Milford Cubicle Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I am going to look at a Mercedes 240D tomorrow (gr8 4 croozin), it needs a bit of welding apparently. Where are they likely to be grottiest? The owner mentions the sills needing patches, but that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-M Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I am going to look at a Mercedes 240D tomorrow (gr8 4 croozin), it needs a bit of welding apparently. Where are they likely to be grottiest? The owner mentions the sills needing patches, but that's all. Everywhere between the bumpers. Watch out for the front coil springs as well, they're about 6 miles long and prone to snappage - they're also an utter fuckpig to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltimateJames Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Yeh they are bloody long arnt they i remember changing one while doing my training had to use 3 pairs of spring compressors ! Put me off springs for life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milford Cubicle Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Everywhere between the bumpers.Thought so. It has an MOT fail list which isn't miles long, so hopefully shouldn't be too grim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 The one I had (1985 230 Petrol) wasn't too bad rust wise just bottom of the doors front of the front wings and valance. On some of the club sites there are some blow by blow photo shoots of rustorations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 rustorations.Being the operative word.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 The carpets are all in sections, so you can easily lift 'em up to peer beneath. Rear of the sills, floorpans and bulkhead are key areas. Open the boot, check beneath the rear window. Arches fall apart but you can always mastic some chrome arches in place. That looks really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksy Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Arches fall apart but you can always mastic some chrome arches in place. That looks really good.LOLZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Arches fall apart but you can always mastic some chrome arches in place. That looks really good.LOLZ Oh yeh I forgot the arches I had the last set of cromes out of GSF Heathrow lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milford Cubicle Posted July 23, 2009 Author Share Posted July 23, 2009 Chrome arches and NI plates seem to be standard equipment for the later W124s.Anyway, thanks for the tips! I've been keen on buying an old diesel Merc for a while, hope this one isn't a heap, especially since it's the only local one I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 For info, my 300D had a very soft rear sill on the driver's side - MoT-failingly soft. A local chap did an excellent job of welding in new metal and it only cost me £90!Also had a hole in the bulkhead - so soggy carpets also worth a look! It leaked at the back too. And the boot could get damp. So in short, they can leak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 If it's more than 250 yards from your house don't forget an overnight bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-M Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 My experiences of old Mercs mirror everyone elses it seems.I had a lovely, very late C plate W123 280TE about 7 years ago. That one snapped a coil spring in the middle of a petrol station. They don't half get some height when they fly out. How it managed that I'll never know. The auto-box was starting to get a bit lumpy as well.There was the W126 500SEL I ran for a while. No chrome arches, just genuine rust. The chassis on that was more than a bit crusty, but it did go like fuck for a big barge. Mechanically it was blob on, but bodily it was a perfect example of something that was never going to be a 'running resto'. It ran, but if you tried to restore it you'd be in expensive trouble. Sounded fantastic with the cocked up exhaust.A short while after that I bought a 'smoke silver', a.k.a beige, W124 260E. Council vanity plate "MUI" job, chrome arches and W126 alloys. Fantastic leather interior but the water pump was about to cry "enough" and the head gasket was suspect so I traded that for a Range Rover with a very council dealer somewhere near Manchester Airport. I think he was doing the same with the Range Rover...Few months later I stumbed upon a one owner, full spec, 190E 2.0 Auto not far from home. 'Almandine' with cream leather, AC, alloys, rear head rests, full toolkit, perfect history job that had been parked up for a while as the owner had run out of money to throw at the main agent and finally given up when the back box popped and Merc wanted about £250 for one. I bought that one cheap, fitted a motor factor back box and felt all smug for a month or two. Until the head popped and I broke it for spares. Some lunatic bought the interior so I gave him the remains of the car and it was towed somewhere in Yorkshire behind a Corsa on a rope.Having said all that, I still lust after 560 SELs on a regular basis but refuse to spend the money that properly nice ones command. I could buy a lovely ZT-T 260 for that money.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyG Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Having said all that, I still lust after 560 SELs on a regular basis but refuse to spend the money that properly nice ones command. I could buy a lovely ZT-T 260 for that money..Whats the difference between a 560 and a 500 though - is it just the engine size or are there other changes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-M Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Having said all that, I still lust after 560 SELs on a regular basis but refuse to spend the money that properly nice ones command. I could buy a lovely ZT-T 260 for that money..Whats the difference between a 560 and a 500 though - is it just the engine size or are there other changes?Mainly just the engine size. I do love a big ol' V8.Besides, having the 500 when the 560 is out there is one of those little things that irritates me. I know the one bloke who bought a TVR without the 'hi-po' V8. One person bought one and it was him. I mean, you're going to buy a supercar so you choose the low power one. WTF? That's like ordering a Lamborghini Murcielago and then asking if you van have it with a Golf 1.9 TDi lump as the V12 might be a bit thirsty.If you're going to do it, do it properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 There's an article in Car Mechanics mag this month praising the 200 series (94 - 01. Gives the thumbs up on most everything except bodywork. Rust is the BIG problem it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milford Cubicle Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 Here it is, a bit too grotty for me sadly with holes and rust around the rear suspension mounts, sills, seatbelt mounts and wings.A shame, because it drives really nicely apart from its tractor-like manual gearbox and slightly vague steering box.It's given me a taste for them though, the 240D is such a lazy, relaxing thing to drive, I love it. I'd have great fun croozin around burning veg oil and relishing its timeless looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstraight6 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Shame, still looks GR8 for a few more decades use somewhere in Africa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotorabia Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 shame it was a rot box..German mates arrived to visit us in Spain with a W108 -240D chip fryer in 1990..we cruised around Granada in it..white with red interior.. saw this for sale...jogged my memory...plus made me look twice at it..http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 151364.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milford Cubicle Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 That is a lovely thing, sensible engine upgrade as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyG Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 There's an article in Car Mechanics mag this month praising the 200 series (94 - 01. Gives the thumbs up on most everything except bodywork.Don't know why - the W210 was the biggest POS Merc have ever made- more or less single-handedly destroyed the 'quality' image they had patiently built up for the previous 70 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksy Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 There's an article in Car Mechanics mag this month praising the 200 series (94 - 01. Gives the thumbs up on most everything except bodywork.Don't know why - the W210 was the biggest POS Merc have ever made- more or less single-handedly destroyed the 'quality' image they had patiently built up for the previous 70 years!I recon a 'M' class would be worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyG Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 That's a valid point - anything that got its initial product placement in a film where it got mauled by a dinosaur was probably starting from a low point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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