Back in the saddle: 1994 E320 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

wolf_walker · #1 03-27-2017, 12:07 AM

Been a goodly number of years now since I sold my 73 280, which was my first and only gasser MB. I came across an interesting late W124 last week and made an agreement to pick it up this coming Tuesday after having looked it over a bit Saturday. It's green!

The car has 170ish K on it, 2nd owner, is being sold by a family friend on behalf of that second owner since he is nearing the end of this road we all travel.

I hope to maintain what was apparently his last love and hobby.

So, the car. The most interesting feature is it has a documented dealer rebuilt engine under 20K ago. The poor guy apparently hit something in the road and removed the lower portion of the oil pan, and consequently all the oil, and killed it. Hence the rebuild. The engine is noticeably clean underneath with the exception of some (very clean and recent looking) oil leaks. It hasn't been driven very much in at least the last year. I've never been around or driven an M104 but it started quickly, idled well and seemed to run and accelerate smoothly. It was fairly dramatic, for a mercedes sedan, when it came up "on the cam" at higher RPM. Far cry from CIS and Solex carbs.

The AC system also appears to be all new, hoses, compressor, and I haven't looked through all his records but I imagine after all that and at this point in it's life the evaporator has been replaced. AC and heat work but I couldn't remember exactly how the dash controls work to test all the vents but it does blow and such. Keeping my fingers crossed there.

The wiring harness looked alright what I could see of it just looking, surely if the dealer had the engine out they'd have said something if the harness was bad. I hope.

Suspension looks to have been serviced pretty recently, Boge shocks with stickers visable, boots intact on joints, paint still present on suspension arms, etc, etc. I'll know more when I get it on the lift but it seemed to be pretty well intact. I did hear a thunk going into reverse from the rear once that I assume is subframe bushings, no biggie.

Due a brake job, stops straight and well, pads are thin, warning light not on.

Looks like whatever he ran over tagged one of the front wheels, there is a visible bend on the inside lip of one of them and a shimmy at around 40mph that I blame on the wheel for now. Alignment is also off, whatever he hit busted the slatted lower part of the bumper and bent the sway bar which was all replaced. i think the poor guys health deteriorated while he was in the midst of repairing things after the engine was back in.

I believe it's been repainted the stock color at some point and garaged after, but there is some clear coat fade on top and a number of dings around it, and the door mirrors are a little rough I suspect from an elderly driver. Car looks better in pictures but it's still handsome in person, and the interior is a good 8 our of 10(just as a Mercedes that has been remotely well cared for should be imo), wood is good, etc. Sunroof didn't work, tach stuck at 0 till I blipped the throttle, throttle pedal was way stiff right after take up, original radio present but non-op.

All in all, I'm pretty eager to get it on the road to being excellent again. I always wanted a W124.
There is not any history on the transmission that I see, and it had the usual delay into reverse but it shifted well enough on the test drive. Hopefully it'll last till I can round up the parts to put a manual trans in it. Once I can get it home and to my Fathers and on the lift I'll see what else was hiding from inspection and form a plan of attack.

Right now, I need a wheel(unless it has a good matching full size spare which I forgot to check), a tire, an alignment, a brake job and to fix the sunroof.
Anything else I should put on my to-do list? I have a pretty good background in W123/126 cars fwiw.

Glad to be back.

Hirnbeiss · #2 03-27-2017, 04:40 AM

Looks great. My W124 was a '95 in Smaragdgruen (Emerald Green). I loved that color.

Ferdman · #3 03-27-2017, 07:44 AM

There should be a matching spare wheel in the trunk. Recommend changing the transmission fluid and filter, then assess how the transmission performs. Use some leather conditioner on the seats ... that should make a big improvement in their appearance and feel.

wolf_walker · #4 03-27-2017, 11:15 PM

Yeah I completely forgot to check the spare, I'm hopeful but if not decent wheels look pretty readily available. We'll see tomorrow!

