OWNER ninetytwo (400E)

[ninetytwo]

Hello 400E forum,

I am expecting my Signal Red 1993 to arrive on Saturday from the previous owner so I thought I should introduce myself. I grew up with designs from Bruno Sacco and Jan Wilsgaard rolling around my town and developed a strong affinity for turquoise W124s, dark blue R129s, and red 240 wagons.

After giving up on keeping my problem-plagued C107 a few years ago, I decided to find another MB stablemate for my R129. Enter the 400E. I wanted a wagon and searched high and low for one that had not been driven into the ground. Then I drove a 500E. I loved the fender flares and deeper bumpers/side skirt but (heresy forewarning) the gearing didn't appeal to my intended use....autobahn use, yes, Mass Pike/Maine Turnpike, well yes but only with the Romulan cloaking device on.

After monitoring Bring a Trailer and just about every other outlet, I found this 400E with 35,000 miles and with a rather cool previous owner. The only option I wish it had are heated seats but it won't be a winter driver. I've done my research but I'm sure I'll be back with questions about this and that.

 

[gsxr]

Re: New Member/400E Owner

Congrats on the purchase, and welcome to the forum. Sounds like a nice 400E in a rare color. Is the interior cream or black? I'm guessing no ASR either.

About the 500E gearing... I assume you know the 500E has 2.82 differential gears, while the USA/Japan spec 400E has 2.24 gears. Wasn't sure if you felt the 500E was geared too low, or didn't like the 2nd-gear start...?

 

[ninetytwo]

Re: New Member/400E Owner

Thank you for the welcome, gsxr. The interior 265 Cream Beige. It does have ASR as well as the rear sunshade, which I quite like. Its interesting you referred to the color as rare. That was my impression as well. Every 400/500 that I found over the span of about a year was always black, white, or silver. It seems like the I6s were ordered in a wider range of colors, at least for my sample size.

As for the differential gearing, I like the 2.24 for highway driving more than 2.82. The 2nd gear start is part of it, too. The 400E hits the sweet spot for me.

 

[a777fan]

Welcome nintey!

Did you purchase through BAT? I eagerly looked for photos on their site, but found none.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gsxr]

Re: New Member/400E Owner

As for the differential gearing, I like the 2.24 for highway driving more than 2.82. The 2nd gear start is part of it, too. The 400E hits the sweet spot for me.

Keep in mind the differential swap is all plug & play... you can put the 2.24 diff into a 500E, with first-gear start. I think at least one or two forum members have done this. Great for high speed cruising. Something to keep in mind if you ever want to upgrade to the 036.

 

[ninetytwo]

Welcome nintey!

Did you purchase through BAT? I eagerly looked for photos on their site, but found none.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you, a777fan! Not through BAT, I found this one on Hemmings. https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz/400e/2082066.html#&gid=1&pid=32

It was interesting timing. The car's history wasn't the motivating factor (though very cool); It was the condition and mileage. I had only been able to find 500Es with 100k+ more miles and silly prices (thanks to the recent sales of barely-driven examples.) Most were silver with cracked clear coats or black on black. When I came across the gleaming red thumbnail photo on Hemmings, it wasn't long before I was talking with the owner.

I adore the idea of "saving" a 124 and bringing it back to life but the reality of part hunting, P/N searches, and all the time sunk into it isn't practical right now. I'm currently looking for the 2nd phase of the pre-facelift European headlights and Aero I wheels and finding that stressful enough for the moment.

gsxr: I had read about those swaps. Its great that its a possibility. Actually when I was looking for a 036, that was part of the overall plan. Maybe in the future. As I'm sure many people here can relate to, there was a point when my car fandom began to consume too much time. My hope is that this mint 400E won't need anything other than maintenance for a while.

Saturday is the big day. I wanted to go down to Florida to pick her up but without knowing the status of the wiring harness and fluids, I didn't want to put it through that drive. Plus I'd like to find a more scenic route for the first road trip.



ADMIN EDIT: Hemmings ad & photos copied below for posterity:

1993 Mercedes-Benz 400E Sedan

VIN = WDBEA34E1PB944669

Quite possibly the nicest one available anywhere! Consider that this is a California Car, purchased brand new by Actress Shirley Temple, a 400 E (rare V-8) power plant and has just 35,000 original miles.

The condition is top notch with beautiful original red paint and tan leather seating. Everything works as it should including air conditioning, power seats, windows, door locks and sun roof. The car drives as good as it looks with smooth power delivery from the brawny V-8 275 HP motor. If you are not concerned with adding mileage, this Benz would be a great road trip car eating up miles effortlessly.

As an adult, Shirley Temple was named United States ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States. The sale comes with an Embassy Flag that affixes to the front bumper that was used during actual embassy visits.

The Mercedes is priced to sell given the model, condition and ownership history.

Price: $25,000 negotiable​

 

[ninetytwo]

Admin- thank you for the edit. It is much more elegant (and convenient) to have the listing displayed in the thread.

