Daily classic

ddel

Due to a change in work location my max mileage in a week is going to be about 80km. This doesn't even factor in lifts, cycles and the odd run to/from work and days off. Simply put, we are going from a 2 car family to a 1.5 car family. I toyed with the idea of motor bike or always cycling, but we would need a 2nd car the odd time. The daily classic (with low tax and insurance) would be a great way to keep costs low and still have 4 wheels when necessary. I've done a good bit of trawling through the forum and the W123 seems to be the perfect fit, however, I need advice on the merc and suggestions of other cars that would be "nearly" as good as the 123, and hopefully cheaper....

Advice welcome.

gyppo

W123 230E auto should tick all your boxes - I've had one for 3 years now and its been totally reliable, except for a dodgy alternator. Parts are plentiful.

Downsides are high tax if its less than 30 years old, and they're on the thirsty side. Also, flaws that seem to be on most W123's are:
Saggy drivers seat,
vacuum central locking not working
Rust - can be anywhere, but pay attention to the inner and outer sills, jacking points, floor-pan, and bulkhead under the battery tray.

An alternative to the merc, but in the same vein would be an early volvo 244, with a manual gearbox. Auto's on these were supposed to be dreadful.
I just bought one of these recently, and its in the process of being recomissioned. Like the mercs, its a tank! However, parts for the earlier ones are getting difficult to get. Ebay will be your friend.

ddel

Thanks for the advice. Was not aware of the Volvo. Would people agree that an XJ6 would be a little expensive to buy/fix and possible more trouble than a 123? Also, do Audi or BMW have good cars from that era that might be as good but cheaper than a 123?? Only thought of that as they are German also.

Saying all that, 123's look stunning and I'd like the idea of keeping a work of art like that alive and in top condition for as long as possible

bijapos

W123 is a very safe bet, but as gyppo said they rust like hell. One good test is to jack the car up using the original car jack and listen very carefully for any crunching. Check the boot for any sign of water ingression, remove the carpets from the boot and the interior and sniff around for damp. There are plenty for sale so walk away if you are unsure.

You could also consider the 240D, slower than the 230E but if you're in no rush a nice cruiser. Or a Coupe? Access to the rear is good for a coupe and there is plenty of legroom for kids or adults on a shortish trip.

Other cars are the forerunner of the W123, the W114/W115 model. Very reliable too and some like myself prefer their more classical looks.

I had a few W114/W123's but in all honesty I think the BMW E28 is a much better car, the 524td will easily give you 45mpg+ on a long run but they weren't built till after 1983. The E28 petrol models were introduced in 1981 but are much rarer than the Mercs and you might have to consider going to the UK to get one, very reliable too and there is a good backup of spare parts. The E12 is its predecessor though its more expensive and only available as a petrol.

You could also consider a E24 which is based on the E12/28 and there are always a few for sale in Ireland.

Audi 100's are rare enough but a good buy, they are reliable from what I know though I've never owned one.

Others to consider are the Opel Rekord/Senator/Monza and Ford Granada Mk1 or Mk2.

I would leave the Jag unless you are well able to do small repairs yourself, I had one, a 1983 XJ 12, the Series III one, gorgeous car, lovely to drive but it was very complicated, very thirsty and had often a couple of niggles, get a 6 cylinder one if you are going for one of these.

alpina

bijapos wrote: »

You could also consider a E24 which is based on the E12/28 and there are always a few for sale in Ireland.

Have had one since '04 & not a single issue/fault to report, has walked through each NCT & yet to replace anything of expense. When driving, not a rattle to be heard anywhere. Pretty good testimony to both engine & build quality. Do attempt to buy as sound/looked after, as you can possibly stretch to whatever you eventually decide upon.

Happy hunting...

Muckie

Good idea OP.

In a similar situation myself, am presently fixing up a Mk 2 Cortina.

Great car to work on. If its ideas you want and what type of car you think

you'd be happest in head to your nearest Newsagent.

Retro classic or Classic Ford(in my case) are just a two magazines.

