W123

COB MGV8

I'm thinking about buying a W123 as a daily driver (30 miles per day across/through Dublin and back each day and the occasional long trip to Galway and Cork) and have reviewed the many posts about them on boards. Still have a few questions if anyone could help....Got interested in these with all the people on Boards who sing their praises and watched a Wheeler Dealers where they did up one of these last week.

I'm looking at a 230e automatic

-Can they cope with traffic jams ?
-Is it easy to get parts ? Are there suppliers in Ireland ?
-Are the parts expensive ?
-Can the car be serviced easily by the owner ?
-Could you believe a mileage of < 100K on one of these from the late 70's (any telltale signs of being clocked ?)
-Anyone know any links to any good buyers guides ?
-Anyone know a good Merc mechanic in Cork region who could check out a car for me ?
-Any issues with auto gearboxes?
-Any model other than the 230e that you'd recommend

gyppo

COB MGV8 wrote: »

I'm looking at a 230e automatic

-Can they cope with traffic jams ? Yes, no problem, just ensure magnetic clutch on fan is working. It should engage when the temp guage is up nearly at 100.

-Is it easy to get parts ? Are there suppliers in Ireland ? Michael Moore's in Athlone had timing chain and tensioner within 24 hrs.

-Are the parts expensive ? Depends - consumables such as filters, etc are fine. The parts above came to 110E.

-Can the car be serviced easily by the owner ? Yes.

-Could you believe a mileage of < 100K on one of these from the late 70's (any telltale signs of being clocked ?)

At this age, I'd take any milage on the odometer with a pinch of salt. Buy the car based on its condition, not on mileage (unless it can be proven)

-Anyone know any links to any good buyers guides ?
Lots of W123 sites out there - I have some bookmarked on another PC - I'll post them later.

-Any issues with auto gearboxes? If the box changes smoothly, it should be fine. Check atf fluid - it should be a red colour. If its brown and has a burnt smell be wary.
Also, gear changes are controlled by a vacuum system - any leaks will lead to a very rough change in gears.

-Any model other than the 230e that you'd recommend
Had a 200 petrol with manual gearbox - it was ok. The 230E auto is streets ahead.

I'm looking at a 230e automatic

-Can they cope with traffic jams ? Yes, no problem, just ensure magnetic clutch on fan is working. It should engage when the temp guage is up nearly at 100.

-Is it easy to get parts ? Are there suppliers in Ireland ? Michael Moore's in Athlone had timing chain and tensioner within 24 hrs.

-Are the parts expensive ? Depends - consumables such as filters, etc are fine. The parts above came to 110E.

-Can the car be serviced easily by the owner ? Yes.

-Could you believe a mileage of < 100K on one of these from the late 70's (any telltale signs of being clocked ?)

At this age, I'd take any milage on the odometer with a pinch of salt. Buy the car based on its condition, not on mileage (unless it can be proven)

-Anyone know any links to any good buyers guides ?
Lots of W123 sites out there - I have some bookmarked on another PC - I'll post them later.

-Any issues with auto gearboxes? If the box changes smoothly, it should be fine. Check atf fluid - it should be a red colour. If its brown and has a burnt smell be wary.
Also, gear changes are controlled by a vacuum system - any leaks will lead to a very rough change in gears.

-Any model other than the 230e that you'd recommend
Had a 200 petrol with manual gearbox - it was ok. The 230E auto is streets ahead.

Bearcat

230 engine in the 123's....one of the most bomb proof engines of all time....once serviced , she'll go forever...

Seweryn

COB MGV8 wrote: »

I'm looking at a 230e automatic
-Can they cope with traffic jams ?
-Is it easy to get parts ? Are there suppliers in Ireland ?
-Are the parts expensive ?
-Can the car be serviced easily by the owner ?
-Could you believe a mileage of < 100K on one of these from the late 70's (any telltale signs of being clocked ?)
-Anyone know any links to any good buyers guides ?
-Anyone know a good Merc mechanic in Cork region who could check out a car for me ?
-Any issues with auto gearboxes?
-Any model other than the 230e that you'd recommend

Traffic jams are no problem. This car was tested for 8 years before the production started! Today any model would be replaced within that period of time.
Parts are easy to get. Not sure about Irish suppliers, I never needed anything more than oils, plugs filters and liquids (covered nearly 50k km).
Parts are rather cheap.
This car is very easy to service by a non-mechanic.
Buyers Guide... There is a lot on the web, try google.
I don't know any mechanic in Cork, I service my 123T myself.
Auto transmissions in these cars are very well made. If you change the ATF and filter, they go for ever.
Any other model... Diesel engined W123 is the best one in my opinion. I drive a 300TD (Wagon) and it is very efficient, reliable and you can carry a lot of stuff in it .

