I personally love headlight wipers. We have a couple more W124s lined up over the next couple weeks for filming so we'll try to see if they have original and year-correct headlights.
I have to agree with Louis.. The face-lift headlights look wonky with a pre-face hood. Though the fix is relatively simple. Replace the face-lift lenses w124 pre-face lift Euro spec lenses- they are a direct fit. (I removed the headlights on my '91 300CE, bought a pair of used face-lift assemblies and replaced the lenses. total cost about about $175.00, and I now have a spare set of lenses for my '95 E320 wagon).
idk mang, the 190e also had such gap, and the dash that wasnt properly fixed in place from the factory so basically every w201 has a bent dash and misplaced glove box door
PRN Where is Burlington? I particularly enjoy your videos and pay real close attention to the background as upon my last visit to see family in Toronto in 2012, I decided that I MUST move there as I wanted to in 1987 upon leaving NYC and foolishly didn't. I don't care about the snow and cold even though I haven't dealt with that weather in 30 years (I live in Florida and no, I can't afford to be a snowbird), but I want to get out of the USA and Canada is as close to perfect as possible. I have a friend in London, Ontario who thinks that's the best place (more affordable than Toronto or Vancouver) for me. You film in the Toronto area?
We used to film in the Hamilton and Niagara regions, which are about an hour/hour and a half south of Toronto, and about an hour and a half east of London. We recently completed a move further east into Québec though!
The owner is definitely allowed to do what he wants. Next Monday we'll be publishing a 1995 E320 convertible with an OEM setup, or near as can be for a 22 year old car!
HELLL NAWW it looks great like that!! It just need flares and vossens maybe but man its tasteful. Every old merc should be tuned up because they deserve it
I have a 1988 mercedes 300E clean tittle 123k miles just installed a aftermarket stereo with beat and got her some AMG monoblock rims im 20 years old and Made my dreams xome true love this car first wanted the bmw M3 e30 but now Im rocking with boxy shape benz 300E and 190E
following you from India. keep up the good work. I happen to grow up in 80s and 90s, so I feel emotional towards all these old variants. your knowledge is your forte n keep that the highlight of your channel. way to go my friend 👍
I drive a black W124 400E ( with the M119 V8 engine), and I love it!!!! However, I still have the original US-spec headlights ( and don't plan on changing them....lol ) The 400E is actually pretty quick....at the light, you put the 4 spd auto on 1st gear, step on it..and this thing flies the 400E compared to the 300E has 275hp and 295 lbs of torque
We had hoped to film a 400E, the owner of the E55 AMG we filmed a few weeks back owns one but our scheduling hasn't worked out. We're hoping to get the chance to try it out, and get a full picture of the W124 family.
I subscribed to your channel as soon as I saw the review of the 1988 560SEL (126 chassis) less than three weeks ago and I'm loving your fine reviews! I had a 1986 420SEL (126 chassis) 4.2 liter V8, from 1994-2010 and when I sold it in 2010 (pissed off that the price of gas doubled, and ALL of those damn German cars required 93 octane), it had 350,000 miles on it (original engine and transmission with ZERO problems) as that engine and transmission are absolutely bullet-proof! What's NOT bullet-proof and absolute SHIT are the A/C components. I've yet to own a Porsche, but I've owned ALL of the other brands of German cars in my long car ownership life and with the exception of VW, the others effen sucked at A/C as Germans knew NOTHING about it back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. In all of the years I owned that 420SEL, the A/C worked four damn times and that ALWAYS required the compressor replacement, condenser and other parts. Pure crap! My 1985 300CD had A/C that was okay not great like an American, Japanese or Korean car air-conditioning and that was because my friend and client from the limo business that I bought that 300CD from, had already spent $$$$ (thousands) to make sure it always worked. I missed buying his wife's 1986 124 chassis 300D which I really wanted, but he sold it to his secretary at his law firm. These were great cars and my only gripe with them was the A/C as I live in FLORIDA with 100% humidity and that can be a problem. From 1994 to 2010 when I sold both of my Mercedes-Benz beauties, I only bought OEM parts for them from a friend first at a large southern California dealership, then he became parts manager at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in southern California where they'll restore your classic Benz back to as new condition. It WILL NOT be inexpensive, but your car will be restored to factory original engine, transmission, body, paint, accessories, and electronics. With the permission of PRN, I'll leave the parts manager's name and direct phone number here as MANY OEM parts for Mercedes-Benz from the 80's (possibly 70's and earlier) and 90's from Mercedes-Benz are STILL available and you can save minimum 15%, so I'm happy to post his name and direct phone number here for Mercedes-Benz owners if PRN allows me to. Great cars! I miss them...
