Ot: Bill R.- Winfred- anyone who knows Mercedes

[E34 530]

Can any of you identify this Mercedes model?? I was in my Grandma's town (very wealthy area, but it's "old money," so all the people were 80's yuppies if you know what I mean. There's so many sweet old cars up there that just sit in drivways because now all the rich old people have new Audi's, Lexus', Mercedes. etc., but they never seem to get rid rid of the old cars lol. ) There was no badge on the back and I should have just looked in the door sill for the model, but I didn't think of it and it was pretty dark, so I probably wouldn't have been able to see it anyway. It hasn't been used in a long time because the trees growing around it looked like they haven't been cut in 3 years and I remeber seeing it there years before I even had my license. It had sweet 80's looking rims, (possibly factory AMG or even ARE's??) I wouldn't have even made this post until I saw this in the interior:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/ripcurl530/2006_0701Image0024.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/ripcurl530/2006_0701Image0025.jpg

Aren't the standard transmission rare in the Mercedes?? Anyway thanks for your help and sorry for the long description.- Andrew

[angrypancake]

whoa stick shift mercedes is no joke. isnt there only one modern one thats stick? when i was valeting last summer i got to mess with it, 6 speed short shifter. not as fun as a 540i/6 though.

[E34 530]

whoa stick shift mercedes is no joke. isnt there only one modern one thats stick? when i was valeting last summer i got to mess with it, 6 speed short shifter. not as fun as a 540i/6 though.

yeah, I think it's that c230 sport or something. I want it now :D . Don't know about you guys, but I'm such a sucker for the older Mercedes, such as the 560 sec, any 1970's or 80's convertible, and even the long ass sel sedans. (something about the 560 sec just screams I have 9 kilos of coke and a dead hooker in the trunk. It just looks so mafia, especially with the factory AMG body kit.)

[angrypancake]

hahaha funny story, parked a 540i/6 last summer. guy wouldnt get out of the passenger seat (he was obviously coked out of his mind) turns out he had 5kg in the trunk. wow. tipped me $100 to keep my mouth shut.

[E34 530]

lol, that's sweet. I would have taken him to the cleaners to see how high he would go before deciding to kill me.

[genphreak]

Guys it's a 230CE. The steeering wheel is a good improvement, but the pedals don't look so trick... I've driven a nice 230E 4 door of the same era and for an economical Merc it was very very nice.

Solid body, sharp feeling and not as boatish as it looks. The 2-door CE is a bit weird- but the euro 280E headlights improve the look no end. Nice wheels really helps- something big and shiny I reckon. :)

[Tiger]

That's a W123 coupe alright... Now as far as the model, I can't tell unless you look at the engine. Diesel or Gas... it can be 300CD (very rare), 300CE, etc.

If it is not euro model with VIN starting with W123XXXXXXXXX etc.. then you can punch it in Carfax to identify the model of the car...

[Jon K]

Wouldn't the tachometer be a tell-tale as to whether its gas or diesel? Surely a gas motor would have a higher RPM vs diesel.

[winfred]

with the econ gauge it's definatly a gasser, 4 cylinder it's a slow turd, dohc 6 cyl it's a gas sucking valve train eating slow turd, looks like a converted euro car and those can have some interesting suprises, like the "side impact reinforcement" bars added to the doors usually look like **** that was laying around the dock and wedged in the door and booger welded when the car rolled off the ship, if it's 1981 and newer it may not have that abortion of a hvac servo that's usually mounted behind the right headlight, they take a **** about every 4-5 years and cost $450-1500 depending on where you get it plus another $150-200 for the amp that usually frys when the servo seizes, ignition control modules are a bitch to look up on euro's and fairly common on the menu, the 110 dohc 2 valve inline 6 cylinder that came in the 280's is among the worst pieces of **** mercedes ever wedged under the hood of a car imho

[winfred]

not really much difference in the redline, 5k vs 5500-6000 depending on motor, the turbo diesels are the only diesels that had tach's the others just had a huge clock there, the vacuum gauge in the bottom of the multi gauge tells me it's a gas motor


Wouldn't the tachometer be a tell-tale as to whether its gas or diesel? Surely a gas motor would have a higher RPM vs diesel.

