400e purchase help for newbie
 

Hi all, I am new but hope I might be around for a while. I have a question about purchasing one of these w124 s

1992
400e Black with grey leather interior
180,000 miles (mostly highway)

well taken care of. garaged day and night. exterior in very good shape, normal tiny rock chips on front and headlights. small scratch on door (1inch); interior great as well; no cracks in leather, wood. side pockets pulling away a bit. otherwise fantastic

Everything interior works. even stereo (cd changer OEM) works great. built in radar detector even works.

Same mechanic has taken care of car for 10 years. Took it to him. Seems like very good guy; runs independent merc shop. Very upfront. Good review of car though he kept reminding me that its a lot of mileage and any car with that kind of mileage has some risk. His summary: car been very well kept and serviced; tiny oil leak, tiny trans leak, tiny powersteering leak which he says are pretty typical for car of this age and do not need attention at moment. Needs new belt tensioner ($3-400), new front tires, new radio antenna. Soon will need central exhaust pipe($400). Shifts fine now, no lag on reverse, etc. though at 180k, who knows how much longer its good. Otherwise, everything that needs to by replaced typically has been, including AC, PS, radiator, wiring harness, etc.

the timing chain has been replaced and mechanic says its fine.

I am pretty sure the AC compressor and or condenser has been changed. I have to admit my head swam a bit going through all the repair records and I think I cant read my writing. at least one has been fixed. perhaps both. the ac blower mount and ac clutch also repaired. I think the ac has had some serious work done.

I drive 5-6k a year at present. I LOVE old mercs (used to drive a 1977 300D before I moved out of the country for years and sold it). I am willing and can afford to put away $1200-2000 a year for repairs on average, because, as I see it, gets me a far nicer car than the equivalent new car.

What is a reasonable life-span for these cars?

what should this car be selling for privately, IYO? $4200

THANKS!

Welcome aboard!!!!

For more information, search "400E" and read other opinions.

Generally, the 400E is a GREAT, really great, car. It's about 75% of what the fabulous E500 is, which is a beautifully balanced sport sedan, and many people believe the W124 series cars are the last of the cost be damned, built to the highest standard mid size Mercedes, as dictated by the engineers, and not the bean counters, (as today newer Mercedes models are).

Their successor, the 1996 W210 series, had lots more electronics in them, and those parts did tend to give trouble, though not to take away the fact the W210 is very roomy, comfortable and smooth, though they tended to rust, in the spring perch and other areas.

But the 400E is a real tiger, it's very quick, and handles, corners and brakes VERY impressively, and will last for hundreds of thousands of miles if it's taken care of. The build quality is superb, and these cars are engineered to travel at their top speed all day long. These aren't just political promises either. Ask it to go----floor it at 80 mph------and it'll GO!!!

As to this particular example you are considering: You have done your due diligence, and had the car looked over carefully.

The miles, over 180k, might seem high, but you have said that they were mostly highway ones, which are better than a lower mileage car with mostly city and stop and go driving or short trips.

There is a verified service service history, which apparently shows the car has had good care, and the body is in good condition, I am assuming it is rust free and not a refugee from a freeway pileup that was rebuilt.

The problem typical problem areas, such as the wiring harness, air conditioner, and head gasket leaks, have been addressed or ar not a problem.
Therefore, there is nothing really wrong with the car. These cars are really, really, bulletproof, needing only the ocassional fluid and oil changes, and normal things like brake pads, batteries, shocks, tires and such from time to time.

The power steering gear box may need replacing, or the O rings on the PS pump, but at 180k, that's normal wear and tear, like replacing motor mounts if needed.

The small leaks mentioned can be monitored and addressed later, just keep an eye out. I'd re-read the service records carefully, to see for example, that
the timing chain, tensioner and guide rails were all replaced, as all should have been.

The mechanic correctly pointed out that this is a mechanical device, and as such, things will wear out eventually, so you need to be prepared for this.

But it sounds like the car has been given an overall clean bill of health.

A couple of more things, first, black is a very desirable color for these cars, although a nuisance to keep clean, and also the 400E was a relative rarity in 1992 compared to the ubiquitous 300E, of which there were so many.

