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Finally a w124 and a wagon owner 1992 300TE

13K views 104 replies 11 participants last post by  Fonzi 
#1 · (Edited)
I had an underemployed friend who was borrowing my truck go take a look at this sack, and he made it sound like a reasonable purchase. I said WTF, and bout something like my 34th MB (or somewhere in that ballpark). He dragged it home for me on the Dolly. So I didn't even have to do anything other than send the seller a PayPal payment, and this arrived at my friend's house on the back of my truck. Can you believe it took me so long?

My friend with the warehouse full of all the cars has been very frustrated with his 1989 300te purchase and the fact that his mouse infested abandoned car with ~90k mile wagon still isn't running right, and looks pretty bad with peeling clearcoat over teal paint. He strongly discouraged my purchase. But in my opinion, the wheels will nearly pay for my purchase, and it doesn't appear to be an eyesore. Plus it runs and drives. Yes, it's got a big oil leak, but whatever. Either I will part it out or put a different engine in it, or just get rid of it. All fun!

So here's my new-to-me 1992 300te (fake) AMG.








And here's the type of mess it leaves behind when it's parked overnight and runs in place for a little while. The oil seems to be not too far from the oil filter. So maybe it's just a stupid leak. Then again, the coolant looks like hell and the radiator isn't strapped to the radiator support right now. Hmm...

 
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#4 ·
I've always liked MB wagons, and have always been impressed with how cheaply they can be obtained.

The rear driver wheel definitely has cut marks on it and rubs making a right turn. I'm pretty sure these wheels are CLK Style I wheels, which would make the rear 8.5x17 et30. I'm guessing that with the 245 tire, that's just too much.

The muffler in the trunk with a cut section of pipe is a definite bummer since I won't be able to slap that back on there. I've obtained a used exhaust system from a parts r129 before and wonder if the w124 wagon would work for this. Then again, I probably only need a straight pipe but would prefer a quite car. I wonder why the exhaust was cut off. Hmm...

The car sputters under acceleration and low rpms. I assume this is the typical sideways distributor cap issue, but honestly haven't even checked to see if this is the same as the 1989 300te @rwd4evr has. I assume it is.

The updated interior with the power seats is pretty nice. I'm not sure that the 1989 wagon has the power seats.

Like his, the second row seat backs seem stuck. I'm looking forward to working out the kinks with this thing and making it operate the way it should. Just learning how the sunroof operates was fun.
 
#7 ·
I'm not handy with a welder, but do have a welding setup currently at @rwd4evr 's "Shop" which I consider more of a warehouse junkyard. His muffler is off his wagon, but I don't think he cut the pipe like mine was cut only an inch or so behind the resonators. A cheap repair is definitely on order here. ;) But honestly this is probably the least of the cars problems at the moment. First the radiator needs to be fastened back in place. Then figure out why it is missing on acceleration. Then address the oil leak. Maybe then I will address the muffler situation. Hopefully the first three items will be easy fixes.
 
#8 ·
Oh, and I can show you how the seatbacks are released if they are being stubborn. (guess this is the new "least of wagons problems ;) )

Hoping 722.3 car will be ready in the next few weeks for ya.
 
#9 ·
I am baffled that I can't find a solution to the hood not staying open (unless I stand it up close to vertical). @rwd4evr 's wagon has the same problem. Is there a spring or hinge that has failed inside the fender?

I may have to fashion myself a broomstick if there's not an easy solution.
 
#11 ·
Now that I own a w124, I will take a real interest in learning them. I recently had a friend bust a w126 hood hinge, and I had to get inside the fender to replace the nuts for the hinge. I could certainly see how it's possible that the springs are in there too. I was searching and found a weak thread on another forum saying springs are behind the "wings".
 
