Although the thought of children is still mildly terrifying, I have enjoyed thinking about what type of vehicle I’ll purchase when the time comes. Frankly, I find the W123 family of Mercedes products hard to beat, given their reputation for cockroach-like levels of durability – an important consideration for the onslaught of offspring. In addition, it’s nuts how many owners ship them stateside after a stint overseas: jump onto your favorite Craigslist search tool, enter “Grey Market”, and peruse numerous listings of both diesel and gas saloons and estates that chug around with euro lighting and bumpers still intact. That is exactly what today’s entry is, with a mere 240K on the clock. Break-in period complete? Check.
It’s a tough call between one of these and a clean Vanagon, but in the ease-of-maintenance department, the nod goes to the W123 (or any car that doesn’t have a cross-chassis cooling system). The euro models are the way to go, in my opinion, with goodies like the slim bumpers, glass-encased headlamps, self-leveling suspension (more trouble than it’s worth, but it’s functioning on today’s example), and seemingly, often equipped with a manual transmission. In addition, the W123 interiors must be made from the same material found in the back of police cruisers, considering I’ve lost count of how many ancient Benzes I’ve come upon – running or in the junkyard – with mint seats and consoles. MB TEX – I swear, if this stuff was around in the age of dinosaurs, it would have survived the ice age that wiped out our carnivorous companions.
Year: 1985
Model: 230TE
Engine: 2.3 liter inline-4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: 240,000 mi
Price: $4,500
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230TE 5-speed on Tampa Bay Craigslist
I found this car in Atlanta last year after my beautiful ’95 W124 wagon was totaled & I went searching for a replacement. The seller was a factory MB Tech @ a dealership in Atlanta where he & several other techs & a service writer had taken turns owning the car, daily driving it & tending to its needs as they came up. The car is a WONDERFUL mix of solid daily driver & neat MB history. I have the original owner’s manual and the German service books showing its first few services completed while still in Germany. In ’86 the car was brought to San Diego & grey marketed. The fuel system has been returned to stock, but I still have the black box, aux injector, etc. as I thought they were a neat part of the cars history. It retains its original Euro bumpers, headlights, rear fog light, Alpine horns, vacuum headlights, and a ton of other unique German/Euro tidbits. Mileage on the ODO is ~240k which I belive to be accurate, ODO & trip meter are still 100% functional & GPS accurate within a few %. Clean Florida title & CarFax history, etc.
the GOOD:
- This is the BEST driving W123 I’ve ever experienced. I’m a mechanic & have toodled along in my fair share of decent & nice diesel 123s, I GREATLY prefer the character of this torquey little gasser coupled with the excellent & very healthy 5-speed. This car happily rolls along at ~90mph on the highway. Just completed a ~300mi trip with my Wife & Son, a weekend worth of camping gear & our 16′ Mad River canoe on the roof. Got ~ low 20mpg, which seems fantastic to me.
- The interior is in very good shape. The front seats were re-covered with factory parts including the horse hair pads & look FANTASTIC. The dash was in pretty horrible shape, but has a nice blue cover now. Power windows, manual sunroof, vacuum interlock, etc. all working perfectly.
- Tires, brakes, suspension, etc. are all great. I would probably switch out the ~3yr old Generals for some fresh Michellins in the next year if I were planning to keep the car as my daily driver, but I’m quite picky about tires – these still have plenty of tread. Self leveling is working corectly & leak-free. Steering box has been re-built & feels fantastic, no play or slop in the steering, alignment is great, hands-off on the highway, etc.
- Currently have 14″ Bundts fitted, including a factory-fresh spare with original MB weights & DOT code correct 1985 Pirelli tire – NEVER MOUNTED. Still have the original warning triangle, German First Aid Kit, tool kit, etc. I recently re-ran the factory correct hose for the rear wiper jet. Power antenna has been re-built with a fresh belt, etc.
the BAD:
- The top paint surfaces are quite bad & require a repaint at some point in the future. I have gone back & forth on this & it is, realistically, the primary reason I’m considering letting this car go. I can’t bring myself to put a cheap paint job on it, and can’t afford to have it done they way I’d like.
- The A/C compressor has a slow leak @ the front seal, system is currently charged & working fine, but I don’t usually use it.
- The reflectors on the front headlights aren’t as clear/bright as I’d like – I would replace them if I were keeping the car long-term & probably fit ceramic bulb holders, relays & more powerful bulbs. These ARE original Euro headlights & retain the fully functional vacuum system. One lens was replaced right before I bought it.
- There is an intermittent squeak from the electromagnetic fan clutch bearing on the nose of the water pump. Its been present for a while & I haven’t gotten around to putting a new water pump on the car. Would be something I’d recommend, obviously, though the noise isn’t very audible from the cabin. . .
Otherwise, this car is pretty much PERFECT for someone looking to daily drive a clean W123 wagon. Its not clean enough to be a collectors/museum piece and its not a ratty car on its last legs like so many W123s are now. I could ramble for HOURS about this car & would happily chat on the phone with anyone interested in knowing more about it in whatever level of detail, just drop me an e-mail!
NOTE: Lots more pix available on request.
Price: $4,500 – may also be interested in a nice ’94/’95 W124 wagon – this, along with the paint, is my reason for selling. As much as I love this wagon, I loved my ’95 even more & my Wife was happier to drive it on the occasion we needed to switch cars. I could add cash for the right W124. If I don’t find the right buyer, I will most likely keep this car & re-paint it when I’m able.
Throw in this car’s preference for fair-weather states and a knowledgeable owner and you’re looking at a classic cruiser that will still be around when the kiddos go off the prom. And if you’ve raised them right, they’ll ask if they can source some AMG monoblocks and a mild suspension kit once you toss them the keys for the first time – after they scrape the tint off, of course.
-Jeff