Another new member looking to join the ranks of MB owners

[Top Cat]

I just joined the forum today as I'm starting my search for a W124 230TE from around 1990 and i'm trying to get clued up on as much relevant info as I can.

I'm currently trawling through all the informative posts and sales ads on the site, but can anyone please give me some advice as to what I should be looking to pay for a decent example of such a car? I'm not looking for mint or blinged up, but I also don't want a project to work on either, just as standard and clean and honest as possible, high mileage not really an issue as i'll only be adding about 10k per year myself.

Any tips on what to look out for and what commonly causes major financial heartache on these models would be a good starting point too.

Thanks for reading, I'm looking forward to learning a lot from this place.

 

[njpumphrey]

Hello, and welcome.

I'm sure there are already some buying guides posts about this already, but I will add my 1p worth.

These are great cars, but probably the most common problem is that, because they can do high mileages, they are commonly clocked. Look out for wear on the driver's seat side bolster, which if it is a cloth interior starts to wear around 150,000 miles and can look a bit tatty around 200,000. Check all history carefully, looking for even accumulation of mileage. Bear in mind that 4 out of 5 cars this age will be dog-eared workhorses, but be prepared to pay extra to get one that has been looked after and still has a bit of a new car feel about it - it is easily worth it in the long run.

Good luck, and if you are near Abingdon you are welcome to have a look at my w124 and have a chat.

 

[television]

As above and great cars,, check for rust bubbles on bottom of front wings near the lights, though it is easy to replace the wing for an otherwise good car

 

[Mercedes 190E]

I can only pass on the advice that was given to me a couple of months ago before I bought mine! I was looking for a 230 TE just as you are. I was advised to avoid the early 200 as it is underpowered, but also warned that the 230 can be somewhat underpowered if towing or carrying loads. In the end, I did what you should NEVER do and bought a car unseen through eBay ! And I was lucky! I got a 300 TE (Straight six three litre) with most of the options including leather. Needs repair to one wing (as above) and a dent knocking out of the tailgate. 220,000 miles, but drives like new with full history. Lots of power and comfort for £750....one or two electrical gremlins, but nothing I cannot sort out myself. (With the help of the knowlegeable types on here!)

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I got a 300 TE (Straight six three litre) with most of the options including leather.

Hello and welcome. I echo the comment here. We had a 280TE for a couple of years and it was an excellent car. Plenty of puff and yet no harder on fuel than the 190 which it replaced.

There are enough 280s and 300s around I think, though probably not as well presented as Mercedes 190Es car. The one job which our car had required prior to our ownwership was repair of a leaky head gasket. I suspect that may be a feature of that engine and I am sure others will advise - but I think it is a once and for all fix. Strange how an aftermarket repair can be more durable than the original though.

 

[Top Cat]

Thanks for replies so far.

I'm not planning on towing or putting the car to hard work, and from what I've read the 230 engine is a good balance between power and economy (OK, economy on a 2.3 it's subjective I guess, but still relevant).

M190E, you paid £750 for your car which is similar to my preferred car, but I'd like fewer miles and preferably the 2.3 engine - would I presume correctly that I'd get a decent one for that sort of money or did you REALLY get lucky with your purchase? I think I'm just a bit wary of picking up a real dud by trying to save a few hundred quid on the purchase, so I'm trying to read the car ads on Autotrader/E&M etc to get a feel for the price of a good one.

 

[Mercedes 190E]

I dont think the miles are a concern. As I said, mine has full history, doesnt use or burn oil and the inside of the engine is cleaner than the outside! My understanding is that if well maintained, they last forever.. Incidentally, I think I am right in saying that a 230 and a 300 have very similar petrol consumption-after all, the 3 litre is under less stress to achieve the same speeds.
To be fair, I was lucky. I knew very little about the cars before I bought, but my reasoning was that even if it was a dud, I could get my money back by breaking it. As it turned out, it is a superb car. If you want the best then you could pay £5000+, but there seem to be a fair few decent, if less than perfect ones for the sub-£1000 mark.

 

[Top Cat]

there seem to be a fair few decent, if less than perfect ones for the sub-£1000 mark.

That will do for me, one that looks tidy and is honest and straight.

I just called my insurance people and was pleasently surprised at how little extra it would cost me to insure it, about £50 a year more than my current 1.8 Mondeo.

 

[Mercedes 190E]

When I changed to mine, it was cheaper to insure than my old Rover 827 !!