were few and far between - distributor cap (replacement made a world of difference), thermostat housing blew its top in last summer's heatwave (replacement was metal, rather than plastic) and that was about it in five years and 70k miles.

To be honest, the thing that made the biggest difference was taking it to the MB main dealer here in Bath (don't laugh). With a 'mature Mercedes' discount they were cost competitive with the chap round the corner, but because they know these cars inside out it always came back running better, smoother etc from each service and they kept an eye open for things that might go wrong (such as slight oil weeps from engine and diff).

Totally agree with the comments re auto box and transmission fluid - change it regularly is my advice, makes a vast difference. A 300TE 24 would be a fabulous choice, particularly with leather and air (mine had neither, part of the reason for changing). Don't bother with 4matic unless you really need it and have recently won the lottery.

Happy hunting!

 

[mattsavage]

Great! Thanks for all the advice so far.
So you reckon to not bother with the 4matic, ok.
So I guess I'm looking for a 300TE 24v, but what year would be best?
I've come accross www.w124.co.uk, which has helped me get to grips with the changes/models etc. And I guess the post 1990 ones are bette/nicer?
what do you think I should pay for a 1990/1991 300TE 24v?
Cheers,
Matt

 

[300TE Battle Wagon]

w124 are based in brighton where I a, I have spoken to the guy - he seens honest but you will pay a premium for a dealer - not a bad thing if the car is right. Post / pre 1990 is a not a factor you should decide on. Around this time the type of paint (solvent based earlier - then water based later) changes, solvent based is better paint and the environment has alredy suffered so this is a plus point for early cars! Also wiring loom insulation changed. I'm told, although dont know that early cars have less wiring issues than the newer ones. Decide on the car and the history - drive as many as you can, small ads might through up a crap 300e but its worth a drive to find out what you are not looking for, after all a 300te 24 is almost the same car. Take a drive of a traders car at a high price and get a feel for the way they drive. Even though a 300 24 if fast it is no sports car and at 14 years old even a good one will feel slightly sloppy compaired with a brand new saloon. They should feel majestic when driven smoothly (transmision in E) and fast in a straight line when pushed (transmision in S) I would say £2500 + is about right for a 24v but £2000 for a 12v - they are both very good cars - the last mercs designed by engineers not accountants.

 

[Bolide]

Early W124 Estates

Lots of good advice so far!

The 300TE 24-valve is a slightly different beast to the 280 and 320 24-valve cars. It has a peakier engine - it's as powerful as a 320TE (24v) with the same torque as a 280TE (24v) but at higher revs, according to the figures I have, so it's a rather off-the-wall engine for this car. That said, they're great to drive, and extremely quick between 70 and 110 mph, but I think the ride is a little brittle on Sportsline suspension. The 300 24-valve did 22 mpg for me over a weekend trip to Bath. They are quite rare but I don't think they really command a price premium

My favourite of the 6-cylinder cars is the E280 - more modern than a 300TE, smooth as anything, more economical than any 300 or 320, and definitely quick enough

From my perspective (as a trader) cars round £2000 are difficult. Getting a car ready for sale almost always requires a service, MOT, tyres, some chasing down of faults plus a warranty so delivering a good £2000 car whilst making a profit is almost impossible

I'd either go for a really good sub-£2k car from a private seller with leather, aircon and lots of miles and allocate a decent budget for repairs over 2 years, or spend twice that and get an immaculate 1993/4 E220 or E280 from a trader. A later car will probably cost less in the long run

Expensive faults to look for are slipping boxes, non-working aircon, non-working sunroofs, bouncy or hard rear suspension, worn-out engine & gearbox mounts, sticky ignition keys, rusty arches and paint chips & scratches

Cheap-ish faults are worn anti-roll bar bushes, failed electric windows, worn seats, corroded brake pipes, droopy tailgates and non-matching Taiwanese "Ditch-Finder" tyres

I wouldn't buy a 4-Matic, a manual car or anything with more than 500,000 miles unless you have a well-developed sense of humour!

"Take a drive of a traders car at a high price and get a feel for the way they drive" - good advice! Drive as many cars as you can


Nick Froome
http://www.w124.co.uk

 

[mattsavage]

great, thansk for the advise.
Cheers,
Matt