Newbie looking to buy a W124

[mbzman]

I'm looking to buy a second hand W124 and I'm looking for some advice. Firstly, are these cars good daily drivers? How are they in the snow? I live in Canada so I'm curious about the effectiveness of the ASR system. Secondly, what changes were made over the years as far as powertrain? I believe they went to a new engine in the 90s? Right now I'm looking at an 1986 300E sedan with about 80k miles on it. It does tick a bit at startup and there was a bit of smoke when the owner started it up. He said that was because he hasn't driven it in a couple of months. Can you adjust the valves on them? How DIY friendly are they? I'm also curious to know what the maintenance costs are on an annual basis. Overall what should I be looking for? What years are best? Thanks in advance.