Hope you get the car your looking for.

lastsaturday

i've done exactly what you've done Ddel, and bought a classic as the 2nd car.

so, another model to look at is the '60's volvo's: - either the amazon, p1800 or 140.. all are readily available from the UK, or nearer, and parts are as plentiful and cheap as the beetle.

the cars can sit at 70mph all day long and are very comfortable...and make excellent daily drivers.

the best part about them is their bulletproof build. nothing goes wrong with them and if it does, they're simple and cheap to work on..

that said, the mercs and beemers of the same era are nice as well, tho, but parts are probably more expensive...

good luck in your search

ddel

Thanks for all the great advice. So much to think about now.

I'm shocked by the Volvo mentions. Actually have a '05 S80 as our main car and have a soft spot for the Volvos to start with! Never saw the amazons or p1800 before. Crazy how Volvo seems to have gotten less sleek over the years! The amazon has more curves than my S80!

mk1esc

is there not a limited mileage for a classic car???? cheap tax and insurance if the car is everyday i dont see this been possible???? i maybe wrong ......

corktina

did anyone ever get asked the current mileage on renewal? I didnt. If it is 1980 or newer there will be a record of the mileage on the NCT cert but otherwise....:D

ddel

Obviously I'm the newbie here, but I read the max is usually between 3k to 5k miles a year. My max of 50 miles a week, would give about 2,500 a year, so should be legal. Anyway - as Cortina said - can't see them checking!

shagman

Max is 10K miles per annum but is a good bit dearer (through first Ireland)

ddel

Have seen a few BMW 2002's for sale. Are they a solid enough/reliable machine?

Itsfixed

Yes, BMW 2002s are absolutely a good bet. I should declare a bias since I have one, and have owned two before that. But I've run it as a second car (but very low annual mileage) and its been very reliable for the past six years. Ditto the previous two.

If you need any advice or encouragement, join us over at BMWClassicsIreland.com, which caters for sharknose era beemers, including the e28 and 2002.

I'd also second an e28 or Volvo 144, but W123s are cool too. A friend has a nice Irish 240D which he bought recently, economical but very sloooowwwww.

best of luck with the search

JP 1800

Volvo Amazons and P1800 are very reliable car and they both share mechanicals. The biggest issue with these volvos is rust. The P1800 is a very rare car and expect to pay at least 8k upwards for a half decent example, buy on condition only as mechanical issues are easily fixed. I own a p1800 and a mercedes SLC and the only major problems I had with these cars are rust.

ddel

Haven't seen many Volvos to be honest. There seems to be a lot more mercs and bmws on the classic market. Also, 8k would be well (way) beyond my budget to be honest. I think I can get a fairly reliable/well kept classic for a lot less than that - or am I kidding myself?

JP 1800

What would your budget be, BMW and Mercedes of the vintage era are well engineered but like all classic cars rust is the issue. If you want a car that is sorted and not full of filler you will need to pay,. I have seen a lot of classics that look good on top and rotted on the bottom. If your around Dublin and want to look at a classic give me a shout and I can pass an eye over it before purchase.

ddel

I'm very bottom line about my budgets, so it's not just a "cash for car" budget. If it has tax/nct I'd pay more. Cost of transport, need for rear seatbelts, obvious repairs etc. would reduce the amount I'd pay.

Bottom line my figure would be 2k with a contingency of a few hundred for other costs or a good car. Max would then come to 2.5k.

I'm looking for a mechanically reliable machine, paper work, with no (or little) rust, but it can be a little rough and ready - small dents, worn seats, etc. I'm not looking for a show car.

Am I being crazy? I'm factoring in that the market for classics is depressed at the moment and if I need to sell on in the next few years I know it'll be impossible, so I need to be realistic when I'm buying.

Blue850

You'll find it difficult to get a NCT exempt Merc for your budget, but if you don't mind having to NCT it and having to pay 2.0 litre tax until its 30, this doesn't look too bad for the money

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/2613510