With the diesel engine in them, they were the German taxicab, so they were built to take terrific abuse and still run hundreds of thousands of miles, and they are a VERY very good car, sturdy, and durable.

At $4,200, I would leap at the car. It's a very fair price for what you are getting, so long as it is rust and wreck free, and is as you have described it.

Just for fun you could try and hammer him a little bit, ask if he'd take $4000 cash in hand, but I would pay the full asking price of $4200 if he wouldn't.

If you are only going to travel 6,000-7,000 miles a year, it's not out of the question that even with 180,000 miles on it now, you could still expect to get 15-20 more years out of the car.

Don't forget too, if it ever runs out of gas, gets a flat tire, or a dead battery, any Mercedes owner can simply call 1-800-FORMERCEDES and they will send a truck out from the dealer (or a contracted tow truck in rural areas) and get you going, for FREE! It's a wonderful benefit for ANY Benz owner.

I would buy this car right away if I were you:sultan:

For comfort, safety and even longer life I'd suggest you look into a set of quality fitted 2 piece sheepskin covers for the front seats (www.ramsheadusa.com), a pair of front Macneill "Weathertech" black rubber floormats, and a set of european headlights (beautiful, 60% better light output and better beam pattern) and perhaps an upgraded stereo system if you want it.)

thanks.

I think I already hammered him. he was asking $5500, then volenteered 5300 because of the antenna. the mechanic suggested that was way too much, and that I offer $3000 to see what would happen and $4200 was the counter offer.

So my quandary is, ask for even less again or go for it. I think i guess you answer

I think 4200 is a great price if the condition is indeed as good as it sounds. Yes, it has some age, yes, there are a few problems, The antenna mast is under 100.00 The maintenance records are typical. I know I have done all of that to mine and more. Mine sat outside and the clear-coat is damaged. I need motor mounts and have a power steering leak. The map pockets come unglued and can be fixed with some glue and clamps. I have about 235k on mine and would be glad to get 4000 for it. (Any takers!)

These cars are sleepers! The 400E has first gear start, electronic fuel injection and R134 in the A/C. The 92 is especially spry in that MB did not stick to the emissions requrements at wide open throttle. For that reason the 93 model has an ECU that is more tame but I heard has a little higher compression to make up for it. Some 93 owners have sought out the 92 ECU...

okay, went for it. $4000.

wish me luck...deep breath...great sense of excitement with some sense of impending doom.

So, did you did it for $4,000? Did he take $4,000? That's a good deal, it sounds like to me, if he did! I wouldn't worry at all, it's a good price, real good.

You even are set up with a good mechanic who you can trust and knows the car well, and could help you take care of it! Sounds just great to me!!!

This was a really good car when new, over $50,000, I think, You will really enjoy this car, and be safe and comfortable, and a bit stylish in it.:beerchug:

yes exactly. I will post pictures this weekend. I pick it up Saturday. and yeah, its got some style.

everyone who saw it said it was me.

Congrats to you! This will be great! You probably know this, but it's a real good idea if you are replacing two tires, make sure they are the same size and brand as the others already on there, and have them spin balanced, and spend the extra $75 or so and get a four wheel alignment. When it's time for the exhaust, be sure to get Mercedes Benz rubber muffler hangars, not the cheap rubber autozone round donut ones. I learned this this hard way, the Mercedes ones are only a few dollars more, and they really are tough, what you will need.

Looking forward to pictures! Again, you did very well. You likely won't need another car for a long, long, long time!l

thanks jim. all i can say is that I hope I am as enthusiastic as you are. I do love the car right now. its simply classic. did I mention built in radar detector that works? crazy...

You'll like it. Keep up on maintainace items like caps and rotors - do NOT let them get too worn.

Youll love it! A great car! I had one, and it impressed just about everyone who drove it! In many instances, its better than many new cars!

i agree. i was at carmax getting a quote for the sale of my old car and sat in a lot of more recent cars, including a more recent merc c class. and i have to say, i like the 1992 e better as an interior look and quality.

speaking of which:

what does everyone recommend in terms of wax, car washing, and interior leather and dash care? I want to make sure I use the right stuff to keep the car in this kind of shape. hmmm...sounds like a new thread, or maybe I should go looking.

