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Whilst my E200 continued to provide reliable daily service, I decided to have a bid on a W124 300TD on EBay. To my surprise I got the car for a very reasonable price, exactly half of the seller's Buy It Now price. The 300TD was fitted with a dodgy set of later C-Class alloy wheels and still had the original orange indicators, which made it look quite dated. Before selling the E200 I decided to swap the wheels and indicators over. The E200 went to a good home, a fellow Retro Rides member. After giving the 300TD a clean up, this is how it turned out. The 300TD was well specified, with metallic paint, leather interior, electric windows, sunroof and mirrors, central locking and an airbag. With 180k miles on the clock, the three litre straight six diesel was just about run in. As nice as it was, I couldn't get on with it. Whilst I don't drive fast, I do appreciate some dynamics. Where as my (manual 'box) 230E can be made to accelerate relatively quickly, the 300TD felt like a truck at all times. I knew there was profit to be made so I sold the 300TD within a couple of weeks of buying it. The lady that bought it was very pleased with her purchase and so was I with the tidy profit that I made.
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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This left me with the 230E as my daily transport. It coped well with daily duties, including trips to London with my wife and son. On one occasion I even left it in the local town centre multi-storey car park! Using the 230E daily reminded me just what a great car it is. I decided that whilst I need another car, I don't need another family friendly bus. I looked at a couple of E36 BMWs, neither of which were any good. I very nearly bought a Sierra XR4x4 via Retro Rides, but 48 hours before I was due to buy it the seller phoned with news that some paintwork had gone bad whilst he was polishing the car and the deal was off. I went to look at another XR4x4 advertised to be in very good condition to find a car that looked awful and just about managed to make it down the road under its own power. One Saturday morning I found a lovely looking Celica on AutoTrader. I called the seller (a trader) and made arrangements to view the car. Within the past 10 years I've had 5 Toyota MR2s, one of which was fitted with 17 inch Wolfrace Mantis alloy wheels. I liked the look of the Celica. It's sporty enough to be fun with 173BHP but practical at the same time with decent (for a child) rear seats and relatively big boot. This is it, a 1995 Generation 6 Toyota Celica GT. [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/technics1974/Celica/c13.jpg/img] I fitted a gearstick knob previously fitted to my MR2s. I don't usually buy modified cars, but if I was to modify a Celica I would fit the same wheels, a similar back box (Remus) and a cone air filter, as fitted to this car. The Celica has had some bodywork repairs in the past, but all panels match and are straight with good panel gaps. The interior is clean, all the electrics work and the Ripspeed CD/Tuner/MP3 stereo sounds absolutely amazing. I don't know whether the speakers have been replaced, but it's been a long time since I had music like this in a car. Mechanically the car is good and strong, although I've changed the front brake pads and give it an oil change. The engine sounds healthy, goes well and does an easy 35MPG. There is no evidence of the cambelt having been replaced recently, however if the belt snaps on the 3S-GE engine, the valves don't say hello to the pistons, so I am not too worried about this. There was one thing that I didn't like about the Celica. The nearside front wing had a nasty scratch. I had a rattle tin made up with the right colour and set about filling and spraying the front section of the wing. As the rest of the wing was nice and shiny, I didn't want to extend the repair too far. The spray job left me with a line between the new and old paint. Rather than leaving it, I applied a 6mm coachline over the joint, which looks like a shut line. Unless you know your Celicas, you'd never know that the line shouldn't be there! The Celica looks and drives great. I love the induction roar, the ride is surprisingly compliant, even with 215/35/18 tyres, the stereo is excellent and 35MPG is pretty good for a 173BHP sports car. However, I don't intend on keeping it for long. Despite its good looks and turn of speed, it just doesn't do it for me. I think I need something older and preferably German. I am not going to rush out to buy another car, but if something cool comes up, the Celica might be looking for a new owner. Watch this space!
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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MattW
Part of things
Posts: 841
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Apr 24, 2011 15:31:48 GMT
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All of your cars are absolutely pristine!
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Apr 24, 2011 20:14:12 GMT
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All of your cars are absolutely pristine! Thanks mate. I wouldn't have my cars any other way!
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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spaniel84
Part of things
I'm so fast, that i turned the light off last night and was in bed before it was dark!