That's awesome that your 420SEL hit 350k miles! The W126s really do seem like they're built better than anything else out there, especially when it comes to older cars. We really enjoyed having the opportunity to feature this car twice and the chance to drive it around. We'd love to be able to add one to our garage, even if it was as a project. We too had pretty rough summer heat in Ontario before moving, it was crucial to have good working A/C, something our BMW 7 Series barely does, definitely is a German thing. You're more than welcome to leave the contact details! I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there who'd like to get parts for their older Mercs. We found out about the Classic Center a while ago by watching Wheeler Dealers, and we think it's a fantastic operation from Mercedes that shows how committed they are to keeping their cars on the road.
For a 30 year old daily driver, we think it looks pretty good. I believe it had nearly 300k km on the odometer, but I could be mistaken. We didn't end up getting any footage of the cluster during this shoot.
I have this model as well as the 2.6 version w124 Both are 1992 and I love them so much! Engine and transmission go well beyond 300.000 miles! My 2.6 is already going into 450.000 miles!! Looks beautiful Honestly easy as hell the fix (If you do it your self) Only thing that sucks is the electrical, tail light goes out often due to shorts And the cluster lights too Other then that it’s a badass car
My w123 had same issues with the brake lights until I added a small aluminum piece between the bulb and the connection because there was a small gap. Problem solved
The W124 is in my top 5 list of favorite cars stylistically. I love its looks, which are simultaneously utilitarian and upscale. When I was shopping for my first car, I had a chance to drive a diesel variant - tan colour with brown cloth upholstery. Intimidated by the high mileage and the seemingly exotic nature of the German car, I let it pass, but have always wished I had bought it.
I know that feeling all to well! The one that got away. I hope we get the opportunity to feature some more diesels on this Show, I'd love to pick one up as a daily.
Hi Azaz! There's still time.. last year my wife and I were shopping for a pre-owned car; Budget under $10K (We wanted to pay cash) and made in Germany.. We considered a w202 S-Class or a E66 (LWB). 6-months later we now own a '91 300CE " and" a '95 E320 wagon for a combined cost of well under $10K for both! and we couldn't be happier!
From what I understand they are still used throughout the world as taxis also! Goes to show how well built these cars really were right from the beginning.
Can you be more specific? I have not seen these as taxis in a long time. In the western Europe taxis are replaced every 3rd year, usually sold to eastern Europe.
Usually taxies in western europe are brand new cars. Denmark used to get the newest e-classes and then run them down, then change them for the brand new models again
There is, its fcking indestructible !!! Btw if there is an w124 taxi, its a disel. And disel w124 mercedes can run more then 1milion km on the odometer. I've seen myself many of then over an milion. Own one and got 750k on it. Buy any new car and do that mileage .....yeah I dont think so. :)
I've had three w124's, my first was a '92 300e 2.6, crashed it at 374,000 km. 2. '95 E320 Sedan and the a/c went at 25x,000 and the third one, well that's a surprise 😜
This is a terrible example of a 124. That body kit is shocking but these motors are bulletproof and if you find a good one you will float down the road. Great video
Unfortunately we don't always have the luxury of finding unmodified cars, however we did film a 1995 E320 convertible this past week and it was as OEM as it gets. We're hoping to publish that video for the end of the month or early August, depending on our current production schedule.