[Mr._Graybeard]

The front bumper looks Euro-spec, which it almost certainly is, and a gasser judging from the economy gauge. It is indeed either a 230ce or 280ce. If it's a 280 it has Mercedes' M110 twin-cam 6, and probably in euro trim -- which means it's a much stronger engine than the emissions-choked US version, yielding about 185 hp. It's still a somewhat troubled engine (cam/valve train wear was a big problem) but it's no stone. The 230 is far less desirable.

Most of the gray-market W123 gas coupes were imported before the diesel coupes in the US market got the turbo engine in 1982, which is also the period in which Mercedes used the feared and despised Chrysler climate control servo. However, while the steering wheel obscures the climate controls, I'd guess this is a manual system. That's judging from the fact that it has manual window cranks. Bet it also lacks air conditioning.

Some of these cars came with a 5-speed -- a very hard-to-find option. On one of the Mercedes forums this year a member was selling a clean 280ce with 5-speed for $8000, and the general consensus was that it was well worth the price. Judging from the pix, it looked like a show-winner.

I notice that the rocker trim on the front fenders is missing. The lower front fenders have some great rust traps, and it can spread quickly into the rockers/jacking points and then into the floor and frame rails. Mercedes really laid on the undercoating to minimize road noise, and the metal can rust badly underneath it with minimal damage showing.

[phildg2000]

Hi Andrew. The Mercedes you saw is the W123 model which was made from 1976 to 1985. This particular unit doesn't seem to be a standard U.S. version car. The coupes were considered luxury models and would have all the options (power windows, auto tranny, climate control, tachometer, - all of which this car does not have.). It does have the U.S. headlights and bumpers. That car seems to be a diesel based on the glow plug indicator on the dashboard. Hope this helps.

Philip

[Tiger]

Can't believe it! You guys are genius... tach... econ gauge... and now glow plug light!!! Looks like a diesel. Car look in good shape... a little TLC and bring back to former glory... and it is a sweet car...

Good catch on the power windows, etc... seems to be an Euro car... grey market car... so the VIN should be W123xxxxxxxxxxx. Should have all the EPA stickers at the door jambs and so on... Owner should have all the conversion paperworks.

[winfred]

i didn't catch the glow plug light at first, something is a miss, glow plug light a econ gauge and no tach, something got changed in the cluster, the tach is optional depending on model but the other two don't go together

[Mr._Graybeard]

Yep, I bet the original oil pressure gauge started leaking (BTDT) so a previous owner replaced the whole oil/temp/fuel cluster with whatever was available from the scrapyard. Of course, that patchwork could extend to the entire instrument panel, and the glow plug light is what's non-functional! Wish I was able to have a peek under the hood...

[E34 530]

lol, didn't think there were going to be this many replies, thanks guys. Do you think the thing is worth persuing?? Next time I go to the Grandmas I will try to find the owner, get a shot of the engine and see whats up.

[winfred]

i wouldn't screw with it personally but then i don't like benzes, if it's a gas car and it's been sitting many years unless you have tons of money and time run like hell the fuel system will be useless from the tank to the injectors (plus whatever made them park the car will still be broken) if it's diesel then it would be much easyer to bring back to life mechanically, rust is one thing and if it has ac and weather you ever want it to work again is another (depending on what system it has, the automatic is expensive and problematic) the braking system will most likely be scrap too but repopped calipers can be had for around a bill a piece, euro cars requier a certain amount to voodoo to get parts for i know i've been dealing with them for 10 years and you need to know what usa cars have the same part (which isn't always obvious) as theres little to no coverage for the euro cars


Do you think the thing is worth persuing??

