W123 ***For the W123 Enthusiasts***

[450SEL6.9]

The price is $10,000 Cdn. I'm quite confident I can buy it for less than that. It is not cheap for a 240D, regardless of the mileage, so I'd definitely negotiate. If it was a 300CD or TD at $10,000, I'd have my cheque book ready even if the price was non-negotiable.

The speed is not an issue. I have faster cars at my disposal though I rarely drive fast. I certainly would not drive the 240D on the Canadian highways though the speed limit is merely 100 km/h. The gasoline models like the 280 and 280E are much faster, but I can't find any around at this time. I believe the 240D does 0-100 km/h in 25 seconds. The 200D takes 33 seconds? That's as slow as a passenger bus.

Damn, I wish I still live in Europe. I found two low mileage W123 coupes, a 230CE and 280CE, on eBay. I wonder how much they'll sell for... I'm just waiting for a North American to list a W123 coupe.

 

[cawimmer430]

The price is $10,000 Cdn. I'm quite confident I can buy it for less than that. It is not cheap for a 240D, regardless of the mileage, so I'd definitely negotiate. If it was a 300CD or TD at $10,000, I'd have my cheque book ready even if the price was non-negotiable.

The speed is not an issue. I have faster cars at my disposal though I rarely drive fast. I certainly would not drive the 240D on the Canadian highways though the speed limit is merely 100 km/h. The gasoline models like the 280 and 280E are much faster, but I can't find any around at this time. I believe the 240D does 0-100 km/h in 25 seconds. The 200D takes 33 seconds? That's as slow as a passenger bus.

Damn, I wish I still live in Europe. I found two low mileage W123 coupes, a 230CE and 280CE, on eBay. I wonder how much they'll sell for... I'm just waiting for a North American to list a W123 coupe.

I think the price for the 240D is so "high" because it's a low mileage well-kept example. Actually, the price might seem quite right. In the UK for example, I see ads placed in Mercedes Enthusiast magazine of W123's that cost £7,000+!

The 240D takes 27.4 seconds to reach 100 km/h according to my Mercedes bible, but when the 72-hp power upgrade came, it shaved off 2-3 seconds. The 240D owners on www.w123.net have claimed that their car has been able to reach 160 km/h, despite a factory claim of around 140 km/h. At any rate, the 240D isn't a racecar but a car for those who are true W123 enthusiasts and know the other qualities of these cars.

I would advise against a 250 or a 280. They're thirsty as hell. The 280E is not fuel efficient car either, but the performance is better than the 280 by a wide margin. A salesman at the local Benz dealership who spent quite a bit of time in every W123 during the '70s and '80s totally advises against the 250's. Rough and in some cases, even thirstier than the 280's or 280E's! This guy himself had a fully loaded 280E in Hamburg for his wife. Ah the benefits of working for MB.

 

[450SEL6.9]

The W123 looks better and better. One of the coupes I saw on ebay failed to sell at about 7,000 US last bid. There's another RHD model going for no reserve.

I called to see if I can arrange to view the 240D this weekend. I'm expecting some rust on the car since Canadian winters are harsh and road salt is always used on the roads. I don't think the car I'm interested in is rotting away with rust like some of those French cars I like, but I think there will be small amounts of rust on the body..

Cawimmer, have you ever driven an old W123 diesel on the autobahn? Do the other motorists close in on your rear like a Formula One car during a Safety Car period?

 

[cawimmer430]

The W123 looks better and better. One of the coupes I saw on ebay failed to sell at about 7,000 US last bid. There's another RHD model going for no reserve.

I called to see if I can arrange to view the 240D this weekend. I'm expecting some rust on the car since Canadian winters are harsh and road salt is always used on the roads. I don't think the car I'm interested in is rotting away with rust like some of those French cars I like, but I think there will be small amounts of rust on the body..

Cawimmer, have you ever driven an old W123 diesel on the autobahn? Do the other motorists close in on your rear like a Formula One car during a Safety Car period?

Rust is a major problem on all older Mercedes' since the anti-corrossion laws were pretty wishy-washy back then. Despite this, I've read that rust problems can easily be treated on W123's and for good prices.

I've never driven a W123 diesel on the Autobahn, in fact the only W123 I've ever driven was a 4-speed manual 1979 200D with 60-hp and it was such a joy to drive. I have however ridden in many W123's. A buddy of mine once brought me home after school in his 1979 200 (gasoline) 4-speed manual. On the way, he had to stop somewhere and took the Autobahn. I recall how solid the ride felt but I noticed how the fuel clock just dropped like crazy. That's cause he was maxing the thing out in 4th gear!

 

[450SEL6.9]

I still haven't been able to set a mutually acceptable time with the owner of that 240D. He hasn't received much interest though he says.. Not everyone wants a 20-something year old Mercedes diesel. I was just told that Mercedes Benz Canada no longer has technicians capable of fixing 6.9s. That's too bad though I've decided on buying a W123.

