I'm looking at a 78 240D that's been sitting a while
Though on the exterior the body looks near perfect
It has the classic floorboard rust
Particularly bad on the drivers side where it runs along the point where the floorboards meet the sides (where the seatbelts mount etc)
I have fixed this sort of thing before using sheet metal, pop rivets and seam filler and it worked well
The rest of the underbody looks pretty good as far as I can see

I noticed that the gap on the backside of the drivers side front door is noticable wider at the bottom than the top. Perhaps as much as 3/16" difference. This door doesn't seem to latch, though I noticed that all the door latches are stiff and need lubricating
This made me wonder

My question is:
Is it common/possible for the W123 bodies to sag in the middle ?
Or is it likely just the drivers side door sagging a little?

No sagging should be seen. That car is history. W123'a use the same basic floor pan as the W116 ,so it's tough normally. That car sounds like a parts car if the mechanicals are OK.

Just to be clear the only thing I saw on my brief visit to indicate possible sagging was the door gap.
I haven't yet checked the door for looseness etc.
I'll check it out better tomorrow. I can fix floorboards (and have) but generally mechanical work is more my thing.

Sounds more like an out of adjustment door.
Being a sedan, I would not expect significant sagging due to rust.
I've seen some really rusty W123s, and never noted a sagging problem.

Open the door and lift the back edge, see if there is significant play in the hinges.

Other possibility is that the car has been damaged, and poorly repaired.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

hmm
What do you guys think
A couple hundred for this car? as a project
It does have a competely rebuilt motor
but does need wheels and a battery (which I can get)
A new drivers seat..and a hood ornament
And it needs the floorboards rebuilt (I have some experience with this)
Plus the rear bumper re-attached (there's one on the local craigslist if that doesn't work out) It's the aluminum mounting bracket that corrodes away.
It looks quite nice despite the stupid little wheels

Link? Pics?

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Looking for Early 108 windshield surround wood in decent-to-good condition.

None currently
I'll get some photos tomorrow

Here are some photos
The car has 240,00 km
The drivers side door isn't loose but when closed (it requires a good push to latch) It's inset on the front fender side and sticking out on the rear side.
The floor boards are cpmpletely done on the drivers side, front and back.
I might know of a W123 I could cut floorboards out of if necessary
And the passenger side is almost as bad
The exhaust is ne, It needs new injector return lines (one is obviously leaking) It turns over right now but won't catch yet(Fuel starvation, from the injector and sitting too long)
One thing I was wondering about was the strange rectangular cutouts above the front spring mounts, they don't look original (see photo) both sides are like that
THe doors are mostly good except the bottom of the drivers passenger side is rusted out a bit
The rear tires are OK it's just the front ones that are the wrong size
Obviously a giant interior project

Attached Thumbnails

         

a couple more
the engine, the bad drivers seat

Attached Thumbnails

   

The interior of the engine bay should be body color, not black. Either there is a staggering quantity of gunk over the whole bay or somebody has sprayed something in there over the paint. Maybe that has something to do with the oblong cutouts on top of the spring perches. They should be smaller round holes. You can just make out the outline of one of the holes in the center of that oblong cutout in one of the pics. No idea why that would have been done to the car but it might possibly have something to do with the reason for the spring perches being black? Possibly some form of accident repair? I'm no expert but that does make me suspicious.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

My guess: accident damage and they replaced the front panels in the engine bay, and shot them with undercoat or flat black. Sometimes repalcement panels come with a factory primer black coating on them, waiting to be sprayed to match, and some shops just leave the black. Often seen on replacement hoods that dont get the bottom sides repainted along with the top. Re: the cutouts: maybe some amateur cut them out to get spring compressor bits inside the springs? They're definitely a clue to move along to a better car, but ymmv. There's just way too much "wrong" to justify your time (let alone cash) in this one, since you could put the same amount of effort in a better car, and arrive at a wonderful ride much sooner.

My advice: wait for a better 123 candidate to come along. This one shows not just a lack of love, but abuse and ignorant handling. Given the misaligned door hinge (a-pillar/firewall damage?) and other things, you may not ever arrive at a nice example of a 123 with this one...

Rule number 1 in automotive repair should be "do no harm", but alas, we see what happens...

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Looking for Early 108 windshield surround wood in decent-to-good condition.

IMO: $500.00 limit, for a project.

.

Haha
I was thinking $200-$250 tops. That leaves me funds to buy a seat wheels and tires, a battery and floorboards or sheet metal...hmmmmm

And curmudgeonly me, I was thinking they'd have to hand you $250-500 to take it...

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Looking for Early 108 windshield surround wood in decent-to-good condition.

I really couldn't agree more
I could always say..how about $250?
I'd prefer cash thanks..