Would you buy this car?
 

First of all I would like to thank those that helped me solve my A/C problems. My dual heater valve was toast!

I have been offered a 1995 E320 with a blown head gasket.
What could have caused this situation? What could potentially be bad that would need to be addressed/fixed?
What all is involved with replacing a head gasket? Do you need to be a "mercedes" mechanic? Remove and machine head and valves; is this all that is involved with this operation?

or should I pass on this car? Perfect condition just has the gasket problem. This car even looks to be in better condition than my own e320!
thanks in advance
Pedro

Common problem on that engine with an alloy head and cast iron block. You don't say the miles but probably no need to do a valve job, just a new head gasket. It's a tough DIY job but some do it. It's just economics - depends on what you have to pay for the car. Replacement head gasket will be reinforced and should be good for a long time.

Here are step-by-step instructions prepared by a highly respected forum member. There are all kinds of helpful DIY write-ups located under the "resources" button at the top of the page.

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/M104HeadGasket

Does the car run? Is the gasket leaking oil externally, or spewing coolant into the cylinders? It's hard to put a dollar value on the car with such limited information. Look before you leap!!! If the engine harness is questionable, all the dis-connects and re-connects may cause problems that weren't there prior to replacing the head gasket. What kind of $$$ are we talking about?

I bought my '95 E320 wagon with a bad head gasket, eating small amounts of coolant and leaking oil.

I was able to drive it 2 hours home and get it replaced the following week for $1200 at my local indy.

I'm not sure what you mean by blown head gasket, but if it got bad enough to where the car was undriveable, I can't imagine the neglect that car went though.

The the head gasket issue shouldn't be enough to render the car undriveable, unless the motivation for selling was the anticipated repair costs. Usually, for the M104-series motor, it's essentially how much oil leakage you can tolerate (say, a quart everywhere you park), coupled with higher than usual engine temps in traffic if the coolant pressure is breached by the bad gasket.

Don't let the looks of the car fool you. Mercedes cars are robust and hold their structure a lot better with age than most other makes. There may be other issues plaguing the vehicle, and the head gasket may have been the "last straw".

Have a trusted tech go over the car thoroughly.

Pedro, have a MB-trained tech familiar with that vintage MB automobile perform a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) so you get a professional evaluation of the 1995 E320's condition. Once you are aware of all maintenance issues you'll know if acquiring this car makes sense. If you have the DIY skills to do all the required maintenance it will be far more economical than paying for a competent tech to get this car up to snuff.

Thanks guys but I passed on this 95 but I found a 97 with the same problem. This one I might buy tomorrow. 3k with 163k miles good shape.
Do the 97's have the same harness problem?
I love the way these cars drive on the highway at high speeds!
Pedro

WHere would I find a PPI person to run out with me to take a looksee?

Pedro, for a comprehensive PPI the car needs to be on a lift so the tech can check suspension, drivetrain, exhaust components, etc. You need to take the car to the tech. A reasonable seller will agree to a PPI, and will typically drive the car there so you can have it done at your expense, of course. Check your local Yellow Pages for independent shops specializing in MB automobiles, or arrange to have your local MB dealer perform the PPI.

If a '97 you don't have the engine wire harness problem IIRC, but you will need to check the front spring perches' attachment/weld integrity.

what is the problem with this perch? should I continue to look for a 95??

In the '96-up (W210) E-class, the front spring perches have been known to catastrophically detach from the body tossing the spring and dropping the car. It is apparently due to bad welds, bad metallurgy, or just a bad design, but I know of at least one failure that was not rusty so it isn't just in rust-belt cars.

I only paid that much for my 300E without any such issues. I'd say the price should be at least 1000 lower for it to be worth it in my opinion.