Posts Tagged ‘w123’

More Grey-Market – 1983 Mercedes 230E

July 12, 2016

So, let’s start off with an apology to readers in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, because you’re looking at what was until recently an ordinary used car. To make up for it, the next feature will have to be a North American-market car with oversized impact bumpers, a nose-high stance, rectangular sealed beam headlights, and, uh, an 85mph speedometer. With that out of the way, on to the feature car – Mercedes’ W123 is one of the pillars upon which the company’s reputation was built, and depending on your experiences, you could say the one upon which they are now resting. While the diesel-powered cars dominated sales in North America, the gasoline-powered cars were a little more lively, the 136hp M102 four-cylinder giving 136hp and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. Let’s take a look at this 1983 Mercedes 230E for sale for $1300 in Veneta, OR.

1983 Mercedes 230E left front

(more…)

Advertisement

Automatic for the People – 1983 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel

October 2, 2015

Ask most people in our corner of internet-land, and you’ll find they love manual transmission cars, won’t buy anything without a speck of rust, and only if there’s a financial upside. But as we all know, the rules of physics (and the other practical aspects of life) don’t apply there – it’s like building a a dream garage, where factors like budget, your family, and the commute don’t come into the discussion. But if you can accept that real life is a consideration, and if you want to be able to use your classic car more than four times a year – you know, for those two annual shows, a club drive, and the one time you can convince the family they want to ride in a noisy old car that smells of vinyl, burnt oil, and exhaust (the holy trinity!) – then maybe it’s worth compromising on the dream a little to engage some of the most important people in your life in the hobby and still be able to engage in it yourself. And that’s where we come to a great, family friendly classic – the W123 series of Mercedes sedans. Check out this 1983 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel for sale for $3900 in Walnut Creek, CA.

1983 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel right front

(more…)

Look Ma, No Pillars! – 1977 Mercedes 230C

September 16, 2015

As proof that changing to two doors and removing the B-pillars can improve nearly any car, the W123 Mercedes works really well. The sedan version is nice-looking if conservative, and you could say the same for the wagon, but the coupe adds a touch of elegance and style to the otherwise functional design. And you still get all the great attributes of a W123 Mercedes, though its frameless, pillarless windows might give a little more wind noise than its siblings. Unfortunately, the majority of the coupes sold in the North American market came with the OM617 and OM617A 5-cylinder (“A” adds the turbo) engines that anyone would admit can be noisy, smoky, and also have ridiculous longevity. What if you wanted all the solidity without the diesel markup, and maybe you didn’t need a car that will do 300,000 miles between rebuilds? Check out this 1977 Mercedes 230C for sale for $2400 in Stevenson, WA.

197 Mercedes 230C right rear

(more…)