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1993 300E 2.8 a good value?

2K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  sbaert 
#1 ·
I am looking into buying a used MB. I have read through many of the topics here on the forum and decided on either a 124 or a 126. Ultimately, availability will determine what model I end up buying. I'm worried more about the repair history than I do model, though I have been shying away from the 560SEL because of gas mileage and apparent difficulty of work on the engine. (Same with the 500SEL)

I have been looking for about two months for a 1984-1994 MB with maintenance records.

This is the most current find on my search and i was hoping someone would be so kind as to giving me their opinion on what I have found and should do:

1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E
213K
Link to car
J. R. Munson Co. Inc : 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 2.8

It has high miles, but looks to have records for a lot of maintenance from the same dealership. The car looks to be in great condition with the exception of the following:

-The temp gauge bounces when the car is driven.
-The drivers side electric headrest does not function.
-Few very small rust spots that have been touched up with paint.
-The records do not indicate two of the most important repairs - Wiring harness and timing chain.

My question is, could this car have been maintenanced that well for 210K without ever having the wiring harness and timing chain changed? Or are the records just missing.
And also thoughts on the asking price.


Thanks in advance
 
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#2 ·
Without verification that the upper, lower harness and throttle actuator have been changed, this is no deal. Additional concerns would be verification of a head gasket change. Verification of the air conditioner evap being changed. The 2.8L M104 motor was a one year only offering in the US.

Most of all, the rust is a deal killer. $1500 car at best. The asking price is fools money. Keep up your hunt.

Good Luck,

Jayare
 
#3 ·
It's possible the timing chain could've been done. There's nothing to do but ask. Are you serious about this car? You're going to have to have a pre-purchase inspection done if you are going to buy it. Did you call them yet? Check for rust around the jack points, pull the wheels off and check the springs. Pull the trunk liner and see if there's any rust where the antenna mast is. That's the problem with these cars, when the mast goes it leaks. Check the weather strips and if they've been replaced. If they haven't in awhile, check the doors at the bottom, leaks, oil in the coolant, soft hoses etc... If rust has been touched up, I'm sure more is hiding elsewhere. Hope this helps you. Wishing the best of luck!
 
#5 ·
I asked about the timing chain and they did not know. I have called and got all the info I could about the car.
I am very serious about buying if the car was correct and the records indicated it was worth it. Same with the pre inspection. The pre inspection is about $90, well worth it to save me from a bad car, but I don't want to send every car that I find to the shop. So I try to find out everything I can first and if I can rule the car out without the inspection I move on to the next opportunity.

Thank for the info on the weather stripping and additional things to check.
 
#8 ·
It's the hidden rust you have to watch out for the most.

The easiest way to check for hidden rust on a W124 is to remove the little covers/plugs on the vehicle jacking points. If you see rust inside any of the jacking points, walk away because anything underneath the vehicle will be in worse shape.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the tip on the rust issue.

If anyone has any other tips for me as far as where to search, best model (I realize this is a matter of opinion), or anything 124 or 126 related that they could link me to...it would be appreciated.

I have searched this forum and know how to use the search function if anyone wants to point me in a new direction.



Here is more insight to the situation. I am looking for a classic MB because of the reliability, solid build, and over-enginering. All of which I know require maintenance, which I am willing to and looking forward to doing. I am planning to DIY as many of the repairs and routine fixes as possible. I do not yet know how to do much of this and plan on using the forum along with a friend that I have that owns a few 124's. I have worked on older cars in the past, but that was a 1967 chevy.

Higher gas mileage would be a plus, but I might be persuaded to buy a 420 if the records are extensive. It sounds like the 420 would be harder to work on myself due to lack of space under the hood.

I currently search both private parties and dealerships big and small. I probably am searching for cars 2 hours everyday.
 
#10 · (Edited)
If you're looking for good MPG, you should definitely NOT even think or look at anything V8 driven.

Have you considered looking at a W126 turbodiesel??? If you want bulletproof reliability with very low maintenance costs, a '84 300SD is going to be very hard to beat.

If you want a slightly more refined (but more sophisticated) diesel, consider a early to mid -90s W124 diesel. The best of the bunch is the '95 E300 DIESEL with the twin cam OM606 motor, but they are harder to find and you will have to pay premium for a good example.

Warning: Do NOT under any circumstances buy a 350SD or 350SDL whether in W126 or W140 flavor. These motors are very troublesome, I call them rodbenders.
 
#11 ·
I should have specified that good gas mileage to me is anything over 20mpg.:)

Thanks for the info on the diesels. I have never owned a diesel, so I have kind of stayed away from them in my searching.

Diesel gas is expensive right now, but so is premium, so I guess it is all the same.
 
#12 · (Edited)
If you want 20MPG or higher, then all V8s are out of the running and you should be looking at straight 6 cylinders that are in top mechanical condition and/or you should be looking harder yet at a 5 or 6 cylinder diesel.

As an example, my '95 diesel gets high 20s city, mid-30s hwy. Range about 700-800 miles to a tank.

On the other hand, my 2 straight six gassers which are in top mechanical condition rarely break 20s in town and struggle to get to mid 20s hwy, if ever. Range about 300-320 miles to a tank.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I could deal with low 20's highway with a strait 6.

Really I would compromise on gas mileage if I could just find something in great shape with good records. I really would have to like to bought this car months ago. Trying to be patient and find a good example, and its been easy to wait as most of what I find is overpriced and under maintained.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Patience is a virtue. When it comes to a European cars, and especially German cars, it's all about service records, service records and more service records.

Why? Because the more service records a seller can provide, the lower your TCO (total cost of ownership) will be.

In other words, a W124 with 289K miles and a binder full of records can be a lot more attractive to own financially than one with barely over 100K on the dial with zero records.

This is exactly what happened with my last W124 wagon I bought. Found 2 identical model year, identical color wagons. One had over 200K with records from day 1, and a 200K+ miles price tag to match. The other had around 123K but no records of any kind and almost twice the asking price. Guess which one I bought???

When it comes to these classic MBs, miles is just a number. What is really important is how well the owner(s) cared for the cars as the miles accrued. The standard used car principles that apply to Toyotas, Hondas, etc. do not apply to classic MBs.
 
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