#15 ·
First I have heard of hood spring issues. I've had over 10 w/124's over the years. :nerd
 
#16 ·
I'm glad someone on here got that one. I was VERY tempted but have too much going on with my current cars to deal with at the moment. Text me if you need a hand and I can come take a look at the rear seats. I'm pretty certain I have a pair of the later W124 turn signals since that car looks like it needs them and I need to get you the headlights for the other wagon.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I looked up the lenses and see I can get a pair on eBay for only about $25-30, or maybe a single from Lithuania or Latvia for about $14-18. I should probably just order something to decrease the eye-sore factor of this car that's currently on the city street. I do happen to have a really nice MB wagon car cover that was too nice to keep over @rwd4evr 's green w124, but man it fits a w124 wagon well. All the MB car covers on the street sure look a little conspicuous though. LOL. I'm probably one of the only people to pick up the trash on that street though. So I don't feel bad about parking all my parts-car-quality vehicles out there. Some are actually even registered.
@gatorblue92 That would be awesome if you want to come take a look. There's no rush on this thing though, and I haven't even pulled the junk out of the back to check and see if the third row seat is there/functional.

I am surprised by the moisture level that must have been present to cause what seems like rusty hinges on both of these wagons. I think I saw rust around the hinges of the third row seat or the storage area at the back that I tried to open.

The spare tire and tool storage areas on the side were messy and a little surface-rusty, but I was pleased to find so many lug bolts, a first aid kit, good spare, etc, all in addition to the MB tool kit laying on the passenger front floor. That's the kind if stuff I never leave in a car if selling as cheaply as I bought this wagon. And I sure would not have left on the CLK AMG wheels.

Speaking of which, it seems like the rear wheels are 8.5x17 et30 with the CLK sizing 245/40/17. They really poke, and the driver rear is definitely rubbing around corners which may point to an issue. But I seem to recall @ccrelan telling me that 8x16 et34 (early r129 stock) is really about as stuffed as you can go on a w124.

I'm thinking about taking the wheels off before the tires are true garbage. That is probably going to be pretty high on the priority list. Or I could just try the baseball bat thing on the rear wheel wells. The paint is already all cracked up there. Perhaps that rear fender is bent in from some type of accident.

Anyone know if the 245/40/17 on 8.5x17 et30 should rub on the rear?
 
#18 · (Edited)
Ok. I took a few minutes this morning to mess with the back seats a bit. The toughest part was figuring out how to remove the rear headrests, but I got it. I discovered that the 3rd row seat bottom had just come disconnected, and l snapped it back in no problem.

There's tons of white calcium looking stuff, maybe baking soda? mold? Either way, I need to vacuum it out. The tan carpets are losing all the black rubber bottom and making a huge mess too. Fortunately the car came with a set of rubber MB mats too. Nice!











The trim for that rear driver side door is in the trunk, along with what look like two hood seals. I keep getting these scissor jack's from non-mb cars in my cheap purchases. I'm not sure why, but they are handy for other stuff. I just want to get them out of my MB cars.

And here are a few pics of the rubbing tire issue. I really don't want to trash that rear tire, as they look like they've got plenty of life in them.













And finally. Here's a video driving it around the block.

 
#20 ·
I was a little worried about the perception of that. But I'm comfortable in my sexuality and music tastes. In my defense, the antenna is broken. So rather than hunting stations, I left it on one that comes in well. I put what's left of the antenna back in to see how it works, but didn't try other stations yet.
 
#22 ·
I went out to re-park the wagon yesterday and the battery was dead as a doornail. Before I remembered that I'd lent my charger to my brother-in-law, I pulled the battery from the car which clearly hadn't been removed in years. It's a big correct Bosch battery, and the bolts were all rusty. The battery tray is gone with the wind. I've never seen such a lack of a battery tray before. I scooped out the piles of rust and tossed them on the street and then thought, "I should not have done that."

Anyway, the car is still on its downward spiral right now. Add in some wheel swapping and and it's not going to look nearly as good very soon.
 
#23 · (Edited)
This looks like it might be short lived as the bills are proving tough to pay this month. I put it up on eBay in case I can make a quick easy buck. I'm putting up as much stuff as I can find the time to do. I need to come up with $2000 to pay the bills. So I started taking videos of the current condition. These are good to have anyway, even if I keep it and fix it up.










And finally, just the car back under the cover.


It looks like the car just needs a little TLC and could be back on the road. Hopefully I will get time, but a man must understand his own limitations.
 
#24 ·
Last night I spent a lot of time learning a potential reason that these AMG wheels were left on the vehicle.

