JidaiGeki wrote on 2021-05-20, 15:01:

Loving the Esky megatron, reminds me I have to get mine back on the road for its 50th next year ... October ‘72 1300XL ....

That's exactly what mine was originally 😀

I've got some pictures of the shell when I bought it, complete with the 'chrome' XL trim around the side and door glass.

Fortunately someone had waxoiled the entire chassis when new and I was very lucky that there was almost no rot at all. A.couple.of replacement panels, but no rust to speak of.

vad4r wrote on 2021-05-19, 16:46:

Thx, I like it too. I have the same license plate on my last 5 cars 😀

Nice. In the Netherlands, we can't pick vanity plates, because license plates are linked to the vehicles as opposed to the owners. 😕

digger wrote on 2021-05-20, 22:57:

vad4r wrote on 2021-05-19, 16:46:

Thx, I like it too. I have the same license plate on my last 5 cars 😀

Nice. In the Netherlands, we can't pick vanity plates, because license plates are linked to the vehicles as opposed to the owners. 😕

In Germany it used to be almost the same, if you lived in the same county as the previous owner, you had to take over their license plate number.
My car 1993

And for everyone outside Germany: a normal way to work with my car before the Benz: an old Audi A6 Diesel

😁 😁 😁

I grew up near Siegburg in NRW which is represented by the letters "SU" on the plates. Popular choices of for license plates included "SU-RF", "SU-FF" (as a noun this translates to "boozing, drink") or "SU-CK"...

In cologne ("K") there are a surprising number of license plates with "K-KK"... I sometimes wonder if this is out of ignorance, intentional or just coincidental.

Very nice mk1 ... hard to find in that condition! my first car was a mk2 Jetta, it was a lot of fun to drive

vad4r wrote on 2021-05-21, 04:51:

In Germany it used to be almost the same, if you lived in the same county as the previous owner, you had to take over their lice […]
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digger wrote on 2021-05-20, 22:57:

vad4r wrote on 2021-05-19, 16:46:

Thx, I like it too. I have the same license plate on my last 5 cars 😀

Nice. In the Netherlands, we can't pick vanity plates, because license plates are linked to the vehicles as opposed to the owners. 😕

In Germany it used to be almost the same, if you lived in the same county as the previous owner, you had to take over their license plate number.
My car 1993
Golf 1 GTI Pirelli Weiß 01.jpgGolf 1 GTI Pirelli Weiß 05.jpg
And for everyone outside Germany: a normal way to work with my car before the Benz: an old Audi A6 Diesel
Autobahn.jpg
😁 😁 😁

I got my wheels refurbished and the non-OEM wings (i.e. cheap) put on and painted on my old BMW.

My daily driver is a 2008 Mitsubishi Colt 3-door 95HP (not my photo)

Half-Saint wrote on 2021-07-28, 20:57:

My daily driver is a 2008 Mitsubishi Colt 3-door 95HP (not my photo)
Mitsubishi-Colt_2007_Hecbeks_1512980751_2.jpg

Hey I did not know they still made these. It use to be made by Dodge but the motor was a 4 cylinder Mitsubishi.
I am not sure if the body was made in Mexico or Japan ?

1974 Dodge Colt.
It was a quick little sports car with 4-speed manual transmission.

Yeah no, sadly they stopped making them in 2013. It's a great little car, easy to park, has enough power for its size and it's surprising spacious inside! Sadly at 13 years old it's beginning to show its age.

Beautiful thread! I didn't even know many cars

I am currently driving a 2013 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
2.0 JTDm 150hp 6-speed manual gearbox

I have already bought the new car, I'm waiting for the Italian state to issue the plates otherwise I can't use it ... so it's stopped by the dealer

Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDm 180hp 8-speed automatic transmission
My first automatic car, let's hope for the best
I was not convinced I wanted to buy it automatic, but unfortunately the manual version has a slightly weakened engine as it does not hold up the torque 🙁

I prefer manual as well but yes sometimes you don't really have a choice and you get used to "lazy driving" real quick.

Nice Alfas! I've been considering a 159 for my next 'fun' car for ages.

Interesting that they're diesel. In the UK we went diesel crazy in 2005 to 2015 but have now shifted back to petrol. But car enthusiasts generally didn't like diesel throughout this time anyway! It would be highly unusual to see a petrol big fast saloon for instance!

I thought in continental Europe diesel was not that popular. It's not popular in the US either (although car enthusiasts in the US seem to covert them - opposite to the UK where we were surrounded by 'dag dags' for those 10 years)

Just ordered my first all electric car. A Skoda Enyaq. I HATE SUVs... they are the stupidest kind of car out there but there are no electric minivans in this part of the world so this is the closest I could get (it is a leased car through my employer so I am limited in my choices...)