 

[Jlaa]

Nice one! The original window sticker shows that this car was sold just 30 min south of me - in Redwood City!

 

[Stevester 500E]

This is a very nice looking car and it will look very nice with 17" AMG Aero I wheels.

 

[ninetytwo]

Jlaa, I'm happy to hear that the dealership still exists.

Steevester, thanks! The Aero I wheels are by far my top AMG wheel. I have EVOIIs on my R129 and they look just right. From what I can tell sifting through forums and the W124 Performance site, there are some modifications required for fitting these wheels. Is that correct?

 

[Stevester 500E]

If it is the 17" AMG Aero I, one piece wheels, there are no modifications needed.
I would suggest getting a good set for refinishing and send them out to the Wheel Collision Center in PA.
Members have had good result at Wheel Collision Center PA.

I just bought a premerger set and am going to send them out to Wheel Collision Center.

Jlaa, I'm happy to hear that the dealership still exists.

Steevester, thanks! The Aero I wheels are by far my top AMG wheel. I have EVOIIs on my R129 and they look just right. From what I can tell sifting through forums and the W124 Performance site, there are some modifications required for fitting these wheels. Is that correct?

 

[ninetytwo]

Thank you, Stevester. Do you happen to know the PN for the one piece wheels? I am envisioning them as simply not having the spoke-to-outer rim bolts for a visual identification?

 

[gsxr]

Steevester, thanks! The Aero I wheels are by far my top AMG wheel. I have EVOIIs on my R129 and they look just right. From what I can tell sifting through forums and the W124 Performance site, there are some modifications required for fitting these wheels. Is that correct?

Modifications needed will depend on the exact width / offset if the wheel you are considering, and the tire size. Some people like to under-size the tire to help with clearance but I personally think that kinda defeats the purpose of wider wheels. But, you are the one who will be looking at the car all the time (and driving it!) so whatever you prefer overrules forum muppet opinions.

In general if you are going wider than 7.5" you may need to fiddle with the fender lips, if the car is lowered. At stock ride height, if you don't corner hard, trail brake, or have lots of passengers/luggage... you might be ok. You can poke through the AMG wheel fitment PDF's at this link:

http://www.w124performance.com/docs/mb/wheels/AMG_124_wheel_installation/

The Aero wheels are, IIRC, known as "Styling II" and if so you'd prefer the 17x7.5 ET35 version. The 8.5 rears will require major fender rolling. I'm not a fan of 18's on a standard 124 but the 8.0 ET31 could work with significant mods all around.

 

[ccrelan]

Any of the 17" wheels look great on a normal W124, but weigh a ton compared to the stock wheels. The steering feel suffers and you have to deal with the fitment/rubbing. In my opinion, 16" wheels are the way to go. I realize that this may put me in the minority, but think CLK 16" lightweight wheels are tough to beat.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Great looking car, very rare to see these in red indeed, congrats on the purchase!

Regards,
D

 

[gsxr]

Any of the 17" wheels look great on a normal W124, but weigh a ton compared to the stock wheels. The steering feel suffers and you have to deal with the fitment/rubbing. In my opinion, 16" wheels are the way to go. I realize that this may put me in the minority, but think CLK 16" lightweight wheels are tough to beat.

I agree 100%, and have the CLK flyweights on my wife's E420 daily driver. Some people don't like the looks but at 14 lbs, I don't care. Downside is these are expensive since the VW crowd discovered them.

In general, I like factory 16x7.0 or 16x7.5 wheels for standard 124 and street use... usually zero mods (fender rolling, etc) needed. And the 16's are lighter, and ride smoother. The W202 C280 Sport wheels look pretty nice and are very light too (~18 lbs), pic attached from many moons ago on my white '87 300D. For more serious performance use, the 17's are nice for the shorter sidewall, but you always have that tradeoff. If you are more concerned about appearance than tearing up the local autocross, the extra weight is irrelevant. Have to decide what is most important for your needs.

 

[ninetytwo]

Duh_Vinci: Thank you kindly! I wasn’t aware of how rare red 124s were until it was mentioned here. I have a decent photographic memory of cars and I have to say I can only easily count two other red 124s that I have seen in the US at least. I love the contrast with the pre-94 monochromatic bumper change. Passion Red 1st gen Volvo S60Rs with the black trim are another perfect combo in my mind.

Ccrelan: Good to know, thank you. I think 15/16” is the right spot for sure. I'm amazed at how much some of the "performance" wheels can weight. My indie shop in Massachusetts had a customer's CLK AMG black series a few years ago that had some sort of aftermarket carbon fiber wheels that only weight 11lbs each and probably cost more than the depreciated car itself.

Gszr: Thank you for the link. I may have mistyped my favorite wheel. ET25 7x15

http://www.alloywheelsdirect.net/me..._class_124_alloys/15_amg_monoblock_wheel_1261

I see them more often on C126s. My hopes are that this wheel will strike the right balance, especially with no modifications necessary. Sourcing them will be another matter….

That 124 looks good with the CLK wheels. Interesting that they fit VWs. Classic California plate, too!