Not G... not off road, but still MB - Buying a W123 Estate
Having seen Valtonen Motorsport's efforts, I quite fancy a 3L W123 estate, but having spent all summer with my G in bits, my wife will kill me if I do the same with this.. so any pointers on buying a good one?
buy a w124
go 4 it !
i will be doing the same in a few years.....
W123 's are right up there with the all time greats.
However they are getting harder to find ,particularly estates.Look in usual places , ebay maybe best prepare to pay up to £1500.
Similar to 460 if you want to go to 605 or 6 - seen a couple of nice ones in Holland.
Just remember..mechanics are much easier to fix than bodies
Buy a w124??
No chance. I have a really nice w123 estate. There are really goods one out there for not much money. Just remember that almost all of them are being sold way over what they should be and you wont go wrong.
Find one thats had a respray and some bodywork. They go around the corners of the engine bay/bulkhead letting water in. test one with a hose and check the front and rear carpets before coughing up. It's not the end of the world but just depends how you want to use it. Also check front bottom of sills/wheel arch, front valance, front end of chassis in the engine bay.
Door bottoms, inner sills in rear foot wells and a line all the way through the inner rear wheel arches.
You should look in the boot between the outer panel and the side of the inner wheel arch as the split along a seam unseen. It's near to the suspension mounts so be careful.
I would go for a 230 or 280TE. I chose the 280 as I have this 110 engine in my w114 coupe and I also have a thirsty 280ge which is getting better and better. I have not had to open a manual to tune my G so far. It's a great engine as long as it's tuned and oiled regular.
A 280TE is a very fast estate and handles really well. Check that the self levelling rear suspension and brakes works.
There are a few guys out there that will charge you about £3500 to 'repair' it. Truth is that it's just a simple pump on the cam shaft, a reservoir and some hydraulic shocks. It controls the rear height, so if you see a sagging one it might just need tightening and adjusting to raise it up.
It's easy to check if you bring some overalls, tools and get underneath. The w124 is not the same and w123 are super cool. Couldnt believe the reaction when I got mine as a runaround for the dog. Just go for a good spec and colour. ABS and Air con are super rare as is leather. The cloth and MB tex vinyl is super tough.
PM me if you want any tips. You won't stop driving it.
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Yeah, the thing is I just like the look of the 123.
What I quite fancy is the W123 with a big 606 conversion in it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGHOzTYd0Fg