[Rockabilly_EB]

Hello,

Needing some advise from exiting owners. Is this a good deal? Too many miles? I tinker with old cars so I can do most basic repairs

Grapevine Motors Specials

Being my first benz, I need some advise

Erol

 

[spsinha]

Car looks very clean. I miss my old W124, very solid car when everything is working the way it should. If you handy with cars, you should have no problem. I saw a '95 E320 last week here in Chicago for $5400 and 142,000miles, so I think your's is a good buy.

 

[Kajtek1]

Texas is having the lowest prices on MB because of lack of good mechanics who wouldn't charge customers for learning how to repair the cars.
This does look good on the picture, although a big a** who ripped the seat so badly might indicate possible negligence in other areas as well.
One of the best combination. W124 and inline 320. Very reliable and very easy to work on.

 

[Rockabilly_EB]

Appreciate the advise. I hear these cars can last 300K miles + if you take good care of them. Good to hear that engine is fairly easy to work on. At this price I expect to have some minor issues and replace some of the perpherial componets over time. Just don't want to haver any major surprises

My friend bought a BMW 740iL with 100K miles and a new alternator cost him $1,000!! It was actually liquid cooled. Hopefully parts for this E320 are not that bad
Thanks

Erol

 

[Musikmann]

...My friend bought a BMW 740iL with 100K miles and a new alternator cost him $1,000!! It was actually liquid cooled. Hopefully parts for this E320 are not that bad. Thanks Erol

Sounds like he bought that from a dealer. To get parts reasonably priced you'll need to go online. A lot of members here like: http:Auto Parts at AutohausAZ - OEM Auto Parts - Discount Replacement Parts, Resources and Car Care Tips

Also someone mentioned that is a W124 and there is another forum on BenzWorld devoted to those. You might try asking them as well. Good Luck!

 

[C_R]

Appreciate the advise. I hear these cars can last 300K miles + if you take good care of them. Good to hear that engine is fairly easy to work on. At this price I expect to have some minor issues and replace some of the perpherial componets over time. Just don't want to haver any major surprises

My friend bought a BMW 740iL with 100K miles and a new alternator cost him $1,000!! It was actually liquid cooled. Hopefully parts for this E320 are not that bad
Thanks

Erol

You don't know HOW its been taken care of before? As a W124 previous owner, I would recommend you do a lot more research before even thinking about this particular car as there are some problem areas that are a pain in the ass and quite costly to fix such as AC, engine wiring harness, and head gaskets which are prone to blow. At this mileage, I would suspect that you may be throwing a lot of money into the suspension also. In short, don't buy from a dealer unless he has a complete history on the car. Otherwise, I would buy from a private owner who has a complete history. This car can easily end up costing you upwards of $8k by the time you get done if some of these things go bad as a novice diyer will not want to tackle some of the problems that I mentioned.

 

['91 300CE]

I don't like the seat tear (I know it has 172k miles, but that shouldn't be torn like that)... I dont like the hole in the front fascia under the headlight... like researcher said, there is A LOT that can go wrong with an even mildly abused W124... my experience proves that from my 300CE... the car looked perfect, drove wonderfully, interior was immaculate but... little things kept popping up with the engine and I just couldn't handle it any more... so I moved on to my C230 and ML320.

Do A LOT of research... have the car looked at by a Benz Professional ($100 spent here could be $1,000's saved later)... good luck with the search... and you will get a lot of info from the W124 section on this forum...

 

[C_R]

Also I would like to add that if you can, then try to buy one from a fellow member here who has had his for a while. Chances are more likely than not that it was taken care of. Also read all of his posts pertaining to the particular car for sale. Main thing: HISTORY RECORDS otherwise goodbye! Best of luck. I would suggest a diesel of this year. The 95 E300D was an awesome car!

 

[SDLCrazier]

Also I would like to add that if you can, then try to buy one from a fellow member here who has had his for a while. Chances are more likely than not that it was taken care of. Also read all of his posts pertaining to the particular car for sale. Main thing: HISTORY RECORDS otherwise goodbye! Best of luck. I would suggest a diesel of this year. The 95 E300D was an awesome car!

I second this. If a diesel, go get it; otherwise, move on...

 

[Rockabilly_EB]

Appreciate all the advise. I will try to find one on this board. If anyone knows of a good used Benz in North texas area (Dallas/Fort Worth), please contact me at [email protected].

Thanks
Erol

 

[C_R]

Appreciate all the advise. I will try to find one on this board. If anyone knows of a good used Benz in North texas area (Dallas/Fort Worth), please contact me at [email protected].

Thanks
Erol

DUDE!! If you find a good one, it is WORTH it to travel as far as needed to acquire it!:thumbsup: Don't limit yourself to North Texas.

 

[Peter Guenther]

The bumper is a easy fix (replace and paint) that will set you back under a $1000, The seatback will cost you around $600, and someone changed out the radio. I dont know why the dealer would warn you about lo-balling, keep searching for a better example.

 

[Rockabilly_EB]

I agree but it would have ti be a very good deal to recoup the travel costs

 

[Rockabilly_EB]

The bumper is a easy fix (replace and paint) that will set you back under a $1000, The seatback will cost you around $600, and someone changed out the radio. I dont know why the dealer would warn you about lo-balling, keep searching for a better example.

Don't make sense to put $1,600 cosmentic improvements to a $3K car. My friend owns a "Fibernew" business and his speciality is leather repair so that is a none issue. I can probably find a mexican body shop to patch/repair the bumper for $200. Filler and paint should do. I don't think you need to replace the bumper

I am going go test drive it on saturday since it is close to my house to verify condition and see if I like the ride.