Congratulations. Where are you all located that 400e's are selling for those prices?

I bought a '92 in January with the following history:

130,000 miles, smoke silver on mushroom leather
NO slip control
Garaged since new
2 owners, I was able to get in touch w/ the original owner and speak w/ him.
Wiring harness replaced
New radiator
New motor mounts (expensive on the M119!)
Timing chain replaced at 110K
Tires at 120K
A big stack of service receipts all of which I cannot remember at present

Seller was asking $4900 and I got the car for $4500. I think I nearly stole this car b/c it looks as though it could have come off the showroom floor a year ago, except for the various & sundry coffee stains on the carpet, which show up unfortunately well on that mushroom color. A good steaming should get them out. Seller was a good guy and a long-time MB driver who really wanted to sell the car fast. He got his wish - I bought it on my second viewing.

You are going to love that car. If you drive it conservatively around town you can see 22 MPG. Then again, it is hard to drive conservatively! These cars feel like what they were when new - a VERY expensive piece of machinery. 270 HP I believe to be a conservative rating - the car feels a good bit faster than that.

One thing I love about the 400E is that it costs no more to operate than the 300E - fuel mileage is only 1-2 MPG poorer. Makes me wonder why anyone would have bought the 300E new, then I remembered that there was a roughly $10K (!!!!) price differential.

The only thing that I need to address on mine is a blown rear speaker and I need the trim piece that covers the tow hook on the front air dam. That's it.

The one thing you must watch on these cars is the temp gauge. That M119 is really stuffed in there so these cars tend to run a little hotter than average. If your cooling system is not up to snuff the car WILL run hot, and that is not good. The M119 might be one of the most robust gasoline motors that MB has produced in recent memory, and the only ways I know to kill one is to run it hot or run it w/o oil. Don't let that happen to you!

Mercedes makes a leather cleaner and a leather conditioner. I'd recommend using that - check w/ Phil @ Fastlane.

PM me w/ any other questions and congratulations.

I think the market for nice 124s might be firming up - perhaps because people are becoming frustrated with the repairability of some of the newer cars. I see nice 124s in the $5k to $7k range selling fairly quickly. But there is a lot of junk out there - 80 or 90 percent of the cars are rough mechanically, cosmetically or both. It's nearly impossible to sell such a car and not prudent to buy one, at any price, given the small price difference for a nice one. A wholesaler told me the other day that rough older MBs are getting shipped overseas to places with lower priced labor, which makes sense, nobody here wants them and you can only part out so many cars.

you must be talking about 400e 124's... it's pretty easy to pay 3k-3500 for a 300e in decent shape....

No, talking nice condition, not decent condition. Of course V8s and 94/95s bring a little more than the others.

this car seems to be in very good condition. i mean, it has some millimeter or smaller pock marks from rocks, a couple chips in the headlights due to same thing (the car just passed inspection, btw), and as I a said a 1" radial scratch on the door. other than that very good. Interior, nothing a little elbow grease or tiny glue wont fix. 1 tiny crack in wood trim by the shifter, other wise perfect. did i mention the built in working radar detector, antique car phone, working CD changer with no blown speakers.? the carpet almost looks new. the rear seats and trunk do look new.

same independent Mercedes mechanic for 10 years + said: it has a lot of miles, so its always a bit of a risk with a car with these many miles (referring to the trans and other bits that might need to be fixed over time), but it has been very well maintained, all highway miles, and if i drive only 5-6k a year, it might be a good car for me. Anyway, that was his summary.

the seller was not going to go below 4k because he likes this car, he claims, better than his new Merc, and is only keeping the new one because he would loose too much money selling it or trading it in (its a two years or so old, Red AMG coupe of some sort). and he has to park the 400e on the street right now because there is no room in the drive for it. so on the one hand, his head wants to get rid of the car, on the other hand his heart wants to keep it. And I think I believe him.