I love my fucking w124. Mine is the facelift w124. 94 e320. Its more reliable then my dodge truck which has left me on the side of the road TWICE. My w124 has NEVER had major issues and it has 310,000kms. That being said. My w124 is mechanically maintained meticulously. My AC still works and blows super super cold
PRN you definitely need to get one. I am from Canada to! Calgary,Alberta. And my e320 came from vancouver originally. To this day i still constantly get compliments on my w124. Real car guys know and respect the w124 because they know what the car represents. You sir are a real car guy. You got a new sub
Glad to hear it, thanks! We appreciate every subscription we get. We've seen a few W201 190Es out here in Quebec since moving here last month, way more than we saw out in Niagara when we were living there. Haven't come across any W124s yet but we're hoping to get the chance to film some more. Definitely need to get a wagon on the channel.
PRN youd be totally right. There arent that many w124s out east. But there are lots of w124s in alberta and BC. Maybe if you find one thats worth it. Buy it out here and drive it back east with you. Wouldn't cost a lot. My w124 is the 3.2 inline 6. And its super good on fuel. Maybe like 80 bucks to go from Calgary to Vancouver.
PRN - Perpetual Radio Networks Nice video! I have a 1987 300D turbo, with 384K and OM603 engine. I also just purchased a 1995 non turbo, with 196 and OM606 engine. Not the HP of this beast, yet I still love both of my W124s diesels.
Hi, I had one of those in estate shape, dark red, 300td automatic. Man the best car ever had. The design the lines, the shape. I sold it cas I ve run out of money for rent. But just look what japanise fellows are making out of w124 tuning. My one had 2 airbags, dark windows factory fitted, sunroof, abs, asd(some kund of esp), electic windows and mirrors, driver seat had some lombar air bag function, self leveling on the back, etc, wonderfull car.
Sounds like a great car! There's a 300TE for sale in my area, black on beige leather I believe. I'm tempted to check it out, but curious if the rear window glass opens separately from the trunk. Some wagons I've looked at are like that, others don't open that way. Was yours able to open just the glass?
Buy one with air conditioning if you can and with electric seat an asd. That asd save my life couple of times. Anyway is not the fastest cat in the world, but has something special, don't ask me what cas could be just me. I had also w 126 with a diesel engine and 4 speed manual retrofitted. Again is something about those old cars what I can't find in the newer ones. I don't know, maybe is just my madness....
We love older models over the new stuff, thats for sure! Air conditioning is a definite must, when I'm driving alone I love having the windows down, but with the family or while recording audio it's essential to have the AC working during the summer.
Neither have I! Usually I'm the one driving it, but the past week I've been in other cars and having the E38 driven behind/in front. Nothing beats a big black BMW.
PRN I liked the historic details aswell I realise it's hard to fit everything in. Forr some reason you have alot of Mercedes reviews recently (not that I'm complaining)
The local Mercedes enthusiast groups have been more willing to let us film their cars! We have a BMW coming next week, but so far the few videos we've lined up after that are also MB.
We're hoping to get the chance to feature a 300 CE soon! After that, we just need a wagon to have featured every version of the W124 that was available in North America.
Thanks! We've certainly got some criticism about this car's appearance, we've updated our vehicle criteria on our website now when searching for cars to feature.
One of the things to look out for when buying any used car is buying something that is not what it's being touted as. Case in point; "Reliable W124 Mercedes 300E "AMG"". The front spoiler appears to be Lorinser , rear bumper cover appears to be Zender, side-skirts; who knows.. The only thing that I see about the car that might be authentic AMG is the 3-pc "Duck-tail" spoiler. All in all; The car does appear to be a pretty decent w124.
Well due to my previously mentioned inconsistencies regarding the body-kit; "the owner" lacks a bit of credibility, not to mention that I have a set of real AMG springs that I removed from my CE sitting in my garage (I replaced them with H&R's and a set of Koni Sport "yellow-jacket's"). Putting a "Prancing Horse" emblem on the hatch of a Ford Pinto does not make it a Ferrari...