Posts: 12
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Apr 24, 2011 21:49:23 GMT
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thoroughly enjoyed reading pages1-3. Don't know anything about Mercs but still enjoyed this thread Keep up the great work! Daniel
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Grey H reg mk3 polo coupe cl with multi point injection. BBS ra's from g40 with Bridgestone 165/50/13's. G40 interior and rear lights, clear front indicators, momo wheel, de- trimmed exterior. jetta rear handles (keyless). smoked tints, jetex panel filter. 40mm drop, bilstein gas dampers, g40 callipers with vented discs and goodridge hoses. that's it!
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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The Celica sold over the weekend to a Celica club member. I think I could have sold it for more, but at least I can now move on and someone else can have a bit of fun with it.
All being well I will be picking up another car tomorrow evening. Arrangements have been made, I've seen 25 pics of the car and had a full and hopefully honest description of its condition.
Watch this space!
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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Ok, the car I was proposing to buy was a 1997 Mercedes C180 Sport. I arranged with the seller (a Retro Rider) to buy the car with 12 months MoT for an agreed price. Unfortunately, the seller called me to say that the Merc failed the MoT but was still prepared to sell the car, albeit for a far lower price. Based on what it failed the MoT on, I was prepared to give the Merc a chance. Once I arrived at the seller's house (pub), the car was exactly as described. It drove fine, engine ran well, I handed over the money and went home a happy man. To cut a long story short, the Merc failed its MoT on a worn suspension bush, loose exhaust and high emissions. Having taken some advice I replaced the Lambda sensor, which was easy enough and cost ÂŁ57 from ECP. I couldn't find anything wrong with the suspension. I took the Merc for another MoT and it passed. The play in the suspension bush was so minor that it wasn't even an advisory and the tester wasn't too bothered about the missing exhaust clamp rubber. Unfortunately, the following day the engine started to surge at idle (between 700-1500 rev/min). I looked into the matter and the most probable cause of the problem was a knackered MAF sensor. A proper replacement from ECP is ÂŁ150 plus VAT or a cheap alternative about ÂŁ95 plus VAT. At that point I lost interest and was not prepared to invest good money on a myriad of repairs that may not even resolve the problem. Disconnecting the MAF left the engine running ok and within 5 days of buying the Merc I sold it to a Romania chap, who was very happy with his purchase. It was a nice looking car but I haven't got time to fiddle with funny electrics. Have some pics:
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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I've spent a bit of time looking for a replacement car. I started with this Sierra XR4x4, advertised on RR on behalf of the seller. The seller was based in a far (for me) side of London and getting to him took 1h 40m. The seller was a very nice chap but the car was not for me. The bodywork looked good in photos but in the flesh it was tired. As was the engine. I went to see an Audi 100, advertised locally by a trader. The car was in amazing original condition, but suffered from a myriad of electrical faults and the power steering kept failing at low engine speeds. Next was this BMW E36 325 TDS, which has been parked at the side of a local main road covered with for sale signs for at least four weeks. What an amazing engine! So much torque, so smooth and probably very frugal. The car was clean enough but had one very rusty wheel arch and rotten bootlid. The short MoT also put me off. This afternoon I am off to see a BMW E30 325i Touring, advertised on this forum. I like the look of this car, but bearing in mind recent experiences, I am only prepared to buy if the car is a good'un. I have also been trying to liaise with the seller of a very nice looking Audi Coupe (advertised on this forum), but despite my advances, hitherto I have not received much of a response to my questions, no requested photographs, no phone number..... some people just haven't got a clue how to go about selling cars.
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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In the meantime, I am using my W123 daily. The car is running absolutely spot on and turns heads wherever we go. Here's a recent pic of the Merc parked outside Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire. The more I use the Merc the better it drives. I don't actually need a second car at the moment. The Merc is totally reliable, will easily do 100MPH (although I rarely take it past 70) and continues to return 25 to high 20s MPG, which is good enough for me. Watch this space!
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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levismerc
Part of things
Learning all the time...
Posts: 205
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May 15, 2011 10:31:03 GMT
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The Merc looks very at home there - when are you moving in??
I know what you mean about W123s as a daily car. Mine was only ever meant to be a toy really but it's ended up being my daily for nearly four years now.
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'83 Merc 280CE
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May 15, 2011 11:54:34 GMT
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Hmmmm - sounds almost like you wish for another W123 Good luckwith finding 'the' car I'm still adoring your W123... I hope mine will be just as good one day Cheers, Jan
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May 15, 2011 19:31:05 GMT
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Thank you for your kind comments levismerc and DieselWeasel.
