I wrote in this thread five years ago that I was in love with my five speed 300E. The car now has 288,000 miles and is in mechanically excellent condition. It has taken a good bit of work to keep it that way, but it is mechanically pristine.

The car now, however, is suffering a little cosmetically. I hit a deer a few years ago on the right side of the car will drifting sideways trying to miss it. I straightened it up, but with the sunlight on it just right, you can tell there was damage.

The paint is really chipped on the front and the lower part of the front plastic bumper is torn up some.

I have gone through a number of shock and swaybar combinations but now have stock front bar, rear 500E bar and Bilsteins all around. I have later model eight hole wheels but still only 195/65-15's. The car drives WONDERFULLY on my winding country roads.

The car STILL has the original clutch and transmission that have never been removed for any reason. I have run Mobil One 10W30 in the transmission since I've owned it and it still shifts perfectly with no leaks.

To update my feeling for this car since posting five years ago, I am STILL in love with this car. In those five years I have gone through a six speed, 2001 C240 that I loved to drive as much as this car, but it had all sorts of technology problems and I got rid of it. The 300E has kept its place though. Kind of like the old horse standing around watching the young one come and go and then be the favorite again.

I drove the old 300E well over 2,000 miles on vacation up into the mountains last October and it did GREAT. It was fun to drive in the mountains and on the highway and gave me an average of 29.36 MPG for the trip.

I told my wife yesterday that if I won the lottery I would have this car professionally redone cosmetically, but would not touch it mechanically except to keep it in top mechanical shape.

Long live the 5 speed 124 cars.

Have a great day,