nimchimpsky82
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2017
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 1
- Your Mercedes
- W123
Hi all
I thought I’d say hi and briefly describe my reasons for joining.
As is obvious from the topic, I don’t currently own a Mercedes, and so unfortunately don’t have any photos to share just yet… That will hopefully change in the not too distant future, though, as I have finally acquired a garage, and so am now in a position to buy and look after something other than my daily hack from the land of the rising sun.
You can probably guess from what I’ve said that I won’t be looking for a modern Mercedes, but for something a bit older. I have a weak spot for W124s, W126s but especially W123s. I have two little boys so a C(E) is out. Have never been a huge fan of the T(E), so a saloon it is – or rather will be, if and when I can find one. I really like the coupe, but have also admired the saloon since childhood. Many of us have at least one family member or friend who owned one, and in my case it’s my late uncle, who drove a black one in the 1980s. He was well off, but only allowed himself a lowly 200D, and a used one at that. It was black, though, and did have leather upholstery – brown if memory serves.
My preference would be for a 230E, but I am in fact less interested in the engine than in the car’s condition and history, and so would consider anything, including the slow 200/220/240D, and the comparatively unloved (for different reasons) 200, 230, 250 and 280. I’m not after concours condition, but am determined to get one that is very good and can be enjoyed with the family for a good few years to come without any major work being required to bring it up to scratch first. Colour-wise, I am not a fan of white, ivory, beige, or signal red. (I realise this may exclude some nice and reasonably priced examples, but I am willing to search a bit longer if need be.) Transmission has to be automatic; it’s what I am used to and given the hills around here I would not like to go back to manual. I’d prefer leather but again the condition of the seats is most important.
I am really enjoying scouring the ads in Car and Classic and eBay. I keep an eye on the likes of Gumtree as well, and have just checked the forum's Classifieds section. There are a few cars that may be worth investigating, but careful planning is required as my job is pretty busy and the cars I’ve spotted thus far are all down south, whilst I’m based in Lancashire.
I have been looking at W123s for years now, though never as seriously as I am now that I’m in a position to buy, and I am really struck by the seeming decrease in numbers of cars available. I guess that’s inevitable with any old product, but I’ve realised that my search might end up taking quite a bit longer than originally anticipated.
This leads me, after this long-winded intro (thanks for reading if you’re still here!), to two concrete questions (answer via PM if preferred):
I thought I’d say hi and briefly describe my reasons for joining.
As is obvious from the topic, I don’t currently own a Mercedes, and so unfortunately don’t have any photos to share just yet… That will hopefully change in the not too distant future, though, as I have finally acquired a garage, and so am now in a position to buy and look after something other than my daily hack from the land of the rising sun.
You can probably guess from what I’ve said that I won’t be looking for a modern Mercedes, but for something a bit older. I have a weak spot for W124s, W126s but especially W123s. I have two little boys so a C(E) is out. Have never been a huge fan of the T(E), so a saloon it is – or rather will be, if and when I can find one. I really like the coupe, but have also admired the saloon since childhood. Many of us have at least one family member or friend who owned one, and in my case it’s my late uncle, who drove a black one in the 1980s. He was well off, but only allowed himself a lowly 200D, and a used one at that. It was black, though, and did have leather upholstery – brown if memory serves.
My preference would be for a 230E, but I am in fact less interested in the engine than in the car’s condition and history, and so would consider anything, including the slow 200/220/240D, and the comparatively unloved (for different reasons) 200, 230, 250 and 280. I’m not after concours condition, but am determined to get one that is very good and can be enjoyed with the family for a good few years to come without any major work being required to bring it up to scratch first. Colour-wise, I am not a fan of white, ivory, beige, or signal red. (I realise this may exclude some nice and reasonably priced examples, but I am willing to search a bit longer if need be.) Transmission has to be automatic; it’s what I am used to and given the hills around here I would not like to go back to manual. I’d prefer leather but again the condition of the seats is most important.
I am really enjoying scouring the ads in Car and Classic and eBay. I keep an eye on the likes of Gumtree as well, and have just checked the forum's Classifieds section. There are a few cars that may be worth investigating, but careful planning is required as my job is pretty busy and the cars I’ve spotted thus far are all down south, whilst I’m based in Lancashire.
I have been looking at W123s for years now, though never as seriously as I am now that I’m in a position to buy, and I am really struck by the seeming decrease in numbers of cars available. I guess that’s inevitable with any old product, but I’ve realised that my search might end up taking quite a bit longer than originally anticipated.
This leads me, after this long-winded intro (thanks for reading if you’re still here!), to two concrete questions (answer via PM if preferred):
- Is anyone aware of a car for sale that may not be currently advertised in the obvious places?
- Given that my practical knowledge of cars is still limited, how do members in a similar situation approach a possible purchase in terms of an inspection? Is there any particular company you have good experiences with, including but not restricted to the RAC? Or would you instead rely for an inspection on local MB garages with a track record of dealing with older cars?
