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I'm looking to get a W124 coupé and I've got a few questions I was hoping for some help with...
Is it realistic to daily drive these from a maintenance perspective - this won't include commuting as I get the train, so a few times a week of driving.
Any mechanical, electrical or equipment changes between pre and post facelift?
Is there a good reason to go for a M103 or M104 engine over the other?
I've given up on tracking down a manual (maybe wasn't offered on the larger engines?); did the 5 speed auto replace the 4 speed or was the 5 speed an option throughout? Is it worthwhile?
The buying guides I've come across are now 7+ years old. These guides are thorough and my understanding of the key bits to look out for on these cars (likely a 300 or 320) are...
Rust!
Wiring Loom; has it been replaced.
?
Finally, this will be an "interesting" car to go alongside our bog standard golf. It will replace a 2003 BMW 330ci which has lots of niggles and complicated bits that are failing (e.g. driver mirror dipping by itself for parking not working, traction control issues) and I am looking at the W124 because I think it's a great shape, it will be comfortable, solid / quality car, not slow, and finally will be interesting (I hate the idea of driving to meetings in the same boring grey box as everyone else!). But anticipating that it will require ongoing maintenance like the BMW. Please shout if this isn't going to be the car for me!
Prices seem to be all over the place at the moment (in the UK) but it seems that paying 6k is needed for a decent one, with some up for 10k! All seem to be up for sale for a long time.
I daily mine and love it to death, m103 is supposedly a little more reliable but both are bulletproof in their own regards as all are 124’s. Do basic maintenance and it’ll last forever
I've had mine for 25 years. Great car. Maintenance IS AN Issue on a handful of stuff however there are only a few big things, like the wire harness. Another is the air conditioner evaporator under the dash....tends to leak at this age. Check to see if the A/C freon has been converted to 134. What you'll find is little stuff that may have been easy to neglect now could add up to be a longer list of to-do's.
Odometer is quirky and can quit working if previous owners tried to reset trip odometer while moving...only do it stationary
Heater A/C blower motors have a tendency to start wining and stick. Replace resistor with motor R&R
Dash lights may quit working, simple rheostat and fuse fix
Really, just keep everything clean and well lubed up. Hoses tend to dry up and there are lots of vacuum hoses, washer hoses.... Sunroof should be exercised and lubed. Switches, seat, window etc....should be WD-40'd ...stuff like that. Overall if you keep the oil and fluids clean and changed, pay attention to the little stuff...you'll have a nice driving, unique vehicle. As mentioned, these are typically tanks and bullet proof. Very well built and will serve you well if you don't abuse and try to do a little upkeep each month or so. Best of luck.
You should spend some significant time on the Mercedes W124 forums to educate yourself on the model years, their strengths and weaknesses.
Make sure you have the $$$$ depth for upkeep, the rabbit hole can go deep
As always, once educated on the pitfalls, look for a CE that has been well kept, and all the pitfalls have been already addressed by previous ownership
Be very aware that to start out today with the intent to restore, that many key parts for all 124's are quickly going NLA, that's why it's better to find a good well sorted car.
Pay the high price for a good one if you can, almost all these older 124's need $5K plus in deferred maintenance, find one that has little to be done
An example of rare hard to get parts are the rubber outside mirror caps, I priced replacing both on my 92 CE a couple of years back, and one side $130 and the other was $1000, for a POS piece of rubber
Parts for the seat-belt extenders are NLA, if the ones on a CE your looking at don't work, think about a long hunt in a scarp yard, even then....
If your seriously going down this path, a forum friend of mine in the UK has a fleet of old MB's and has taken a CE and installed an E36 motor, among other incredible rebuilds, he can fix anything...
All that being said, my 92 300CE is one of my fun cars to drive, absolutely love it. For perspective I also own a 94 E420, 2ea 92 500E's, 2ea late year R129's, and a 04 E500
With all those, the 300CE is still a special car to drive, I'm restoring mine slowly now... not cheap at all
Attached are 3 pic's, the 1st two are a CE500 Body only conversion, my favorite CE ever, the 3rd shows you what the rubber mirror caps are.
If the rubber mirror caps on a CE you look at a dried out and need to be replaced.... $1200 USD is a guess just for the two parts.... if they are even available
Good Luck on the hunt, sometimes that the most fun...
Last edited by ohollenbeck; Mar 23, 2020 at 10:45 PM.
OK now some recommendations of what I would look for myself in a C124.
Look for a 93, 94 or 95 - a better fuel injection system, also 94 & 95 are facelift styling, that many think look nicer - hood grill headlights tweaked.. nice
look at the difference between 93 300ce's Bornite coupe, (pre-facelift), and the pics I posted, (which are facelift)
Head gaskets need replacement every ~100K or so, but I understand the MB has modified the newest Head gaskets to last way longer
93-95 bio-wire insulation, requires upper harness, lower harness, ETA harness replacement or rebuild
Later evaporators leak and need to be replaced, if you pay some one to do it.. $2000 plus as a conservative guess, maybe more, must rip out the entire dash, mostly labor costs
Timing chain and chain guides need replacing after so many miles, while at it the water pump, fan clutch, etc. etc...
Transmissions could need rebuild after ~150K, but all four of mine are still going strong, the E420 just turned 200K, and the tranny is OK, minor delay into reverse, the others are fine
Other stuff, but if you look at a CE with good maintenance records, showing all the stuff above was already done, wow, its worth the extra mony
Make sure you get one with good maintenance records, never buy on impulse, don't let the interior fool you, they can be very robust and look almost new, when the mechanics or elec's are chit
I waited a long time and got one from California, spent its entire life there zero rust... good luck
CE500 Body only conversion. That is just some kind of sexy....
When I win the lottery, I'm going to buy a big garage and do the ultimate pro touring W124 coupe with that same conversion...stuff a late model 4L M178 motor and drive line and ....well I'll be so old by the time it's done, I may not drive it....but a boy can dream can't he???
Bottom line for me. You may pass a 300CE occasionally on the road.. but when you pass a really well kept one, it takes your breath away...they are beautifully designed and engineered vehicles. Icons of form and function.
Looking at pic#2 of the CE500 above, (front & passenger side view), does anyone see anything, (not counting the E500E fender flares, or paint color), unusual?
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