Hello 124 people.
Just thought I'd add some pictures and info for the record concerning protection for your cars this Winter. My S124 has recently been treated to a service, a couple of coats of Collinite wax (amazing stuff),some new mudflaps and a set of rubber mats, both MB accessories.
Mudflaps
Pictured below fitted to my car are the model-specific moulded items (suitable for all W124's) available from stock from Mercedes UK (and probably everywhere else.) The invoice lists them as:
MB6 6 52 8132 front pair
MB6 652 8134 rear pair
They cost £24 per pair. They sit in position very well, and fitting involves no drilling or screws - simply clamp the flaps with the supplied fixings onto the body cladding with mole grips. I also accomplished all four corners without removing the wheels. A full printed instruction booklet is supplied - can scan this on request - but it's a fool-proof installation really. So far they've been pressure-washed from close range, and they haven't touched the ground or any kerbs / speed bumps while driving (loaded or empty). I haven't noticed them trapping dirt or moisture against the body or wheel arches, so I don't anticipate any problems there with corrosion. The rears are attached to the bumper so you can still remove the whole assembly if necessary without removing the flaps first.
After the wet or muddy trips since I fitted them, 80% of the road dirt and debris I usually find fanned out on the lower body is deflected away, making the car much easier to clean and saving the paint from a fair bit of abuse. I assume there's now some protection from stones too - the lower cladding of my car (at 108,000 miles) is peppered with lots of small chips and impact marks, especially at the rear, so it's another 124 issue to look out for. I'll get some re-spraying done now, confident the new finish will be better protected than the old.
I know there's an aesthetic debate regarding flaps - many don't like the look of them at all regardless of functionality. My car's an S124, still factory standard, and in my opinion the wagon actually looks better with them added - they match the other practical wagon-only design features like the roof bars, load cover and load bay tie-downs. A pretty coupe may well look a bit frumpy in them I suppose, and I've never yet seen a cabriolet wearing these.
Rubber Mats
Can't give you a part number for these, but here's the ebay (uk) listing number - there's still a set left so get on it quickly:
Item Number 140641536002 ebay.co.uk
These are the real deal, made of heavy but very flexible rubber featuring a large moulded MB star, dirt / liquid catching grid design and anti-slip backing. Best of all they're shaped to fit the foot wells perfectly. Some after-market mats can cause problems with creeping, or poor fitting which can mean pedal access becoming impeded and the rear floor heater vents getting covered. No such problems with these and best of all they're being offered at a lower price than the other unbranded mats around. I paid £30 for all four which is very cheap, but still well worth full price from the dealer due to the overall quality and functionality.
Again, rubber mats definitely aren't the sexiest of accessories, but if you've got pale carpets (that you've sweated for hours to clean up properly like I did when I bought the car) you'll understand why it feels good to be able to load the family up on a rainy day with no nasty consequences for all that deep-pile... again, while not nearly as attractive as carpet, they look ok in a sensible kind of way, and of course they can come out again in Spring.
One last item to look out for would be a load-bay mat or tray... they're available from various suppliers but I've been searching for an original branded item supplied by the dealers which also had an extension piece to cover the seat backs when they're folded down. Great for some serious hauling - but NLA according to my local dealer. Having deep-cleaned that massive area of beige carpet back there once, I'm in no hurry to do it again... I'll post a picture here if and when I find one.
Sorry for the long post, I talk too much. Tim.
Just thought I'd add some pictures and info for the record concerning protection for your cars this Winter. My S124 has recently been treated to a service, a couple of coats of Collinite wax (amazing stuff),some new mudflaps and a set of rubber mats, both MB accessories.
Mudflaps
Pictured below fitted to my car are the model-specific moulded items (suitable for all W124's) available from stock from Mercedes UK (and probably everywhere else.) The invoice lists them as:
MB6 6 52 8132 front pair
MB6 652 8134 rear pair
They cost £24 per pair. They sit in position very well, and fitting involves no drilling or screws - simply clamp the flaps with the supplied fixings onto the body cladding with mole grips. I also accomplished all four corners without removing the wheels. A full printed instruction booklet is supplied - can scan this on request - but it's a fool-proof installation really. So far they've been pressure-washed from close range, and they haven't touched the ground or any kerbs / speed bumps while driving (loaded or empty). I haven't noticed them trapping dirt or moisture against the body or wheel arches, so I don't anticipate any problems there with corrosion. The rears are attached to the bumper so you can still remove the whole assembly if necessary without removing the flaps first.
After the wet or muddy trips since I fitted them, 80% of the road dirt and debris I usually find fanned out on the lower body is deflected away, making the car much easier to clean and saving the paint from a fair bit of abuse. I assume there's now some protection from stones too - the lower cladding of my car (at 108,000 miles) is peppered with lots of small chips and impact marks, especially at the rear, so it's another 124 issue to look out for. I'll get some re-spraying done now, confident the new finish will be better protected than the old.
I know there's an aesthetic debate regarding flaps - many don't like the look of them at all regardless of functionality. My car's an S124, still factory standard, and in my opinion the wagon actually looks better with them added - they match the other practical wagon-only design features like the roof bars, load cover and load bay tie-downs. A pretty coupe may well look a bit frumpy in them I suppose, and I've never yet seen a cabriolet wearing these.
Rubber Mats
Can't give you a part number for these, but here's the ebay (uk) listing number - there's still a set left so get on it quickly:
Item Number 140641536002 ebay.co.uk
These are the real deal, made of heavy but very flexible rubber featuring a large moulded MB star, dirt / liquid catching grid design and anti-slip backing. Best of all they're shaped to fit the foot wells perfectly. Some after-market mats can cause problems with creeping, or poor fitting which can mean pedal access becoming impeded and the rear floor heater vents getting covered. No such problems with these and best of all they're being offered at a lower price than the other unbranded mats around. I paid £30 for all four which is very cheap, but still well worth full price from the dealer due to the overall quality and functionality.
Again, rubber mats definitely aren't the sexiest of accessories, but if you've got pale carpets (that you've sweated for hours to clean up properly like I did when I bought the car) you'll understand why it feels good to be able to load the family up on a rainy day with no nasty consequences for all that deep-pile... again, while not nearly as attractive as carpet, they look ok in a sensible kind of way, and of course they can come out again in Spring.
One last item to look out for would be a load-bay mat or tray... they're available from various suppliers but I've been searching for an original branded item supplied by the dealers which also had an extension piece to cover the seat backs when they're folded down. Great for some serious hauling - but NLA according to my local dealer. Having deep-cleaned that massive area of beige carpet back there once, I'm in no hurry to do it again... I'll post a picture here if and when I find one.
Sorry for the long post, I talk too much. Tim.
