OWNER Niklas32 (300E-24)

[Niklas32]

Hello everyone again!

Today I want to show you my 300E-24, that I bought in late 2024 and share it´s story and all the work that was done to it.
VIN: WDB1240311B369854
The car is a one-owner car, which you think might be good, turns out it wasn´t.
I bought it with 173.000Kms, it now sits at 182.000.

I was searching for a Benz that could replace my current daily driver at that time, a 190E 2.0.
I wanted a 24V specifically with the 717.450 manual transmission. It took a long time find a suitable car.

But finally I found one on ebay. Listed for 6000€, it had just a phone number and the text "aus Rentnerhand", which means it was owned by an old person. Turns out the listing was made by a friend of the seller, so after quite some time on the phone I managed to get a hold of its location and a date to take a look at it.
The Benz was located only 1hr away from my home in Wuppertal, so I drove over there. The seller was really nice, he had another Benz aswell and a pre-ww2 car that I couldn´t identify.
After an adventurous walk over to the barn where the Benz sat, I saw it standing there next to some cows. The trunk still filled with stuff from the flea market that he frequently sells stuff at. After we got the car out of there and cleaned up, I could take a good look at it. Unfortunately it was worse than on the pictures: rust behind the chrome wheel arch plates and very loud ticking and timing chain noises.
We did a test drive through some agricultural paths anyways. It ended up breaking down after a not so short time and it wouldn´t start back up. 20mins later we arrived back at the house.
I made an offer of 3000€ and left. Later on we agreed on 4000€ purchase price, which was quite a fair deal, for a car that still has it´s original purchase contract. Also: the rear axle was completely overhauled in 2016, so it drove quite well and it was absolutely rust free there! The previous owner spent 20k on the car in the last 10 years, which I can´t really comprehend, but I guess that is life.

I need to clear something up: the actual "one-owner" was a longterm friend of the seller who had to sell the car because of his worsening dementia. He bought the car new, because he had a paper company for which he had to travel a lot. He bought the 24V, because he wanted to be at his destination fast and the manual because it had a 5th gear (little did he know the 5th gear is direct drive and not really designed for fuel efficiency).
The seller didn´t register the car at all an only drove about 2000kms. So yes, it is one-owner .



Here after we just pushed it out.


Here on the trailer, which wasn´t an easy task at all, took all day to get the towtruck back.

Little did I know that the biggest part of the adventure was still ahead...

First up was diagnosing and finding out what the car needs. I tore off the pelt seat covers and the chrome wheel arch lining, which exposed some not so nice things.


Seats do look pristine underneath.


But that does not look so great. (I still need to adress that).

Firstly tho, I needed to take care of its issue of cutting out after some while. Quickly narrowed it down to the ignition distributor. And it was correct, it was full of oil.
So, new seal and ignition parts it was!


Just love to see it.


The engine really doesnt look that great, I will fix that later.


New plugs.


New backplate.


New coil.


And new airfilter.


Looks like an engine with 250.000kms on the clock.


Little tight with the fan still on, but it wouldn´t budge, so I left it alone.


All sealed back up. Spoiler: that won´t be the last time.


All back together with new distributor and cleaned parts. Also checked the cam variator, which was functioning fine.

"while in there" I had the valvecover and airfilter housing cover powdercoated.


Just looks amazing.

Also some new brakes are in order, the old ones were past it.



Now the car runs fine, no more dying after 10mins. It still did a lot of rattling and clanking tho. And another more serious problem: it burned oil a lot. Blue smoke from the exhaust and everything.
First was TÜV, it passed without issues (which suprised me, because of the blue smoke).
And now I had to decide: sell it for a small profit or rebuilt it and make it mechanically sound and reliable? Answer is obvious I think!

So I made a shopping list: timing chain, tensioner, chainguides, seals, hydraulic lifters, valve stem seals, visco clutch and a whole lot more.


Of course, only the best parts, original or original manufacturer. This is just a small part.

Back on jack stands it was:

Not the ideal weather conditions maybe... Still powered though on some warmer days (and the snowing actually came in later).

Tore everything apart again. The fan gave me a very hard time, didn´t want to come off at all. Ended up breaking the bearing it is attached to and its pulley (and of course the clutch itself). Luckily the car doesn´t have aircon, doing all that with the condenser in the way would have been a nightmare.


Just all really dirty and oily.


Like damn..


Still took everything off. I cut off the chain, took out the Cams, the guides and the accessory parts.


I had a lot of parts to change and to clean.

I began with the lower part of the M104. I replaced the chain and the chainguides, some seals and refreshed some parts.




Just a simple coat of paint.


Then all back together. Only wayyy cleaner this time. (the lower seal of the upper timing case had torn).

Now the hard part: the valve stem seals. Putting pressured air into the cylinder and pressing down the valve by hand. Not an easy job, when u have 2 springs per valve. Also after every cylinder the engine has to be rotated, to avoid hitting the top of the piston and locked in position so it doesn´t turn on you (def didn´t happen at all to me).


That was extremely tedious, also the stupid lever kept slipping off. But I did manage to change all of them in the end.


They needed it bad, it was probably the most important repair I did on this engine.

Then it was back to cleaning and replacing parts on the upper part of the engine.

Ultrasonic-cleaned camshaft caps.


New hydraulic lifters.


You can see how much they collapsed. That is a big part of the ticking noise.


Finally all back together, torqued and timed correctly.

Now the accessories: new pulleys, fand, belt and so on.


Old one was long past it. The one in the picture is cheap Meyle part, I later replaced it with a MAHLE one.


Two new pulley and a new backplate that I got from a friend. (The second one is for the AMG).
The backplate also got it´s bearing regreased and cleaned.


New pulleys.


Power steering flush.


Look at that nasty old fluid.


Now completely assembled!

I put in some running in-oil and later some engine flush. It took out the last of the dirt that was hiding in the engine (I hope).


