I haz nu shite! Merc W124

[warren t claim]

Can you guess what it is?

 

Here's a couple of clues....

 

Hewn from one piece of granite....But with typically rusty front wings.......

 

A virtual snog with my avatar to the first shiter with the correct answer!

[meggersdog]

Lada Riva ?

[warren t claim]

A bit bigger! Good guess though!

[Pete-M]

Volvo 240 or Merc 123?

[warren t claim]

Getting warmer!!!!

[mk1_4dr]

w124?

[warren t claim]

w124?

The lovely Nancy is now on her way to Yorkshire to slip her tongue down mk1_4drs' throat.

 

I'm ashamed to admit it's a 1994 E200 auto in a fetching shade of midnight bluewith lighter blue lower plastic panels. In fact the colour scheme is shockingly similar to my Rover 800!

 

Showing just 130,000 miles with history it belonged to an old giffer who managed to give it the odd battlescar but I think it has potential.

 

Not very quick off the mark but surprisingly swift when it gets going and for some reason it's amazingly economical.

 

I just need to sort out the bodywork and the grumbling front wheel bearings (are they an easy job?) and then I can waft my way around in teutonic style...

[Pete-M]

I've got a HBoL for the W124 here if you need one.

[Cavcraft]

That the 'classic' shape Wazzer or the twin headlight version?

[dollywobbler]

Is it on Steelies? I've got about 8 wheel trims for a W124 that I really don't need having never owned one!

[warren t claim]

Firstly whatever a HBoL is I'll have it.

 

Secondly It's a 1993 model with the placcy lower half. Does that make it a twin light model? Council spec so no headlamp wipers though.

 

Thirdly it is on steel wheels with trims so any better ones will be appreciated!

 

I was wondering if anyone had any success in wobbing out the front wings on these beasties? Mine are as frilly as you would expect and I don't want to have to get pattern parts from Greedy Shithouse Fuckwits.

 

On the mechanical side can the noisy front wheel bearings be fixed without the need for a 1,000,000 tonne press? 'cos the rumbling and droning is bugging me loads. They only cost about £15 a side on evilbay and it seems to be the only thing I can fault it on mechanically.

[warren t claim]

A Haynes manual would come in handy! Yes please!

[Milford Cubicle]

I still quite fancy a W124, it'd have to be an early 250D in beige with black bumpers though.

[Cavcraft]

Firstly whatever a HBoL is I'll have it.

 

Secondly It's a 1993 model with the placcy lower half. Does that make it a twin light model? Council spec so no headlamp wipers though.

 

Thirdly it is on steel wheels with trims so any better ones will be appreciated!

 

I was wondering if anyone had any success in wobbing out the front wings on these beasties? Mine are as frilly as you would expect and I don't want to have to get pattern parts from Greedy Shithouse Fuckwits.

 

On the mechanical side can the noisy front wheel bearings be fixed without the need for a 1,000,000 tonne press? 'cos the rumbling and droning is bugging me loads. They only cost about £15 a side on evilbay and it seems to be the only thing I can fault it on mechanically.

1993 will be the single square headlight model. Later (twin round-ish headlight) models are actually worse cars so you've got the better of the bunch.

[warren t claim]

Hang on....

 

Mine has the front fogs mounted inboard of the headlamps. Does that make it a crap(pier) version?

[Cavcraft]

Doubt it, the shittier ones had two seperate round-ish front lights.

[fiatdaft]

a w124 with roundish lights?

[pogweasel]

W124 - good:

 

W210 - bad:

[warren t claim]

I reckon you could pick up a 210 for under £700 with t+t. I don't even think the exporters will touch them. A truely shit Merc with little redeeming features. (Near) future banger rally fodder.

[trigger]

The brother of a bloke i worked for when i was much younger had a E220 brand new in 1995, I was a lovely motor, Dark metallic blue with cream leather and auto box, I was well impressed with it at the time, it was very smooth and i felt dead posh when he drove me about in it.

 

He traded his L reg Mercedes 190E also in the nice metallic blue to buy it, I've often thought to myself I'd really fancy a Merc the same as his was.

 

Shame that most of them are rotten now.

[fiatdaft]

the rust problems combined with the electrical problems makes a w210 true future autoshite .

