1989 300 E ( considering )
 

Im considering buying a 89 300E from a friend. Im trying to get a little educated..what are somethings to consider, or other models to consider before doing this...:confused:

Hi taylorshade,

Welcome to the forum!

I owned a 1989 300E. It has been one of, if not the best, automobiles I have ever owned thus far (my E430 is still new to me).

I bought it nine years ago with 194,000 Km on the clock. It was in mint shape. I owned it up until February of this year. I sold it for $3200 with 335,000 Km on the clock.

When I sold it, the car had lived through 18 Canadian winters and had only recently started to show rust on the body. Underside was still excellent. This is no small feat for any car in Canada and is a testament to the build quality of this model.

As for the engine, I did absolutely nothing to the trusty M103 other than regular oil changes. Nothing. Valve guides, seals, everything was original. The only major items I replaced were a water pump, upgraded the stock 70A alternator to an 80A, and that's it. Car had the original catalytic converter and when sold this Feb., it easily passed emissions tests.

Same with the transmission. This four gear box is also solid and bulletproof. Not as smooth or repsonsive as the new 722.6 5-speed, but it never failed once. It was also original and going strong when the car sold. I only performed routine fluid and filter changes.

Known issues for this car are:

- oil leak at right front timing chain cover
- A/C evaporator failure (pretty much 'when' and not 'if') - $$$ to fix
- poor stock headlights (euro versions are a popular and worthwhile upgrade)
- very poor stock radio/stereo system, easily upgraded

I'm sure others will chime in if I've missed anything.

My car also survived two accidents. One rear ender was particularly bad, but it was repaired and went on to drive flawlessly for another few years.

So...I think you would be hard pressed to find a better Benz. They're solidly built, the M103 is an excellent engine with proven high mileage and they're classic as far as looks.

The 300E is hands-down one of the best used cars you can buy. Period. Plenty of power, handles like a dream, timeless styling.

I recommend doing a search in the tech section so you can get an idea of the weak spots.