El Dante

Hey there. First post. New to this forum, veteran of others. I see this is for W124, but coupes are in different area and don't include this era (?). Wasn't sure which to use.

I happened across a 1991 300CE in the neighborhood. Kind of a nice-older-guy-with-car-under-tarp-in-yard situation. I got curious and next thing you know he offered to sell it for $2500, give or take. Here is what I know:

- 140k on ODO, which does not work. Owner says he bought it about a decade ago, put a few thousand on it, been sitting for most of that time in his yard.
- Black ext, 6/10 condition. Cheap respray a few years ago in factory color, bubbling in some areas, patina in others. No apparent collision damage, straight body, original panels. Appears to be a local west coast car, zero rust, even underneath.
- Grey int, 7/10 condition. Original Becker head unit included but removed and needs a rebuild. Switchgear seems intact and functional. No upholstery tears, no weird odors or stains, no dash cracks. Sunroof and power windows work, a little slow and sticky. Passenger seatbelt extender and a couple other electrical things are inop. Some interior body panels are loose, needs a good detail. Original mats, manuals, keys, tools etc present.
- Starts and idles smoothly. AC works, but with AC off the idle oscillates from 1000 to 2000, eventually settling down after a few minutes. No unusual noises, clatter, smoking, odors.
- Drives straight. Power delivery is leisurely but eventually gets there. Shifts a little late for my taste, but kickdown works if I mash the pedal. As steady at 60 as at 30.
- Brakes feels vague. Cannot get the ABS to kick in or wheels to lock. Needs a real hard push on the brake pedal. Tires are toast.
- Engine bay is crusty, oxidized aluminum, lots of greasy dirt. Original engine and drive train AFAIK. Oily film underneath, lots of dirt. Active leak from just behind the trans pan. Newer battery. Owner says the catalytic converter has disintegrated inside and needs to be replaced, but no warning lights on.

FYI the owner tells me he is a retired indy MB mechanic. His well-kept 83 300TD seems to bear this out. I'm not a MB guy, but I've always admired Benzes from this era, and I'm an experienced DIYer on older Japanese cars. Not afraid to get my hands dirty, but I don't want a hot mess on them. So, I'm asking:

1) Does the price sound fair for something in this condition? The values on these seem to range in the mid-to-high 4 figures, but after 30 years condition can vary wildly.
2) While I'm looking, any specific other things to pre-purchase inspect on a W124?
3) If I buy it, what should I budget for and what does parts availability look like? I'd want to keep it in well-maintained survivor condition. It won't be my only car, but I want to drive it more than repair it, even if it's not perfect.

Last, if someone could point me to some good "new to 300CE or W124" threads, I'd appreciate it. Thank you!

dolucasi

These car's W124's and W201's need a lot of small scale maintenance. I am the original owner of my W201 5-speed manual. Currently restoring a second one (again 5-speed) I acquired 2-3 weeks ago.
It was not cheap because 5-speeds are rare here in the US. I stubbled into my original on April 1, 1989 at the dealership showroom.

It sounds like this particular CE was not kept that well. All fixable by DIY I'm sure, but budget on something like ~$5000 to fully restore it.
The price is about right I suppose, could be a little less but you are going to spend a lot more on the restoration.

Because the ODO is stuck at 140K, you have no idea how many miles the car really has. It could be 142K, it could be 182K, who knows?

Also, a car sitting outdoors for so long is prone to rodent attack. You would have to inspect under the hood carefully.

Your biggest money sink would be the auto transmission if it goes. That will set you back $3K alone if you remove and install a rebuilt one yourself. $5K if a mechanic does it.
How do I know? My '95 E320 lost the reverse gear at 145K miles. Had to sell it as is.

Everything else is just minor issues. It sounds like the KE-JET emissions system has some issues, that will need diagnosis. You will have to learn how the system works. It sounds like it goes into oscillations when the engine is cold. Injectors probably need replaced, Fuel Distributor may need to be overhauled because generally the life is around 150K miles. All fixable....

I love the 5-sp 190E's, which is why I have a keeper, and now a daily driver. Most parts at least for the 190E's of the same era are still available thru the dealer. Most but not all.

In summary if you really like the car's exterior look and willing to spend a lot of time/$$'s to restore it, I would say go for it. Otherwise, you are not missing out on anything.

- Cheers!

incaico

I have a 1993 300CE that I love to drive. Below are my 2 cents I must have missed the price but your description of the car would fetch about $3-4k. As mentioned, prepare $5k to get it up to snuff without any major work (trans, manifold gasket, major suspension). Definitely all fluids (motor, trans, brake, coolant, gear), need to be changed as no odometer to measure when they were last done. Plugs, wires, fuel filters. Now you have a starting point to really feel the car and what it may need.