 

also later w124's have there share of rust issues aswell,then there are the even later indian w124's that having sat for 5 years before sale doesn't seem to have done them much good.

[myglaren]

The plethora of Mercedes models gives me headache and the W-stuff is meaningless in the extreme but I do like the looks of some of the recent offerings from MB, like this one:

 

 

 

 

although I do acknowledge that it is likely to fall to pieces at any moment.

 

One on Autotrader for £4600 doesn't look bad at all.

[warren t claim]

Apparently Mercedes have been giving out 30 year corrosion warranties since 1998. Doesn't explain why there are so many shabby ones about.

[Rocket88]

The later round headlight jobbies were the biggest pile of wank foisted on the motoring public. Mercedes actually did a "B.L" and made a car worse in every conceivable way than the car it replaced. Monumental rot boxes, transmissions made out the innards of a Cream Egg , and an interior that was simultaniously uncomfortable and prone to falling to pieces.

[warren t claim]

I don't understand why they persist in fitting foot operated parking brakes. I'm glad mine has an autobox 'cos my cock just isn't big enough to do hill starts in a manual.

[Pete-M]

Merc uprated their anti-corrosion in 99 I think after replacing too many roof panels and chassis legs in W210s.

 

Personally, I like W210s. I think they're a lot nicer to drive than the W124, they're a lot quieter on a run, much roomier inside, steer better and tend to be miles better on juice. Rust is a major pain in the arse with 'em, but having had a couple of W124s (had a 260E for quite some time and a lovely W124 280TE for a short while) I don't rate them as highly as most people do.

 

My 260E was quite a nice one, but the front wings were beginning to show signs of the dreaded tin worm, the wiper motor fucked then the switch..., the electric window switches don't last long and it went through a couple of water pumps in under a year. Had to strip and sort the headlamp wiper motors a couple of times too.

 

My brother had an S plate W210 E240 which was spot on for 150k miles, followed by an X plate W210 E220 CDi which didn't need anything other than routine servicing and tyres for 130k. Both cars gave him no trouble at all for as long as he had them.

 

I have serious urges for an E55.

[trigger]

I drove a manual C280 Sport years ago with the footbreak, I hated it, I had a hell of a job getting my head around doing a hill start.

[warren t claim]

Merc uprated their anti-corrosion in 99 I think after replacing too many roof panels and chassis legs in W210s.

 

Personally, I like W210s. I think they're a lot nicer to drive than the W124, they're a lot quieter on a run, much roomier inside, steer better and tend to be miles better on juice. Rust is a major pain in the arse with 'em, but having had a couple of W124s (had a 260E for quite some time and a lovely W124 280TE for a short while) I don't rate them as highly as most people do.

 

My 260E was quite a nice one, but the front wings were beginning to show signs of the dreaded tin worm, the wiper motor fucked then the switch..., the electric window switches don't last long and it went through a couple of water pumps in under a year. Had to strip and sort the headlamp wiper motors a couple of times too.

 

My brother had an S plate W210 E240 which was spot on for 150k miles, followed by an X plate W210 E220 CDi which didn't need anything other than routine servicing and tyres for 130k. Both cars gave him no trouble at all for as long as he had them.

 

I have serious urges for an E55.

Any chance of the HBoL?

[Lord Sterling]

Personally, I like W210s. I think they're a lot nicer to drive than the W124, they're a lot quieter on a run, much roomier inside, steer better and tend to be miles better on juice.

+1 A mate of mine has his Dads old one. Its a late W210 E240 with Black leather. I've driven it a few times and I must admit it was a very nice car to drive. However he is having problems with it which doesnt surprise me.

 

It languished on his drive for a few years which didnt do it any favours, worked for a bit but has now developed loads of faults, it now back languishing on his drive (again) after developing an ignition fault. Most of these faults though are due to neglect, its a heavily neglected car. If I wasnt stuck with 3 Sterlings and a Micra I might have made an offer.

 

I once saw an early W210 for sale at The Rookery (Scrappy who also sells cars) for £700, didnt look in bad nick.

[Pete-M]

 

Any chance of the HBoL?

Yehman. No worries. Um, when's everyone meeting up again?