It looks really disgusting!!


After a second oil change, it was time for a test drive. A few miles later, the ticking was gone, no rattling, no wierd noise, nothing. It was working absolutely perfectly. In fact, I have not touched the engine since 10.000kms (apart from an oil change) since and it still runs amazing!!

I still have a lot more to share: suspension, wheels, steering wheel and a lot more. I can post that later, if you all want that.

I want to hear your thoughts and comments, so please feel free to ask and reply!

 

[gsxr]

Nautical Blue!

Did the new valve stem seals cure the oil consumption?

Definitely post more about the suspension / steering wheel / etc.

 

[puchak]

I really like the early M104 although I've had no experience with it. Many complain about the K-Jet but it has never left me stranded, so the idea of more power in what is basically M103 reliability but power/DOHC is awesome.

Pretty car, good work on the engine, the bay now looks great. Super jealous of the manual as well.

 

[Niklas32]

Now to continue the Story.

After the engine overhaul, the oil consumption stopped and it ran perfectly. Now it was time to change some suspension bits. It is very unprecise in the front and quite crashy over bumps. Also a bit of rust that has to be treated and of course it has to be lowered.

By now the weather was getting better, so working outside got a lot more comfortable.

I started with the dampers and springs. Removed the springs front an back and the struts. Turns out, the front struts are absolutely blown, the rear ones are fine.
But that wasn´t all, we have some rust on the strut towers.


That has to be treated.


Doesn´t look that great either.


All sanded down on both sides and treated with rust converter.


Also a quick coat of paint.

The springs I chose are from Eibach and are actually quite similar to the OEM sport springs.


Only thing thats different is the diameter of the coils. Height is the same. (Thinking about maybe going back to the original ones later).


Rear all back together with new spring pads. You can see that the rear axle is in really good condition, because it was overhauled 10 years ago.

Now back to the front. The paint has dried and the new parts arrived.


I love this packaging. Ended up not using the Meyle transmission mount and the Lemförder one instead.


Shocks in the front needed replacing, as I said. (The 115 069 are for standard suspension and not for the sport suspension (115 070), which I have, but I ordered it wrong and didn´t want to send it back).

Also new top mounts.


Also in very bad condition.


All back together. In some time I need to replace the lower wishbone, but I will put that to a later date.


Back together on the top as well, also protected against new rust with wax.

When in idle the car would develop a lot of vibrations and you could feel a bit of shaking when starting.
So clearly, the engine mounts were toast aswell.
Bought new ones from Lemförder and a transmission mount too.


The old ones have collapsed by quite a bit. After the change, it felt like the engine wasn´t even on.

Now the car finally rides like it should, really smooth and precise.




The paint is in all right condition for a daily driver, but it really needs to be detailed and repainted in some spots.
Also the rear is sitting too high. Problem is: the spring is simply too stiff and the spring pad is already the thinnest. Only option would be cutting the spring, I will have to look into that. I could raise the front, but that would be too high.

A few months later, out of sheer luck, I came across a rare set of Carlsson 1/15 in 18" for only 250€.

They were in all right shape, but not nearly good enough, so I had them powdercoated and put on new rubber. (luckily 225/40R18 is a very common tiresize, so you can get a P-Zero for like 90€).


Now all nice and fresh. Unfortunately I don´t have the centercaps and they seem to be extremely rare. If anyone has a set of these to sell, I would greatly appreciate it.

Back on jack stands it was. I also needed to change the shifter bushings and do a transmission oil change.


Oil looks all right. I changed it to see if I could improve the shifting feel, but it didn´t really change anything. I put in ATF 1200, but I might try some 75W140 later.


Shifter bushing doesn´t look all right tho. This is from 1st gear. It always had trouble going into 1st and it still isn´t resolved now.


Shifting feel was night and day tho. Way better shifts now, feels "tighter" that before.


Now we have the proper look. The Carlssons make the car look lower than the original Gullideckel. Still not satisfied tho. Als it could be even lower, but the tires are already rubbing on the front fender (even with the AMG fender extension kit).


Here both of my pride and joy side by side.

Lastly, some small things in the interior.

I replaced the old speakers.

Can only recommend these. They sound great and fit without any issue.


They sound exactly how they look.

Then, to enhance the sound even more, a new subwoofer that lives underneath the passenger seat.


Fits perfectly under the seat and the routing of the wires is quite easy to do.

Then a new radio, which unfortunately has some disco vibes, but I wont spend 400€ on a radio.

Also works really well.

Then some small bits here and there



And lastly, a new steering wheel. I still had the MOMO hub, so I had to get a MOMO steering wheel.

With an excenter adapter it gave me a lot more leg space and a greater steering feel. Much more tight and precise.

And now we are where we are now. Still some things to do: transmission fluid (any experience with that?), rust hole on the rear right, new shift knob, floormats, paintjob and correction.
But it does make a really good and dead reliable daily driver. It runs perfectly and without any issues.
The manual is quite nice, makes for some fun back roads driving, espacially if your engine revs to 7k. My next daily will be an automatic tho (I think).

 

[TerryA]

@Niklas32,
Very nice restoration! It reminds me of my long gone 1986 300E Champagne / Saddle that I lowered with Eibach Springs and installed 17” Monoblocks. I only did valve seals to the motor. I bought it with 30K miles from an old lady in Laguna Beach, CA and drove it up to 115K miles and sold it. It was basically a really great car.

I wish you many miles with many smiles

Take Care

 

[puchak]

Carlsson wheels are a very nice touch! What a great price for them too.

It is probably too late for the radio thing but I saw you mentioned disco radios and I hate disco radios lol. I have this Continental radio and it looks very OEM and costs around $200. Apparently plug and play too. I say apparently because the previous owner of my car did a hackjob installation of the radio.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/315104998302

 

[gsxr]

Nice work! What is the width & offset of the wheels? Also, what is the ride height (in inches) from the fender lip to center of the wheel, front & rear?

