Hi folks, well I have done it!! Took a big risk and bought a W124 500E all the way from Yokohama Japan. She arrived in Southampton UK on the 12th December and after having her transported up to Lincoln to Merc Benz Dealer for MOT and inspection she is now finally sat on my drive awaiting final registration and plates.
When I work out how to post some pics, I will !!
She has only done 78,000 kms !! and is clean as a whistle, slightly lowered with 18" Brabus alloys, everyhting else as standard! And all this including shipping, registration, import duties, serviced, mot and transported from southampton for just under £7000.00
Now I need advice as I have not owned a 500E before.
What checks should I do on engine?
Added Info
Hi everyone. Having been a merc fan for some years now and after learning all about the 500E/E500 Merc-Porsher Stormer.........I have just bought and imported a 1991 Blue/Black W124 500E, WDB1240361B564568. She has approx 78,000 kms on the clock and is in beautiful condition. Plenty of pictures were supplied by the seller of all the documentation, owner’s manuals etc, but some how have gone missing between Yokohama Japan and here!! Also a bit of trim from around the gear shift. This I am in the process of investigating with the seller anyway. I did post a thread about this car back in October when I was looking at her after discovering the car on eBay Japan. I have owned 190's mainly and in the last 2 years a 300SE and still have a 300CE Coupe AMG Look-a-likey. My new 500E arrived in this country on the 12th December to Southampton Port UK. Over the last 2 weeks I have had to sort out import duties to be paid etc and then had her transported up to my home city of Lincoln, where she was taken straight to the local main MB Dealer.
They had an offer on for MOT's you see for £25.00 so I wanted them to MOT her and then do a general check over of condition etc. Whilst they were at it I also had them change the oil, oil filter, power steering fluid and coolant. When I first approached the dealer I insisted that and engineer with vast experience (possibly on this car) worked on the vehicle. Did that happen? who knows, but my problem is that I know of know local garages who specialize in MB and have the enthusiasm and passion about older Mercs. So for the meantime I had to go with the £65.00 + vat labour rates and over priced rates for any parts required.
She passed the MOT with flying colours once having had the headlamps adjusted to their max angles and with the addition of black masking tape to the lenses. They also had to re-wire and move the rear red fog lamp and both front tyres needed replacing. When they informed me about the tyres, I had to go and check as the car was sold to me with new tyres! When I got there they showed me that indeed the tyres were not that old and had almost maximum tread all the way across the tyre width but they were both very badly worn, right on the inside of the tyre, one with rips and tears in the rubber. "what could be causing that?" I asked the mechanic! "Camber!" I said. Possibly he said. The car has been lowered......any comments would be appreciated from you all here!
Anyway, although I could have got them cheaper, I asked them to fit a pair of Pirelli P Zero Ross 235 40 18 for me to get her through the MOT.
On replacing the engine oil, the mechanic informed me that what he drained had been clean as a whistle. Great I thought. The reason I asked them to replace the coolant also was because of the difference in driving conditions and ambient temp from Japan - UK. Its winter here now!! I just hope they have done it at the correct levels.
Overall the mechanic seemed to be very impressed with the car and said she was in prime condition underneath. He commented that other mechanics had been approaching his bay and asking, "What’s that"? and taking pictures. Great yeah but that worry’s me, mechanics not knowing the marque! This is why I need to find a local enthusiastic mechanic.
I went to collect her the next day and drove her home, a short distance of about 3 miles. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nuff said..............................
Whilst MB was working on my new 500E, I was in the process of getting her registered to drive here in the UK. What a pain in the arse. So much red tape and you can’t get this without that and that without this. To register the car would cost £50.00. She would also need the 6 or 12 months road tax (I opted for 6 at £99.00). You would need to take these fees to the local DVLA Office along with an MOT Pass Certificate, the certificate of export, your valid car insurance policy, your completed form V55/5, the forms which you get back from HM Customs and Excise which state that you have paid the import duties and Vat (10% of Value of car + shipping + Vat at 17.5%). As the car is over 10 years old, I did not have to take Type approval or certificate of conformity evidence. It took me nearly 3 hours of phone calls alone to find a company who would insure the car just on its chassis number as of course it has no registration plate/number yet as it has not been registered. Most of the major UK insurers were not interested as it was a Left Hand Drive Imported Car with no reg number. A company called Highway Insurance were happy to oblige anyway, on the understanding that the car was registered with in 14 days of start of the policy. It did not work out to be to expensive either as I already have insurance and use of my full no claims on my 300CE.
Although it has ended up costing me around £7000.00 including the import duties, cost of transportation from Southampton to Lincoln, MOT costs etc and most of the above. I asked them to insure the car on a value of £10,000.00. It’s probably worth more than that...........is it?
The policy ended up costing me around £570.00 with 5 years no claims being used and fully covered......not bad really I thought, so I went ahead with the cover.
As the car was manufactured in 1991, I should expect the registration number to be either a H or J Reg. Wanting to personalize her, I had a quick look on the DVLA site for a number plate and stumbled on E5 PBM! E500 PBM would have been better but alas not available. E5 PBM (Patrick B Micklefield) cost me £599.00 incl all fees and within a few days I had my certificate of entitlement in the post for this Mark......Great. Let’s get some plates made!!
Monday 24th December, Christmas Eve, I drive down to the local DVLA office with everything I need and they have asked for in order to register my new 500E. I wait in turn for about 10 mins and then get served. Everything seems fine and as you can imagine I am just keen and very eager and excited to get her registered so that I can drive her. He takes all my paperwork which all seems in order but then tells me that if I wish to put my own reg on her, then they will have to inspect her first and this would not happen until mid January!! Eeeeek......I am thinking. I am not that patient, is there a quicker way? Yes he says lets ignore your personal reg and register as normal, I can send all the paperwork off today and soon you should receive your vehicle registration certificate...allowing for xmas hols of course. OK I say, all I need to do then is a straight plate transfer once I have my documentation. So I leave the forms with him and go on my merry way.
I wait impatiently at home through the xmas period, awaiting my documentation and then alas a brown envelope...DVLA.......great rip it open to find a letter confirming my new registration mark of J3*2**L. The letter tells me I can now assign this to the car and should expect the reg certificate anytime in the next 6 weeks. 6 weeks!!!! I cannot wait that long to drive her, so I fly straight over to the local Halfords store and immediately have some plates made up. These cost a few quid more than the already made up E5 PBM which I got from a company on eBay UK. Anyway I am waffling on a bit here. The plates are now on whilst I wait the certificate and I am now driving her about.
WHAT A CAR !!!!!! NO SERIOUSLY...............WHAT A CAR!!!!
So comfortable and refined yet so powerful when asked. Everything seems to work and work well. Engine is very smooth and quite on tick over. No warning lights or unusual sounds. Orange triangle comes on now and then when I floor it? What’s this?
ADVICE - MAINTENANCE
I do not do a lot of mileage anyway but what I need now guys is your sound advice. What further checks should I make on the car now?? What’s checks should I be making on the engine.
What advice can you offer me on keeping her?
Parts?
Accessories?
Is there a local enthusiast out there for servicing?
What simple improvements could be made to performance and looks?
What’s this I hear about over heating wiring harnesses?
How can I upload pictures on this message to show you my new car?
Appreciate all your advice and tips guys/girls!
I want to look after this car
Paddy M
What advice and tips can you give me?
Does anyone know of any reputable merc service specialists in my area, Lincoln UK LN2 2EA
Regards
Wheres the best place for parts UK
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