I volunteered to take his new car off his hands for 4k instead.

as I said, this is my reasoning. I need a car to get to and from work between 3-5 days a week. work is 3 miles round trip. some days i go farther for meetings, taking my kid to school, etc (like 8 miles max). occasional trips to airport or beach, about 30-40 miles each way. We have a second car as well my wife uses. So I am really not interested in spending loads on a car and finance when it sits around so much doing nothing.

We currently have a ford focus 03 (please, dont flame me...its all we could swing at the time and no mercs were around at the moment) which has 37k and nothing but problems (rebuilt the trans, replaced the alternator, instrument cluster and one engine mount since x-mas) and want to get rid of it before the warranty runs out. a new honda civic is $310/month for 5 years + 2k down. the merc, assuming 1200 costs for repair/year average AND the purchase price over five years is still less than half the total cost of the CIVIC. And i get to drive a car I really like, i think, instead of a honda, which is sort of cool, but not the same thing. i think of the maintenance cost + purchase price as a $200 car payment for five years, and the end of which i sell the merc and hopefully get 2-3 k on it or keep it if I have liked it and am not broke fixing it.

look...i would probably do it... but the caveat is... i do just about all of my own work.

that's how you will be able to keep the costs under 1k a year.

Come to think of it...it's really the people on this board that give me the confidence to do some of these jobs.

well how much do you think, at an independent mechanic, it would cost to maintain this car? I have a relative with a 1992 300e and he spends between 700-1000 but puts lots of miles on it. he loves it. I am prepared to spend between $1200 and say $1800 per year average. after that, it stops making sense for me.

too difficult a question....

the largest repair i have had on my car is a/c compressor, drier, expansion valve..

i paid about 375 in parts.. then paid an indie 100 to do a leak vacuum and re-charge.

all other work i have done myself....

i just think you have to think of all the biggies.. like a/c ... the dreaded evaporator (i am ok, so far) behind the dash vacuum pods..

brakes, fluid changes, tires, filters, and one or two minor repairs will keep you at the 1200 mark.... but you would have those with any car..

hey i love the 124's....but i could never own them if i had to have someone else maintain them.... and i should add...we have very little go wrong and usually start replacing rubber and suspension items pro actively.

I know. i think maybe its worth a try. I guess if after a year the maintenance is too bad I could get rid of it. instead of paying 2 grand for car payments on my focus that I would otherwise (did I mention I still owe 4k on that hunk o'junk?).

I could at least change the oil myself i suppose! I hear it takes many quarts.:rolleyes:

while i am on it. if i drive only 6k a year max, how often would you recommend changing the oil on this car since I will probably be changing according to time rather than mileage. every 4 months? again, i guess this is a new thread. or maybe i should search of an existing one.

Start with the small stuff and work up :)

and yes you'll be buying Oil by the carton not by the bottle.

if you truly only do 6 k a year... i would change it once in the fall and once in the spring... about the time when you would wax it.

if you get an oil extractor, you can practically change the oil and filter in your work clothes...

I think the 400E was one of the best built W124s out there. The M119 is bulletproof, almost to the point of an MB diesel. If it has been well maintained, as you say it has, it will most likely be trouble free. Do you know if the engine wire harness has been replaced? On my 400E, it was done by the PO at 150k, just as preventative maintainence. If it was done on yours, I would think that the PO was definitely on top of things.

Also, I have seen many M119s go beyond the 225k mark, and they do it very easy!

yes new wiring harness, almost all new hoses, and completely new radiator and cooling systems and lots of work on the AC as well.

i think the mech was mainly worried that the trans is towards end of life. though i tested it and its really smooth and does not lag at all going into drive or reverse like i have seen some warn about on the boards. and the trans fluid seems to have been replaced regularly from the records. the mech said not to touch the trans to try to fix the small leak from a seal or something because he would worry about the trans not working once it the job was done. and the leak is too small to worry about right now and he said was pretty typical.

