MB 123 enthusiast...

[v22]

hello, after neglecting my hearts desire.. here i am again and about to look at an 83 model w123 200d...

care to give me any inputs on things to check/look out for?? Owner said it had been overhauled 4 years ago, needs a minor body repair on the front apron and has a dent on the bumper.... asking is 75k

tia!

[OTEP]

With a car that age, expect everything to have problems. hehehe. Bonus na lang kung maayos pa.

The last 300D I checked ['83 model ata] had a pretty straight body and interior. But meron nang leak sa floor (prolly just rust through), some tranny slipping at high speeds, and other minor annoyances. Owner promised to fix floor leak and throw in an extra set of euro bumpers. Asking was Php 135k. Sayang we were unable to get it. When we broke off the deal, he sold it for Php 150k. hehehe.

If you plan to restore, just buy a junker. W123's are pretty easy to restore. Medyo magastos nga lang.

[v22]

otep; what do you think should be the price for this??

tia!

[OTEP]

I've yet to see the unit but the price you quoted is the running average for 200D's. Manual or matic? Unit on the pic seems like the more desirable Euro model (not the U.S. model with ugly bumpers and rewired lights). Other features like sunroof, power windows, rear headrests?

Mine still has the OEM first aid kit. hehehe.

[v22]

have yet to determine.. most proly its a manual.. assuming there are only minor body repair involved, i wouldnt want to by something that would need major body repair asap, and it has no power windows etc.. just the standard P/S and a/c.. is this a good buy??

also assuming the engine is in good cond..

[OTEP]

Not having power windows is ok. My 300D is M/T with manual windows, no sunroof, no front armrest, no rear headrests, no rear seatbelts. Though it is powersteering and the power locks are now electric (not vacum) in the interest of reliability and to make it easier to interface with the aftermarket anti-theft system.

For me the price is ok. Just factor in how much you need in restoration. Is the a/c OEM or converted already. Mine's a Sanden system for easier maintenance. Though the blower is kinda weak already (very old blower).

[theveed]

My sister in law's husband bit the bullet and bought a W123 to play with as well...

Halos lahat pare-parehas ang problems if not extremely well maintained by the previous owner... Rust spots will creep up to you, especially near the firewall, flooring and trunk...

To be honest, it's very costly to maintain such an old car, but it comes with the territory of owning one. The cost, of course, depends on your financial capacity to pay hehe, the deeper your wallet, the more negligible the cost is.

Other frequently replaced parts (due to age) will include bushings, engine mounts, steering column bushings, shocks, flexdisc, pcv valves, tappet adjustment (for diesels), antenna, upholstery (esp driver's side), etc...

Again, I strongly believe that rust is the biggest obstacle with cars 85 and older... If you can get a unit that is almost rust free (not from the outside, but from the inside), then the mechanical repairs are very reasonable in cost since they do last quite a long time and the parts are quite abundant.

Basta NEVER assume na "madali lang irepair yan" if you see any defects sa car that can't be fixed by mere part replacement. Coz it's not madali nor cheap hehe.

Kung umangat ang side trims na chrome, you need to take the whole thing out and buy 5 pairs of thimble shaped clips that cost 30 bucks a piece (i think), so that's 300 bucks already just for some plastic clips.

Vacuum locks may be cool, but they are A PAIN to trace if there's a leak since it affects the whole vacuum system of the car.

If I have the dough, I'd get another one (but good one this time) hehe.

[v22]

thanks for the inputs! So rust is what i should be wary off...

theveed; you mentioned a lot of bushings. are the bushings for the w123 affordable?? or do they cost a lot compared to jap sedans?? is it true, i heard from my uncle that parts for a honda is more costly than parts for the w123??

otep; not yet sure about the a/c.. but i would'nt mind conversions... had my fair share of conversion experiences, you just have to know how to hide the ugly parts from plain sight btw, malamig pa ba kahit naka sanden?? i think even a surplus denso compressor from a pajero might be ok.. also these newer compressors would help relieving the engine since the orig compressor is way heavier to operate.. me thinks

haaay.. dont know what it is about these benz's... matagal ko na siya pinagpapantsyahan

[theveed]

bushings are cheap if i remember correctly... as for the honda comparison, i sincerely doubt that unless you're comparing it to some electronic components of a modern car.

Just to give you an idea... an average balljoint for jap sedans go for 300 bucks replacement 600 bucks OEM, W123, 800+ each and you need a big press thing to get it to fit right...

one monotube bilstein oem shock for W123 costs almost 3K... which isn't that bad coz it's gas tube.

mahina talaga blower ng lumang benz, maybe there's a way to change the blower to a stronger one... dunno... as long as the brackets are the same, I don't think it'll be an issue what compressor to use.

[v22]

i see... thank god there's ZEE and CRUVEN btw, i heard madugo ang rubber mouldings.. a set will st you back 10k??

with regards to the blower.. i guess a change of the whole evaporator is in order... remeber the one's used by old school cars, yung mga lata pa yung housing, there's a plastic unit that can be bought, ducting hoses na lang katapat i replaced my gen1 pajero with this.. am quite satified naman .