New-to-me '95 E320
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Bethesda, MD
'11 Cooper S
New-to-me '95 E320
Brilliant Silver '95 E320 Special Edition!
Backstory: I'm an interval service advisor for a very large MB dealer in Maryland. Without the invaluable resources I have I wouldn't have the heart to take on a W124 project.
Some may have missed my other thread where I looked at a toilet of a 1993 300E 24v. The pluses were straight body, no prior paintwork, cold A/C, nice transmission, 123k original miles, and Arctic/Palomino is beautiful. The minuses were bad original wiring harness, nonexistent records meaning nonexistent maintenance, and being a Houston car, sagging headliner and punished interior from the heat. The car is $1200 and won't pass VA (or MD emissions).
Ready to buy the car, and having negotiated to $1200, I planned to pick it up this weekend and start freaking out over what it needs but not adding the costs. I asked the wholesale manager what he would pay for a car like that, and he said $1400 or so. The other wholesale guy said that they just took in a 1-owner '95 E320, and that it was a nice car. My price is very reasonable, about as much as the '93 plus an employee price HFM harness.
I haven't bought it yet, probably will tomorrow, but here's the lowdown. '95 E320WSE, bought new and PDI'd by my dealership, full service history from a family who has owned, and still does, multiple MBs. 146k miles.
The bad:
It's Silver on Grey, the worst color combo. I wish it were black or Palomino. I hate grey interiors, and said I'd never own one. I shouldn't have made that promise, but I'll likely get black floor mats and paint the wood piano black. Hopefully I can save this nice wood and find some crappy wood to work with, it's a bit of a travesty IMO to paint over nice Zebrano.
The car has had a full repaint, and it sucks. The paint is cracking under the clear, only solution is a quality repaint. It's a five-footer at best, which honestly isn't bad for a 1995. The average bystander would say the paint is fine, just looks like a 1995.
There are several dings and dents, all of them the PDR guy can do for cheap, but worried about the one under the trunk.
The large front impact strip is damaged but can be filled. The center impact strip with the front plate holder is done.
The A/C works, but is low on R134A. I'll need to recharge and dye it, if it's coming from the condensor I'll be a sad camper.
There is a small leak from the transmission, either from the trans pan or one of the several o-rings. No biggie.
There is a bulb out somewhere, need to track that down.
The speedometer needle wiggles at low speeds...no idea. Anyone?
The antenna is MIA, won't get a dealer replacement. Help on this is welcome.
The original stereo needs to go. There is a 10-disc changer in the trunk, if I can get an iPod kit with a late '90s OE MB unit that would be the best solution, or find a non-gaudy all-black headunit aftermarket. I had a Nakamichi in my BMW E34 525i, it was superb.
The original cell phone is there, and I need to rip it out. Kinda funny but more work.
Headliner starting to fall in the rear near the dome light.
The Special Edition wheels literally make me naseous. I'm giving them with the good tires to my tech in barter for labor, I'm buying cheap mint 16x7 SL500 8-holes and hope to find used tires until 17" Monoblocks are in the budget. I have a specific vision in mind for this car, just clean AMG-style.
The suspension, while fresh, is incredibly floaty. 500E sways, H&R Sport springs, and Bilsteins or Konis are a must. I don't want to ruin the ride but I want it to drive like an AMG would.
The transmission is lazy. Is it adaptive? I hope so, it's stuck in Grandpa mode. I'm a manual-transmission guy but want an auto in this car so maybe there's a trans chip for it?
The Good:
It's a well-cared for, wealthy one-owner local car. Full records from Day One, I even have the original RO from when it was PDI'd.
I'm making it sound like this car's a pile, and it's absolutely not. It's very nice for the age.
The paint may suck, but there is barely any rust, on the undercarriage or the body panels. It doesn't seem like it was winter driven very often, the tech was surprised as hell about the lack of rust.
New HFM wiring harness. Awesome.
A/C mostly works, pretty good for a W124. We'll see if it's got a leaky condensor and I eat my words, but the tech said he didn't see telltale signs of a bad condensor.
Head gasket replaced at 32,xxx in 2000 under KULA good-will.
Rear diff replaced sometime, need to print out the old invoices.
On-time oil changes, transmission serviced regularly, even the brake fluid is passable.
So what do you think? All opinions welcome!
It's swapping DD duty with this:
Backstory: I'm an interval service advisor for a very large MB dealer in Maryland. Without the invaluable resources I have I wouldn't have the heart to take on a W124 project.
Some may have missed my other thread where I looked at a toilet of a 1993 300E 24v. The pluses were straight body, no prior paintwork, cold A/C, nice transmission, 123k original miles, and Arctic/Palomino is beautiful. The minuses were bad original wiring harness, nonexistent records meaning nonexistent maintenance, and being a Houston car, sagging headliner and punished interior from the heat. The car is $1200 and won't pass VA (or MD emissions).