Ferdman · #5 03-28-2017, 10:27 AM

Wolf, recommend that you check the back of wheels for MB part number before making any purchase to ensure they are genuine MB wheels and have the same offset (ET) designation. A wheel vendor may be able to straighten the bent wheel. Realize you can buy brand new genuine MB 8-hole wheels, that match the other wheels on your car, from a MB dealer.

wolf_walker · #6 03-28-2017, 10:38 AM

Understood, are aftermarket wheels common on these? I see quite a few of this design on ebay, I did note some variation in offset I believe.

wolf_walker · #7 03-28-2017, 11:03 PM

Got her home today, in the rain. What are the odds of my abs light being on due to 65 series tires in rear and 60 in front? Much to fix and learn, I'm excited.

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andersbenz · #8 03-28-2017, 11:14 PM

Nice find. Beautiful color.

Ferdman · #9 03-29-2017, 10:22 AM

Wolf, tires should be the same size on all four wheels. It's odd that the previous owner would install different size tires on the front and back. Normally, a tire installer would ensure the tire sizes match.

TX76513 · #10 03-29-2017, 10:31 AM

Nice body is flawless. Good catch

wolf_walker · #11 03-29-2017, 12:16 PM

"Flawless" might be stretching it a bit.. For it's age and miles it's way more presentable than your run of the mill w124 but it looks to have had an elderly driver making small miscalculations on the bumpers and outside mirrors, and a few generic dings here and there, clear fading on roof.

This ole car has an interesting history, it's 2nd owner parked it due to alzheimer's about a year ago, it looks like he was in the process of recovering it from running over something bad in the highway at speed. Lower front bumper is toast, I think one wheel got tweaked, the oil pan/pump job listed $500 on a frame machine to straighten something, most of the suspension and steering looks pretty recent at first glance(I haven't had it on the lift yet). Prior to that he had the headgasket done at the dealer, and the blower motor and assorted other things, and the AC done at an indy shop. I think some of the service records are missing as there was mention twice back in I think 2008 of it needing the engine harness, but the dealer did the headgasket after that and surely they would have mentioned it or damaged it further or something. I haven't even opened the hood since I got home, but it runs well enough and the AC has new hoses and compressor adn such and works, so hey..

First job is tires, 60 series, new, in front

65 in rear, and one of the rears has cracks in the sidewall, so.. yeah. It does have a full size spare that has been in use quite a bit I have to inspect when I have a chance.

I noticed some oil weeps despite the work done, it's funny I've never seen clean oil leaking on a clean engine in a car this age before. What an interesting little mystery this will be to work out. I wish the previous owner was well enough I could question him about it. Poor guy, he clearly loved the car, and spent a fortune on it.

Anyone know off hand if the outside mirrors are specific for cars with memory seats or are they all the same? I need both, in green preferably but I can paint them. I see some really cheap aftermarket one's on ebay, they may or may not be junk.

sixto · #12 03-29-2017, 12:32 PM

Th mirrors aren't part of the memory system so any same year mirror should work. If the wedges between mirror and door don't look well, you can try used wedges from an early 124. Early wedges stay supple and looking better despite age. IIRC late 124 wedges are something crazy like $200 each now.

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

wolf_walker · #13 03-29-2017, 01:10 PM

So are the early mirrors different or just the wedges? Sorry I'm catching up here, my first W124.

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sixto · #14 03-29-2017, 01:25 PM

I don't know how many versions there are but the earliest mirrors aren't painted and the driver side isn't motorized. I don't think the wedges were painted from the factory for any year.

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

wolf_walker · #15 03-30-2017, 12:48 AM

Yay the engine harness is dated 1999.
Tell me they were non-degrading replacements by then lol...

Less-yay, whatever this poor fellow ran over, the passenger wheel is an inch or so aft of where I think it should be. Wonder if it bent the control arm or something more dramatic.

There is a line item on the invoice for the oil pan/pump replacemnt for "frame shop $500" and I can see where they tied the body down in the rear to pull on something. Part of the challenge is I don't know exactly what's been done, I know some of it from receipts like the oil pan and cylinder head, but there are about two years of receipts (apparently including the engine harness replacement) missing. I suppose I'll get it on the lift and try to pull some measurements here and there and determine if it's obviously the control arm or otherwise. If otherwise I guess it's frame shop time again. Surely on a car this stout a wheel can be pulled back forward a bit.

My significant other hasn't killed me yet too which is a win.