Project Mercedes Benz - W123 230E & W124 200E - Both happy and working ok

[Peter C]

Woke up this morning, had a little time before I had to leave the house for work, had a quick look at what’s new for sale on Retro Rides and saw an ad for a W124 200E manual, located 15 miles from home. I had no intention of buying a car today but I had to have it! I called the seller and arranged a viewing.

 

Faults:

 

2 x rusty front wings (TADTS)

1 x rusty rear arch

Needs a polish

Tracking is out because new track rod end was fitted for MoT

Engine has oil leak/s

 

Good points:

 

It’s a W124 200E!

5 speed manual transmission

New clutch

Brand new MoT

Superb MoT history

4 x as new Continental tyres

Last owner for 15 years, her husband before that for 4 years

Very tidy MB-Tex interior

Drives well

All electrics work

 

The dealer kindly delivered the car to my house but I managed a pez station shot on route:

 

 

Plans:

 

Remove front wings, cut away rust and apply plenty of wob.

In-situ similar repair for rear arch

Clean and polish

Service engine

Adjust tracking

Leave patina and enjoy the car as it is

 

I will update this thread once progress is made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully these two will become good friends.

 

[Craig the Princess]

That interior looks awesome. Great buy.

[Cavcraft]

Ooh, it's in 'Horrible White' too, well bought.

[worldofceri]

Winning.

[Supernaut]

[dollywobbler]

Ace. From personal experience, check the rear subframe mountings. If rot is creeping into the wings, it's probably creeping into other bits. Not that you can grumble at that price!

[Jim Bell]

Nice manuel!

[Peter C]

Ace. From personal experience, check the rear subframe mountings. If rot is creeping into the wings, it's probably creeping into other bits. Not that you can grumble at that price!

I’ve had a look underneath and it’s all solid down there.

 

Oh and I got it for a lot less than the asking price!

[clayts450]

That looks awesome - well bought, sir.

[Jams]

Fffffwwwwwaaaarrrrrrr! What a peach! Look at that interior!

[anonymous user]

That is a really BLUE interior

[bezzabsa]

Ace. From personal experience, check the rear subframe mountings. If rot is creeping into the wings, it's probably creeping into other bits. Not that you can grumble at that price!

I didn't see a price?? am I missing summat??? 

[Peter C]

I didn't see a price?? am I missing summat???

It was up for £1,250 but I got it for less.

[Junkman]

Plans:

 

Lose every drag race there is to be lost.

EFA

[Aston Martin]

That interior looks immaculate.

[Mrs6C]

Well bought!

[Peter C]

Whilst I fully intend to professionally* repair the rusty front wings in the near future, in the short term I didn’t want to drive around with a gaping hole in the nearside front arch.

 

Before:

 

 

45 seconds later:

 

 

Instant results, perfect colour match. Do that with your silver car!

 

The tracking was well out, both front wheels were toeing out by a mile. New steering link and track rod end must have been fitted to enable MoT pass but no attempt was made to set up the geometry.

 

 

I am going to have a fiddle with this after work this afternoon.

[lesapandre]

Rare care in such a basic spec for an import Mercedes. And all the better for it. Looks a lovely old car.

[Peter C]

Rare care in such a basic spec for an import Mercedes. And all the better for it. Looks a lovely old car.

Import Mercedes?

 

First registered in the UK and certainly appears to be UK spec.

[lesapandre]

Even rarer then. Most 124's seem to be specced up. Great buy.

[oldcars]

Nice, wing repair is class.

[cpjitservices]

Don't see many of these at all nowadays. Well bought!

[Peter C]

Geometry adjusted, steering wheel is straight, car drives straight and feels stable. That said I will have the geometry properly done when I get a chance.

 

I noticed large amounts of dry mud within the rear wheel arches. With some of the mud removed the offside arch was found to be solid, as was the section that abuts the sill.

 

 

The same could not be said about the nearside. Two rubber grommets fell into the box section with just a small prod of a screwdriver. Further poking revealed this.

 

 

I can’t weld but on the basis that the holes are well away from anything structural, it was time to use whatever materials I had to hand. I dismantled a pair of my son’s Pokemon tin boxes and screw fixed the repair panels* in place.

 

 

Application of copious amounts of waxoil later and we have this.

 

 

I will coat the rest of both arches once I’ve had a chance to wash off the rest of the mud, ensuring that the repair patches get a few extra coats. Add a few months worth of Buckinghamshire mud and come May 2019 the MoT tester will be none the wiser.

[chaseracer]

If rot is creeping into the wings, it's probably creeping into other bits.

 

It certainly was!! 

[richardmorris]

Happily the main dealers today said mine was solid, suspension bushes deteriorating but metal ok.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I've always thought 124's work better in low spec, but the fact they were so feckin expensive means someone chose this hair shirt, plastic seated, manual, non aircon beauty over something like a fully loaded 2.9 Granada or 2.7 Rover. Discerning man or lady, or least one not in a hurry.

[Peter C]

I've always thought 124's work better in low spec, but the fact they were so feckin expensive means someone chose this hair shirt, plastic seated, manual, non aircon beauty over something like a fully loaded 2.9 Granada or 2.7 Rover. Discerning man or lady, or least one not in a hurry.

The spec is low but not complete poverty. It has:

 

Electric front windows.

Electric sunroof.

MB-Tex upholstery.

 

Actually, that’s about it. Keep fit rear windows, no rear headrests, boggo spec engine and transmission....

[clayts450]

Geometry adjusted, steering wheel is straight, car drives straight and feels stable. That said I will have the geometry properly done when I get a chance.

 

I noticed large amounts of dry mud within the rear wheel arches. With some of the mud removed the offside arch was found to be solid, as was the section that abuts the sill.

 

B0E7991F-EE4F-4140-B35C-BDF498844983.jpeg

 

The same could not be said about the nearside. Two rubber grommets fell into the box section with just a small prod of a screwdriver. Further poking revealed this.

 

EF80CC17-B186-48EB-8F21-C74F7A8A1BBA.jpeg

 

I can’t weld but on the basis that the holes are well away from anything structural, it was time to use whatever materials I had to hand. I dismantled a pair of my son’s Pokemon tin boxes and screw fixed the repair panels* in place.

 

1A1305D6-7CB0-4034-BB14-3FDDCED87563.jpeg

 

Application of copious amounts of waxoil later and we have this.

 

AD869FB0-7761-4AB7-9232-5F5F17AE57D9.jpeg

 

I will coat the rest of both arches once I’ve had a chance to wash off the rest of the mud, ensuring that the repair patches get a few extra coats. Add a few months worth of Buckinghamshire mud and come May 2019 the MoT tester will be none the wiser.

 

 

Top bodge on the wheel arch, well impressed with that

[Peter C]

It certainly was!!

Aside from this grot that was concealed by an inch of mud, from what I’ve seen of the underside it’s actually not bad at all. I guess more prodding will tell.

[Peter C]

According to a copy of Autocar magazine dating back to 1991, a pre-options W124 200E retailed at £19,020 whilst Ford wanted £19,435 for a Granada 2.9i Ghia. Take your pick.