Ready to buy the car, and having negotiated to $1200, I planned to pick it up this weekend and start freaking out over what it needs but not adding the costs. I asked the wholesale manager what he would pay for a car like that, and he said $1400 or so. The other wholesale guy said that they just took in a 1-owner '95 E320, and that it was a nice car. My price is very reasonable, about as much as the '93 plus an employee price HFM harness.
I haven't bought it yet, probably will tomorrow, but here's the lowdown. '95 E320WSE, bought new and PDI'd by my dealership, full service history from a family who has owned, and still does, multiple MBs. 146k miles.
The bad:
It's Silver on Grey, the worst color combo. I wish it were black or Palomino. I hate grey interiors, and said I'd never own one. I shouldn't have made that promise, but I'll likely get black floor mats and paint the wood piano black. Hopefully I can save this nice wood and find some crappy wood to work with, it's a bit of a travesty IMO to paint over nice Zebrano.
The car has had a full repaint, and it sucks. The paint is cracking under the clear, only solution is a quality repaint. It's a five-footer at best, which honestly isn't bad for a 1995. The average bystander would say the paint is fine, just looks like a 1995.
There are several dings and dents, all of them the PDR guy can do for cheap, but worried about the one under the trunk.
The large front impact strip is damaged but can be filled. The center impact strip with the front plate holder is done.
The A/C works, but is low on R134A. I'll need to recharge and dye it, if it's coming from the condensor I'll be a sad camper.
There is a small leak from the transmission, either from the trans pan or one of the several o-rings. No biggie.
There is a bulb out somewhere, need to track that down.
The speedometer needle wiggles at low speeds...no idea. Anyone?
The antenna is MIA, won't get a dealer replacement. Help on this is welcome.
The original stereo needs to go. There is a 10-disc changer in the trunk, if I can get an iPod kit with a late '90s OE MB unit that would be the best solution, or find a non-gaudy all-black headunit aftermarket. I had a Nakamichi in my BMW E34 525i, it was superb.
The original cell phone is there, and I need to rip it out. Kinda funny but more work.
Headliner starting to fall in the rear near the dome light.
The Special Edition wheels literally make me naseous. I'm giving them with the good tires to my tech in barter for labor, I'm buying cheap mint 16x7 SL500 8-holes and hope to find used tires until 17" Monoblocks are in the budget. I have a specific vision in mind for this car, just clean AMG-style.
The suspension, while fresh, is incredibly floaty. 500E sways, H&R Sport springs, and Bilsteins or Konis are a must. I don't want to ruin the ride but I want it to drive like an AMG would.
The transmission is lazy. Is it adaptive? I hope so, it's stuck in Grandpa mode. I'm a manual-transmission guy but want an auto in this car so maybe there's a trans chip for it?
The Good:
It's a well-cared for, wealthy one-owner local car. Full records from Day One, I even have the original RO from when it was PDI'd.
I'm making it sound like this car's a pile, and it's absolutely not. It's very nice for the age.
The paint may suck, but there is barely any rust, on the undercarriage or the body panels. It doesn't seem like it was winter driven very often, the tech was surprised as hell about the lack of rust.
New HFM wiring harness. Awesome.
A/C mostly works, pretty good for a W124. We'll see if it's got a leaky condensor and I eat my words, but the tech said he didn't see telltale signs of a bad condensor.
Head gasket replaced at 32,xxx in 2000 under KULA good-will.
Rear diff replaced sometime, need to print out the old invoices.
On-time oil changes, transmission serviced regularly, even the brake fluid is passable.
So what do you think? All opinions welcome!
It's swapping DD duty with this:
Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis
2002 CLK55, 1993 190E, 1975 230C, 2007 E350
makes me miss my old one
I loved my 95 E320 - my daughter proved its ultimate worth (front end shot into a tree at 25mph - no one hurt). Wiring harness done, good service records - a good set of bilstiens will stiffen it up, but I ran stock ones. Still my favorite daily driver I have ever had - comfort, good gas mileage, great handling and brakes, enough performance to no leave me hanging, and has one of the best passenger cages in existence for safety. I'm jealous.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
1994 e320 Cabriolet
I enjoyed your post. I too have a 1994 e320, but the Cabriolet version ... which I happened to have bought from Euro MC back in 1999 and had 35,000 miles on it. I had serviced at Euro until I moved to Cape Cod in 2002. My office was in Bethesda (Leland St & Wisconsin) and I sure miss having the convenience of having a great dealership in walking distance!