Blue850

You won't get a late 70's 230E, they were introduced in 81 iirc, previous 230 has the 2.3 carb engine from the W115, no ball of fire believe me, I have one in a W115

COB MGV8

Blue850 wrote: »

You won't get a late 70's 230E, they were introduced in 81 iirc, previous 230 has the 2.3 carb engine from the W115, no ball of fire believe me, I have one in a W115

Would I be better off with a 250 ? The pre 1980 is helping the economics...
The one I was looking at is advertised as an "e 230 elegance" - 1979

What other pre 1980 mercs would you consider under the same criteria as above - i.e daily driver, easy to maintan and get parts for etc ?

Seweryn

COB MGV8 wrote: »

Would I be better off with a 250 ? The pre 1980 is helping the economics...
The one I was looking at is advertised as an "e 230 elegance" - 1979

What other pre 1980 mercs would you consider under the same criteria as above - i.e daily driver, easy to maintan and get parts for etc ?

The 250 M123 was the worse engine in W123 line. Badly engineered, performance like in 230 and fuel economy like in 280.
For a daily driver probably the 240D or 300D would be my choice.

DF1

The vague steering is what has turned me off both 123's and 124's.
There seemed to be very little feedback from the steering in any I drove.
Definetely drive one before you buy.
Maybe theres a rack and pinion upgrade I dont know about.

Seweryn

DF1 wrote: »

The vague steering is what has turned me off both 123's and 124's.
There seemed to be very little feedback from the steering in any I drove.
Definetely drive one before you buy.
Maybe theres a rack and pinion upgrade I don't know about.

All 123s and 124s have recirculating ball type steering boxes. They are OK if maintained properly (play checked and adjusted regularly, say every 50k km) and if in good condition. 99% of cars that I came across were technically neglected and if you ad the mileage and wear and tear that is exactly what you are getting.

DF1

Seweryn wrote: »

All 123s and 124s have recirculating ball type steering boxes. They are OK if maintained properly (play checked and adjusted regularly, say every 50k km) and if in good condition. 99% of cars that I came across were technically neglected and if you ad the mileage and wear and tear that is exactly what you are getting.

So basically throw out the steering box and fit a new/recon unitand it should handle grand ?
This adjustment, if not done does it lead to free play in steering.
I drove a 124 200 and there seemed to be no free play in the steering but it still seemed vague to me.

Seweryn

DF1 wrote: »

So basically throw out the steering box and fit a new/recon unitand it should handle grand ?
This adjustment, if not done does it lead to free play in steering.
I drove a 124 200 and there seemed to be no free play in the steering but it still seemed vague to me.

It is not just the steering. W123 and W124 series are set up for comfortable ride and it compromises the handling. However, in W124 you may find the Sportline edition model which has lowered springs, thicker anti-roll bar, half inch wider rims, etc. and it is way sharper for handling than the standard car and still very comfortable (the steering box is unchanged as far as I know). I used to drive a 300TE-24 S124 and it had the factory sport chassis package and the handling was great in it.

74merc

A 115 would be a sharper drive than a 123, though obviously still no sports car!

MercMad

There is nothing wrong with the standard steering in a W123/124.The recirc.ball type does a fantastic job of insulating you from the roiad, thats what its designed to do, so you wont get the same feedback you get in a modern BMW...........and you probably wont miss it either as it adds to the overall refinement of the car.

The other have covered the bases really. I would just examine the body very carefully for corrosion and/or poor repair. Bodywork and anything shiny is expensive on a Merc but they will cope with big miles and rough roads very well indeed.

The W123 is proably the most over engineered car ever. I have driven 60's Mercs as my almost daily vehicle for 10 years now with only one breakdown ! Service parts are widely available and quite cheap, even main dealer parts.