[s-cars] NAC - Benz 300E Questions

Douglas Landaeta dlandaeta at gmail.com
Mon Dec 7 15:38:28 PST 2009 

Some folks don't even know what they have - like someone who took cash  
for clunkers $ on a 500E, just find the 400E original owner facing a  
big mtce bill for say wiring harness, timing chain, AC compressor,  
evaporator or PS pump. Put the mtce time in yourself and you're in for  
a good price and a long reliable ride.

Sent from my mobile

On Dec 7, 2009, at 6:12 PM, "Bruce Mendel" <brucem105 at comcast.net>  
wrote:

> As a guy that has a 560SEL 6.0 AMG DOHC, I can assure you you don't  
> want one. :)
>
> The 400E/E420 is a great compromise between speed of 300E and rarity/ 
> price of 500E. It's a 275HP V8, great personality on the road, and  
> other than the motor/trans is pretty much the same as the 300E so  
> plentiful parts.
>
> Same wiring harness/minor electrical issue as any W124, plus some  
> extra potential issues underhood from heat, as the engine is  
> shoehorned in there.
>
> But they're not well know, so can be had pretty cheap.
>
> B
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Taka Mizutani"  
> <t44tqtro at gmail.com>
> To: "Douglas Landaeta" <dlandaeta at gmail.com>
> Cc: "s-car-list" <s-car-list at audifans.com>
> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 6:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] NAC - Benz 300E Questions
>
>
>> Yeah, but 500Es are rare as hell, Doug.
>>
>> I'm talking about "normal" W124s.
>>
>> I'd rather have a full AMG 560SEL 6.0 DOHC, oil leaks be damned.
>>
>> Taka
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 5:56 PM, Douglas Landaeta  
>> <dlandaeta at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> W126 = more mtce. $$, less performance, over a W124 with the 8  
>>> cyl. M119
>>>
>>> Sent from my mobile
>>>
>>>
>>> On Dec 7, 2009, at 5:50 PM, Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com>  
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Just to add, the head gasket issue referenced seems to only appear  
>>> in the
>>>> 24v engines.
>>>>
>>>> Regardless, the W124 is one of the best Benzes in recent history-  
>>>> as for
>>>> the
>>>> ride and driving experience, I can't comment. I've thought about  
>>>> getting
>>>> one
>>>> myself several times.
>>>>
>>>> I personally would prefer a W126 S-Class, though.
>>>>
>>>> Taka
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 3:22 PM, Michael Lardizabal <
>>>> mikellardizabal at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> .....so true about the torque.
>>>>>
>>>>> I had a 96 C36 AMG that would just rip the tires all day long.  
>>>>> Even w/
>>>>> the
>>>>> ASR button ON.
>>>>>
>>>>> As far as the headgasket...yes the later I-6 motors had a rep of  
>>>>> going
>>>>> thru
>>>>> them, but its not too bad a price to pay for what you get in  
>>>>> return. I
>>>>> think
>>>>> that once they're done at the typical 110K- 125K mark, they're  
>>>>> good for
>>>>> maybe more the next time about. I think once the block has gone  
>>>>> thru a
>>>>> few
>>>>> heat cycles, the HG isn't as prone .
>>>>>
>>>>> As far as the 190E, the only one worth any effort is the Cossie,  
>>>>> but I
>>>>> agree. The interior fit and finish is .....well, at least its a
>>>>> lightweight
>>>>> car w/ a dogleg 5 and an intake sound thats insane.
>>>>> --- On Mon, 12/7/09, Kent McLean <kentmclean at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> From: Kent McLean <kentmclean at comcast.net>
>>>>> Subject: Re: [s-cars] NAC - Benz 300E Questions
>>>>> To: "s-car-list" <s-car-list at audifans.com>
>>>>> Date: Monday, December 7, 2009, 2:54 PM
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> More from the V8 list...
>>>>>
>>>>> -- Kent
>>>>>
>>>>> -------- Original Message --------
>>>>> Subject: RE: 300E Beater
>>>>> Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 13:46:06 -0600
>>>>> From: Brian K. Ullrich <bullrich at ullrichsys.com>
>>>>>
>>>>> As usual, Roger has the goods. I do differ on a few points though:
>>>>>
>>>>> The W124 chassis ran from 1984 to 1995. Badged primarily in the  
>>>>> US as the
>>>>> 300E, it later changed to MB's new badging as the E320, etc. So,  
>>>>> it
>>>>> covers
>>>>> a
>>>>> lot of cars, and differing model numbers, including the diesels,  
>>>>> which
>>>>> can
>>>>> be easily visually distinguished by a fender vent on the right  
>>>>> front.
>>>>>
>>>>> In my estimation, the best of the W124 cars are the 1993 and  
>>>>> newer. They
>>>>> are
>>>>> the post-facelift cars, and include many newer features. I  
>>>>> personally
>>>>> owned
>>>>> a 1990 and a 1995 W124 (300E and E320, respectively), and had  
>>>>> little
>>>>> problems with either, but my 1995 W124 E320 was a smoker. That  
>>>>> i6 was a
>>>>> torque-making fool. And it got great gas mileage.
>>>>>
>>>>> I do differ with Roger on one point about the 190 vs. 300/320: I  
>>>>> feel
>>>>> that
>>>>> the 190 is a much inferior car to its larger cousin. The 190 is  
>>>>> known as
>>>>> the
>>>>> W201 chassis, and in most US trim, it was equipped with a 2.2l 4  
>>>>> cylinder
>>>>> motor mated to a 3-speed auto (although the 2.6l 6-cylinders are
>>>>> available,
>>>>> and they are equipped with a 4-speed auto). Roger is correct in  
>>>>> his
>>>>> assessment that a teenager could hardly get into too much  
>>>>> trouble in this
>>>>> car, because it just ain't fast. However, I feel that this car  
>>>>> is not a
>>>>> good
>>>>> choice because those motors revved so high at highway speeds  
>>>>> (around 3K
>>>>> RPM)
>>>>> that it just put the engine at risk for failure, especially for
>>>>> high-mileage
>>>>> cars. Not to mention the fit and finish, which were just not  
>>>>> really up to
>>>>> the standards of MB at the time.
>>>>>
>>>>> For my money, if I were to put my teen in a Benz, I'd find a  
>>>>> later model
>>>>> W124, either diesel or gas, and call it a day. The best inline 6- 
>>>>> cylinder
>>>>> engine MB ever built was the 3l/3.2l, and coupled with the W124  
>>>>> chassis,
>>>>> I
>>>>> think that makes the best sense. Compared to the 190/W201, parts  
>>>>> are more
>>>>> plentiful, and it's easy to work on.
>>>>>
>>>>> Of course, this is just my opinion. My esteemed colleague, Mr.  
>>>>> Woodbury,
>>>>> may
>>>>> have something else to say on the matter.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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