The ps pump was replaced, but not the box, and the ps leak seems to be from around the box. its small, so as someone said earlier, maybe this means a box or just a seal. again, mech said, small, relatively normal for age, but something i needed to know about. again steers perfectly it seems to me right now.

the mech seems on the cautious side of things.

the po said he replaced many things as preventative, ie before they really needed to be. i did not believe him till i met the mech.

Touching mechanic moment: When I mentioned that I used to have a 77 300D, the mechanic's eyes popped open :eek: and he asked if I still had it. I said no. He then grew notably said and said it was a pity, i should have kept it forever. :(

:D :D :D

Funny! I have had three different mechanics try to buy my 300CD from me. It's not for sale, at any price. :dizzy2:

As to your oil change question, if you're driving only 6 to 8 thousand miles per year, I would run full synthetic and change it twice a year, fall and spring. If you buy an extractor, oil changes on these cars are as easy as they come.

Don't worry about the trans. They will generally give PLENTY of notice as they begin to fail. Even when they do fail, a rebuilt trans probably won't cost quite as much as you fear it will, and once you do that you should be good for a while. The only parts for a 400E that are shockingly expensive are brake calipers (but you can buy re-built calipers), A/C compressors (the Nippondenso unit is very expensive new), and the fan clutch.

But driving this car is SO worth it!

I have seen many an M119 with well over 200K and I've never seen burning oil or any signs of "wear" if they are well-maintained. You'll have accessories fail over time as with any other car, but that is one of the best motors MB has ever built, which is saying a lot.

Got It!!
 

Picked up the 400e today. The owner almost cried as I drove it away.

I will post photos as soon as I get a chance.

I want to thank everyone who answered my questions and gave advice and encouragement. Looking forward to learning a lot from the community over the coming years.

PS: in going over the stack of repairs today one last time, here is what I confirmed, amongst other things: entirely new AC system (compressor, evaporator, blower, vents, buttons, etc), new timing belt/etc, new p/s pump, replace rotor, new cooling/radiator, new wiring harness.

i think you did very well.

show the pics, so we can all be jealous!

With all those repair receipts those could have been tears of joy.

Yea yea, laugh it up, but I like my new 15 year old car. Those were all, from me research, standard things that seem to go wrong on the car or need replacing over time.

Here is a photo, it needs a wash and wax and its a cloudy day. But you get the idea.

180k miles is nothing for a well taken care of Mercedes. 300k miles is getting up their, but 180k is middle aged.

Keep the oil changed and the car will fall apart or you will get tired of it before the engine gives up. The M119 is just about impossible to wear out.

It's a beauty, all right Christopher. The fact that "the owner almost cried as you drove it away" should tell you he cared about it a lot, and it was more than some piece of machinery like a dishwasher, and took care of it, which you know already from your conversation with the mechanic.

They are quite elegant and low keyed, in that color. GOOD score!

Hey, I love my diswasher and take very good care of it. :D

and yes, that is a beautiful car. I love the color combination. With all of those repairs already taken care of, you will have many, many more miles of fun driving!

PS: As soon as you can, get Euro headlights. You will like the look and appreciate the enhanced lighting perforamnce.

thanks. I have heard about the euro lights. what is a dependable and good place to get them? And is the swap something one with mechanical inclination but not much experience in terms of cars can do?

Chris:

I bought mine from ImportVision. Others here have also bought from them.

I bought DEPO brand, $200.00 (not including shipping). I live close enough to their warehouse that I was able to pick them up directly from them.

Others here have bought from them and have had good results with their experience.

I bought OEM Bosch for the 300TE. With the 300CE I went cheapo, and bought the DEPOS, saved about $300.00. Both the DEPO and the Bosch are functionally identical. Ask others here, they will tell you the same.

The swap is extremely easy. The only possibly tricky part is changing the wiring plug. The std. US-spec lights use a 4-hole plug. The Euros use a 6-hole plug.

If you decide to do it, I (or others here) can walk you right through it.

It is probably the most cost effective improvement that you could make to a W124 or W126 Benz.

BTW, my 300TE has 209k miles on the M103 engine. It runs strong and trouble free. I had a 1991 420SEL that I sold a few years ago with 250k miles. The new owner still drives it and she loves it.