 

[Niklas32]

Carlsson wheels are a very nice touch! What a great price for them too.

It is probably too late for the radio thing but I saw you mentioned disco radios and I hate disco radios lol. I have this Continental radio and it looks very OEM and costs around $200. Apparently plug and play too. I say apparently because the previous owner of my car did a hackjob installation of the radio.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/315104998302

View attachment 231464

Hey,

Thank you!
I actually had exactly that radio in it before the Pioneer. It was quite good, worked well. The problem was, that it didn´t have seperate Chinch outputs for the subwoofer and absolutely no ways to change the sound. I wanted a clean and simple setup, so I needed the Pioneer. Also: The Pioneer has a DSP built in, I simply highpassed the front and rear speakers and lowpassed the sub. This way I didn´t have to buy and install one of those expensive DSP amps. The SXT-C10 was around 400€, just way too expensive and it is basically the same internal structure.
Installation on both was really easy with the right adapter.

I hate disco radios aswell, but I turned of the changing colours and put the display and button lights to amber with a slight dim. It´s allright, not period correct, but good enough for the money. The soundsystem sounds better than a lot of new cars! More depth and clarity.

 

[Niklas32]

Nice work! What is the width & offset of the wheels? Also, what is the ride height (in inches) from the fender lip to center of the wheel, front & rear?

The wheels are 8,5 x 18 +34mm offset. With a 225/40 Tire it´s quite stretchy. Not really my style to be honest, but it works well and doesn´t look that bad. And a wider tire would not fit, it´s already rubbing in the front. The fenders are aftermarket, so it doesn´t really matter, I have to replace both anyways.
Now I didn´t really measure the ride height. Gonna have to do that soon.

 

[gsxr]

The wheels are 8,5 x 18 +34mm offset. With a 225/40 Tire it´s quite stretchy. Not really my style to be honest, but it works well and doesn´t look that bad.

Oh WOW. That is a super aggressive fitment on a standard 124. Have you rolled the fender lips as shown in this AMG document? Note the travel limiting spacer on the strut shaft also. Do you recall which part number foam stop buffer was installed with the new Sachs struts?

And a wider tire would not fit, it´s already rubbing in the front. The fenders are aftermarket, so it doesn´t really matter, I have to replace both anyways.
Now I didn´t really measure the ride height. Gonna have to do that soon.

Sounds good. I'm curious about the ride height. You are correct though, with the thinnest pads, it won't go lower unless you change the springs or cut a small amount (try 1/4 coil at a time). For the rear, make sure you are not tightening any of the rear suspension links with the suspension fully extended. Usually the LCA has to be unbolted at the inside to get the spring out, but the bolt can't be tightened until the suspension is in "ready to drive" position.

 

[rayhennig]

Lovely project. I love that 300-24 engine.

RayH

 

[Niklas32]

Oh WOW. That is a super aggressive fitment on a standard 124. Have you rolled the fender lips as shown in this AMG document? Note the travel limiting spacer on the strut shaft also. Do you recall which part number foam stop buffer was installed with the new Sachs struts?



Sounds good. I'm curious about the ride height. You are correct though, with the thinnest pads, it won't go lower unless you change the springs or cut a small amount (try 1/4 coil at a time). For the rear, make sure you are not tightening any of the rear suspension links with the suspension fully extended. Usually the LCA has to be unbolted at the inside to get the spring out, but the bolt can't be tightened until the suspension is in "ready to drive" position.

Yes, that is really aggressive and it shows. The fenders are not rolled and I think that is the problem. I put in the AMG spacers, but that didn´t really help. The strut buffers were the originals, because they were good enough (and I forgot to order them).

When the weather gets better I will try to cut the springs one bit at a time, it really doesn´t need much. Very time intense job tho. I torqued the bushing bolts with the suspension loaded with a floor jack until the car lifted off the jack stands. I tried to get the spring out with a springcompressor first, but that doesn´t work. Just unbolting the LCA is much faster and easier. Just have to be careful about the outer bushing, mine ripped apart immediately.

I measured the ride height roughly this morning. This is the average of both sides:
Front: 33,5cm/13.19"
Rear: 35cm/13.77"

So it is about a 1,5cm drop from the back to the front. Not much, but noticable.

Lovely project. I love that 300-24 engine.

RayH

Thank you so much! I love the 24V engine too. It got way to much hate over the years, because people treated it poorly, but it is actually dead reliable, fast and fun. Sounds amazing too.

 

[gsxr]

If you plan to keep those wheels/tires, you may want to look into the additional AMG modifications described in that document. Specifically, the strut travel limiter AND rolling the fender lips. I'd swap in the "red" Sportline stop buffers while you're in there.

And yes, I found the same problem... can't remove the rear springs without unbolting the LCA. Much faster and easier to use a jack under the rear LCA, especially with shorter Sportline/Eibach/500E rear springs. The short springs are under almost no tension with the rear suspension extended, so it's safe without a spring compressor. (This is not true with stock rear springs - use the compressor.)

Your front measurement is LOW at ~13.2"... yikes. I generally don't like going below about 14.0-13.75" up front for street driving. I'd consider raising the front slightly. However, double check those numbers. It's difficult to measure accurately without stock wheels where you have the "Star" center cap to easily locate the wheel center. In your photos, it doesn't look that low. Usually around 13.2" up front would have almost zero air gap above the tire.

The rear ride height should be about equal to the front, with a full tank of fuel. The rear height will increase about 0.5" (approx) with an empty tank. Your rear measurement of ~13.75" is about perfect with a full tank of fuel. Photos in this thread show my E420 with the front & rear ride height at 14.25" with a full tank. Details on the suspension setup are post #3.

