Well I just joined as I am currently looking at a 1991 Mercedes Benz 300CE to purchase. First, they are asking $8700 for it. It's black with gray leather, great cosmetic condition in and out but it has about 140,000 miles. I have't driven it yet but will soon, are there any things I should take note of while driving?

Here is the only image I have of it at this time:


Is this a Sportline model, and if so, what difference is there between the Sportline Coupe and the regular coupe? Thanks for any and all responses, and hopefully I will have this car soon!

 

Nice looking coupe I don't know what your local market is like but the Blue Book value is only $4,075 (91 300CE in excellent condition with 140,000 miles.)

If you want to checkout the factory features on that specific car try this VIN decoder. It would tell you if it had the Sportline package.


Also, this thread has some beautiful shots of a 95 E320 coupe. Should give you an idea of any updates or mods you might want to make.

 

Thanks for the response. I will try and get the VIN number next time I see the car. Also, that coupe is nice but I really like the look on this sedan I saw while browsing through the image post.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...20/profile.jpg
- Nice job Holson!

 

Holsons 420 is really sharp. My 420 is Black with a Saddle interior like his, but he has Evo II rims and a host of mods. Springs, Struts (?), Shocks, Headlights...


This one of my favorites. I love the orange corner lights.

 

Leave it up to the Japanese to own some of the sickest W124's.

 

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet................

 

I love that freakin wagon, SWEET!

 

If you are truly interested in the car take it to a mercedes mechanic and pay for the pre-inspection or buyers inspection. Money WELL spent. It will give you a list of items that may need attention. The various blue books, nada guides etc are guides at their very best. I subscribe to SL Market Newsletter, there are listings of cars for sale that typically are owned and maintained by true mercedes pilots. They are normally priced at the upper end of the market...you may just get what you pay for. There are owners that spend the necessary money to keep the car maintained. These are not cheap cars to own. A higher priced car should be justified by ALL the service records. EVERYTHING. If there are big gaps in the service history, lower the price and expect to pay for the deferred maintainance somewhere down the line. I remember reading my cars history via the service records and then looking in the oil fill hole and seeing the rocker arms looking like new metal, no darkened metal due to extended oil changes that cause varnish buildup.
Good luck and don't feel like the money spent for a buyers inspection is wasted...especailly if the mechanic advises you not to buy the car.

 

Sportline option? Just looking at your picture...nope. There is no "Sportline" logo on the fender behind the wheelwell. Does the gear selector have the blue "Sportline" logo? Also the steering wheel diameter is smaller. Check the wheels, or easier, the spare tire. It should be a 15 x 7 (7J 15 H2) and be part number 124 401 13 02. W/O sportline the wheels are 15 x 6.5. Tires on sportline are 205/60, I believe stock are 195/60. I heard that Sportline was optioned on less than 10% of cars.

 

Thanks, I don't think it is a Sportline. I was mainly wondering because many other 300CE's I have seen had different wheels and these seem to be more of a premium wheel, but it was probably just an accessory they purchased with the car when it was new.

 

Hey man. That's a great-looking car. I have (as you can see) a 1990 300ce with about 180k on the clock. I bought the car from my sister about 2 years ago with around 165k on it for $5,500. $8,700 is an outrageous price, even if it's well-maintained. That seller's gonna have a hard time selling at that price.

Let me tell you about my experience with my car. Like I said, I bought it for $5,500. I absolutely love how it feels, handles (well, I lowered mine and put new wheels on it), and how great of a fit and finish it has. With some updates, your car will really look quite new.

Here are the negatives. In the two years I have owned my car, not counting aesthetic and performance mods, I have spent $7,000 in repairs. OUCH. It hurt, especially because I bought the car just before I graduated college. Lots of maintainence and repairs had been deferred by previous owners. My sister owned the car for the 3 years before me, and she spent around $3,000 on repairs as well. I don't even remember all of the things I've had to repair on this sucker. The major issue that is common to nearly every single w124 is the headgasket failure. It usually occurs between 150k and 200k. I had a valve job done along with that, and a long list of other things. My car was in the shop for 2 weeks (not just for the headgasket), and that bill came out to about $5k. I almost cried, until I got into the drivers seat and drove it home and was reminded how much I love the car.

One thing I would also like to point out to you is this- the CE you're looking at is quite different than the sedan you later posted a pic of. Both cars are on the W124 chasis, but there were numerous aesthetic changes between those years. The 1994 and 1995 w124's were rebadged from "300E" to "E320". The 300ce badging went away completely, so that the coupes were from that point on called "E320 Coupes". They added the E420, also (an 8 cylinder engine).

The aesthetic differences are the hood and grill, the headlights (no more of those ugly plastic covers over the fog lights; they were converted to glass units), the front blinkers, and the taillights. Also, the impact strips on the bumpers were color-matched to the car, rather than having the ugly black plasticy crap that I have.

I personally like the look of the '94-95 models better than mine. Obviously it's a matter of personal taste. They just look newer. However, the 94-95 E320's still have the headgasket problem, but they also all have a problem with the wiring harness- the wires were covered with biodegradable insulation (literally, they did this to appease environmentalists). Due to the heat of the engine compartment, the insulation eventually crumbles off and causes shorts. It's also a very expensive fix.

Bottom line, do lots of research BEFORE EVEN TAKING THE CAR TO GET CHECKED OUT. Tell the mechanic which things to specifically look for, and tell him that you want him to be VERY thorough and that you're willing to pay for it. Don't take it to the dealership, those guys are usually idiots and they charge to much. Take it to a mercedes-only independent mechanic who has been in business for a long time. Those guys will tell it to you straight.

Walk away from the deal on the spot if the guy isn't willing to lower the price at least $1,500. Cuz that's a rip off. Even then, the price is too high unless it's immaculate and in fantastic running order. Also, do not buy the car without a complete service history. My hunch is the reason he's charging so much is because he has paid a lot in repair bills. If he's charging that much, he darn well better have fixed the head gasket and done a valve job. If not, walk away. period.

I hope I haven't scared you away, but you need to be careful and protect yourself in this purchase. These cars are pieces of engineering art, they are not hondas. They are a little fussy sometimes, but they're just like a beautiful woman-the more beautiful, the more you're willing to put up with. My girlfriend would slap me if she knew I wrote that.

Good luck.

 

That just about sums it up

 

Good advise Pete. I prefer the 94-95 E's with the updated hood, grill, lights and interior

~Cali