Have any W123s been fitted with armouring by Mercedes Benz? I'm kind of an armoured car enthusiast.

 

[cawimmer430]

I still haven't been able to set a mutually acceptable time with the owner of that 240D. He hasn't received much interest though he says.. Not everyone wants a 20-something year old Mercedes diesel. I was just told that Mercedes Benz Canada no longer has technicians capable of fixing 6.9s. That's too bad though I've decided on buying a W123.

Have any W123s been fitted with armouring by Mercedes Benz? I'm kind of an armoured car enthusiast.

Interesting that Canadian MB technicians won't touch the 6.9's. They should, since ignorance will kill this great S-Class! I hope this doesn't happen.

Armoured W123's? I'm not to sure to be honest. There must have been customers who ordered armoured W123's and MB probably had it made by some aftermarket company. As far as I know, the only armoured MB's of that period were S-Classes, and they were modified by aftermarket company's like Trasco for example. MB GUARD is only a recent addition to the company.

I guess if you want an armoured W123, look for a model that belong to an ex-corrupt African dictator or something.

 

[450SEL6.9]

I like the Trasco/Centigon cars better than the GUARD cars. The Trasco cars have ballistic glass and steel armoured to the same level. Most of the factory-armoured cars produced directly by the German manufacturers combine the two highest protection levels so the glass is usually armoured to a lower level than the non-transparent armour. I think the GUARD G500 is an exception to this. Almost all the others are B6/B7 only so it's not really the higest level of armouring.

There are definitely 6.9s around. They generally have close to 200,000 km and with complete rebuilds of the pneumatic suspension, but the owners have to take the cars to independent garages with mechanics who can fix it and even those are hard to find these days.

 

[cawimmer430]

I like the Trasco/Centigon cars better than the GUARD cars. The Trasco cars have ballistic glass and steel armoured to the same level. Most of the factory-armoured cars produced directly by the German manufacturers combine the two highest protection levels so the glass is usually armoured to a lower level than the non-transparent armour. I think the GUARD G500 is an exception to this. Almost all the others are B6/B7 only so it's not really the higest level of armouring.

There are definitely 6.9s around. They generally have close to 200,000 km and with complete rebuilds of the pneumatic suspension, but the owners have to take the cars to independent garages with mechanics who can fix it and even those are hard to find these days.

I don't know about you, but I don't know of anyone who wants to kill me, so I have no need for an armoured Benz.

Stick with the W123. Did you get it yet?

 

[450SEL6.9]

I don't know about you, but I don't know of anyone who wants to kill me, so I have no need for an armoured Benz.

Stick with the W123. Did you get it yet?

I've just always been fascinated by armoured vehicles. No one wants to kill me...yet.

I was going to post about my experience with the W123 because I finally got a chance to see the vehicle I'm interested in. I took a look and drive in it this morning. Generally, the car is in good shape. Engine sounds fine and I heard no strange noises or misfires. There was quite a bit of lurching forward at low gears, similar to a Honda Accord V6 I used to drive. The paint job was poorly done by an amateur and it looks highly inconsistent. The car had an original Becker radio that works, but is erratic. Oh I forgot, I drove the car on an empty motorway and it was slow, but charming in its own way.

I found no rust on the body other than a very small spot near the right rear wheel arch. It might have orginally been damage that was left unrepaired. There wasn't any rust beneath the car and I saw a few pictures of the vehicle on jacks. Cosmetically, things look pretty good. I don't like the colour, brown, but it needs new paint anyway. The tyres have tread left, but it's been on there for a while and the owner says they cannot get up to full pressure. It's another small matter. The rims are colour-matched to the body and it is not the style I like.. You know which one they are, cawimmer. The rims on this 240D are the ones on that W123 taxi you posted. Another thing I'll change if I buy the car are the circular lights..

Having said that, I made him an offer for $7,800 Cdn. The asking price was 10. I made that offer because the owner made the cardinal rule in negotiation: never tell an interested buyer he is the only one. He casually and perhaps accidentally said there was no serious interest until I called.

 

[cawimmer430]

I've just always been fascinated by armoured vehicles. No one wants to kill me...yet.

I was going to post about my experience with the W123 because I finally got a chance to see the vehicle I'm interested in. I took a look and drive in it this morning. Generally, the car is in good shape. Engine sounds fine and I heard no strange noises or misfires. There was quite a bit of lurching forward at low gears, similar to a Honda Accord V6 I used to drive. The paint job was poorly done by an amateur and it looks highly inconsistent. The car had an original Becker radio that works, but is erratic. Oh I forgot, I drove the car on an empty motorway and it was slow, but charming in its own way.