 

[Niklas32]

If you plan to keep those wheels/tires, you may want to look into the additional AMG modifications described in that document. Specifically, the strut travel limiter AND rolling the fender lips. I'd swap in the "red" Sportline stop buffers while you're in there.

And yes, I found the same problem... can't remove the rear springs without unbolting the LCA. Much faster and easier to use a jack under the rear LCA, especially with shorter Sportline/Eibach/500E rear springs. The short springs are under almost no tension with the rear suspension extended, so it's safe without a spring compressor. (This is not true with stock rear springs - use the compressor.)

Your front measurement is LOW at ~13.2"... yikes. I generally don't like going below about 14.0-13.75" up front for street driving. I'd consider raising the front slightly. However, double check those numbers. It's difficult to measure accurately without stock wheels where you have the "Star" center cap to easily locate the wheel center. In your photos, it doesn't look that low. Usually around 13.2" up front would have almost zero air gap above the tire.

The rear ride height should be about equal to the front, with a full tank of fuel. The rear height will increase about 0.5" (approx) with an empty tank. Your rear measurement of ~13.75" is about perfect with a full tank of fuel. Photos in this thread show my E420 with the front & rear ride height at 14.25" with a full tank. Details on the suspension setup are post #3.

Your E420 is extremely beautiful!! Normally I don´t really like smoke silver, but on your car it looks really good! The E420/400E was on my radar aswell, but in the end just too expensive.
How does it ride? Have you driven a 6 cylinder 124? How does the ride compare? I mean cornering and torque down low. Also maintenance and fuel consumption.

I currently drive on the original Gullideckel, so I have the star as a centering tool!

13.2" is quite low yes, but also I have never scraped anywhere yet. My 190E did that way more and it had more gap above the tire to the fender. My fueltank is about 4/5 full, so that checks out. Thing is, the wheels are so big, that it just doesn´t look right when the car is too high. If I raise the front, it just wouldn´t look good. In the future I would go for the 17" Carlssons for sure. Ride quality with the 18" is quite good tho.
Since the fenders are past it anyways the rolling will probably be done with a hammer. That willl have to wait until the summer tho. Or I change the wheels, not sure on that one, I like them quite a lot.

 

[Otrebla49]

If you plan to keep those wheels/tires, you may want to look into the additional AMG modifications described in that document.

Hi Dave, I'll somewhat hijack Niklas' thread for a matter related to wheel size and installing..

Since 3-piece AMG Aero-3 (treated on PDF linked by you above) only slightly differ (+ 4mm ET 30=>34) from those I'm going to show below (R129 Mopf-2 'Sador' design) I thought that the ones offered (NO AFF.!) in the add might be interesting for other members too.

Size: 8,25 x 17 ET 34
Part number: 129 401 09 02

Plus - on a pic on linked post they really look neat on that white W124 (very far right, today I couldn't manage to save/upload the one with close-up on that car..) - I used to dream of having them onto my former 500SE/W126 back in. 2001/02..

*White 034/036 with 17-inch 'Sador' 5-spoke design from R129/Avantgarde*

Post in thread 'Jouser' OWNER - Jouser | Owners and Their Cars

A set for sale in Kleinanzeigen - 'DJ RaMIN' is its owner:

Mercedes R 129 SADOR Felgen, Originale in top Zustand 1294010902

4 Original Mercedes "Sador" Felgen für SL R 129. Große: 8,25 x 17 ET 34, Ersatzteilnummer: 129 401...,Mercedes R 129 SADOR Felgen, Originale in top Zustand 1294010902 in Hamburg - Hamburg Altona-Altstadt

www.kleinanzeigen.de

Alberto

 

[gsxr]

Your E420 is extremely beautiful!! Normally I don´t really like smoke silver, but on your car it looks really good! The E420/400E was on my radar aswell, but in the end just too expensive.

Thanks! I'm not a fan of Smoke Silver, but at the time we couldn't find a suitable replacement for our wrecked Brillant Silver E420 (pics here), with the options we couldn't live without (ASR & heated seats). The Smoke Silver car popped up at the right time, right location, right price, etc.

How does it ride? Have you driven a 6 cylinder 124? How does the ride compare?

Since the springs are stock (other than the front cut slightly, the ride is nearly stock. It's not quite as nimble due to the extra weight, but it isn't bad. I own a couple of 300D turbos as well, 124.133 and 124.128 chassis.

I mean cornering and torque down low. Also maintenance and fuel consumption.

Cornering is pretty close to the 6-cyl, but the torque is a HUGE improvement. The 6-cyl gas cars are pretty weak until you rev them beyond 3-4k rpm. That's why I like the turbodiesels, they have almost V8 levels of torque, which makes them fun around town. But, there isn't any power above ~3k unless you modify it quite a bit (larger pump elements, turbo upgrade, etc).

V8 maintenance isn't bad, everything you need to know is on this forum. Fuel consumption is shockingly good on the 4.2L V8. The USA models have tall 2.24 final drive which makes it a little weak at launch, but really nice on the freeway. Typical fuel economy is around 19-20mpg city, and 23-24mpg freeway at 75-85mph. Peak freeway economy has been 25-26mpg on a few occasions. This data is across 3 different cars, we also have a beater 1995 E420, besides the car which was wrecked. The 4.2L V8 adds a ton of torque and HP, with almost no sacrifice in fuel economy compared to the M104.

 

[Otrebla49]

I currently drive on the original Gullideckel, so I have the star as a centering tool!

You're a lucky guy.. and such a good thing, that you even get the very sought after (and lovely due to its differentiated, more pronounced outer lip) 7Jx15" 15-hole type - specific for sport chassis setup (with 205/60 ZR 15 tyres originally - as you car's got code 650 on the datacard) for your winter-use !!

 

[Niklas32]

Thanks! I'm not a fan of Smoke Silver, but at the time we couldn't find a suitable replacement for our wrecked Brillant Silver E420 (pics here), with the options we couldn't live without (ASR & heated seats). The Smoke Silver car popped up at the right time, right location, right price, etc.