I am currently restoring a Triumph Spitfire and converting it to electric. A guy down the road has already done it and I plan on doing it better. 😀

Almoststew1990 wrote on 2021-07-30, 07:40:

Nice Alfas! I've been considering a 159 for my next 'fun' car for ages.

Interesting that they're diesel. In the UK we went diesel crazy in 2005 to 2015 but have now shifted back to petrol. But car enthusiasts generally didn't like diesel throughout this time anyway! It would be highly unusual to see a petrol big fast saloon for instance!

I thought in continental Europe diesel was not that popular. It's not popular in the US either (although car enthusiasts in the US seem to covert them - opposite to the UK where we were surrounded by 'dag dags' for those 10 years)

I drove diesel cars on various one off occasions in the 90's through to around 2010 - the engines went from being big, loud and sluggish in the early 90's, somewhat smaller and quite powerful (turbo) in the late 90's and eventually becoming torquey turbo charged modest sized engines with good all round abilities. I noticed the improvements almost every time I had to drive one

In the same period gas/petrol engines became smaller and smaller while still giving the same power, this is true in usa and europe where compacts, mid size and now even SUVs can sometimes have engines as small as those seen in subcompact/'supermini' cars yet still give enough power and torque, the use of turbo chargers and ever more precision electronics etc are behind this i guess

I never drove LPG cars though i still see them around, nor electric cars as yet although it now seems inevitable that they will become the dominant form of new car of the next 10 years. Restoring a car to electric motor as Carrera is doing will happen more and more too i'd think

Bought this a couple weeks ago: an original Dutch non imported, almost rust free '93 200D with relatively low mileage.

It's a facelift version with among others a 5-speed gearbox that makes it usable as a daily driver. Contrary to popular belief this car is not too slow for daily use or highway use, as long as you know how to drive such a car and anticipate enough. This model Merc used to be everywhere once upon a time, but it has pretty much disappeared from the roads in my country, especially the diesels (lots of them were taxis and the last ones were exported in the early 2010s). Rust is what makes a lot of these uneconomical to keep on the road in my country. Also contrary to popular belief this model Merc can rust pretty much everywhere. So far the car has got some maintenance, a few repairs and some rust spot repairs corresponding with the age and mileage, nothing special. Coming week the clutch will be renewed. I'm really happy with this car. It's relaxing to drive, I like the typical diesel engine sound, the sound of the doors when I close them and it's also very fuel efficient for a car of this size and age (on average 5.5l / 100km). It is true what they say about this car that it's overengineered, especially considering that this model came on the market in 1985. It drives and feels like a much more modern car.

I've always liked the W124 Mercedes and keep toying with the idea of a coupé petrol (see above!) later model. I'm already fighting a losing battle with rust on my much younger current car so I'm not sure I'd want to take on an even bigger battle.

Something like this. I have a habit of liking a car, having a feeling that they will increase in value over the years, and then just watching them do it without having the balls to actually buy one! I wish I had bought / had the money to buy a BMW 8 series when they were around £10k!

Maybe you guys would like to see the car my Dad just bought (the guy in the picture is not my Dad!)

SpectriaForce wrote on 2021-07-31, 01:31:

Bought this a couple weeks ago: an original Dutch non imported, almost rust free '93 200D with relatively low mileage.

IMG_E0125b.jpg

It's a facelift version with among others a 5-speed gearbox that makes it usable as a daily driver. Contrary to popular belief this car is not too slow for daily use or highway use, as long as you know how to drive such a car and anticipate enough. This model Merc used to be everywhere once upon a time, but it has pretty much disappeared from the roads in my country, especially the diesels (lots of them were taxis and the last ones were exported in the early 2010s). Rust is what makes a lot of these uneconomical to keep on the road in my country. Also contrary to popular belief this model Merc can rust pretty much everywhere. So far the car has got some maintenance, a few repairs and some rust spot repairs corresponding with the age and mileage, nothing special. Coming week the clutch will be renewed. I'm really happy with this car. It's relaxing to drive, I like the typical diesel engine sound, the sound of the doors when I close them and it's also very fuel efficient for a car of this size and age (on average 5.5l / 100km). It is true what they say about this car that it's overengineered, especially considering that this model came on the market in 1985. It drives and feels like a much more modern car.

Join the club! My daily driver is an original Dutch '94 E280 AUT that I have known since 1999 when my parents bought the car. Mileage can be relative indeed... I've got 334.000KM on the clock so engine-wise no worries at all 😉.

However, rust is indeed the biggest enemy. Every once in a while I'll check for rust around the car and remove every speck of rust I come across so it doesn't spread out. For a W124: front wings, corners of the windshield/roof (sometimes also at the rear window), underneath the covers that hide the threshold (especially front, back and jacking points), rear wheel welds and the round rubber caps inside the welds, subframe mounting towards chassis, and the chrome trim at the back of the car that is mounted on the bumper. If you don't see rust around the chrome trim... then it's still under the chrome trim. They always form rust over time (like almost any car does eventually) 😉.

