I found a 95 W124 at a price low enough to buy... I have yet to check it out but my curiosity needs help.
Is it a bad idea, especially as a daily @ 200K miles?
Is it a bad idea, especially as a daily @ 200K miles?
I found a 95 W124 at a price low enough to buy... I have yet to check it out but my curiosity needs help.
Is it a bad idea, especially as a daily @ 200K miles?
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I have a ‘95 Cabriolet. These cars are relatively easy to work on compared to later models although major work like a transmission or tearing out the entire dash to replace an a/c condenser would take more patience than I have. Plastic bits and trim are disintegrating and I can’t find replacements for some. Many used parts are pricey. I’ve owned a few of these and there comes a point when the cost of a single repair is twice the value of a car this old. When that has happened I’ve taken a few omens to remember the good times, then sold the car for parts and moved on. Long way of saying you are not going to buy this car with 200k and drive it daily without spending grand or two yearly on repairs, maintenance and a tow or two.
Thanks. W124 Cabrios still don’t command a very impressive price despite being relatively rare. Maybe in another 10 years. Restoring my ‘95 is out of the question given the resale value. It has been pretty good to me but if faced with an expensive repair I would probably give it up. It doesn’t look like much on cloudy days but with the top down it is a beautiful vehicle. Would miss it on sunny days, though.the 300E2.6 ratbenz has come home again, and will be my winter beater car, we're back to 3 benzes, eek.
the ratbenz was /given/ to me for free, it had an intermittent stalling program. it only had 56k miles on it when I got it, odometer still working. it had dents in nearly every body panel from the little old lady original owner in Carmel By the Sea, California. she lost her license, it got parked for 20+ years, a friend inherited it, wasn't a car guy, and $2000 later without fixing problem, gave it to another friend, who found a problem via proper diagnostics, replaced the part CIS airflow potentiometer was measuring open, but the problem persisted. he gave it to me. I tinkered with it, and did all sorts of random stuff, using best available parts (new wires, plugs, cap, rotor, shield), the replacement airflow pot was still reading open, so I actually replaced the whole airflow meter assembly and the boot under it, using the same fuel regulator. ran great for 3-4 weeks, and the problem came back. WTF. I kept trying to figure out why it was so unhappy, finally brought it to this local shop, they foudn the problem in about 30 minutes, airflow leaks, replaced all teh regulators and seals, and its run like a new car ever since. at about 58k miles, the odometer broke. from wear and tear, I'm guessing my kids put about 100K combined miles on it, but its still running reasonably well, and shifts OK considering its a 2.6L slushbox and steers and rides tight.
that was the 'free hit'. nothing cheaper than a free benz, etc etc. hah hah. still loving the 124. after driving that freebie beater/ugly car, I got my wife her very nice rust free 3.2L 124 wagon in her favorite color, bright white, paid $3000... had 240K miles, now has 280k.
i've lost track of what my 'well maintained' 93 300CE Cabriolet has cost me because I haven't really cared to track it. I paid $8k for it with 220K miles in spring 2015. it now has 260k, 4.5 years later... . the engine, transmission have been fine but I've had to deal with a bunch of smaller stuff... most recently, spent $1000 or so fixing power top issues, and I think its due for a round of rear suspension bushings, shocks (it had new Napa (?!?) shocks on it when I bought it). The owner had a huge stack of records, but I didn't really go through them til after I bought it (mistake!)... much of the POs 'routine' service was done by a Napa garage who obviously weren't Mercedes specialists, and other stuff was fixed by an old german indie, who didn't much impress me when I called to ask for clarification on what a service comment meant. Some of my issues are due to me having to park it outslde last winter. its in a carport now, so its staying dry (good thing, we had 10 inches of rain last week!). It is due for some paint (severe clearcoat failure on the hood), and a new top before much longer. I've heard a cherry 124 cabrio is a $12k car, but it would take a good chunk of that to make this cherry again. so instead, I'm gonna ignore the little things, and drive it on sunny days while I can. the top goes up and down and is still intact. the ac and heater works (but the passenger side foot well isn't getting heat?!?).
The Cabrio is still a sweet cruise for around town (I live in a beach town...).
A Mid Left Coast December afternoon, hunkered down...