Sold 1999 Merc E430 V8 - £11 a ticket, or £600 if you want it NOW. List on Page 2

[RobT]

Common sense needs to prevail for a change (shame the bugger wasn’t in evidence two weeks ago when I bought it), so despite an amusing collection mission and a few trips out I really have zero use for this big old thing. Parked idle on the road it’ll just bother me as that’s how my brain works, or worse still get bashed or something.

 

Naval gazing aside, the details are:

 

-1999 W210 430 V8

-164,000 miles

-History up to 121,000 miles, and was imported from Dublin in 2014 (originally being registered over there).

-MoT until 20th September

-Price: £600

-Location: South-East London

 

The only reason I bought it was the engine, which is superb. 279bhp and 295 lb/ft so progress is swift, and allows you to obliterate most Audis, which is nice. Gearbox is fine, no overheating evident even in this mega hot weather, and on the whole it’s pretty decent for a cheap V8 in my expert* opinion.

 

Bodywork is presentable enough after a good wash. A dent on the rear wing plus a few minor dings/scrapes, and the usual random rust patches for one of these. I briefly checked out the front spring perches and they looked OK, but I need to take a closer look. Small bit of lacquer peel on the bonnet.

 

I’ll be replacing the front tyres this week with a decent set of 6mm Goodyear part worns. Rears need replacing, or at the very least the off-side one.

 

Front suspension knocks a bit, which is likely to be lower ball joints but could be more of course. Gets a bit annoying over rough surfaces, and probably hasn’t done front tyre wear any favours.

 

The dual climate control needs to be re-set. The lad before me replaced some filters and had it re-gassed, but gave up at that point. I’m not surprised as I’ve tried briefly but have printed off some lengthy notes and will have another go this week. My initial idea was to buy something with working aircon for this heatwave, so naturally I bought this instead because V8. Genius…

 

Interior is OK but could do with a proper clean, I just haven’t had the time. Driver’s seat back is stuck in position as some dork broke off the adjuster (not me!), so driving it is a fairly upright affair. I just stuck a cushion in my lower back which seems to help.

 

Hopefully it can find a home on here, otherwise it’s a deep breath and eBay.

 

 

 

 

 

Headlights need the wet and dry and polish treatment.

 

 

 

 

Money shot.

 

 

Pretty vast in the back.

 

[RobT]

Example rust pics.  Front NS wing is the worst.

 

 

 

[RobT]

Dare I say it, but with a tyre or two and a bit of suspension work this should pass a test in September.  Too scared and skint to contemplate it myself...

[gadgetgricey]

Think this would roffle fairly quickly, and I'd defo have a couple of tickets if it did. (#28 & #47)

 

I'm sorely tempted anyway as won that S430 a while ago, and the engine is amazing.

Main reason for getting rid of that was worries about the air suspension (and other fangled gadgets) which this one would not have.

 

Also I presume you could get it on a classic policy

[Supernaut]

RantingYoof to the beige phone, please!

[Cavcraft]

I’d be up for some ROFFLE numbers.

[RobT]

Think this would roffle fairly quickly, and I'd defo have a couple of tickets if it did. (#28 & #47)

 

I'm sorely tempted anyway as won that S430 a while ago, and the engine is amazing.

Main reason for getting rid of that was worries about the air suspension (and other fangled gadgets) which this one would not have.

 

Also I presume you could get it on a classic policy

 

Might follow the roffle route.  Tickets at £11 a go and anything above £600 can go to the AS coffers, but would rather try a straight sale first off.

 

Yes this one is basic in relative terms, and all the better for it.  The few bits it does have all seem to work, with the exception of the climate control.  Hopefully a bit of time rather than cash invested should see that working again.

 

The previous owners had it on a classic policy with FJ, but I failed on that front.  Stumped up for a normal policy in the end.

[Talbot]

Having owned a 180hp W210, I suspect this is a remarkably rapid machine! Definitely an odd specification though, it has some quite expensive options, but is missing a couple of the cheaper ones.

 

There's lots of information about the climate control unit online. My previous W210 had the same unit and you can do lots of diagnosis and change quite a few settings with it. Resetting it to make it work should* be straightforward.

 

If it roffles, I'd have a ticket.

[Lacquer Peel]

Discreet! It could easily be an E250D and needs to be badged thusly.

[cort1977]

The V6 one I had of these was very likeable so one with added waftage would be ace.  Err, GLWTS etc, etc.