Do you also have the oval NL-sticker? 😀

And yeah, these cars used to be around everywhere. Especially when tax-regulations were ideal for these cars in the past. Once they changed that rule I feel like I'm the only one still driving a W124 ... on highways I rarely see one.

And what a coincidence...talking about W124's in my 124th post at Vogons 😜.

Almoststew1990 wrote on 2021-07-31, 07:48:

I have a habit of liking a car, having a feeling that they will increase in value over the years, and then just watching them do it without having the balls to actually buy one! I wish I had bought / had the money to buy a BMW 8 series when they were around £10k!

I haven't bought my Merc for that reason. I would be surprised if it doesn't write off. For me it's the feeling of driving a real car and the nostalgia. This car is oldskool, it's not a drive by wire AI guided vehicle. That having said, if I would have the money to buy a decent EV I would probably do that nowadays.

Thandor wrote on 2021-07-31, 10:07:

Join the club! My daily driver is an original Dutch '94 E280 AUT that I have known since 1999 when my parents bought the car. Mi […]
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Join the club! My daily driver is an original Dutch '94 E280 AUT that I have known since 1999 when my parents bought the car. Mileage can be relative indeed... I've got 334.000KM on the clock so engine-wise no worries at all 😉.

However, rust is indeed the biggest enemy. Every once in a while I'll check for rust around the car and remove every speck of rust I come across so it doesn't spread out. For a W124: front wings, corners of the windshield/roof (sometimes also at the rear window), underneath the covers that hide the threshold (especially front, back and jacking points), rear wheel welds and the round rubber caps inside the welds, subframe mounting towards chassis, and the chrome trim at the back of the car that is mounted on the bumper. If you don't see rust around the chrome trim... then it's still under the chrome trim. They always form rust over time (like almost any car does eventually) 😉.

Do you also have the oval NL-sticker? 😀

And yeah, these cars used to be around everywhere. Especially when tax-regulations were ideal for these cars in the past. Once they changed that rule I feel like I'm the only one still driving a W124 ... on highways I rarely see one.

And what a coincidence...talking about W124's in my 124th post at Vogons 😜.

Oh an E280 automatic is probably a totally different car to drive. In mine you need to work. 😄

My 200D has less than 206.000 km, which makes it quite an unicorn. It's a Mopf2. Yes, it has the NL sticker!

From what I've read the Mopf3 seems to be less reliable (e.g. excessive wear on wiring harness). I wouldn't buy one, also because of the facelifted exterior, but I understand the nostalgic value if it used to be your parents' car.

Me and my mechanic have pretty much checked every inch of the car for rust. The welds with rubber cap inside them, also on the bottom floor, are spots to check every now and then. They need to be kept rust free. In the past someone has already welded a piece of metal in the floor where one such rubber cap used to be. My car needs a few additional rust repairs in the future like on the front wings, but it's by no means your average worn and rotten W124. Every single one I see for sale now under 10k is not as good looking. In fact this is my first car for which I get compliments about the condition and questions whether it's for sale from random strangers. 😄

Even though it's a diesel financially this 200D is not more expensive, in fact slightly less than a comparable petrol version at already 10k km/year.

Emission zones are not a problem where I live. I never go to Amsterdam and the few other emission zones in the Netherlands are only city center cores.

SpectriaForce wrote on 2021-07-31, 11:17:

Oh an E280 automatic is probably a totally different car to drive. In mine you need to work. 😄

Yeah, E280 vs 200D ... than a 200D suddenly becomes a slow car after all 😉.

My 200D has less than 206.000 km, which makes it quite an unicorn. It's a Mopf2. Yes, it has the NL sticker!

Plenty of KM's left to go!

From what I've read the Mopf3 seems to be less reliable (e.g. excessive wear on wiring harness). I wouldn't buy one, also because of the facelifted exterior, but I understand the nostalgic value if it used to be your parents' car.

Mopf2 has better paint in terms of rust-proofing and Mopf3 suffers from a bad wiring harness indeed. Luckily it's only the harness that runs under the hood so it's easy to replace 😀. All in all a Mopf3 isn't really less reliable; it will get you home. Like practically any other car it's important to fix the quirks that a certain model has (in my case wiring harness and M104 head gasket for instance). I do think Mopf2 is 'the' W124 to have though, but then with a M104 E320 engine fitted 😀. My parents did have a 250D Mopf2 before they got the E280 Mopf3.

Every single one I see for sale now under 10k is not as good looking. In fact this is my first car for which I get compliments about the condition and questions whether it's for sale from random strangers. 😄

Yeah, the better ones are harder to find and slowly get more expensive. They raised in price faster than I thought they would go.