ChickenHawk841 the engines are pretty bulletproof (from what I have seen and heard) I'm not sure about the suspension as I have only driven normal models.
Could be either issue, electronics on these can be temperamental. Does yours have the original radio or an aftermarket one? If aftermarket then that switch likely wouldn’t have connected to the new unit.
Nice video, and great choice in a car to review. Just one suggestion to make the video a little cooler. I notice in all the videos, you review all the buttons and nobs. This isn't necessary, because I don't know anyone who is all that interested in these detail. Performance and reliability are much more interesting. Maybe you could give more attention to these things, and remove all together info about buttons and knobs. This would be appreciated greatly, and thanks for the great content overall. I love all the old MB's you review.
We started doing full tours and reviews of these cars, and if we removed that segment of the video we’d be just like every other car channel on RU-vid. We like being unique.
This is not AMG!!! This car is imho stock 300E with ducktail spoiler on trunk from AMG, sideskirts from AMG and wide trim by AMG, but!... Front bumper is from Hella, rear one D&W. It's better to say that this car got AMG style tuning...
I killed my 124 e320 just over 300k miles of abuse as a highschool handme down. If I could only go back and smack my younger self silly. Planning on picking up a 560SEL for a restore project and weekend cruiser.
Yeah, the owner's taste doesn't seem to aline with anyone else's, we'd have liked it to be a little more original too, which is why we've changed our internal policy for what kind of cars we'll film.
all the headlights were glass. ac death is usually fan death or evaporator in the dash. But when the ac works, it works very well all north american models came with ac stock. updated models came in 94 with better seats, steering wheel, and much more fun m104 engine but it could have bad wiring harness and head gasket that ruined their reputation. also had way better grille, hood, and headlights with newer wheels.
We're hoping to review a couple other W124 models, maybe we'll get the chance to see what the facelift brought! Seats were pretty comfortable in this one. AC though would be nice in whatever we review!
Man, this car is a horrible ghetto example! You do nice reviews, but it is just impossible to watch this eBay porn on wheels. Try to find better classic Benzes, maybe go to a forum and ask some people to give you a nice car to review.
7 years on and we still have an impossible time finding cars to feature. People aren’t open and willing to hand over their keys to strangers. Even today with 62k subscribers I struggle getting classic cars. 2023 we had one real one from an owner, and thinking back to 2024 I think the only actual classics we had were my own.
I had an '89. Very unreliable despite maintenance by the book at the dealership. Left me stranded several times. Tie rod separated once. Cam shaft, seals, motor mounts, etc. all replaced under warranty...factory defects. AC compressor failed. Defective relays, etc. Replaced 2 MBs with a Lexus LS400 that has been very little short of perfection for 21 years.
@@PRNTestDrive I had 2 that were equally bad...supplied by my company. Got to know the service manager pretty well and he said that my problems were pretty run of the mill in his experience. BUT at the prices they charge, I expected much better quality control, better engineering, better reliability. Happily I switched to Lexus at the quiet suggestion of an MB Certified Master Tech.
W124 look great, but if you really have to get an old e class and are on a budget go for a w210 e320 or e430 sport, they look great, are quick, a lot more reliable than the w124 and don't have those crazy electronic problems plaguing the w124s
We love the W210, it's a fantastic car for the price. We see them all over the place too, many people are still using those as daily commuters and most look like they're in great shape, considering rust is bad up here.
c32amgftw w124 are generally bulletproof but I haven't experienced the bigger engine models. In Africa for example they are still driven regularly today with some as much as 500k miles.
That would be a big no from a former MB mechanic. The W210 rusts away underneath the paint, and it has some electric issues with the gearbox. The W124 is NOT known to have serious electrical problems, other than the engine eco wiring on '92 and forwards. As the M103 engine (300E and 300E 2.6) is before this period, it is bulletproof. The M104 is prone to this (E300-24), as this is from '92-'95. The best W124's is from the first facelift (cladding on the side) - '89-'92. Doesn't rust, has the M103, and has the design, Bruno Sacco intended...