[Jim Bell]

Back adjuster rules me out soz.

[SiC]

Back adjuster rules me out soz.

I can't imagine it's that difficult to change out the seat. Especially as the bolsters in this look a bit tired anyway.

[Bucketeer]

My initial idea was to buy something with working aircon for this heatwave, so naturally I bought this instead because V8.  Genius…

 

The eternal internal battle between good and evil.

 

 

Good Rob thinks . . .

 

 

Bad Rob thinks . . .

[RobT]

I can't imagine it's that difficult to change out the seat. Especially as the bolsters in this look a bit tired anyway.

 

A simple unbolt and acquire a hernia lifting it out I'd say, but should be simple enough as all the adjustments are manual on the seat.  No electric gubbins to deal with.  Still got the adjuster knob too, so it might even be possible to re-attach it (not possible in situ as it's tight next to the centre console).

[RobT]

Having owned a 180hp W210, I suspect this is a remarkably rapid machine! Definitely an odd specification though, it has some quite expensive options, but is missing a couple of the cheaper ones.

 

There's lots of information about the climate control unit online. My previous W210 had the same unit and you can do lots of diagnosis and change quite a few settings with it. Resetting it to make it work should* be straightforward.

 

If it roffles, I'd have a ticket.

 

It is very quick, but doesn't shout about it.  The original owner had good taste ordering the biggest engine but few fripperies.  This is also more economical than the smaller engined pez ones, so scores a few sensible points!

 

If I get a spare hour I'll knuckle down and try to work through the notes I've printed off.  I tried a few youtube vids followed by getting irritated and just pressing every fucking button but no luck.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Put me down for 2 randoms please, it might make up for being sensible and buying a beige diesel Passat for work.

[Talbot]

the biggest engine

There's a bigger faster one: AMG E55 at 354BHP. Looks the same from the outside, but is very *very* powerful, in an old-fashioned V8-with-fucking-tonnes-of-torque sortof way.

 

They tend to make quite a bit of cash even now at 20 years old. Cheapest I've ever seen is £2500, and it was rotten.

[loserone]

Back adjuster rules me out soz.

 

I'd happily drive it back for you so you can re-fit the adjuster, chief.

[HMC]

The fore and aft range of adjustment on these seats is huge- perhaps you could access it without the centre console getting in the way with it at its rearmost setting? Love this car, very discreet looking.

[Talbot]

The seats are also very easy to remove. Just the usual 4 bolts, which are easily accessable. They're heavy, but not as heavy as a Range-Rover seat.

 

Plenty of people breaking these on the facebook W210 group too, so a replacement seat (should you want one) would be fairly easy to locate.

[Schaefft]

This could be a somewhat decent winter beater, as I was thinking about maybe getting one just for that (and to complete the German executive trifecta of the late 90s, even though the A6 is sold now). But a cheap W210 is the last thing I need right now and there are other tempting options out there.

[Wingz123]

If this was lpg’d.....struth I’d be knocking on your door right now!!

[Coprolalia]

Put me down for a couple of randoms as well. I fancy a waft!

[bezzabsa]

that seat looks fairly OK for position...

 

Verryyyyyy tempting..

 

Just the V8 bit that's gnawing away at me....I'm moaning at 23mpg at the moment LOL

[bezzabsa]

https://kenrockwell.com/mercedes/e430/fuel.htm

[nacho man]

I will have a random as well if it goes to roffle.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I'd take a ticket.....

 

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

[carlo]

I'm right with you on the being 'bothered by it being on the road' Rob, it's a feeling I encounter many times and the reason for offloading cars at way below what they're worth on many occasions!  Doesn't stop one buying an unsuitable replacement shortly afterwards of course.

 

Very attracted to this, though scared too.  WCPGW?

[JohnK]

There's a bigger faster one: AMG E55 at 354BHP. Looks the same from the outside, but is very *very* powerful, in an old-fashioned V8-with-fucking-tonnes-of-torque sortof way.

 

They tend to make quite a bit of cash even now at 20 years old. Cheapest I've ever seen is £2500, and it was rotten.

I absolutely love my E55 and it is a complete beast. It pulls like an absolute train and sounds ace at the same time.

 

Mind you at 1/8 of the price I paid for it this is really appealing as a daily...

[HMC]

My experience of big engined mercs is that they’re the best way to do merc ownership. Someone buy it from robt motors!