Hypothetical purchase decision between two 124 wagons - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Shortsguy1 · #1 10-18-2012, 02:25 PM

Hi-
I am in the early stages of trying to find a 1994 or 1995 Mercedes E320 Wagon (am I correct that this is a s124?). My family just grew to four total (baby Rosalie is 2 weeks old), and obtaining a car with more seats than a standard 5-seater sedan will be helpful. I have never owned a gasser MB, so most of my time has been spent on the diesel forum, but hopefully you don't mind a new visitor to this part of the forum.

Anyway, I have been looking into the later 124 cars, and it looks like head gaskets, AC evaporators, wiring harnesses, and throttle actuators, are some of the major problems with the vehicle. At my budget (~$5000), the mileage on the vehicle will likely be high enough to trigger any or all of these problems plus more. When I find the right car, I am going to pounce on it quickly, so I was hoping to get advice in advance. Keeping all else equal (including price), which would you buy:

1) a lower mileage (say 120,000) car where none of these problems have surfaced (YET).

2) a higher mileage (say 200,000) car where the head gasket has been replaced, the AC evaporator has been changed, the updated wiring harness is installed, and the throttle actuator has been fixed.

I know it is generally advisable to get a car where the previous owner has done many of these major projects (option 2), but at 200,000 miles, a high mileage car may have numerous other problems (suspension, transmission, etc) as well. Thanks in advance for your help.

JohnM. · #2 10-18-2012, 02:44 PM

As old as these cars are now, the 100K-120K range should have a fair number of cars with the headgasket, wiring harness issues taken care of. I wouldn't buy a M103 (86-92) with an original headgasket, and I wouldn't buy a M104 (93-95) without an updated wiring harness...at a minimum.

A/C evap and Throttle actuators are not nearly as common of a problem as the head gasket / harness.

The problem with 200K mile cars is a lot of the deferred maintenance starts to catch up around that magical number. So if maintenance wasn't perfect between 80K and 200K...you're in for big big trouble.

I replace parts like a madman, I bought my car with 120K, and 190K-210K was still a rather large crop of problems for me. Just food for thought.

Zulfiqar · #3 10-18-2012, 05:23 PM

^^ I can vouch for that, my car has very low miles for a 1995 benz, 120K at the moment, Ive had to replace the original mercedes tie rods, flex discs, wp, redo the fan clutch, clean the cooling system and still have to replace the original benz ball joints too. The rear suspension bushings are going "shot" too.

I have owned a 200,000 mile camry which had been maintained over the years - so that should help you in making decisions, rubber parts will go bad on a car with age, whether driven or not.

Ferdman · #4 10-19-2012, 05:26 AM

Shorts, you're smart searching for a 1994 or 1995 E-Class wagon. They have a lower revving engine and brighter headlights than older versions, except for possibly the 1993 wagon, definitely a sorted-out car at the end of the production run. Recommend buying as low mileage a car as you can find, hopefully with service records. Realize that most folks are not selling creampuffs, so have a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) done by a MB-trained tech intimately familiar with that vintage MB vehicle. You likely will need to spend closer to $7,000 for a well-maintained wagon, but that will be money well spent. I own two 1995 E320 sedans and they are a pleasure to drive.

Shortsguy1 · #5 10-19-2012, 01:35 PM

Thanks for all your great suggestions and advice. Via CL, there are many 1994/1995 124 wagons for $5K or less, most with high mileage. I haven't found any more expensive cars out there to even consider. That is, except for this one:
1995 Mercedes-Benz E 320

A bit steep, ya think?

I am in the midwest until December, and hope to find a rust free vehicle once I am back in CA.

oldsinner111 · #6 10-19-2012, 02:32 PM

$15,000 for a old wagon,they must be smoking crack.

lorainfurniture · #7 10-19-2012, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldsinner111

$15,000 for a old wagon,they must be smoking crack.

X2.

Ferdman · #8 10-20-2012, 06:21 AM

Shorts, I could see spending $7,500 for a pristine wagon with all systems working as-new; however, $15,000 is over the top ... particularly with that mileage.

vstech · #9 10-20-2012, 06:27 PM

Why are you not sticking with diesel? I've found five 124 wagons in diesel so far... I love them all.