We'd definitely like to. We're going to be filming some older vehicles at the end of the month, we're hoping that's going to help us reach out to the enthusiasts who have something like a W201 that we can film.
We were told they were AMG skirts, but truthfully we couldn't confirm. We're still hoping to feature the 500E on the show, we've heard from a few owners who've got them, so we're going to see what we can line up for spring!
I have one and I need to have a mechanic who knows what he is doing replace the fuel pump, belts/hoses/fluids. Can you recommend a mechanic in the Atlanta Metro Area?
Unfortunately we're in Canada and don't have any insight to that state. I'd recommend finding a local Mercedes enthusiast group on Facebook in your area and see if they have any recommendations.
Everyone has a different idea of comfort, we've had our own experiences with cars that a lot of people find comfortable. We're hoping to get the chance to feature another W124, hopefully the Coupe, so we can see if the seats are any different in comparison.
Contradictory statement: engine is bullet proof but head gasket go out. This is due to a engineering flaw. I am 98% sure 103 and 104 engines had this problem. If only they had fixed this issue before mass producing these cars could have been on the list of top five cars of all time which is always disappointing. They should learn a lesson from the Japanese. That goes for American cars as well. Car manufacturers think that if you build a flawlessly engineered engine and transmission people will only buy that one car and no other. Wrong. If you really want to know if a car is good or not take the engine apart and put it back together. The process should be effortless and not to complicated, if it fails in any of these merits then it a piece of shit and should be discontinued. Food for though a long time ago before my time Ford was able to produce an A model with only two people and within two hours from start to finish.
These don't have major rust issues unless driven on salt. This car is ruined by the cheap facelift aftermarket headlights and needs the proper AMG smoked tail lights rather than painting with tint spray. Fix that and get Monoblock rims and it will start looking better.
Might be possible to do a transmission swap if you do find one, these seem like relatively easy cars to be able to work on, depending on how much you want to DIY.
We're looking at this! In fact, we're in the market for a W203 C-Class which we're hoping to pick up by the end of July. If so, we'll be doing some videos on it!
Wouldn't we all! We enjoyed driving both the 300E and the E320 we just published today. Both have enough power to get you around and stay out of trouble.
Reliable for their age from what it seems. Compared with newer cars it's hard to say, but Lexus certainly is the way to go if you want a headache free luxury car.
Mine were both new and the problems began within the first 2 weeks. The dealership service manager subsequently became a friend and the tales he had of problems with them were incredible. Huge owners' surveys confirm the large number of problems experienced by those who buy and try to keep them. Never again for me.
We probably mean in comparison to what we had been featuring at the time, which were some of the larger Mercedes and BMW engines available. By today's standards 3.0L isn't bad at all!
We'd certainly like to do the 190 E, we've spotted a couple of them around but we're hoping to find someone interested in having their car featured in the spring.
@@PRNTestDrive well the W123 was like a virus especially the diesel versions.ppl were just loyal to it even though the w124 was kind of modern in every corner including speed but it was new and expensive and didn't have a history of anything apart from being another probably good Mercedes-Benz. W124 didn't penetrate the African market easily not the AMG or the 500E but w124 diesel was creeping in faster in my opinion. Long story short ppl were glued to w123 more.
I think the old Mercedes have ugly interiors, BMW is like 1 or 2 generations ahead when it comes to interior design. But I do love the exterior looks of Mercedes.
I once owned both a flaw-less white '91 735iL and a gorgeous black '88 300CE at the same time. My 7 was my daily-driver "go to car" and my CE was my "date night" car. Why? Though IMHO the 7-series was superior to the CE in every way; When I would pick up a date in "the 7" she might comment "nice car", when I would pick up date in the CE they were utterly in awe of the fact that a little arm would come out and "present" them with their seat-belt... LOL!
"amg", yea right... It's so annoying when you can (but you shouldn't) call any modern merc with amg package AMG mb or even the ones only with amg rims, for example "200cdi AMG". Lol. And the most annoying thing is when everybody is adding that method in older benzes. This isn't amg, this is aftermarket FakeMG :D
