300CE advice needed
 

Going to look at a 1989 300ce Saturday! The old man spotted it in his retired cruzing. It has 123,000 on it, he started it up and said it sounded good the motor looked dry. He said the only thing really wrong with it was the hood and grill needed to be replaced do too a minor whack?? The price is right $1000!!! Any advice on what to look for would be greatly apprecated. :D

On the W124 coupes check to make sure that the seatbelt presenters are functioning and that the backrests lock when you close the door. Also look and inspect the various door and window seals as they can cause air and water leaks if they are worn. Other than that those particulars, it is mechanically identical to a 300E from the same year. Any history or service records? The price is low so I would be suspect. There is no such thing as a cheap Mercedes-Benz.

Seatbelt presenters are more trouble than they're worth. I have disabled them in our 2 coupes by removing the associated fuse.

With hood/grill damage it's possible the radiator, condenser and fans are damaged also. Recommend having a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) performed by a MB-trained tech who has experience with that vintage MB automobile. For that price be skeptical. Few, if any, owners are selling well maintained MB automobiles for a pittance. A neglected car could be a money pit and constant aggravation so ask to review all maintenance records.

same as any other 300e. with the 3.0 103 engine.

seat belt presenters would be the least of your worries. We are lucky...they work in our CE... we love the car.. and this is the second one we have owned.

The window seal on my 88 has about a 3/4 inch gap. That appears to be the way it was made. Both doors. You get used to the little air rushing sound.:o
Mine was a FL car, mostly a winter drive only. I have owned it 9 years and put 80k on it. It now has 122k on the clock. Last year I replaced the radiator (a side seam opened) and later on the water pump went. I think the radiators were notorious for the plastic necek breaking with wear and age.

I also had the head gasket replaced when I bought it. It had a small leak at the back of the block (waaaay back at 40k:().
Suggest you pull a plug or two to see if there is any carbon build up. The valve stem seals will go on the 103. (did the '89 still have the M103?:confused:) If yours have not been changed, they are due. That is not a big deal.

What else? The exhaust system ( original) in mine was replaced 2 years ago.

The tranny starts in 2nd gear. You can make it start in first. Check to make sure you have all 4 gears and that the passing gear works.

If you have some time to kill, read thru the 300ce thread here.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/21416-300ce-e320-coupe-owners-roll-call.html?highlight=300ce+owners+roll+call

Great cars... and safe too!;) iirc this one rolled 3 times. No injuries.:)
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t.../300ceacc1.jpg

this is about 90 percent of the reason i have my wife and son in a 124