 

['91 300CE]

Don't make sense to put $1,600 cosmentic improvements to a $3K car. My friend owns a "Fibernew" business and his speciality is leather repair so that is a none issue. I can probably find a mexican body shop to patch/repair the bumper for $200. Filler and paint should do. I don't think you need to replace the bumper

I am going go test drive it on saturday since it is close to my house to verify condition and see if I like the ride.

You just made me cry along with every other Mercedes owner here... the worst thing you can do to a Mercedes is cheap out on repair costs... it will end up costing you in the long run... even if it starts out as cheap cosmetic fixes (yikes) it will eventually end up as shoddy repairs to other parts and pieces...

Do yourself a favor and find a better condition car and treat it like it should be treated... or don't bother buying a Mercedes and diminishing the name by fixing it "cheaply"

Keep in mind that "cheap" and "economical" are two very different words.

 

[C_R]

Don't make sense to put $1,600 cosmentic improvements to a $3K car. My friend owns a "Fibernew" business and his speciality is leather repair so that is a none issue. I can probably find a mexican body shop to patch/repair the bumper for $200. Filler and paint should do. I don't think you need to replace the bumper

I am going go test drive it on saturday since it is close to my house to verify condition and see if I like the ride.

Test drive it on a HOT day with AC on and at least 30 minutes of that should be in stop-n-go traffic (bumper-to-bumper) and keep an eye on engine temp!
Also check the coolant bottle to see if you hind a hint of black stuff or grease or oil. If so walk away and don't look back. If the temp needle travels a lot high to low pretty far, run away. Look at the color of the coolant. If it is green, run away.

Take it to an MB dealer!!!! if you are contemplating buying after the test drive.

 

[fabbrisd1]

Please, take a breath:

1) Value: You can easyily get a non-biased relatively accurate estimate of value from edmunds.com - undertand that for the quality classification, outstanding is showroom new (literally), clean is exceptional, and average is just that average good.
I think edmunds would put this car at around $2000 retail, if for not other reason than the mileage.

2) Is the car special enough to command $3500 ? You need a car that does not need any major mechanical to hit spot on for value, and THAT can ONLY be determined by a competant PPI (pre-purchase inspection) from a experienced MB indie and will set you back $200-$300 for the PPI. Anything less than a PPI, even for a relatively experienced MB buyer, will be a crap shoot.

Good luck !

 

[Sergio]

OK, as an owner of a W124 for the past 5+ years, let me clear some misconceptions. First, if you drive in a hot day with the AC ON in stop and go traffic the coolant temperature needle will creep up. Think about it, there is no way the coolant temp is going to be the same when traveling at highway speeds than it is when driving in stop and go traffic. The coolant temperature needle on the W124 is very accurate and linearly calibrated so it shows temp changes in a dramatic fashion. What you DO want to make sure is that when the AC is turned ON, both aux fans turn ON at low speed. When the coolant temperature reaches 110-115C, the aux fans switch to full speed. While this is the way MB designed the system to operate, several people, self company included, feel uncomfortable with the temp reaching 115C and there are mods available to address this. By far, the best solution (I've tried several) is to replace the stock viscous fan clutch with a "tropical" model that engages at lower temps.
Secondly, if you think that because a 14 year old car with 170+K miles has a tear on the leather seat it means that the owner has neglected the vehicle, think again. I keep my W124 in top mechanical shape. I've spent well over 10K in repairs in 5 years and most of these I've done myself. My vehicle has had the head gasket, engine wiring harness, and many other critical items replaced. I use Zimmerman X-Drilled rotors (always had issues with warping stock rotors and '95 W124s are known to do this). Having said this, my driver's seat has a tear in the leather and the lower front bumper has a few minor cracks (impossible to avoid driving in the Philadelphia area) and I decided that I will not spend an exhorbitant amount of money to repair cosmetic issues in a 14 year old vehicle with 222+K miles. I spend money where I deem it more necessary (mechanical condition of the vehicle). I would not consider myself an owner who neglects his cars. I've always maintened them properly and kept them in great overall shape. This time around I decided I will not spend several thousand $ in cosmetical issues on a car that is not worth that much anymore. This is my opinion so I would say that don't stop from buying a 14 year old vehicle because it has a tear in the leather seats. DO make sure you obtain records and DO make sure the head gasket and engine wiring harness has been replaced.
Good luck!

 

[Sergio]

I had not looked at the pictures. The bumper hole is bad enough that a new bumper is in order (nothing like the cracks I have on the LOWER facia of my car). The tear in the seat is pretty bad as well. However, if you have an inexpensive way of repairing it, then don't let it stop you.
I would also have concerns regarding the tranny. Make sure you test it, as someone suggested, both hot and cold. Make sure it shifts smoothly and get under the car to check for tranny fluid leaks. Once again, obtain service records or you will find yourself spending a lot of cash.

 

[Kajtek1]

Secondly, if you think that because a 14 year old car with 170+K miles has a tear on the leather seat it means that the owner has neglected the vehicle, think again.!

If that is in fact leather. I sold my W124 with 320,000 miles on it and the leatherette didn't have a rip. I noticed at one point, that by "slapping" my butt into the car I am rubbing the seat and start paying attention how I get into the car. That become the automatic habit and don't even have to think about it.
The same with the colling system. My diesel was always below 85C even on Mojave Desert.
I hate to point it, but this is $3500 car. You have to allow the paint to be dull. At least the headlights are real glass.