The first wheel I tried, I could only get one lug out. The AMG wheels have short extended heads that are common on r129 and 560sl r107 cars. The extended heads were discontinued by MB due to the heads breaking off. I hit that first one with PB Blaster and got the other three wheels off despite their rusty lug bolts. I ended up getting all but two lug bolts out. I could have just wrenched on it, but I knew that I would end up ripping the head off and having a bigger problem.

This must have been why the wheels were left on the car.

You'd think that taking it down to my friend's shop where he was working all night long and just hitting it with the impact gun would have done the job. Nope. To minimize the twisting of the bolt head off to the sides, we set up a floor jack to support the outside of the deep socket we were using. That way we could stand on the wrench and not worry about the extended portion twisting off onto an angle as much. No luck. Keep in mind, I drove the car about two miles hitting every bump I could on the way to the shop.

Finally we decided to take a look and see if there was any way to get to the rotor from behind to hit it with penetrant. Fortunately there's a slot on the front heat/dust shield where you can see the back of the lugs. I shot it repeatedly for hours it seemed with PB Blaster. Shocking the bolt on both sides with a hammer (and punch on back side). No love.

Finally, @rwd4evr suggested heat and had a torch on hand. I cooked the hell out of the bolt from the back side and was able to get one of the two remaining bolts out. Shwew! Having that success, I was confident I could somehow get that last one off. It didn't come with the same procedure of heat and PB Blaster and shocking. It took a little more. I had to loosely put in the other four lug bolts and take the car for a really hard drive after all that heat and PB Blaster and shocking. Finally, when I pulled it in I was able to get the last bolt out.

Realizing that we were able to spin the wheel and see the lug holes from the back side of the rotor was really key to getting these bolts out. Otherwise, I would not have been able to hit it with pentetrant, a punch, and heat.

I finally got the mother f'er off though.





Fronts are 7.5x17 et37 with 225/45/17 tires that rubbed behind the tire on the fender. They also rubbed the inside fender it seems.

Rears are 8.5x17 et30 and stick out way too far with 255 tires, 255/40/17 I think.

The car is now sitting on 15" 15-hole w124 wheels.
 
#25 ·
Those wheels cleaned up pretty good.

Your experience with the lugs is one reason why I'm using the shorter lugs on my AMG wheels. They may not be "correct" but they won't snap off when you remove them either.
 
#26 ·
Had I not read the horror stories about 560sl wheels and people destroying entire wheels just to get the lugs out, I might not have been so cautious trying to get the out. When you see the twisting before you hear any creaking noises, you know it's just not right.

Yes, MB apparently discontinued the extended head lug bolts due to this issue. So I wouldn't say your lugs aren't correct. Rather, they are "updated" with the MB recommendation.
 
#27 ·
I have always had success with using a deep impact socket on the lug and hitting it as hard as I can with a big hammer. After that the lug comes out as it should.
 
#28 ·
I need to get an earthquake impact gun. The one I have is the <$30 Harbor Freight one. But this situation was special. I didn't think of the idea of putting a Socket on the bolt to whack it with a hammer, but was able to get some pretty good shots on it with a heavy ball-peen hammer. I really should have thought of putting a socket on it because they often have those removable caps, something that would absorb the shock the way I was hitting it.
 
#29 ·
Congratulations on the wagon! Always nice to find a good deal on one of them.. Looks to be in good shape just a little work needed..
 
#30 ·
Thanks. I've got too many cars. Ironically this one seems like it could be a "practical" car seating 7 and probably doing better on MPG than nearly anything else I've got. On the other hand, I need a project like a hole in the the head. So I may be putting back up for sale for cheap. It runs and drives, but doesn't seem to be getting better. I probably should have at least put some fresh gas in it. Maybe that's next. Drain the tank and put fresh fuel and lots of injector cleaner in.... and spark plugs.
 
#31 · (Edited)
Gotta thin the herd. I never really got this project off the ground or figured out what I wanted to do with it. I have it up on CL for $800 (obo).

There were many moments when I considered the concept of an m119, but discovered it makes sense to at least get a 400e before doing that. I do have the good m103 in my 1986 w126 car that runs great but has not title or Vermont registration (which I can buy for $300 is seems). I'm bent on whether to register the sedan or part it out and maybe put the m103 in this wagon. But... whatever sells first.
 
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