It took me a while before I was ready to write this review. 10 Months in fact.
The Mercedes-Benz w124. My initial impression of this chassis was not positive (see my Porsche 996 review). But that was an older model, a wagon, with an older engine that has less power and a less modern ignition system.
I'm not a convertible person, I really don't like them. I mean chopping a roof of a car, that just doesn't seem right. I prefer coupes and wagons. But there are a few convertibles that I've always liked. The Rolls Royce cars are nice, especially the 1990's convertibles. The older Mercedes SL's. And the w124 cabriolet. I remember seeing one when i was a teenager and liking the simplicity of it's design.
Now I think to most people who see this car, that it is a very boring design, especially for a convertible. No filligre, just straight lines. Very plain. That's what i like about this car. You drop the top and it's just straight, no curves, just a long deck to the end of the car. Like you took a blowtorch to a sedan and cut the roof off. Simple, clean.
I'm not one to keep a car just for it's looks, I have to like the whole package. And the w124 is the whole package. It's just a wonderful driver's car. It's truely a GTC (Grand Touring Convertible). The seats are so comfortable, the engine so smooth, the suspension so plush. I can just go and go and go in this car. The engine is very eager too. It just wants to go faster and faster. Wonderful stuff.
Ofcourse there is a story behind it's purchase. While purusing Craigslist, like I always do, there was an ad for a 1995 Mercedes. So I clicked and pic of this convertible appeared. $1,200. Now back in 1995 this was an $80,000 car. Yeah that price is HARD to swallow and believe, but it's true. This car cost MORE then a Porsche 993. That's crazy. Who in their right mind would spend $80k on this car when they could have a 993. I mean you'd have to be demented to buy one. But according to Mercedes in "Mercedes-Benz 124 series: An automotive milestone becaomes a Young Classic" (dated Oct. 26, 2009) they sold 6,343 cabriolets (3,000 coming to the USA), so they managed to sell a few of them. And ofcourse I don't mind paying $1,200 for an $80,000 car.
The car has 130,000 miles on it but the odometer stopped working so the owner really doesn't know the true milage.
From the pictures in the Craigslist ad you can tell that the car has some problems. I go to look at it and it's got a major dent behind the driver's door, the interior behind the driver is all torn up, there's something weird with the paint on the driver side, the roll over protection system bars are stuck in the up position, it's missing the driver's side rear window, and the roof has holes in it. So it's got some problems. I take it for a test drive and it's wonderful. Transmssion shifts smoothly, engine is smoth, and a/c works. The owner tells me that the top does not work. Bummer. Besides the driver rear interior side panel being all messed up, the interior is in very nice shape. So i buy the car for $1,100 with the intention of flipping it.
I'm very excited so I post my buy on the Mercedes forum. A few people say great buy, but a few tell me that i bought a money pit and that it's only good for parts. Ofcourse I disagree. They way I look at it, they only made 6,000 of these cars and I think they all should be saved. I mean it's only a dent and some paint right?
It's very dusty so i start cleaning it. The inertior comes out great, except for a few cracks in the wood veneer and the already mentioned rear driver side panel. I start looking at how to get the roll over bars to go down. So I start checking fuses. I find one blown fuse and two missing fuses. The blown fuse has to do with the top and roll over protection system. I replace that one first and get the rollover bars to lower. The other two fuses have to do with various subsystems and stereo related stuff. I replace those two fuses and the automatic seatbelt extenders start feaking out. I unplug the driver side one and manage the quiet the passenger one down (now i know why the fuses were missing).
I get a new driver side rear window on ebay for $100 and install it. Now it's time to test the top. I'm a bit nervous now because a new top mechanism will cost $3,000 or so. I lower the windows, release the windshield catches and press the button. Viola! It works. Wonderful. I take a pic and post it on the Mercedes forum to show them that my $1,100 car has a working top.
Mechanically the car really doesn't need much. I bought some brembo brake discs for $20 each and some pads and replaced the front brakes and I flushed the brake fluid. I also replaced the air filter, cabin air filters, spark plugs, power steering filter, and trunk shocks. The car passed state inspection without any problems. The previous owner had the engine cooling system redone with a new water pump and radiator. The car also has new engine mounts, tires, and a battery.
So I start driving it. What a great car. A real highway cruiser. I drive it to work whenever I can. It's just a pleasure. Feels like a coupe with the top up and is a wonderful convertible with the top down. The best of both worlds. I love how it looks with the top and and windows down, a great German pillarless coupe look. I also love the interior. It's black leather with burl wood. It's very "clubby".
So, I do as I do and continue to search Craigslist. Looking for a car to replace this one. BMWs. Other Mercedes. I look at and test drive a few cars. But I keep this one in the garage. I keep looking for excuses to sell it but I can never come up with any. It's just too good of a car.
I hold off fixing the roof and dent. I can't decide if I should leave it as it is and sell it or fix it up a bit. Well I've decided to start by fixing the roof. I bought a new roof off of ebay for $265 and I'll have it installed, then I'll look into fixing the dent. We'll see where this journey ends...
So I paid $1,100 for an 19 year old $80,000 car. So that works out to be a 98.5% reduction in price, so I paid 1.5% of the original value of the car. I think thats a new record for me.