With all the upgrades the PO of you rnew car has already made, you should look forward to many, many more miles of trouble-free driving!

With US-spec lights:

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...E/52f01443.jpg

With Euro lights:

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...E/61d68643.jpg

The 8 cyl E cars are great cars. I was lucky enough to just pick up a '97 E420 with 120K miles for only $6000 off Ebay. The dealer also gave me a 2 year unlimited mileage Penn Warranty for $800 with $100 deductible. The car is such a pleasure to drive with the fine Bose stereo.

Thanks benz-lgb.The new lights look great.

One thing I noticed is that the headlight wipers were gone. How does that work? Do you need to get new panels below the lights? And my PO just re-worked the wiper system, including the headlight ones, so I am loathe to take them off. Do you have to do this?

The headlight wipers won't work with the Euro lights. If you put the Euro lights in, you'll need the trim piece without the hole drilled in it to complete the installation.

As Matt mentioned, the headlight wipers in your car will not work with Euro headlights because of the way the motors are mounted in the headlight assembly itself. The headlight motors are mounted to the underneath of the headlight assemblies. With Euro lights the motor is located in a different position than in US-spec lights.

Here are a few points to consider:

1. Headlight wipers add a new level of complexity, you have an extra fluid pump, the two wiper motors, extra hoses, wiper blades, etc.;

2. The headlights look cleaner w/o the wipers (IMHO);

3. Unless you live in snow and/or heavy rain country you probably do not need the wipers;

4. If you wish to use wipers on Euro lamps, you probably could do it if:

a. you buy new trim panels (the horizontal, painted/removable panel under
the lights)

b. (the reason you need a new panel is because the motor shaft is located at a different location for Euro lights -- more towards the outside, as opposed to the U.S. lights where the shaft is closer to the center)

c. you get Euro wiper blade arms, they are longer than the shorter US-spec versions because they sweep a bigger area).

5. If you do the above, you could probably use the headlight wiper motors that you currently have.

Either way, whether you get rid of the headlight wiper system or if you try to put together a Euro headlight wiper system you would probably have to buy new trim panels.

Here is a pic of my car with the original trim panels. See the holes for the wiper motor shaft and the fluid hose?

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...E/d75ec05c.jpg

The panels are about $12.00 each and it cost me $25.00 to have them painted at a local body shop. I figured that getting new panels would be cheaper (and neater) than trying to fill out the holes in the old panels and then trying to paint them myself.

Anyhow, if you ask most people here who own pre-face lift W124, or any W126, they will all tell you that they prefer the Euro lights. The majority of them also would rather do w/o the headlight wiper system.

Good luck.

cool. thanks. I think what I am going to do is get used to the car first, get a new set of tires at least on the front (any recs on the tires?), wax it, enjoy it and then get into the light issue after the novelty of headlight wipers wears off! It can rain really heavily here, btw. But maybe I will get the bug sooner than I think!

You can drive it with the US-spec lights until winter, when it gets dark earlier. :D

Three of my cars have Contis (300CE, C320 and VW Rabbit). Two have Michelins (E320 and Volvo V70) and one has GoodYear Assurance TripleThred (300TE).

I like them all, for different reasons. Overall, however, I think that the best tires are the Michelins.

I'm joining the m119 124 club too!
 

I've regretted selling my 97 c230 for several months, and the wonderful 3.5 v6, Harmon Kardon sound and factory warranty just cannot make me love my c350. It has no soul, and it just feels cheap to me. I'm selling it for not much of a loss (!) and purchasing a 93 400e.

Car is silver on gray, 160k miles, 3 owners and serviced by the same indie shop since the 2nd owner bought it roughly 10 years ago. Wiring harness and throttle body just replaced, and euro 94/95 lights installed. The paint is faded and it could use a respray, but the interior is nearly flawless, and the leather is not only free of damage, but still soft! It appears the valve guides have been done, but the chain is original, and the trans is a tad bit lazy engaging reverse. Other than that, shifts very crisply at WOT. It has full records, but will need tires within 5k, at which time I will probably just find some 16 or 17 inch wheels. Price? $3500. Even if I need to do a tensioner and fluid/filter changes, I think it's a good deal considering. Well, unless the chain breaks or something.

