Anyone Into Old Mercedes?

[SoCal Sam]

My new ride. Got a decent deal on a 1999 Mercedes E430 Sport. This is a 2 owner California car so no rust. Body is straight and paint appears to be all original.

Car weighs about 3,700 pounds and makes 275 hp from an all aluminum 4.3L V8 so a step up in performance. Interestingly, it is SOHC with 3V just like Mustangs and F150's. There are no cam phasers so no sleepless nights.

There is a long list of broken stuff that I have already started on. So far, I've replaced PSE air pump for central locking, gear selector assembly because of non-op gear position module, a window regulator, and a door mirror. Leather seats are ripped. Seats over-complicated. My cover change is not going well.

I'm stocking up on clean parts. W210 Mercs are plentiful in the self serve yards so finding most parts are not a problem. I'll eventually get a set of ignition coils, and some other hard to find items. E430 has unique front brakes so they are expensive. I will pick rotors and pads whenever available.

 

[Mrv8q]

Fun! I believe these are pre-soy wire MBs, so no worries there!

Enjoy in good health, SCS!

 

[SoCal Sam]

Fun! I believe these are pre-soy wire MBs, so no worries there!

Enjoy in good health, SCS!

Pre-soy, lol. I read somewhere that Mercedes used bio degradable wire covers from 1991 to 1996. Of course, wire would crumble on perfectly good cars causing endless gremlins and early retirement.

 

[LF240]

I read somewhere that Mercedes used bio degradable wire covers from 1991 to 1996.

I've often wondered why Mercedes didn't learn from Volvo's mistake. Volvo ditched the soy (great term!) wiring in '87 and yet four years later Mercedes begins using it. Maybe Mercedes was trying a different flavor of the same stuff?

 

[GChief]

Pics didnt load for me. Have fun!
Had a couple W126's great cars.

Edit: pics loaded

 

[nolasally]

Good luck. At least you can turn a wrench and source parts from boneyards. Likely the only way to affordably drive an old Benz. The only Benz I’d consider is a diesel powered one from the 80’s or I do like the looks and price of 97-01 SL500.

 

[petes'picks]

I test drove one of those many years ago, one of the best riding/driving cars I ever drove and still better than current sedans under $40k IMHO. Good thing you are a do it yourselfer or it would get real $$$ real fast.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Good luck. At least you can turn a wrench and source parts from boneyards. Likely the only way to affordably drive an old Benz. The only Benz I’d consider is a diesel powered one from the 80’s or I do like the looks and price of 97-01 SL500.

One nice thing about buying from pick-a-parts is price for German parts is the same as for American parts.

I test drove one of those many years ago, one of the best riding/driving cars I ever drove and still better than current sedans under $40k IMHO. Good thing you are a do it yourselfer or it would get real $$$ real fast.

I enjoy piecing together a fixer with junkyard parts. Online knowledge base for Mercedes is excellent so there are few problems that can't be solved. The stuff I have already fixed would have cost thousands. Today, I replaced console switch cluster with a $25 Mercedes part from the junkyard. The same part costs $375 at the dealer. I also replaced a few bulbs in the instrument cluster. Also changed brake light bulb. This could easily have topped $500 at the dealer.

 

[1koolcat]

My first taste of "old Mercedes" was our neighbor back in the late 1960s - he owned two 190D sedans with the stylish tail fins. He later upgraded to a 1974 240D sedan which I got to drive once I had my license. I always dug the styling of the old models.

I once owned (and loved) a 2001 M-B E320 4MATIC sedan for a number of years before selling it on to a friend. With the right all season tires it would plow through 6" of fresh snow like a champ. I was enthralled with the mono windshield wiper and oval headlights. I did some minor maintenance myself. It had 12 sparkplugs in the V6 engine (plus 12 wires). A full set replacement cost over $200! However, with that car I could achieve 28mpg long distances at 70-75mph.

I currently own a 2014 M-B C300 4MATIC SPORT sedan with the 3.5L V6. It's rides and drives a little different than the E320, but is very impressive in its own right. It has more power than the E320 engine and with direct fuel injection can achieve 30-32mpg on the highway.

 

[usedto]

My 80s 300D parts I got for next to nothing from government surplus sales have done quite well for me. Keep that old iron on the road!!!!!

