Will have it within the week.

040 black on grey, black leather (not mb tex).

sunroof is slow to open, though performs all its functions as near as I can tell. rear windows are a wee bit slow to roll up.

cruise control stalk has been broken off

the light knob is loose. doesn't want to engage Parking light mode, but will click over to go into full headlight mode and front fogs on first, rear fog on 2nd. didn't have time to inspect if it's the switch or just the plastic knob. is this normal?

wiring harness LOOKED fine, as did head gasket with no visible oil leaks. engine and transmission operated 100%. I have 11 years on another m104 in my C280, so I knew what to look for on this one. good idle, good cold start, good power, and excellent shifting in all situations.

AC gets ice cold, but doesn't blow very hard. I can hear the blower motor working hard, but the air speed out the vents was kinda weak. I am unsure if it's a clogged cabin filter or vacuum elements in-dash. you can imagine which one I'm hoping for...

speedometer was shaky at virtually ALL speeds. if doing 40, it would bounce from about 3-5mph below back up to 40 the entire time. fuel sender seemed like it might be showing its age, but maybe not.

going to need a new grill, complete with chrome strips. has acceptable door dings and scratches, but a decent smack on the passenger side right where BOTH DOORS MEET. will likely be salvaging doors from a local parts car as opposed to fixing. i'm in it for the long haul with this w124. I intend to make this thing part of my family, much like my other 2 MB's are.

final price: $3,200. clean title.

thoughts? suggestions? giant red flags?

ps, current fleet: '94 C280 on which I have personally logged 210k miles and is in no danger of dying, and a 'new' '80 240d I am playfully restoring.

I had to replace the headlight switch and knob when I bought my E320. They're not expensive. The switch was broken and the knob is cheaply designed (doesn't stay put).

If speedo is shaky, so will be the cruise control (not that you can test it). Cable.

__________________
Kent Christensen
Albuquerque
'07 GL320CDI, '10 CL550. '01 Porsche Boxster
Two BMW motorcycles

price should be lower IMHO. How many miles on the vehicle?

vacuum elements in the dash will be a big one......

Throttle Actuator wiring?

Sunroof could use some lube and cleaning, it will most likely be fine after that

rear windows will die. they all do due to the bad pulley design. mine are ....

fixing doors, paint, etc is not a good thing....i think this car should be bought for cheap (1000-1500) range......

sorry, don't mean to be a pessimist, just trying to save you some money down the road

if the owner was not worried enough about fixing the small issues, then the car must have been neglected .....

__________________
1993 300E, 2.8 M104 .....

A couple of thoughts: IF the harness has been replaced, there should be a tag wrapped around it near the battery... it would have a born on date

FWIW--- last year i paid 3500 for a 95 e320. The wiring harness was replaced...it appeared that the head gasket had as well. The previous owner also had the reverse gear in the transmission replaced. It had 122k when i bought it. He sold it because he could do no work himself... even a simple brake job.

oh when i got it, i replaced the rear rotors and pads. drivers side rear door window doesn't work. Black with saffron leather.

it loses a couple of drops a day in oil. However over 3k miles... no noticeable drop in oil level.

it's a good car. I really like the 104 engine... at least for now.

__________________
1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


[/SIGPIC]

How many miles on it? How good are the books/records?

That is a pretty high price for a 124 sedan. From your description, the car does not merit it. I expect no need for cosmetic repairs at that price, let alone replacing the doors.

For reference, I have a clean '93 w/150K miles that is not worth $2K on a good day. It has essentially perfect cosmetics, good books/records, and the only thing broken is the silly Hirschman antenna.

If the car you are looking at has less than 100K miles, then maybe $2500. Less than 150K miles, then between $2000-$2500. Above 150K, the price needs to start with a 1...

My $.02,

- JimY

Pass on it. Too many issues out of the box.

__________________
2008 E350 4matic / Black/Anthracite

------------------------------------
Gone but not Forgotten:
2001 E430 4matic, 206,xxx miles, Black/Charcoal
1995 E320, 252,xxx miles, Black/Grey
1989 260E, 223,00 miles, Black/Black

Just to compare:

Just got a 1995 ( Jan '95 production).
Wiring - rebuilt and tested again.
170 K Km ( 106K miles)
Replaced day one:
Brake lines,
Front disk / pads.
AC compressor ( all connectors and expansion valve)
Blower motor
Front struts
sparks + one induction -- failed during spark plug replacement ( hard to blame somebody on non-yours car)

total 5.500 CDN on the road, all jobs done.
( 3000+ tax - the car, 2400 - work and parts)
Temp gauge on 95-100 in hottest days
stop and go traffic, but not crossing 100
on regular days - 90 to 95.

No rust or other issues - 3 month / 11.000 Kms
1 owner

Price seems high for a 1994 E320 that has body damage and needs considerable TLC. Ask for maintenance records and/or who performed routine maintenance. Without any maintenance history I would be inclined to pass on that particular car. What is the condition of the wheels/tires? If they have lots of curb rash then I would definitely pass, because that indicates a careless owner.

__________________
Fred Hoelzle

Follow up:

130k miles.

The car was actually for my lady. She fell in love with it the minute we saw it, and after she test drove it, her mind was made up.

I really wanted to get it for less, but it was her decision. Also, the only other w124's within 500 miles from here that are in the right price range (1500-2000) had serious issues. I found 1 with no AC and 200k+ miles. 1 with no ac and no reverse for $1000. 1 that the owner says was in "mint" condition, but "won't shift out of 2nd gear."

The original car we were shooting for went up for sale on this forum. It was a 1995 for sale by babymog. He'd already done all the majors (harness, gasket), black combo on black leather. $1950. I live too far away, and it was snatched up before I could get up there to it.

Girlfriend's father owns and operates a large body shop. Soon as she bought it, she took it to him. He says he can have new doors for for almost free (as long as I install them).

I'm very familiar with the m104, so the first thing I did was pop the hood and spend 20 minutes prying, scraping, smelling, and tasting. I popped the front cover and inspected the insulation on all visible points on the harness, and it looked new. I didn't look for the tag at the top, will do that this afternoon.

After her father scores some new doors, it will need a new grille. Has a few average door dings (like 5 or 6). One of the chrome strips on the rear bumper is a bit wavy on the corner. Other than that, cosmetics are tip top.

Did a coolant flush on it as soon as I got it home.

I highly appreciate all the insights, fellas. But the choice was made for me, though. She's happy as a clam, plus she's got me for repairs. Thankfully, we're not sharing a car anymore. So, I can FINALLY park my 1994 C280 and fix the ac/sunroof/headliner/radio...

For better or for worse, our MB fleet just got bigger. And I intend to make it "for the better." It's a gorgeous car, and she's already getting complements.

anyone want to buy a w123?

We need PICS.

Good luck with the new edition.

My sunroof is slow on my 95 W124 even after being lubed.

__________________
RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold