Another n00b - W124

[hirsty]

Hello,

I've been a lurker on the forum for a long time whilst researching W124 Estates - finally got rid of two cars & created a space on the drive for the one I'm collecting today:

E280 Estate, 5-speed Auto
1995 N, facelift
183K miles, 3 owners
7-seater
Aircon & Cruise
Azurite Blue with Beige leather

I'm sold on the longevity, Honest John (Telegraph) repeated advice & the low price of admission - tell me I'm doing the right thing please!


Cheers, Dan

 

[marbellapinky]

Absolutely, yours sounds a lovely example too

We have had had a w124 at 400,000 miles still going stong, apart from some numpty drove into the back of it and wrote it off.

Mine is currently at 207,000 and still looks and drives superbly

 

[Dosco]

Hello,

I've been a lurker on the forum for a long time whilst researching W124 Estates - finally got rid of two cars & created a space on the drive for the one I'm collecting today:

E280 Estate, 5-speed Auto
1995 N, facelift
183K miles, 3 owners
7-seater
Aircon & Cruise
Azurite Blue with Beige leather

I'm sold on the longevity, Honest John (Telegraph) repeated advice & the low price of admission - tell me I'm doing the right thing please!


Cheers, Dan

Welcome and yes you will not regret your purchase, high miler is of no issue the interior sounds great, enjoy it.

Roger

 

[television]

Welcome with an all time great car

 

[J-Scho]

Hirsty - I'm in the same boat! Been lurking for a while filling my head with all sorts of info on the W124's.

Based on what I've read here and on Honest John, I decided to take the plunge and picked up a '95 E280 saloon on Saturday. It really is a fantastic car, I can't believe how solid and quiet and smooth it is.

I am still in that 'have I done the right thing' phase though! Having come from a 2.0 4cyl Accord and Passat, I'm driving with one eye on the fuel guage!

 

[hirsty]

Thanks all.

Just got the car home after a great 130-mile run down from Suffolk to Surrey - very smooth & quiet at speed, despite the tracking being a bit off. Only other fault appears to be a dicky hazard rocker switch, but if that's it then I'm in business ...

J-Scho - Previous owner claims 28mpg average, and I can believe that having got 30mpg from a six-cylinder BMW 728i previously. If yours is '95 too, you'll have the 5-speed auto too? I hear they're better ...

Well chuffed - standby for the inane questioning to start! I'll have loads!

 

[lakeside]

As long as it's got a good service history, it'll be a great car to own and drive. If the head gasket has been done (quite likely at that mileage), the engine loom is in good nick, and the ATF has been replaced every 30,000 miles, then you are indeed in business.
28 mpg is what I'm getting in my '96 E280 (4-speed). I love it to bits. Get a pot of waxoyl and do the wheelarch lips (they're probably full of crud), and also the jacking points and anything else you can get at. Get the tracking or wheel alignment sorted, it'll drive a lot better. The 280 engine is fantastic, sounds wonderful when on full song, and has the perfect torque and flexibility for long distance cruising, even when loaded to the max.
Enjoy!

 

[stefden]

And another nOOb W124

Well done hirsty.
I bought an E220 (1996) about six weeks ago with 178k on the clock. Full service history, but the last 78k were from a local garage. Like you, I thought I must be mad to buy a car with such high mileage, but I had read so many good reports, I had to have one.
Frankly, it's brilliant. I do not use this as my daily vehicle, but prefer to drive it more than any of the modern stuff.
Like all good machines, servicing is critical, so make sure it's kept up to date, and the advice about waxoyl under the wheel arches was spot on.
Anyway, glad to know that I am not alone and enjoy your Merc. It sounds like a cracker.
Den

 

[hirsty]

Great stuff, thanks all.

I've found (on here) mentions of Q Motors and SS Motors who are both close to me, so will be calling them for a tracking appointment tomorrow. Also sourced a replacement hazard rocker on eBay, so the spending has already started ...

The wings on the car have already been "done", so it's pretty clean outside, so will get underneath it with the wax asap - reminds me of a nightmare full-interior-out job I did on a Spitfire one Christmas some years back (patient g/f back then).

All in, amazed how much car I've got for £1,500 - that's literally about six weeks depreciation on the X5 we've just parted with. Still, better to wise up eventually than not at all I reckon.

 

[J-Scho]

J-Scho - Previous owner claims 28mpg average, and I can believe that having got 30mpg from a six-cylinder BMW 728i previously. If yours is '95 too, you'll have the 5-speed auto too? I hear they're better ...

Well I'm still on my first tank so I've not worked it out yet, but the seller reckoned it wasn't too bad on juice. Mine is 4 speed though - I think the 5th gear was an optional extra (apparently it's just an add-on to the 4sp box rather than a completely different box)