Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

I sold my Pug 205 today , but I got this back in exchange. Now I have to get rid!

So, here's the lowdown:

Model: Mercedes 300D (W124)
Year: 1991
Mileage: 291,000
Tax: None after October (VOSA's choice, not mine!) or until Feb.
MOT:June 2014

I don't normally sell non Porkers here but I can appreciate that people want a cheap smoker!

Anyway, what can I say about this?

As you can expect for an old Merc it works but of course it has its issues at this price. So let's get started.

What are the good points? It drives surprisingly well (I have driven cars worse than this with half of the miles this), with no knocks or bangs with it getting down the road surprisingly well. It served the previous owner very well, and it should do for quite some time. For its age it actually does not look too bad on the bodywork or interior, and has little rust for a W124. It seems by the way it drives to have been cared for most of its life with the first owner appearing to be a dealership owner, and it having a full service history up until 220,000 miles. It has also been given a recent service. I suspect that at looking at the little history it has that the car has a private plate on it.

The bad points? Well, there are a few, in the form of niggling issues. These include:
-the engine not turning off by itself (the stop solenoid has packed up, requiring the pump to shut down with the stop switch).
-there is some injector knock at idle, but it goes as soon as it is off idle (the engine runs very well).
-the viscous coupling is no longer viscous.
-the windows only work when a door (any door) is open (this goes for the sunroof as well). I wonder whether the wrong relay has been fitted.
-the exhaust is blowing somewhere at the front.
-The interior is slightly scruffy in one or two places, the major part being the driver's bolster where it has quite an amount of wear.
-the windscreen is cracked.
-For a 20 year old Merc it does have a couple of minor scratches and dents present in a couple of areas on the car.

Here are some shots the previous owner had of it. I shall take some more recent ones but it really does not look all that different:

And sold!

Well done!!

I'm seriously tempted by a W124 estate - lovely cars imo.

Cheers Andy .

I take it you have driven a W124 then? Upon even driving this slow example(being a non turbo diesel!) I 'get' them. They certainly have a feeling of solidity about them in addition to getting down the road very well and serenely indeed. Small wonder that they are the perfect candidate for becoming a export to another country where they can live their lives out as a taxi.

Not driven one Chas, but been ferried around in them overseas before! As a passenger I fell in love with the quality interior and ride. I appreciate I may not feel quite the same as a driver, but they're still on my radar for something interesting & practical/spacious.

Can't buy anymore cars until my 944 S has sold though, not enough room