w123 vs w124 for a dd
 

So theres been a ton of 85 and older 300d cars for sale around me, just recently a 1981 300D with only 45000 original miles showed up for only 2k. How do the older models compare to the ''newer'' ones. Im just looking for a quiet and comfortable ride and from the videos iv seen the w123s are quiet enough, of course theres only so much i can tell from a video. I personally like the looks of the older models a lot better, I also like things being easy to work on and not made of plastic. The one thing that does bother me is a car being to slow. I curently have a vw jetta with the 1.6na and its just to underpowered I live in an area with a lot of steep hills and it can just barely make it up these hills.

Things didn’t start getting too plastic till the w210. I have a w123 car and a w124 car. Looking at keeping only one I’m leaning towards the w124. At the end of the road They’re pretty similar. Less complicated vacuum system in the w124 (after wastegate swap and egr delete) is a plus. I like the Slightly lower ride in w124. The w124 can ride with the CC set at 80 with comfort. 80mph in the w123 feels a lot faster.

yes. 75 w0rks with a tall gear in the diff.

What part of the world are you in?

I have owned a few of both. Both are great cars, IMO the W124 is a far superior daily driver.

Im in Southeast Kentucky, United states. Around here theres a lot of really tight turns and a lot of steep up and down mountain roads. So braking and cornering ability are big factors.

A gasoline W124 93-95 with an M104 motor is really nice ride. M103 is a great motor but has less power than the M104. I would avoid a 4Matic.

Im only looking at diesel, I have 4000 gallons of pcb free transformer oil and it works just as good if not better than normal diesel so i have a large amount of free fuel. Iv been using it in my 7.3 idi and my vw 1.6na for a while so i know its good.

W124 would be better for what you are wanting IMO.

How do the w126 and w140 platforms compare. How is the braking and handling compared to the w123 and w124.

You should consider a 1987 w124 300tdt. It has the 6 cylinder 603 engine which is the best of both worlds. Just make sure the self leveling suspension is working correctly.

Is there something specific to the 87 my vs the 88-91. Iv been keeping an eye out for a while and theres just not very many w124s that show up for sale and when they do they sell fast. There are plenty of w126, w140, and w123s that show up for sale.

Even if the cornering ability is only a little worse on the w126 and w140 to me i think it might be worth it. Yea there is a lot of tight and curvy roads around me but to get anywhere im usually having to drive 75+ miles to get anywhere so i think the bigger more comfortable car might be better, I just have to take the corner a little slower.

With no disrespect. Why don't you just keep using your 7.3idi or vw 1.6na as your DD? The fuel is free. Car is free. Why create problems with a project car?

You mentioned you can get a low mileage w123 for $2k, then go for it. You wouldn't get cheaper with w124, w126.

Well, the 7.3idi is increadibly loud, diesel exhaust fumes from the holes in the floor are kinda bad, it only gets 14mpg and while i do have a lot of free fuel i dont have an infinite amount, and its a manual trans with a super heavy clutch so its just exhausting to drive this thing. Its also a huge truck its a crew cab long bed and has a terrible turning radius and since im looking for a car for my mom to drive the truck is out.As far as the vw goes it has no ac, its also rather loud, the power is just pathetic i cant go up almost any hill around here at the speed limit and i cant pass anybody. It also is a manual trans and despite my mother having driven it for a while she just cant get used to it, she also about has a panic attack every time she has to stop on even the slightest incline.