I dragged my brother-in-law 1h 30m from Beaconsfield to near Didcot in Oxfordshire to look at the E30 325i Touring. I was serious about buying the car and left the house with a wad of cash.
The car had the following faults, which I think the seller referred to as part of a list of defects that needed minor attention:
Missing alloy wheel centre cap - ÂŁ25 from EBay Section of missing sill cover trim - ? from ? plus cost of colour coding Minor rust here and there - not much you could do about it Odd scratch here and there - most would polish out Dull paintwork - as above, just needed a polish Seat base bolster was very worn - partial recovering is the only option Interior needed a clean
However, there were two problems that the seller failed to disclose:
The vent/heater fan wasn't working - knackered switch / fan / electrics? Quite major engine oil leak to the front of the cylinder head, which coated the block, suspension, gearbox bellhousing and part of the underside with oil and has possibly contaminated the cam belt, which most probably needs replacement anyway.
The car drove ok, although the straight six was a bit tappety. Sorting out the minor issues wouldn't take more than a day and cost more than ÂŁ100.
However, sorting out the fan could mean taking half the dash out, which is something I really don't wish to get involved with. After the problems I had with the C180's electrics, I don't want to play car electrician again.
The oil leak was bad news and needed sorting out. Replacing the cam belt and whatever else I would come across would have meant more time off the road and expense.
The car wasn't taxed either. Even if the seller had let the car go for what I was prepared to pay, I reckon the car needed a further immediate investment of ÂŁ500, possibly more. As nice as it was, and it wasn't bad, it just wasn't doing it for me.
The search continues.
What I would really like, is a late '80s Ford Granada Mk3 2.0i Ghia with a 5 speed manual 'box, in good condition, for up for ÂŁ1k. Anyone got one for sale?
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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May 15, 2011 21:06:46 GMT
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lovin your w123, its made me miss my 230e auto. you definatly seem to be going about your car business in a very correct manor, well done. i always let my heart rule my head, sometimes i win however, this was 270 quid. i bought it looking terrible, but a tub of cutting compound and a half tube of autosol, and it really was as good as the photo makes it look. tidy profit that one
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"quote hairnet"
I'm not paying nine pound for a pi$$!
[/quote]
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May 17, 2011 16:28:12 GMT
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That was a bargain jizzy gillespie! Looks good in the pics and being on a C-plate, that's one of the last W123s. Very nice.
Right, I've bought a car. Full update with pics coming soon.
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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May 17, 2011 19:19:38 GMT
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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May 17, 2011 19:22:15 GMT
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man the seats are PLUSH!
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"quote hairnet"
I'm not paying nine pound for a pi$$!
[/quote]
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May 17, 2011 19:25:34 GMT
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*Thumbs up!!*
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May 17, 2011 19:45:14 GMT
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This is one sweet car. It has a 2.6 litre V6 engine mated to a five speed manual 'box. The car is in superb condition. It has 66k miles from new with FSH from Audi. The last service was done at 64k miles. However, since 2007, the 100 has been kept in matey's collection, under a sheet, unused. The engine was regularly started but the car had not been driven. A few weeks ago the seller took the 100 for an MoT, it passed, he gave it a clean and offered it for sale. Apart from him, the car had two previous owners, each of which kept it for 6 years and previously it was registered as a dealer demo car. It has a good spec, with climate control (a/c still works!), electric windows and sunroof, nice seats and trim. Being the Sport model, which is apparently quite rare, it has slightly lowered suspension and different front indicators and tail lights. The five spoke alloys, which I am not keen on, were a dealer fit option when the car was new. As you can imagine, the car runs sweet having only covered 66k miles in 17 years. The lay up does not appear to have caused it any harm. I now propose to use it regularly and enjoy the smoothness and comfort. I bought a brand new Pioneer CD/MP3 player today to replace the ageing Kenwood stereo, but that's as far as I'm going with modifications. The engine will get an oil and filter change this weekend and I'll need to check the condition of the cambelt. I love the understated looks and quality and the fabulous interior and seats. The Pioneer stereo plays my MP3s via standard 8 speakers, which sound superb. The engine is creamy smooth and the car drives great. I love this car!
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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May 27, 2011 16:28:31 GMT
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1985 Mercedes W123 230E - 5 speed manual & 2011 BMW F11 520d Touring - 8 speed automatic.
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