Since the springs are stock (other than the front cut slightly, the ride is nearly stock. It's not quite as nimble due to the extra weight, but it isn't bad. I own a couple of 300D turbos as well, 124.133 and 124.128 chassis.




Cornering is pretty close to the 6-cyl, but the torque is a HUGE improvement. The 6-cyl gas cars are pretty weak until you rev them beyond 3-4k rpm. That's why I like the turbodiesels, they have almost V8 levels of torque, which makes them fun around town. But, there isn't any power above ~3k unless you modify it quite a bit (larger pump elements, turbo upgrade, etc).

V8 maintenance isn't bad, everything you need to know is on this forum. Fuel consumption is shockingly good on the 4.2L V8. The USA models have tall 2.24 final drive which makes it a little weak at launch, but really nice on the freeway. Typical fuel economy is around 19-20mpg city, and 23-24mpg freeway at 75-85mph. Peak freeway economy has been 25-26mpg on a few occasions. This data is across 3 different cars, we also have a beater 1995 E420, besides the car which was wrecked. The 4.2L V8 adds a ton of torque and HP, with almost no sacrifice in fuel economy compared to the M104.

Oh no, so extremely sad to see cars like these get wrecked. With so much heart and effort poured into it. I don´t even want to imagine how I would feel if one of my cars would get wrecked. Just be sure to never stop driving!

Also, I am shocked that the E420 gets around 20mpg!! My car absolutely DRINKS fuel. 11.5-12.5L/100km on average with economical driving, which is about 20-18mpg. One of the reasons it is so expensive, I spend more on fuel than on parts.
But the E420 already has the LH/HFM does it? The 24V has the KE, which isn´t really fuel efficient, but in return very reliable.
I´m with you on the Turbodiesel, they have great torque down low. If I would buy another 6 Cylinder 124, I would choose an early E320 or a 300TD with automatic.
Also: no problems with timing chain and guides? And front struts? I heard a lot of bad things about that.

You're a lucky guy.. and such a good thing, that you even get the very sought after (and lovely due to its differentiated, more pronounced outer lip) 7Jx15" 15-hole type - specific for sport chassis setup (with 205/60 ZR 15 tyres originally - as you car's got code 650 on the datacard) for your winter-use !!

Thank you! Are these Gullis so rare? Seen a lot of these for sale here. I think they were standard on the 24V, because of the bigger brakes. And yes, they fit the car very good. Just a simple and original look, while still driving quite well. Just very unconventional tire size, which is quite expensive.

 

[gsxr]

Oh no, so extremely sad to see cars like these get wrecked. With so much heart and effort poured into it. I don´t even want to imagine how I would feel if one of my cars would get wrecked. Just be sure to never stop driving!

It does make one question the sanity of investing a lot of time/$$$ into modifications, knowing that one idiot can destroy it all in seconds.

Also, I am shocked that the E420 gets around 20mpg!! My car absolutely DRINKS fuel. 11.5-12.5L/100km on average with economical driving, which is about 20-18mpg. One of the reasons it is so expensive, I spend more on fuel than on parts.

It's amazing, but it's true. The 4.2L fuel economy (with 2.24 gears anyway) is better than the M103 and probably better than the M104 with CIS. I think it's about equal to sliiiightly below the M104 with HFM. That's with automatic transmissions... a manual trans would provide a smidge better numbers.

But the E420 already has the LH/HFM does it? The 24V has the KE, which isn´t really fuel efficient, but in return very reliable.

Correct. All the M119.97x engines have LH-SFI which is both very efficient, AND very reliable.

I´m with you on the Turbodiesel, they have great torque down low. If I would buy another 6 Cylinder 124, I would choose an early E320 or a 300TD with automatic.
Also: no problems with timing chain and guides? And front struts? I heard a lot of bad things about that.

The M119 timing chain and tensioner typically last the life of the engine, although in some rare cases the chain may stretch enough to justify replacement. Usually, new chain rails get the chain stretch measurement back to normal. The upper chain rails/guides need replacement roughly every 100-150kmi or so, parts are cheap, but it's a lot of work. Front suspension struts are similar across all 124's, no major issues or concerns there.

Thank you! Are these Gullis so rare? Seen a lot of these for sale here. I think they were standard on the 24V, because of the bigger brakes. And yes, they fit the car very good. Just a simple and original look, while still driving quite well. Just very unconventional tire size, which is quite expensive.

The Sportline 15-hole wheels in 15x7.0 size are relatively rare, possibly a bit less common the later 8-holes in 15x7.0 size? Not a lot of Sportlines were produced, and I'm not sure how many (what percentage) had the early vs late (15 vs 8 hole) wheels.

 

[Otrebla49]

Are these Gullis so rare? Seen a lot of these for sale here. I think they were standard on the 24V, because of the bigger brakes.

Hi, maybe what you've seen offered are the ones for S-Class and SL (W126/R107) from Autumn 1985 and on - which actually are 7Jx15 but have a considerably lower ET value (I think around 17-25).
Exception is to be made for US/Japan models of W126 of some model-years, as had a 6,5Jx15 wheel - and 560-models were equipped with 205/65 R15 tyres there (instead of 215/65 15 size mounted for European/ROW markets)

Whereas W124 got the 7Jx15 with ET41/42 - and W201 had ET44 - so there would be 3 different part numbers for various chassis.
I have sorted out some data as to equipment codes for 'Sportfahrwerk' in combination with two wheel types (15-hole / 8-hole) specifically on the W124, please see attached images.

