THE HOOD GOES ALL THE WAY UP?!?!

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1983 Benz 240D - 263,060 (Current)
1983 Cadillac DeVille - 130,000 (Scrapped - Stupid HT4100)
1992 Dodge B350 - 150,000 (Sold)
1984 Mazda 626 - 299,997 (Scrapped)

Yes it does.

It's very handy when you do something like this...








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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

I wonder if that box collapses down into the case?

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

Ok, not to thread-jack... but how do you do that?

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1983 Benz 240D - 263,060 (Current)
1983 Cadillac DeVille - 130,000 (Scrapped - Stupid HT4100)
1992 Dodge B350 - 150,000 (Sold)
1984 Mazda 626 - 299,997 (Scrapped)

oh, it does

open the hood

look on the drivers side hinge.. depress the little button, then go around to the passenger side and do the same and.. bam!

Then when you close depress the button on the drivers side hinge and close it

I was in my 2nd year of High School and had already developed a love of Mercedes' as well as Porsche, BMW, Chevrolet...... pretty much interested in anything mechanical. I also had been working at the local MB,Porsche/Audi & Volkswagen dealership as a mechanics assistant. Damn I want a 123 !

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92 500E Silver 66k
82 Porsche 911SC 84K
68 Cadillac ( Gone Now )
03 Suburban Z71 200K
85 300SD 217k From Original Owner ( Dad )

In 76 we had a 220d auto, and I remember going to look at the new body style at the dealer in Washington D.C. We were so impressed with the "modern" look of the new w123, and all the modern features, like climate control knobs and the modern looking dash. I was disappointed that Mercedes had removed the real glow plug in the salt shaker looking cover, from the dash, I thought that was such a cool thing in the old Mercedes.

The overall impression was a truly modern car, without alot of the quirky Mercedes affections of the earlier cars, like the backwards transmisson selectors, wierd climate control knobs, and such. The best part was not having to yank out the huge knob to preheat, and yank further to engage the starter, the w123 was all done with a key, a first for Mercedes!

Most importantly the new diesels actually had a little power, and were not a danger to try and drive. I remember my mom trying to flog the old 220d up to speed, pulling out on the interstate, it was grim at best. We were often beaten off the line by a VW bus load of hippies.........

We finally got a new 240d stick in 82, and I ended up working for a Mercedes greymarket dealer in Palm Beach during the 80's. I still remember unwrapping brand new 240d's, 300td's, 280te's, and 560sel's fresh off the boat.
That was when I fell in love with the 300TD, and knew I would have to own one. It only took me 27 years to get around to it...........

The W123 was probably the best car Mercedes ever produced, and one of the greatest cars ever, right up there with the Model T, VW Bug, and the like. A great cheap car, easy to fix, and lasts forever.

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83 300TD "Nassau Jitney"

Great reminiscing about your experience with the w123. Nice to hear what folks were thinking about the "New" car during that time period.




Here are a nice set of pictures of the era that MBeige posted the link over at benzworld.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/auto-clasico-mallorca/sets/72157604606587597/show/



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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

I remember looking at W123s at an auto show in the early 80s. Their cost (about $30k) was more than I earned in a year at the time. It was almost 20 years before I finally bought one. That was probably their high point.

Thats a great slide show. All those low spec Euro headlights, and some options I've never seen before one the 123, like heated seats and headlight wipers. There was one that had a big rotary switch behind the hazard switch in the center console, anyone know what that is?

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I remember seeing the first one in the fall of 76 at the Benz dealer in Phoenix. It was a beautiful 240D in that beautiful soft butter yellow like the 83 that I now have. List price was about $8500.00. We did own a sweet 69 220D 4speed which I took in trade with a ruined, over heated engine. I replaced that with a 220SB gasser which made it a wonderful driver. My wife really loved that car and she liked the 67 230SL very much also. I took the SL in trade for $600.00 in 1971. It was really beat, but I could see that the car was really worth putting big bucks into at that time. I think I spent about $5000.00 on it and did most of the work myself except for the repaint. It was beautiful, but when we fell on hard times with that Jimmy Carter running the country into the ditch, I sold it at the Auburn Classic Car auction in Auburn, IN and it brought $8000.00 in 79 or 80. I started selling trucks in Milwaukee in 1963. Shortly after I started working there, the Dealership took in two 190SLs. We were a Chebby stealer and those two pieces of fine German machinery were not wanted on the property. Well, in those days everybody had to pitch in to drive a car twice a month to the Greater Chicago Auto Auction. I was assigned to drive one of the 190's. It was a fabulous driving little car - awesome. I couldn't figure out why they were so determined to get these cars off the lot. Well, through the auction they went, at just a little over a $1000.00 for the pair, a red one and a white one and I think they were 1961 models.

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

The 190 sl's were pretty unloved for a long time but now I see a good one will go for over 50K.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I really like the looks of those, every time I see one I'm tempted.

I guess the first owner of my car probably got a "deal" on "last years model" back in the 70's....my W115 was built in June 1976. And my hood doesn't go straight up like the W123s!

I remember seeing a 1976 W123 220D when I was in Germany a long time ago, and it had the pull-start switch and the same 220D engine as the W115 cars, with the same intake and pneumatic governor. I think it took a few years before those low-end Euro models adopted the W123 240D's enhancements. I always thought W123's looked so much better with the short Euro bumpers, square Euro lights and velour interior.

I don't know what that rotary switch in the centre console in the slideshow is either...perhaps rear heat control, or speaker fader?

As for the 190SL....I never cared for them, but the 300SL gullwing....that's another story.

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1976 240D "Katja"