Shortsguy1 · #10 10-20-2012, 08:21 PM

That is a great question. I have thought long and hard about it, but am still not 100% sure of my decision. So maybe some of you can help correct me if my logic is wrong.

As with many of you, I want to purchase an older MB in order to have a comfortable, classy, safe vehicle which is more affordable than many of the other cars on the road. But economics are a major part of my decision. Please correct any of these statements that you don't agree with.

1) A 1995 124 wagon is 8 years younger than a 1987TD, so on average, the condition will be better, the mileage will be lower, and the newer 124s are supposed to be a little more refined than the earlier models.

2) There are soooo many more gas versions around that parts have to be more available, especially at salvage yards.

3) Local garages will be more familiar with the gas version of these cars, and hopefully better equipped to diagnose problems. (I had trouble finding a garage to help me with my diesel).

4) I barely see any TDs for sale, and the few available recently are trashed. I have seem countless gas versions for sale. And this has driven the price down for the gas versions.

At the end of the day, my perception is that the cost of ownership will be less for a gas car, primarily because the initial purchase price will be less. I would love to be convinced otherwise.

vstech · #11 10-20-2012, 08:47 PM

I found a well preserved 87TD in charlotte, for sale at an indy I drive past. they had serviced it for the last 20 years for the owner, and had all records. it was in near mint condition, needing only the upgrades of a vehicle nearing 200K I paid $2500 happily, and have since paid another 800 ish, since I replaced the VP, the fan clutch, the belt tensioner, and the spring/shock on the tensioner. I also had a rear bearing get noisy, and went ahead and swapped the entire rear subframe in, minus the Diff from a 95, gaining the 95's vented rear rotors. so... 3300 so far, and I'm completely thrilled with the vehicle. I've put another 50K on it so far, and I'm ready to pull the front seat bottom and repair it's sagging. I also need to pull the pressure tank, as it's leaking beneath the cap ring. I did have to have the transmission rebuilt, but I know a guy, and it only cost me $318.00 for parts. so 3600 so far.
the car needs ball joints, and general rubber parts replaced soon, so that'll likely set me back another 300 or so.
the 95 has the great M104, dual air bags, and better wood trim on the dash, along with leather steering wheel... but junker gasser 124's are a dime a dozen for parts that all fit the diesel...
and, getting 26+mpg with all the power and handling of the great 124...
if you are not a DIY, taking a diesel to a shop not familiar with diesels can be daunting, but BECOMING a DIY is super easy with the 124 diesels.
I just think Diesel is the way to go, and love the s124. so little to service, and so much fun to own.
my second s124 Diesel I got for $200 and haven't gotten it on the road yet due to title issues (the original owner is deceased, and the correct paper work is difficult to track down across state lines)
my third was free with trade of a 123 wagon that was free to me, and some a/c work on it. and I've done NOTHING to in in the last 6 months but drive it and tweak it's appearance... I love that car!

Shortsguy1 · #12 10-20-2012, 09:28 PM

John and others-
I really appreciate your perspective, so thanks for taking the time. As I am in the early stages of this purchase, I am still bouncing back and forth a bit between the two fuels. Personally, I would like a diesel for many of the reasons you state, and additionally, in CA, they do not need a smog check. When I was young, my family had bad luck with smog checks on old VWs, so I am a little intimidated about owning an older gas vehicle in CA. I do plan to DIY whatever possible. But I am relatively new at MB ownership, so still rather intimidated by many of the systems.

Until a moment ago, I didn't think the higher MPG in a diesel 124 was terribly relevant because diesel fuel is typically more expensive than gasoline in my area. But I forgot the M104 requires premium fuel, which is basically the same price as diesel around me. So a higher MPG with the diesel will actually correspond to higher MP$. Hmmm, this decision is going to require a lot more rumination.

vstech · #13 10-20-2012, 10:46 PM

if you decide Diesel, bring your question to it's own thread over in my area DD!
CA should have a large selection of the TD, but you may need to shop outside your area to get one, as they are a pretty rare vehicle in good condition... az/tx/and plenty of eastern states that should get rust free examples. finding a member nearby to inspect prior to purchase is paramont!

oldsinner111 · #14 10-21-2012, 07:28 AM

buying a diesel was the smartest thing I,ve done in life