Your car has about the same mileage as mine, 125,000. Mine also has the grey interior, which I don't care for much either ...wish it was biscuit ... but, thankfully, it does have a black exterior which has held up very well. The car has a classic and timeless Mercedes look (still with the larger square-ish grill) and still gets many favorable comments, especially when the top is down. It's a great driver, with plenty of power and nice ride still -- even on the original shocks and struts. On the other hand, the car has had its share of mechanical woes.
I've had to replace the water pump twice, which was costly. I also upgraded the AC years ago. Perhaps the worst was the tranny had to be rebuilt at about 100,000 miles -- the tranny slipped so much in reverse, it couldn't go up the slightest incline. Apparently this is not uncommon ... and the part that fails is a relatively minor one. But the ordeal of removing the tranny takes about 10-12 hours and thus ends up costing some $2500. I replaced the plugs and coils and wiring myself at about 102,000 miles when it started sputtering, and all has been well since. One problem that puzzled me for a long time was how my turn signals would slow down and die out on me periodically, especially on hot humid days. Took me a while to figure out that one, but replacement of a hidden relay ($75) solved the problem. Dealer replacement of the rear quarter window regulator was costly ($1100) but that was because removal and installation is complicated by the fact it was designed for the Cabriolet, and a replacement had to be special ordered from Germany.
I've read how others have had problems with head gasket leaks, wiring harnesses and other engine repairs which, thankfully, I'm managed to escape. One thing, though, the car always seems to run a bit on the warm side ... and the temp gauge goes up alarmingly when stuck in traffic on a hot day. But I've read this is fairly common.
One other quirk is how the car goes through front brake pads fairly often. I think I've replaced them three times in 90,000 miles ... yet the rear pads are still original. I'm not sure if this caused by a weight distribution problem affecting all W124s or just the Cabriolet.
I also still have the original Becker radio ... which is known for its peculiar problem with the volume adjustment switch, but I've learned to live with that.
Right now, I'm in the midst of extracting the hydraulic lift cylinders that open and close the top ... something you need not worry about!
So, enjoy your car ... but be mindful of the tranny, the head gasket and brakes and you should go far!
Your car has about the same mileage as mine, 125,000. Mine also has the grey interior, which I don't care for much either ...wish it was biscuit ... but, thankfully, it does have a black exterior which has held up very well. The car has a classic and timeless Mercedes look (still with the larger square-ish grill) and still gets many favorable comments, especially when the top is down. It's a great driver, with plenty of power and nice ride still -- even on the original shocks and struts. On the other hand, the car has had its share of mechanical woes.
I've had to replace the water pump twice, which was costly. I also upgraded the AC years ago. Perhaps the worst was the tranny had to be rebuilt at about 100,000 miles -- the tranny slipped so much in reverse, it couldn't go up the slightest incline. Apparently this is not uncommon ... and the part that fails is a relatively minor one. But the ordeal of removing the tranny takes about 10-12 hours and thus ends up costing some $2500. I replaced the plugs and coils and wiring myself at about 102,000 miles when it started sputtering, and all has been well since. One problem that puzzled me for a long time was how my turn signals would slow down and die out on me periodically, especially on hot humid days. Took me a while to figure out that one, but replacement of a hidden relay ($75) solved the problem. Dealer replacement of the rear quarter window regulator was costly ($1100) but that was because removal and installation is complicated by the fact it was designed for the Cabriolet, and a replacement had to be special ordered from Germany.
I've read how others have had problems with head gasket leaks, wiring harnesses and other engine repairs which, thankfully, I'm managed to escape. One thing, though, the car always seems to run a bit on the warm side ... and the temp gauge goes up alarmingly when stuck in traffic on a hot day. But I've read this is fairly common.
One other quirk is how the car goes through front brake pads fairly often. I think I've replaced them three times in 90,000 miles ... yet the rear pads are still original. I'm not sure if this caused by a weight distribution problem affecting all W124s or just the Cabriolet.
I also still have the original Becker radio ... which is known for its peculiar problem with the volume adjustment switch, but I've learned to live with that.
Right now, I'm in the midst of extracting the hydraulic lift cylinders that open and close the top ... something you need not worry about!
So, enjoy your car ... but be mindful of the tranny, the head gasket and brakes and you should go far!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 3
From: North NJ
94 Wagon and 94 Cabriolet
kudos on your patience last go round, and this is exactly the description that gets my attention. 
"well-cared for, wealthy one-owner local car. Full records from Day One"
Congrats!!
"well-cared for, wealthy one-owner local car. Full records from Day One"
Congrats!!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 133
From: Massachusetts
2018 GLE350, 2014 G550, 2000 SL500, 1980 TR8, 1995 E320 Cabriolet
"Non-gaudy" doesn't 't seem to exist these days. Everything seems to be techno-thumper lately, in particular if you want a unit with an iPod interface (Nakamichi does not offer one as far as I know).
Nice find!
