need advice on w124 estates

[orbitalegg]

hey guys just need a bit of advice on what to look out for,
i have decided to get a w124 estate, ( got a dog u c) probably a 220 or 230 .
i wish to pay under £1000 and want to know what i should be careful of.
i understand i may not get a top of the line specimen for this price but still i would like some advice. i have seen a couple on the autotrader site and might pick one up in the next couple of days.
all advice is welcome so holla @ a noob will ya

peace

 

[SJMaxson]

W124 estates

I'm interested in prices for W124s in the real world, too.

I suspect mine might be about to cost big money come MOT time, and wonder whether to cut my losses and replace her before the MOT expires.

 

[johnnycapone]

Hi
I have a 1992 200te estate. Excellent motor but had a few problems with the electrics and also had to fit a new petrol tank. Paid next to nothing for it so am still well happy with my purchase. My first merc but wont be my last.

 

[Bolide]

W124 estate

hey guys just need a bit of advice on what to look out for,
i have decided to get a w124 estate, ( got a dog u c) probably a 220 or 230 .
i wish to pay under £1000 and want to know what i should be careful of.
i understand i may not get a top of the line specimen for this price but still i would like some advice. i have seen a couple on the autotrader site and might pick one up in the next couple of days.
all advice is welcome so holla @ a noob will ya

peace

I'd just go by instinct in the sub-£1000 market. There are loads of cars for sale at £1100-£1500 so have a look at a few and try some cheeky offers

I'd agree 100% with the choice of 220 or 230. Old 300TEs are tempting - very tempting with leather & big spec - but the romance dies quickly on the petrol station forecourt

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[SJMaxson]

Caveat emptor...

We've been very happy with our E220.

Our previous Merc, a much older 230TE opened our eyes to Merc-sized bills. It had been neglected by a previous owner, so everything needed doing (starting off with head gasket and timing chain).

£1000 later, we traded it in.

Caveat emptor.

 

[orbitalegg]

am glad u answered nick i understand u know ur s*** when it comes to w124's so thanks i guess i should just go ahead .
how can i tell if the head gasket is a potential threat is there a way to tell b4 i buy.
(forgive my noobizm)
peace

 

[Chazchuzzlewitt]

I'd go for a E220 if you can get one, 16v engine is going to be more peppy than the 8 valve 230.

Head gasket- open up the coolant expansion tank on the driver's side fender and peer in- should be free from any oil or brown crud. Also check the oil dipstick for water bubbles in the oil. Lots of white smoke from the tail pipe could also be this too.

 

[orbitalegg]

hey guys what do u think of this is the mileage way too high or what havent seen it yet in person but about to drive up in next few hours

1993 K Reg MERCEDES-BENZ 230 TE ESTATE
Automatic, Metallic Grey, MOT-06-2006. 7 SEATER, airconditioning, Grey Leather, power steering, Taxed, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, central doorlocks, mirrors electric, one owner, Service History, Power assisted steering, Roof rails, Radio/Cassette, Rear headrests, Wood/wood effect trim 230k miles £995

 

[Chazchuzzlewitt]

Probably going to be fairly tired at those miles. If it was diesel I wouldn't be worried, but with a gasser it'll probably need a top-end re-build at that mileage if it hasn't already had one, same goes for the transmission.

 

[Blobcat]

hey guys what do u think of this is the mileage way too high or what havent seen it yet in person but about to drive up in next few hours

1993 K Reg MERCEDES-BENZ 230 TE ESTATE
Automatic, Metallic Grey, MOT-06-2006. 7 SEATER, airconditioning, Grey Leather, power steering, Taxed, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, central doorlocks, mirrors electric, one owner, Service History, Power assisted steering, Roof rails, Radio/Cassette, Rear headrests, Wood/wood effect trim 230k miles £995

If it really is one owner see how much paperwork there is and what has been done. At these miles there could/should have been a fair amount done already so you may get some life out of the beast.
With this many miles you will need to way up how long you wish to keep the vehicle and what you intend to do with it.
Make sure everything works and engine/gearbox/drive system/suspension are all in good working order & good luck.

 

[Bolide]

230k miles

hey guys what do u think of this is the mileage way too high or what havent seen it yet in person but about to drive up in next few hours

1993 K Reg MERCEDES-BENZ 230 TE ESTATE
Automatic, Metallic Grey, MOT-06-2006. 7 SEATER, airconditioning, Grey Leather, power steering, Taxed, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, central doorlocks, mirrors electric, one owner, Service History, Power assisted steering, Roof rails, Radio/Cassette, Rear headrests, Wood/wood effect trim 230k miles £995

Well it's priced to sell at £995. If it's a true one-owner car and has been "ramped & stamped" consistently then I'd just buy it. I'd expect the aircon not to work, the driver's seat backrest to be worn and some rust bubbles on the front arches but that's standard

If it's a private sale you have to ask why it's being sold. Is the head gasket on the way out? If so it may overheat & there may be mayonnaise in the oil filler cap. But, just as likely, it's been replaced by a newer car and the owner wants it off his drive

The ad reads like a trader wrote it so it may well be a trade-in that the trader wants to shift. No real problem with that, particularly if you can get the previous owner's name off the V5, call him (or her) up and ask about the car

Any W124 will do 230k without a problem if it's been well-maintained. It's a big if - but one-owner cars do turn up in great condition with full history

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Pontoneer]

Actually you can get quite a decent example for under a grand , I mentioned in another thread that I had bought a 300TE-24 recently .

What I didn't say was that I found it in a scrappy with no apparent damage and for £750 !

It turns out to be a one owner car with FMBSH that was traded in to the dealership for a new one , was put out to auction and ended up where I found it !

169K on the clock , no MOT , but I put it in on Saturday and it only needs 2 brake pipes which are getting done tomorrow - should be taxed and on the road Friday morning .

I've never posted pics to this site before , but here goes -

These were all taken last week when I had just bought it , brought it home and washed it .

It starts first time , every time , purrs like a kitten and pulls like a train !

Pure dead brilliant !

 

[orbitalegg]

went up and saw that 230 te it looked good cosmetically only had a bit of bubbling by the front fender but the engine sounded like the timing chain was about to give up i am glad cos i recognize that sound from my previous car b4 the timing chain had to be replaced and it seemed to not want to go when u put your foot down kinda like it was struggling "so scratch one 230te" .also checked out a k reg 200te 190,000 miles but sounded great , only thing is drivers window will not go down but u can hear the motor running(any ideas how much that is likely to cost) and the rear facing seat were present but the cushion bits were missing (strange!, again any ideas)

 

[jimgod]

regards the window, just got a new motor and regulator for my 260e, £30 off ebay. easy to fit.

 

[orbitalegg]

so i bought the 200te got it at a bargain though figured it will last me as long as i need it. i will get the window motor from ebay. is there a how to on installing it ?

 

[amanda]

W124 230TE costs

Fascinated to see someone's new fuel tank cost very little. I was told that it wasn't possible to get a 'pattern part' for my 230TE and I had to pay £550 for one (excluding labour!)