649 - 6,5Jx15 6-hole for USA 'Special Edtion' (non-Sportline, MY '95)
650 - Sport suspension with 15-hole alloys (7Jx15, available mid-1989 'till 1993)
651 - Sport suspension with 'standard' steel wheel (measurements 7Jx15 too, but non alloys)
653 - Sport suspension with 8-hole alloys (7Jx15, available from late 1991 - early 1992, up to EOP)

According to these infos a buyer may have opted for either 650 (15-hole) and 653 (8-hole, that were more expensive in the price list) if purchasing their W124 at the times where overlapped offers existed (end 1991 / mid 1993).

It's true that 24V cars had alloys as standard (6,5Jx15 with 195/65 ZR 15 tyres) from mid 1989 as production of Mopf-1 vehicles started, and this was followed by 320E/E320 models too, but for differentiation from another lower models (including 280E/E280 and all 4/5-cylinder petrols and diesels in the W124 range.

Larger brakes included on these 'high-power' were adopted, but the major change to clear their function (when driving without touching elements of the front suspension) was an specific lower control arm (or wishbone as named it) with non-serviceable balljoint on the outer extreme.

This balljoint is welded on original LCA/wishbones for 300E-24/320E - with their coupé/wagon/cabriolet variants - while all other (non-V8s) W124 cars have a plug/bolted type one.

Hoping I didn't mess up too much with provided data now...

Alberto

 

[puchak]

A bit off topic but... @Otrebla49, you seem to have a wealth of knowledge on dealer or factory options.

Do you have any information regarding the original roofboxes? What years were available and what regions? Seems there was a square type used for the W123/W124, and this longer aerodynamic casket that I don't see much on.

 

[Otrebla49]

Edit - as for consideration to Niklas' Owner-Thread here - please @admin !

I kindly request to move/create separate thread (starting with question in post #21, regarding roof rack/boxes/cases) with comments and following posts from me (up to #25).

Since this issue takes larger space than an 'occasional-hijacking' of original thread would allow.. Sorry in advance for putting so much stuff onto the matter.

Thanks!!

**********

@puchak
..thanks so much and, while feeling flattered, I have to play down your affirmation..
It's just I'm good at retaining/searching for information and sources - no other explanation makes sense to me

What years were available and what regions? Seems there was a square type used for the W123/W124, and this longer aerodynamic casket that I don't see much on

So what I've found out is pretty much what you've already observed - these two types of 'container/cases' for luggage transport on the roof are the ones (1st type from late 1970s to early 1990s - and 2nd type first seen on catalogues from 1992/93) that where used on S123 and W/S124 chassis.

If not too tedious for your reading I'll provide a couple of links and pic to the sources I found while looking it up..
Please see following comment/post =>

Alberto
Ps. @Niklas32 ..you really need to apologise my hijacking of your thread again!

 

[Otrebla49]

Please see following comment/post =>

Codes for equipment/options:

720 roof rails (Dachrelinge) were a cost option only during 1977/78 (for S123), after that they turned standard on the estate cars.

722 luggage rack (Gepäckbrücke) means two (or sometimes four) cross-bars uniting both side rails, therefore being able to further fit a box/case/container (from the accessory programme - usually built/provided/supplied by a company named 'Oris').

725 was 'delete of roof rails' (Wegfall Dachreling) - as on S123 customer might want to have none on their estate's roof, thus a slight discount from car's price was granted.

On previous pics (#11 and 12) you'll find the price for '722' on S124 in 1987, and discount for leaving rail at the factory on S123 in 1980.

At pic #7 part nos. for 'Oris'-manufactured luggage-cases/boxes are shown - 'Dachaufbauten / Gepäckträger vorn-hinten'
=>
Dachautbauten T-Modell
(Oris-Fabrikat)

+ 2 x support/racks (1238400724), DM 439,-
Luggage-container, rear part - 12384024621 - DM 1187,-
+ 2 x support/racks (1238400724), DM 439,-
Luggage-container, front part - 1238402362 - DM 1187,-

Verkauftasschenbuch W123 Teil (D)

=====

T-Zubehör 2-1986 (D)

"The accessory program for the new T-series offers you a wealth of interesting possibilities to individually complement the versatility of your T-model - if you are starting your free time or on vacation or need more charging capacity in everyday life.

Each part of our roof superstructure program is specially tailored to the new T series and has only been approved for your car after a thorough examination by us.
So you're dealing with Mercedes quality that you can rely on.

Talk to your Mercedes customer service advisor about the range of accessories: he will be happy to advise you.
You can choose from two roof structure programs:

The Alustyle program.
The basic carrier.

The base carrier is available in two- and four-element versions.
Lockable and therefore theft-proof.

Made of corrosion-resistant aluminum - like all roof structures of this system.
The luggage container.

Tinted or lacquered in silver metallic.
Designed according to aerodynamic points of view.
Capacity: 180 liters.
One or two containers can be mounted. With safety lock.

The ski box.

Colored (cream-colored) or multi-layer lacquered (silver metal).
Aerodynamically designed.
Has room for four pairs of downhill skis and two pairs of cross-country skis.
With safety lock.

The ski boot multi-purpose box.
Colored (cream-colored) or multi-layer painted (silver metallic).

Can be mounted parallel to the ski box on the roof.
Comfortably picks up ski boots or other utensils.
Lockable.
This box can of course also be combined with the ski, surfboard, bicycle holder and boat carrier.

Important: Even older ski box or ski boot box models can be mounted on the new Alustyle basic carrier with an adapter.
Talk to your customer service advisor.

The Mercedes Porter program.
The basic carrier.

The entire Mercedes Porter program, luggage containers, ski and ski boot multipurpose box can be safely mounted on it.
Made of stainless steel, painted black and lockable."

 

[Otrebla49]

T-Serie 1-1990 (E)

UK-spec seems to have 'integral' luggage rack - code 722, ready to fix container/cases or Ski box, but without either of these extra elements - (besides roof rails) as standard for model-year 1990 and onward

Medium-Class ca.1991 (Jap)

① Ski Carrier This safe and secure carrier can hold up to six pairs of skis and poles. It comes with an anti-theft lock in case of an accident.

