I'll probably suggest the owner do a tstat and water pump. It does not cool down quickly until you get the engine speed above 2000 with the air con off. On the highway it's fine. Pulling in to work (with the AC off) the temp started to creep up again. This issue needs to be addressed now, especially because my friend's mom will be driving the car in a month, and I doubt she'll pay close attention to the temp gauge like I do.
Driving this car is like trying to twirl a hula hoop on a waterbed. The car flops all over the place, the steering has memory turning right... at least the shocks don't seem dead. The owner said he didn't like driving it because it was a "big floaty car" (A W124 is big???) I would love to see the look on his face after driving one with a working suspension
There are also a couple electrical problems. The outside temp gauge turns on and off (and reads very low), the worn brake pad light flicks on and off, the radio turns on and off, and the fuel gauge drifts a bit. It also smells like mold in the AC.
It's been nice driving it though, but I don't think I could ever own a W124... I just don't fit. There isn't enough headroom. If I adjust the seat such that my head isn't poking out of the sunroof I have to fully extend my arms to reach the steering wheel. It doesn't help that this car doesn't have an adjustable steering column, but that 1" less of headroom is really a killer for me. I just fit in my W126 with the steering column all the way back :S
-J