I now have to leave Autoshite....

[pandamonium]

Means it is mostly solid, but quite tatty. Pics of the bodged repairs soon!

[pandamonium]

[warren t claim]

It looks quite tidy to me. I'd roll in it.

[FredTransit]

Here's the ad it came from.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

Looks tidy.

 

CAR HAS CURSE CONTROL

Oh good......

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The 123 was the last of the proper Mercs. The 124 was nothing like as well built. The 230E is the pick of the range imo. They go okay, cruise very quietly at 80-90 and are good on fuel. The 280E goes okay but it's not a great engine and they're savage on fuel.

 

I had a 1978 T reg 200D once - the slowest car I have ever driven but a quality item. I sold it to a Merc specialist in Ipswich who filled it with 123 spares and shipped it out to Africa.

[FredTransit]

That's what I was gonna do with mine, but the work still keeps coming in so it can stay! Mine is so poverty spec it doesn't even have colour coded paint on the hub caps!

[pandamonium]

Well, if you need a second Merc for a set, you're welcome to use mine. Just need to get in there before I cut the suspension and fit wide wheels or something equally silly.

[dollywobbler]

Have you had the rear carpets up yet? They have a habit of getting soggy and then rusty...

[FredTransit]

Well, if you need a second Merc for a set, you're welcome to use mine. Just need to get in there before I cut the suspension and fit wide wheels or something equally silly.

Do you have to do that? Seems a shame to mess with something that's survived so long.

[pandamonium]

I don't have to, but knowing me, the urge to modify may creep in at some stage! I'll resist as best as I can, because I quite like the way the benz looks as standard.

As you can see there are a few bits to keep me busy anyway!

In this picture, the 'mud splashes' appear to be in the paintwork! I reckon a touch up spray job was done, and then they went for a drive.

[Peter C]

Hmmm.

 

Whilst the rust is not tragic and probably does not affect any of the structure, to get the car looking nice again will cost you ££££. Everyone knows that W123s rot from inside out and the rear double skinned arches are a pain to fix properly.

 

You'll also never match the old metallic paint finish so for best result you're looking at a full re-spray.

 

Are you going to the Enfield Pageant this weekend?

 

Peter

[Mr_Bo11ox]

These are such a classy looking car. The proportions are absolutely perfect i reckon, they just look RIGHT. Yours doesnt looks too badly bodged, OK its got a few bits on it but for the coin you seem to have paid, it looks great to me, certainly doesnt look like its had the old 'chrome arch' treatment or any of that shite. It looks like it sits just right, though I guess you will have designs on that! I would love to have a crack at those rear arches.

 

Also i love the totally classless vibe these things have got, anyone driving one looks like they know what theyre talking about.

 

I would love one, if I wasnt already driving the best car of all time evAr (Rover 220).

[pandamonium]

Thanks, it does give you an enormous feeling of well-being when behind the wheel. I'm not worried about rot, I can deal with that. The interior was the worst, as it had been smoked in by the foul previous owners and every crevace was full of ash.

I've given it a cursory clean up, but a full valet is on the cards.

[dollywobbler]

Ah, major W123 bonus. Most of the carpet comes out in the form of big mats effectively. It's great!

 

You're right about the sense driving it. And Mr Bol's view on the looks. Something very reassuring about so much chrome on a car still sold on the Eighties - and the big painted hubcaps. "Piss off progress. Not interested in your plasticky nonsense!"