 

[gadget73]

I was honestly expecting an 80s or earlier car when I saw "Old Mercedes" in the thread title. One more year and that '99 can run historic plates in NJ though.

I rather like the W123 and W114 cars, they just have a nice classic look.

 

[SoCal Sam]

I was honestly expecting an 80s or earlier car when I saw "Old Mercedes" in the thread title. One more year and that '99 can run historic plates in NJ though.

I rather like the W123 and W114 cars, they just have a nice classic look.

Point taken. California is also 25 years but there is a merit aspect to this designation. Car must be of historical significance which the W210 is not. And there is $700 annual registration fee which is robbery compared to regular $110 fee.

W123 and W114 are very cool but would be impossible for me to restore and maintain. There are very few donor cars.

 

[gadget73]

NJ is the opposite, we get a one-time $42 registration on historics, then I renew it for $0 every 2 years so I have incentive to tag things with historic plates when I can. Standard reg on the Town Car is $78 a year, the other two are $42 a year. They get classic insurance too, the three of them per year cost about the same as 6 months basic liability on my truck.

 

[MuseChaser]

We've had an '88 W107 (560SL) for almost 20 years. A very pretty car, and reliable after a couple years of getting her sorted through some major headaches. Not much fun to drive compared to a real sports car.. incredibly fast, but handles like an Olds Delta 88. It's our "date night" car. Also have a 2006 ML500. These will be our last Mercedes.

 

[nolasally]

Its remarkable how bad fuel economy those v8 benz's had...including the 420sel's

 

[SoCal Sam]

Its remarkable how bad fuel economy those v8 benz's had...including the 420sel's

I'm not impressed with the gas mileage. It's about the same as my Crown Vic but at the least the Vic takes regular. It's premium only for the Merc.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Another day of tinkering. Got the fob trunk release to work. There is a chafed wire in the trunk harness that I could not find. However, when I jostled the harness, the short cleared and it works. The issue will likely come back.

 

[nolasally]

@SoCal Sam My statement wasnt meant to your newer benz. It was in regards to @MuseChaser 560sl. That and the 420sel got abysmal fuel enonomy!

560 12/16 mpg on premium...
420 14/17 mpg on premium
300 6cyl. 15/17 mpg!!
300-350 SD 19/23mpg

All above except the SD Diesel above put up worse hwy #'s than you in city #'s!

E430 19/26 mpg on premium

 

[Bone Yard]

I still have my first car a 66 230S with an interesting history, it was originally from Hawaii, the owner was a major-general. You want to have real fun try working on dual Zenith 35/40 Carbs....

 

[Johnno_Oz]

My new ride. Got a decent deal on a 1999 Mercedes E430 Sport. This is a 2 owner California car so no rust. Body is straight and paint appears to be all original.

Car weighs about 3,700 pounds and makes 275 hp from an all aluminum 4.3L V8 so a step up in performance. Interestingly, it is SOHC with 3V just like Mustangs and F150's. There are no cam phasers so no sleepless nights.

There is a long list of broken stuff that I have already started on. So far, I've replaced PSE air pump for central locking, gear selector assembly because of non-op gear position module, a window regulator, and a door mirror. Leather seats are ripped. Seats over-complicated. My cover change is not going well.

I'm stocking up on clean parts. W210 Mercs are plentiful in the self serve yards so finding most parts are not a problem. I'll eventually get a set of ignition coils, and some other hard to find items. E430 has unique front brakes so they are expensive. I will pick rotors and pads whenever available.

My "new" car ever since my early 30's has been an older Mercedes (around 12 years) with low miles and a good service record. Hasn't failed me yet. Most of them at this age have depreciated to 10% of original sticker price. Bankers, lawyers, accountants and retirees have been good sources. And contrary to popular opinion easy to work on and the parts won't break the bank.

I had a W210 E430....fabulous car. It was my best until my CLK500, the block was bullet proof the paint looked new after 20 years.




Followed the E430 with a CLK500 (same block) sold it recently with 290,000km trouble free on the motor. Quite a few other bits were beginning to fail though. It used to EAT Subaru WRXs off the line. Sold this recently.



Have held onto these two.


I'm restoring a Volvo at the moment, this will be next I put 200,000km on this one and didn't trade it in.This is the photo of the day I bought it in 2002.