Summary

• An extremely original 300TE that has been looked after and maintained since new. 
• It is a genuine car with low miles supported by a well documented history.
• The engine and mechanics are very good and the interior is in exceptional condition. 
• All the panels are straight and the areas of minor corrosion can be easily rectified at reasonable cost.
• There are many W124s still running with well over 200,000 miles
• A very practicable alternatives to any modern estate. 
• They are reliable, fast, spacious and comfortable and have now reached a “classic” status. 
• They are cheap to run and if looked after, last for ever; parts can be found at very reasonable prices.
• They are one of the most iconic Estates ever made.

Photos below the description - scroll down

The car was originally supplied by Westwood Mercedes Benz Blackburn on 5 October 1990 to Lady…….. who owned the company that makes Fishermans Friends.
The car was serviced and maintained by them until she part exchanged the vehicle in October 2000. 
It carried the registration number 1FF until it was sold by Westwood to a ships captain in November 2000 with a mileage of 36,009.  He had the car regularly maintained by main MBZ dealers until 24 February 2005, mileage 93,353. After that the car was maintained by an MBZ independent garage, Carnforth Service, Lancs, local to his home,.  The car’s last full comprehensive service at Carnforth was on 6 August 2007 at 108,326 miles. 
The car was then sold to a gentleman in Brighton on 26 September 2008 with the mileage at 115,890.  He used it as a “weekend” car and had a full service by an MBZ Indie in October 2008 and an oil service in March 2009. New fuel pumps were fitted in May 2009.
I bought the car in June 2009 as I wanted a good W124 that I could keep and gradually bring back to “as new condition”, as a hobby, rather than a main vehicle.  I have had a few W124s, they are great cars and I am only selling as I am retiring to France early next year.  I wanted an early, pre face lift W124, with the single cam M103 engine, as I prefer this to the later M104 E280 as some of these can be plagued with engine electrical and degradable loom problems.
Since I have had the car I have only done a few miles but have had new front springs, wishbones and bushes fitted and the vehicle has been checked by a local mechanic.
I have a file of paperwork work to support and verify the history of the vehicle.
Lots of money has been spent on this vehicle and it has been maintained to schedule over the years.

The Drive
The car drives very well, the steering is straight and tight and the car brakes smoothly.

The Engine and Gearbox
The engine oil pressure is spot on at 3 bar when running and running engine temperature is correct.  There are no oil or head gasket leaks.  The gearbox is smooth and the Economy and Sports modes work.  The performance is good and quite impressive.  This car has been well maintained and not neglected as have many W124s.  I would imagine that the engine and drive train have years of life left in them.

The Interior
The leather interior is very good and one of the best that I have seen.  There are no rips, stains, marks, tears or signs of anything but light wear.  The roof lining is very good as are the carpets which have been protected by MBZ mats.  The walnut centre console and door cards are exceptional along with the dashboard and steering wheel

The Electrics
The car has the usual electrics pack - power windows, central locking, sunroof, aerial etc., and the original Blaupunkt stereo cassette/radio.  The Aircon, (Climate), is OK but as usual not ice cold and along with every W124 that I have had will need a re-gass and maybe a new condenser , (£100), in the future.

The Wheels
The factory Alloy wheels have been refurbished and are as new.  The spare has hardly been used.  The tyres on the car are new with less than 500 miles.

The Bodywork
The bane of almost every W124 as rust proofing was never good on MBZs of this period.  That said the bodywork on this vehicle is good for its age.  As far as I can see the paintwork is original and none of the panels have ever been damaged or repaired.  The doors are in exceptional condition with none of the usual parking dints. There are a few of usual original condition W124 paintwork problems present which are easily rectified and they are as follows;
a). The paintwork on the original front wings has started to bubble around the edges.  The wings are sound and can easily be repaired as the wings unbolt for removal.
b). The clear lacquer has started to peel in a few places.  There are three or four small patches of less than thumbnail size plus an area at the rear of the sunroof which has been repaired but is still noticeable.
c). There is the usual surface rust on the underside of the bonnet.  An unseen cosmetic problem that would be inexpensive to rectify.
It is difficult to see these on the photos as they are only noticeable close up.

Pdf of factory spec.
List of Services - to follow
List on MOTs - to follow

(remember photos can be deceptive and can make things look better, (usually), worse or different from what they are)