[E34 530]

i wouldn't screw with it personally but then i don't like benzes, if it's a gas car and it's been sitting many years unless you have tons of money and time run like hell the fuel system will be useless from the tank to the injectors (plus whatever made them park the car will still be broken) if it's diesel then it would be much easyer to bring back to life mechanically, rust is one thing and if it has ac and weather you ever want it to work again is another (depending on what system it has, the automatic is expensive and problematic) the braking system will most likely be scrap too but repopped calipers can be had for around a bill a piece, euro cars requier a certain amount to voodoo to get parts for i know i've been dealing with them for 10 years and you need to know what usa cars have the same part (which isn't always obvious) as theres little to no coverage for the euro cars

alright, thanks for your help man. I'll still see what engine it has in it next time i get up there though. I have no money, I'm 18 ;) .

[Mr._Graybeard]

Hi Andrew --
It depends on what you want out of the car. This vehicle will NOT drive like your 530 (duh). The steering is imprecise by modern standards, and the body has a floatier feel than any BMW I've ever driven. If it's a diesel without a turbo, you may find the acceleration fails to meet your needs on an expressway traveled by agressive leadfoots. It'll be fine around town.

I drive an '82 300td a few times a week on a 90-mile highway commute. I also own a retired '82 300cd. Both have turbochargers, and I wouldn't drive a diesel without one. The turbo engine has ~120 horsepower. The NA motor ... uh, less.

MB diesels are gaining popularity among biofuel enthusiasts who burn waste vegetable oil from restaurants (the engines are very fuel tolerant). Luddites appreciate them for their total lack of engine management electronics. Everything operates on the basis of levers and/or vacuum.

You'll probably find the car needs a full suspension rebuild. The motor WILL leak black oil on the driveway. And rust is taking a terrible toll on these cars. Again, the undercoating will conceal cancerious rust -- you have to test the body by poking at it with an awl or a screwdriver if you have the slightest suspicion about the integrity of the metal.

On the plus side, they're very comfortable cars for long commutes when the seats are in decent shape, and the seats are easy to repair. Legroom is vast.
They're basically very easy to maintain and parts are widely available, although they're getting more expensive than they used to be.

There's also a large enthusiast following associated with the W123s -- there's no repair that hasn't been done by a shadetree mechanic, and they're happy to share their knowledge. It's a funny, kind of pocket-protector/retired military crowd, but a likeable one.

[joshua43214]

There will be a steel plate riveted on the core support with a bunch of numbers, among those will be the chassis number. 116,123,etc...
a glance at the engine will tell you whether its a deisal or not.

manual transmissions where fairly common on diesel models in the 70's.

[genphreak]

That's a W123 coupe alright... Now as far as the model, I can't tell unless you look at the engine. Diesel or Gas... it can be 300CD (very rare), 300CE, etc.

If it is not euro model with VIN starting with W123XXXXXXXXX etc.. then you can punch it in Carfax to identify the model of the car...Are you sure they made the coupe in a diesel? If so it could only be a 240CD. Didn't the 300 series W123 diesels share the nicer headlamps with the top of the range 280E models?

I doubt a 300D would have such a seriosuly mong-looking headlight setup, but then again I doubted a coupe would be made with a Diesel motor before I saw this one! Those lamps are really, really awful.

[winfred]

most of the coupes i've seen are 300 diesels, never seen or herd of a 240 though, as for head lights it's a euro conversion so someone chucked (or sold them to a guy like me, i've had a **** load of euro lights over the years and they use to sell like hotcakes) the all glass lights for the us sealed beams, all of the us cars had the same lights the only difference was the fogs went from clear to yellow around 81


Are you sure they made the coupe in a diesel? If so it could only be a 240CD. Didn't the 300 series W123 diesels share the nicer headlamps with the top of the range 280E models?

I doubt a 300D would have such a seriosuly mong-looking headlight setup, but then again I doubted a coupe would be made with a Diesel motor before I saw this one! Those lamps are really, really awful.

[ILoveMPower]

Wouldn't the tachometer be a tell-tale as to whether its gas or diesel? Surely a gas motor would have a higher RPM vs diesel.

Not really, my buddy has a turbodiesel jetta that goes right up to 5500 rpms.

Aren't the eta E30's only 5k?

[Jon K]

Yeah but uh, a Jetta 1.8T goes to 6500 or so, and a 2.0L goes to the same... so isn't 5500 different than 6500?

[winfred]

4700-5000 depending on year


Aren't the eta E30's only 5k?