T.J

Hi,

Looking for advice/owners of the above cars. Thinking of buying an early 90's one (300 TE auto 7 seater estate) FSH electric everything , full leather. 150k miles approx £1500

What should I look out for?

If i like it I'm going to propose paying for the MOT ahead of schedule (3 months left) and buying based on the outcome..any thoughts?...

Cheers TJ

T.J

well , I looked at it. It drives really well, no clunks solid brakes. Everthing works but the oil gauge! + the last two MOTs going back about 30 months in total show the car has managed a paltry 300 miles in that time.. and one of the S/history stubs shows it has done more miles than the MOT cert

guess its a no no which is a pity cos i liked it but common sense must prevail!

It has convinced me they are a good buy but I'm looking for a squeaky clean history ...anyone else out their bought one/can pass on anything useful ??

Cheers TJ

imlach

Squeaky clean history on a 15 year old car which is costing £1500???
You may be looking for a while....

It may be clocked, but it doesn't mean it is a duffer. These cars can do serious mileage, and as with all second hand cars this cheap, or this old, you need to have a good look over it yourself rather than walk away just because it has been clocked.
If it drove well, and it seemed sound, and you're not mechanically proficient, why not get a 2nd opinion from a friend who is mechanically minded.

I've got a 1991 230TE, and it has a 'new' instrument console, which means it had a new mileometer at some point. Not 100% convinced the mileage on it is correct, but who cares. The car has been in my possession for over 2 years, and had no major mechanical failures to speak of - certainly no engine/drivetrain ones.

The weak points on these cars are niggly wee things like the leccy windows, surface rust on the front wings, etc. Built like a tank, and just runs & runs.....

CrisPDuk

I bought my '88 250TD off ebay last November, sight unseen after lots of email correspondence with the previous owner. So long as the mileage is under half a million, and the engine isn't smokey or rattly the chances are there is nowt wrong with it, there is a reason why foreign taxi drivers keep hold of these beasties
As imlach says, the weak points are the toys, but even they last a lot longer than most other manufacturers, and are surprisingly reasonable to get repaired/replaced, even the official dealers are worth a try when pricing spares. The Mileage difference is more likely to be down to the fact that the instrument cluster has been changed, as bits in these do go wrong, than anything dodgy imo

imlach

Yes....parts are available cheap if you use a decent breaker. I use one called Dronsfield Mercedes and they've come up trumps every time I've needed something....plus 3 month warranty on all parts they sell and they all come next day delivery!

ABS sensors were around £10/piece (Mercedes £80+ each), rear side window about £15 (Mercedes £200+), exhaust manifold was £50 (Mercedes was £400+), and the infamous electric window motors were about £30 each (Mercedes £150-200?).

No point getting shiny new parts on a 15 yr old car when 2nd hand ones are perfectly serviceable and come with warranty!