WISE BUYER
Be it saloon, coupé, estate or cabrio, there’s a W124 for everyone
Why you want one
The E Class of 1984 marked a significant advance for Mercedes-Benz. Its elegant predecessor might have possessed a reputation for reliability, but it was long in the tooth by the Eighties. The new car captured the Merc magic formula of quality and understated elegance but with a modern twist and was a class-leader in terms of refinement from launch to production end in 1997. Although widely known as the W124, the chassis designations are S124 for the estate, C124 for the coupé body, and A124 for the cabriolet. All are very wise buys indeed – with values rising.
Early saloons and estates got engines ranging from 2.0, 2.3, 2.3 or 3-litres in petrol or diesel form. The coupé launched in the UK in 1987 and was powered by either the 2.3-litre single-overhead cam four-cylinder engine (230 CE) or a 3.0-litre straight-six (300 CE). A pokier-still 24-valve version (300CE-24) went on sale from 1989.
The cabriolet appeared in 1991 in Europe and the following year for the UK and rest of the world. The 1993 facelift saw side mouldings and grille surround become body coloured. The three-pointed star moved to the bonnet and engines were replaced by multivalve twin-cam M111 2.2-litre four and M104 3.2-litre six-cylinder engines. Sportline, an option on all cars from 1993, brought 7J instead of 6.5J wheels, lower-profile tyres, a half-inch lower ride height from shorter, stiffer springs, quick ratio steering, plus Sportline badging.
The Inspection
Legendary quality is assured but these cars are getting on a bit now, so you can forgive the odd rot spot. Notoriously, front wings rust from behind the indicators where a lip under the wing traps mud. From here the rot can spread to the wheelarch. Wings are bolt-on and about £200 each. Sorting rusty rear arches is not a big job but any painting needed behind the doors is a problem because the quarter panel runs up to the roof and over the doors without a swage line to paint up to. A small ding needing a touch-in, or a rusty arch may mean the whole rear quarter needs painting.
MARKET ANALYSIS
A saloon is the cheapest way into W124 ownership. Some regard them as a little plain and while they’re not quite as glamorous as the swankier body styles available, a saloon model in good condition can still command strong prices. So, while saloons, estates and coupés start at £1500, they will probably need a head gasket, wiring loom or front wings. Pay £4-£6k at auction for something decent, £8k for a really nice one. Cabrios generally start at £6k. Good cars at £10k, £15k for a stunner and £16-20k for a facelifted cabrio with fewer than 50k miles.
On 320s – but especially on any example that’s being offered for what is seemingly a bargain price – be on the look-out for a leaky cylinder head gasket. They can soldier on for a long time when partially failed, but will need attending to eventually. It’s not a difficult job for a DIY owner, but it’s about a £1000 at an independent specialist – nearer twice that at a main dealer. On a ‘six’, you’ll spot it first by oil leaks down the sides of the motor and the radiator header tank filling up. The 220s tend to be a bit hardier, and if they go, they manifest themselves by anti-freeze leaking down the back of the cylinder head. If you do a cylinder head gasket it makes sense to change the oil filter housing gasket at the same time, so check the service history to make sure that this has actually happened. All W124 engines use a cam chain rather than a cambelt, which has no specified replacement interval and should in theory last the lifetime of the car. Likewise, bottom ends are bulletproof, so full engine rebuilds are rare.
As well as those crusty front wings, there’s another W124 weakness and that’s the engine wiring looms. They degrade with time and the first thing you’ll notice is the engine misfiring. Looms run along the top of the power unit and feed the coils, which run two cylinders each. They can be repaired, but it costs about £1000 at a specialist – that’s about £700 for the loom itself and a couple of hours’ labour charge to fit it. Or you can have a crack yourself, as there is plenty of advice available for those who can do it themselves.
Springs corrode and the bottom coils can snap off, though they are at least easy to replace – expect a couple of hours’ labour for a specialist that uses the correct spring compressor. If the lower ball joints need replacement, you should attend to them at the same time because the springs need to come out first. Suspension strut top rubbers can perish with age and mileage, but this isn’t a common problem – the first things that go tend to be the front anti-roll-bar rubbers. Citroën-like rear self-levelling suspension with an under-bonnet pressurizing pump was available on some models, although unlike the traditional Citroën application, the Mercedes system had a fixed ride height and employed rear coil springs to maintain the static ride height when parked.
Don’t expect an overtly sporty drive – although the Sportline option is tauter and obviously the 3.2 six-cylinder cars are quicker. Some owners like to stiffen things up, with short springs and sportier dampers. As standard there were 16-inch alloy wheels but it’s possible to fit more modern items. Some owners fit AMG 18in rims that firm up the ride quite noticeably, but don’t go too far.
Inside the car, you don’t want to see an ABS alert or an airbag warning light staying on after firing up the engine. Likewise, check that the heated front seats operate as they should and that all the trim parts are there – they’re hard to find now. Seatbelt feeders (or ‘butlers’) on the coupé models can go wrong – it’s not the parts that are expensive but the time it takes to remove all the trim to get at them, especially when some of that trim may break. If they’re not working as expected, check the door switches in the A-pillars first – as well as working the interior lights they trigger the belt feeders and get damp and corroded. It’s therefore worth changing them first because they’re an easy and relatively cheap fix.
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