Oh, no siginifcant leaks either. I verified the service history with the indie mechanic and he said it's about as good as you will find as far as these cars go. Not perfect, but a damn solid example.

What's the first thing I should do to the car? I'm thinking I will do a diff/trans/engine oil/coolant change, and have the plug wires/cap inspected. Anything else?

If the paint is original, don't get it resprayed. Ask a good body shop if it could be polished back up and pay to have them do it.

If the clearcoat isn't destroyed there is a chance it could be brought back, the Mercedes Benz original paint back then was very very good, and these old cars clean up very, very well.


When you shortly buy tires, get a 4 wheel alignment, and check the brake pads, repack the front wheel bearings, and check the spare tire to see if it is any good and if it is, air it up; if not get a non directional tire mounted and balanced and be sure the jacking impedimentia is in place at the time. (replaceable for a few dollars if it isn't, from a junkyard)

Make sure the HVAC is up to snuff; and run it though a carwash, after which you can inspect the interior glass and trunks for leaks before rainy season.

You are way ahead of the game if the failure prone wiring harness has been replaced on your W124, so I would say the price for what you got is really good

Thanks Jim. Paint is definitely dead on the top and the upper door surfaces. Crows feet and peeled clearcoat. The hood was actually resprayed and is a 9/10 job - I wish they hadn't stopped there. I'm in no rush to paint it. I figure for now, all I need to do to keep the body rust-free is keep the major debris off it and spray the underside every week or 2. Brake pads are new up front also, and I did notice it pulling to the right, so I will do an alignment and have the other suspension bits and bushings checked at that time. Thanks for the heads-up on the bearings as I had not thought of that.

The front sway bar bushings are easy and cheap to replace - you don't even have to get a lift.
The rear sway bar links are also inexpensive, and fairly easy to replace....it does help to remove the wheel first.
If you are looking to replace the fuel filter, it is underneath the rear of the car, near the seating area, passenger side. It ought to be behind a plastic shield, being held on by 2 or 4 plastic nuts - 10mm, I think. Inspect the steel fuel line while you are there...some of them do not age so well.

nice to see my old, first thread revived after a year. I have enjoyed the 400e, though its not been problem free:

the wiper transmission went out and that is not a cheap part, then the bolts that hold the ps pump on sheared off and my mech had to drill out the bolts (400 labor, 5 parts); the muffler got a hole in it and had to be replaced (but i knew that was going to happen); it needed new caps and rotors a couple months ago and while i was at it i replaced the air filter and spark plugs (now it runs super smooth and is POWERFUL). the headlight switch broke, the headliner has fallen--too much open sunroof motoring--and i have some interior dash lights that stay on all the time even when the lights are off so the light control relay needs to be replaced. that is next on my list. then on to fixing my fading stereo amps and the fuel sending unit, and replacing the seatbelt relay and, finally, the vacuum actuators in the dash cause they are shot (no air out the center vents). and now there is a rattle in the passenger rear side when i go over bumps that suggests something is off in the suspension.

its not just a car, its a hobby.

on the other hand, everyone compliments the car and is amazed at how good shape it is in. and its fun that in a city of 3million that even when i buy tires the tire guys knows my mechanic. I have the top of the line goodyears on it and they are great so far.

plus I am learning to do more things myself so that is enjoyable.

my advice: buy a metric tool kit and make this site your home page. everyone has been super helpful.

and just replace the caps rotors and sparkplugs now.

but check on the tranny fluid...my mechanic has been hesitant to do it until its really necessary because he has seen too many trannys of this age start acting up or flat out dying when they get new fluid. he also says he has never seen a m119 timing chain break suddenly unless its been badly mistreated (ie, raced around). and he drives a m199 in an old s-class, along with a 300td w123 and a 320e. though they service any German car, all the guys in the shop drives mercedes.

its not just a hobby, its a lifestyle.