Langversion 250D und 280E 2-1993 (D)

Page #9 for V124 (6-doors) there was a modified rack for roof containers - 'defined by accesories', further notice at sales consultant

T-serie 10-1985 (E)

"Dynamic individuality.

T-series drivers cover high mileages and enjoy driving. And that also often means carrying a lot of things, such as holiday luggage, sports equipment for the weekend - ranging from surfboards to bicycles - or bulky objects for business purposes.

The T-series therefore, in addition to its versatile and
generous luggage space, offers even greater capacity in the form of roof rails.

These roof rails not only ensure that luggage is properly secured, they also give an aesthetically pleasant emphasis to the car's extended lines.

To get the most out of the roof's load carrying capacity, and to transport things safely and effortlessly, an integrated luggage carrier is also available:
and the special basic rack for the Mercedes range of carriers, luggage and ski containers, surfboard, boat and bicycle racks.

Made-to-measure, specially designed equipment produced to Mercedes standards of quality."

Zubehör 8-1992 (D) (D)

Here's some data about the newer type of 'container' and rack support (plus) basket/cradle.. happening somewhat during MY-1992

"Each component of the MB roof set-up program is tested in the wind tunnel for its special properties. Only when all tests have run optimally, the product is included in the accessories program.

All roof structures are subject to the same conditions for maintenance, repair and warranty services as all other parts of your vehicle.

Base carrier - the base carrier is made of corrosion-resistant material and can hold up to 100 kilograms of load.

Luggage basket - a stable and rust-free construction with high load capacity and very low self-weight."

 

[Otrebla49]

And, of course, there have been other producers/makes that could supply accessories for transport on the roof, such as THULE - seen on this Dutch catalogue

Accessoires 1-1985 - (THULE Dachbox/Luggage container)

=====

Meanwhile MB presented the novelties of S124, as to adapt existing containers/cases by customers already having owned (or still owning, simultaneously) an S123

Intro T-modelle 4-1985 (D)

"The roof rails: Harmoniously integrated - square profile.
Existing roof boxes etc. fit - only the base carrier must be re-sourced.

Trailer hitch with removable ball neck-coupling ex-works (optional equipment).
There are also new containers."

****
Finalising by adding a small 'historical' review of early S123 catalogues and charming skiing/yachting scenery..
(as from 3rd pic!)
****

Alberto

 

[puchak]

Wow, amazing research, I did do so much digging and could really only find the Oris box details. There were so many options available that you just don't see on any cars today. Europe really had all the goodies for adventures too.

I wonder which Thule model this is. We have a lot of these Thule boxes in the US, and the thought of using a period correct roof box would be neat.

Edit: Looks like a Thule Combi 250?



Also, this towing/parking mirror assist is crazy.

 

[Niklas32]

Wow, there is a lot to unpack with those option codes! Didn´t know that the iceberg goes that deep. I didn´t think much of the Gullideckels that I have on the 124. Seems like they are rather rare these days.
@Otrebla49 No worries, no hard feelings!

 

[Otrebla49]

A set for sale in Kleinanzeigen - 'DJ RaMIN' is its owner:

Mercedes R 129 SADOR Felgen, Originale in top Zustand 1294010902

4 Original Mercedes "Sador" Felgen für SL R 129. Große: 8,25 x 17 ET 34, Ersatzteilnummer: 129 401...,Mercedes R 129 SADOR Felgen, Originale in top Zustand 1294010902 in Hamburg - Hamburg Altona-Altstadt

www.kleinanzeigen.de

Just two examples I found of how those 'Sador' design wheels from R129 look on 036s..

Post in thread 'DJ RaMiN (E420)'
OWNER - DJ RaMiN (E420) | Owners and Their Cars

Thread 'Rain206'
OWNER - Rain206 | Owners and Their Cars

@Otrebla49 No worries, no hard feelings!

Thanks Niklas, I am feeling relieved now!

Alberto

 

[Sebastopol]

Hello everyone again!

Today I want to show you my 300E-24, that I bought in late 2024 and share it´s story and all the work that was done to it.
VIN: WDB1240311B369854
The car is a one-owner car, which you think might be good, turns out it wasn´t.
I bought it with 173.000Kms, it now sits at 182.000.

I was searching for a Benz that could replace my current daily driver at that time, a 190E 2.0.
I wanted a 24V specifically with the 717.450 manual transmission. It took a long time find a suitable car.

But finally I found one on ebay. Listed for 6000€, it had just a phone number and the text "aus Rentnerhand", which means it was owned by an old person. Turns out the listing was made by a friend of the seller, so after quite some time on the phone I managed to get a hold of its location and a date to take a look at it.
The Benz was located only 1hr away from my home in Wuppertal, so I drove over there. The seller was really nice, he had another Benz aswell and a pre-ww2 car that I couldn´t identify.
After an adventurous walk over to the barn where the Benz sat, I saw it standing there next to some cows. The trunk still filled with stuff from the flea market that he frequently sells stuff at. After we got the car out of there and cleaned up, I could take a good look at it. Unfortunately it was worse than on the pictures: rust behind the chrome wheel arch plates and very loud ticking and timing chain noises.
We did a test drive through some agricultural paths anyways. It ended up breaking down after a not so short time and it wouldn´t start back up. 20mins later we arrived back at the house.
I made an offer of 3000€ and left. Later on we agreed on 4000€ purchase price, which was quite a fair deal, for a car that still has it´s original purchase contract. Also: the rear axle was completely overhauled in 2016, so it drove quite well and it was absolutely rust free there! The previous owner spent 20k on the car in the last 10 years, which I can´t really comprehend, but I guess that is life.

