w124 appreciation - early samples, restorations, etc.

[Jlaa]

This is an early 300E --- it must be over 30 years old by now. I see these with some regularity but almost NEVER in such nice condition and almost NEVER street parked. What a car --- these still look so well considered even today.

--> period correct AAA sticker on the back
--> those OE wheels still look just right!
--> Nice early boot lid without the later license-plate filler
--> I peeked inside - it looked nearly perfect. There was even an AMPS mobile phone on the center console.

Bonus --> it was parked right outside an, ahem, "Cannabis Medical Center". There's a security guard under the umbrella behind the wood pole. I wonder if the driver was stopping by to get his "meds."?

 

[a777fan]

V neat!

The red/white/blue plate puts it in at least the 1988 timeframe. It was blue n yellow till ‘86. ‘87 was the era of the ‘sunshine’ plate, then the rw n blue started up.

If I remember correctly, our 1988 caravan had a ‘2GSH’ plate prefix. Which might mean this could even be as late as ‘89?


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[Jlaa]

V neat!

The red/white/blue plate puts it in at least the 1988 timeframe. It was blue n yellow till ‘86. ‘87 was the era of the ‘sunshine’ plate, then the rw n blue started up.

If I remember correctly, our 1988 caravan had a ‘2GSH’ plate prefix. Which might mean this could even be as late as ‘89?


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Yeah! Methinks you are right ---- this is either an '88 or '89. I had a 1991 Volvo 940T that had the RW'n'Blue plate but that started with a 3 and not a 2.
Anyways, it always makes my day everytime I see an old w124 kept up in very very good condition, and still driving around.

There's a guy in my neighborhood with a signal red 300CE --- it is actually multi color. The upper is signal red and the bottom is grey. I'll get a shot of the blue hair's car one day .... its really nice.

 

[TerryA]

Jlaa,

You have excellent taste. That looks exactly like my 1st 124. A 1986 300E Champagne/MB Tex Palamino interior. It had 30K miles on it. I belonged to a little old lady in Laguna Beach. I really loved that car and ran it up to 120K. It was a real slug when it came to performance. A MoPed could beat it off the line.

My only mistake was lowering it w/ Eibachs and 17” AftMkt Monoblocks from Becker in S/N? Carolina. Looked great rode like crap after that. Also installed Koni Reds. I played with that setup about once a month for a year trying to improve the ride.

Never again. I really appreciate my 500E’s factory (ahem’) Porsche lowering. They did it right.

It was the time before digi-pics. If I can find some old ones I’ll post a couple.

Thanks for jogging my memory.

lol

 

[gsxr]

Yeah! Methinks you are right ---- this is either an '88 or '89.

Next time wander by and check out the VIN, on the stamped metal tag on the driver A-pillar. The 10th digit indicates model year. G=1986, H=1087, J=1988, etc.
http://124performance.com/docs/mb/other/VIN_decoding.pdf

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Such a clean, original condition W124! Nice find!

Regards,
D

 

[Jlaa]

I am not sure if he is on the forum but I know he owns a 500E as well. I ran across his lovely
Lovely 300CE tonight. Love the wheel covers.





View attachment 79483

 

[gerryvz]

Those are very very common wheel covers that you see in "Yurrope."

 

[Jlaa]

Yeah they were all over the place in HK in the late 80s.

 

[Jlaa]

I did another 200 mi roundtrip yesterday in the 500E from SF up 101, across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Marin, over the Richmond San Rafael Bridge, up to Vallejo, and then back to SF on I-80. It is just such a hugely satisfying car to drive. One feels totally invincible driving this car. I think that invincibility feeling comes from a combination of:

a) The feeling one gets through the old recirculating ball steering
b) The fact that the engine is turning 3000 rpm, in the meat of the torque curve, for instant response, at highway speeds
c) The fact that there is no delaying-causing torque converter lockup/unlockup
d) The damping of the stock suspension - cushy and slightly firm at the same time. Nothing like this any more, not with 16 drive modes on new cars.
e) The fact that the exhaust sound is actually kind muted and silent UNLESS you give the pedal a swift kick - then you hear the subtle and lovely v8 soundtrack.

The more I drive it, the more I think that the "like a drug" analogies in the original Automobile Magazine review of the car back in 1991 was totally on point.

With that said, I am coveting these restored s124s for sale in Japan ---- TOTALLY digging the plaid. Please please please don't turn into the next hipster car!!!

https://www.thedrive.com/news/27766...sic-mercedes-benz-station-wagons-and-g-wagens

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I was at the dealership today, they just drove off the service absolutely spectacular example of this coupe!!! And Sportline too, spotless throughout, not a spot! Gorgeous cream interior and absolutely no clearcoat peel. 65K miles... Love this thing!!! Couldn't get any better pics, too close to other cars





Regards,
D

 

[MB V8]

Nice looking car. Can't quite make out the numbers and letters on the trunk?? E3??

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Nice looking car. Can't quite make out the numbers and letters on the trunk?? E3??

The badge was E320

 

[Melville]

Yes please!

https://www.e-arrows.jp/stockcars/carlsson6-0

https://www.e-arrows.jp/stockcars/amg300te-wide

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Yes indeed! What an unusual color on TE, love it!

 

[Jlaa]

I love that flat paint 300TE!

 

[Jlaa]

I saw this beautiful early 300E yesterday on Market street. Great to see these cars still kickin' it in v. nice condition. I wasn't able to get a side shot, but I love the colors of the 80s/early 90s. Color selection was much more exuberant back then than it was today.

 

[Jlaa]

I got to see this MOPF0 w124 on wheel covers still running around the old cobblestone streets in thre old town area of Nürnberg this winter. So nice to see this kept in such condition that it is still able to pass German TUV testing every year and is not rusted into oblivion.