I found no rust on the body other than a very small spot near the right rear wheel arch. It might have orginally been damage that was left unrepaired. There wasn't any rust beneath the car and I saw a few pictures of the vehicle on jacks. Cosmetically, things look pretty good. I don't like the colour, brown, but it needs new paint anyway. The tyres have tread left, but it's been on there for a while and the owner says they cannot get up to full pressure. It's another small matter. The rims are colour-matched to the body and it is not the style I like.. You know which one they are, cawimmer. The rims on this 240D are the ones on that W123 taxi you posted. Another thing I'll change if I buy the car are the circular lights..

Having said that, I made him an offer for $7,800 Cdn. The asking price was 10. I made that offer because the owner made the cardinal rule in negotiation: never tell an interested buyer he is the only one. He casually and perhaps accidentally said there was no serious interest until I called.

An armoured W123 will be slower and handle even worse than a stock W123.

Sounds like the car is in good shape, generally speaking. Yep, no W123 will be fast. Even a 280E is pretty slow by todays standards. There were a few W123's with the 6.3-l V8 AMG engine, but they're so rare and not very much is known about them. I only heard about them from one of the Mercedes fanatic salesman at our local dealership. A handful of them were made for experimental reasons, but don't expect them to pop up on the used car market.

Keep me updated on the W123. And keep those rims, they're gorgeous and classy IMO!

 

[450SEL6.9]

I don't think too many armoured W123s exist. The Vatican had a few armoured mid-sized Mercedes Benz of that era, but they were not W123s. I would love to find one of those 6.3s, but the only place I can see those being sold is at auction.

The owner of the 240D called me last evening. He is willing to go down to $9,500. I went to $8,000. He has a deal if he goes down to $8,800.

Update. The owner called again. I think I can make the deal this weekend if I am willing to go a bit higher. However, I found a nice 280E with low mileage!

 

[bum-man]

A fine example on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1985...4607140213QQcategoryZ6330QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It looks as if it has never seen a road in it's life despite what the odometer says.

 

[cawimmer430]

I don't think too many armoured W123s exist. The Vatican had a few armoured mid-sized Mercedes Benz of that era, but they were not W123s. I would love to find one of those 6.3s, but the only place I can see those being sold is at auction.

The owner of the 240D called me last evening. He is willing to go down to $9,500. I went to $8,000. He has a deal if he goes down to $8,800.

Update. The owner called again. I think I can make the deal this weekend if I am willing to go a bit higher. However, I found a nice 280E with low mileage!

Oh man, I am getting jealous here!

 

[450SEL6.9]

I haven't been around as I've been very busy recently. The owner still wants $9,500 and his son might take the car off his hands. I actually feel bad for the owner, a really nice elderly gentleman. To him, this car was very symbolic of his 1980s glory years when he had a thriving chemicals and plastics business. He has since fallen on hard times and lost the business altogether so I can totally understand him wanting to keep the car as a memory of what used to be.

On a completely unrelated note, I think it's absurd that honest businesses creating good local jobs are hurt by stupid tax laws while athletes, celebrity-product endorsers getting paid tens of millions for their name have all sorts of avenues to avoid tax! Too many companies spend money on product endorsements without a direct financial benefit and it ultimately comes at employees' expense. Doesn't a famous money losing automobile manufacturer continue to spend $10 million sponsoring some golfer all the while terminating tens of thousands of their own employees? I think it's an abuse for companies to give endorsement money to celebrities and then try to make up that frivolous expense by firing workers that make the products.

 

[dbtk]

Newbie here. Recently started posting a couple of days ago. I love that you all have an appreciation for the W123s. My mom had one when I was a kid and finally bought one of my own about a year ago sight unseen. Flew to Denver and bought her from a guy who had listed on Craigslist. Here is a link to her story...(scroll down to the March W123 of the Month)

 

[Alx]

Welcome, that is a beautiful car and a great little story. Enjoy your stay here.... Have fun!!!

 

[dbtk]

Welcome, that is a beautiful car and a great little story. Enjoy your stay here.... Have fun!!!

Thank you for the welcome!

 

[SDNR]

Well here's something you don't see every day, a Mercedes-Benz tombstone. I discovered it by chance just surfing the net.

Ray Tse, Jr. fantasized as a teenager about getting a driver's license and owning a luxurious Mercedes Benz. Ray died in 1981 at the age of 15. His desire was posthumously and eerily fulfilled when his millionaire brother, David, commissioned a 36-ton granite memorial sculpted to resemble a full-size 1982 Mercedes Benz 2400 Diesel limousine.

 

[450SEL6.9]

Ray Tse, Jr. fantasized as a teenager about getting a driver's license and owning a luxurious Mercedes Benz. Ray died in 1981 at the age of 15. His desire was posthumously and eerily fulfilled when his millionaire brother, David, commissioned a 36-ton granite memorial sculpted to resemble a full-size 1982 Mercedes Benz 2400 Diesel limousine.

Coincidence? I don't think so. . . Since I share a name with that fella, well, maybe I should opt for a granite Mercedes W123 for my tombstone! I would probably opt for the Euro style headlights on my tombstone though.

Now, where to find that millionaire brother. . .