I need to clear something up: the actual "one-owner" was a longterm friend of the seller who had to sell the car because of his worsening dementia. He bought the car new, because he had a paper company for which he had to travel a lot. He bought the 24V, because he wanted to be at his destination fast and the manual because it had a 5th gear (little did he know the 5th gear is direct drive and not really designed for fuel efficiency).
The seller didn´t register the car at all an only drove about 2000kms. So yes, it is one-owner .


View attachment 231191
Here after we just pushed it out.

View attachment 231192
Here on the trailer, which wasn´t an easy task at all, took all day to get the towtruck back.

Little did I know that the biggest part of the adventure was still ahead...

First up was diagnosing and finding out what the car needs. I tore off the pelt seat covers and the chrome wheel arch lining, which exposed some not so nice things.

View attachment 231193
Seats do look pristine underneath.

View attachment 231194
But that does not look so great. (I still need to adress that).

Firstly tho, I needed to take care of its issue of cutting out after some while. Quickly narrowed it down to the ignition distributor. And it was correct, it was full of oil.
So, new seal and ignition parts it was!

View attachment 231203
Just love to see it.

View attachment 231195
The engine really doesnt look that great, I will fix that later.

View attachment 231196
New plugs.

View attachment 231199
New backplate.

View attachment 231200
New coil.

View attachment 231209
And new airfilter.

View attachment 231204
Looks like an engine with 250.000kms on the clock.

View attachment 231202
Little tight with the fan still on, but it wouldn´t budge, so I left it alone.

View attachment 231201
All sealed back up. Spoiler: that won´t be the last time.

View attachment 231197
All back together with new distributor and cleaned parts. Also checked the cam variator, which was functioning fine.

"while in there" I had the valvecover and airfilter housing cover powdercoated.

View attachment 231205
Just looks amazing.

Also some new brakes are in order, the old ones were past it.

View attachment 231228

Now the car runs fine, no more dying after 10mins. It still did a lot of rattling and clanking tho. And another more serious problem: it burned oil a lot. Blue smoke from the exhaust and everything.
First was TÜV, it passed without issues (which suprised me, because of the blue smoke).
And now I had to decide: sell it for a small profit or rebuilt it and make it mechanically sound and reliable? Answer is obvious I think!

So I made a shopping list: timing chain, tensioner, chainguides, seals, hydraulic lifters, valve stem seals, visco clutch and a whole lot more.

View attachment 231210
Of course, only the best parts, original or original manufacturer. This is just a small part.

Back on jack stands it was:
View attachment 231206
Not the ideal weather conditions maybe... Still powered though on some warmer days (and the snowing actually came in later).

Tore everything apart again. The fan gave me a very hard time, didn´t want to come off at all. Ended up breaking the bearing it is attached to and its pulley (and of course the clutch itself). Luckily the car doesn´t have aircon, doing all that with the condenser in the way would have been a nightmare.

View attachment 231207
Just all really dirty and oily.

View attachment 231208
Like damn..


Still took everything off. I cut off the chain, took out the Cams, the guides and the accessory parts.

View attachment 231211
I had a lot of parts to change and to clean.

I began with the lower part of the M104. I replaced the chain and the chainguides, some seals and refreshed some parts.

View attachment 231212

View attachment 231213
Just a simple coat of paint.

View attachment 231214
Then all back together. Only wayyy cleaner this time. (the lower seal of the upper timing case had torn).

Now the hard part: the valve stem seals. Putting pressured air into the cylinder and pressing down the valve by hand. Not an easy job, when u have 2 springs per valve. Also after every cylinder the engine has to be rotated, to avoid hitting the top of the piston and locked in position so it doesn´t turn on you (def didn´t happen at all to me).

View attachment 231215
That was extremely tedious, also the stupid lever kept slipping off. But I did manage to change all of them in the end.

View attachment 231216
They needed it bad, it was probably the most important repair I did on this engine.

Then it was back to cleaning and replacing parts on the upper part of the engine.
View attachment 231217
Ultrasonic-cleaned camshaft caps.

View attachment 231218
New hydraulic lifters.

View attachment 231219
You can see how much they collapsed. That is a big part of the ticking noise.

View attachment 231220
Finally all back together, torqued and timed correctly.

Now the accessories: new pulleys, fand, belt and so on.

View attachment 231221
Old one was long past it. The one in the picture is cheap Meyle part, I later replaced it with a MAHLE one.

View attachment 231225
Two new pulley and a new backplate that I got from a friend. (The second one is for the AMG).
The backplate also got it´s bearing regreased and cleaned.

View attachment 231222
New pulleys.

View attachment 231223
Power steering flush.

View attachment 231224
Look at that nasty old fluid.

View attachment 231226
Now completely assembled!

I put in some running in-oil and later some engine flush. It took out the last of the dirt that was hiding in the engine (I hope).

View attachment 231227
It looks really disgusting!!


After a second oil change, it was time for a test drive. A few miles later, the ticking was gone, no rattling, no wierd noise, nothing. It was working absolutely perfectly. In fact, I have not touched the engine since 10.000kms (apart from an oil change) since and it still runs amazing!!

I still have a lot more to share: suspension, wheels, steering wheel and a lot more. I can post that later, if you all want that.

I want to hear your thoughts and comments, so please feel free to ask and reply!

Nice work (and outdoors too), thank you for sharing. Does your MB have the oil/air cooler (Behr) at the front drivers side - I had to replace the two small gaskets at the hose fittings to the oil filter to address oil seepage. I also noted that you have the radiator overflow hose in reverse direction, the end with additional rubber protection goes over the radiator. Thank you for sharing, I am learning about issues I might have to address.

 

[Niklas32]

@Sebastopol I didn´t really look for the radiator, but as far as I remember, there is no Cooler on the front drivers side. And thanks for the heads up on the radiator overflow line! I will turn that line around soon. Maybe need to change the expansion Tank as well, looks way too yellow and it is also of inferior quality.