Buying from an estate sale is enormously tempting for many of us when there’s an old car involved. The seller of this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300E snagged it out of a local estate as a non-runner, and based on the interior condition, it seems like it was loved before it was parked. The W124 chassis E-Class is one of the most overbuilt generations there was, so it seems likely that this 300E will fire up again with minimal effort. Find it here on eBay for $2,999 or best offer. Will it just need a battery or are you setting yourself up for more issues than what’s blatantly obvious here?
This car is very familiar to me as my Dad owned a 1990 model with a dark blue interior. I actually learned to drive on a 300E with the venerable 2.6L inline-six under the hood. The engine was torque-rich, from what I remember, but this era of Mercedes had a 2nd-gear start function on the standard automatic transmission. This made for a somewhat lethargic start off the line, but it got up to speed nicely. Of course, if you punched it, you could trigger the first-gear kick-down, which made it feel like a different car. The seller is correct that the interior is in outstanding condition, and seems to back up the mileage claim of just over 110,000 miles.
Despite the fact that this is at its core a used car, there are plenty of other encouraging signs beyond the interior. Usually, in an accident scenario, the headlight washer arms go missing or the arms themselves are put installed in the opposite direction of where they should go (these are installed correctly). The turn signals are faded orange – not brand new – which also indicates the front end hasn’t been hit and updated with new components. The grill is a touch tired with some dents visible, but again, that helps confirm this 300E remains in original condition, for better or worse. However, you do have to wonder why the seller himself hasn’t dropped in a battery to see if it will fire.
There are cars in every manufacturer’s history that change the trajectory of a company, for better or worse. While the W123 was a legendary automobile and still revered today, the W124 was that car and a vehicle to take Mercedes into the next decade with a far more upscale mid-sized offering, The 300E was quite reliable with a reputation for gobbling up highway miles and needing nominal servicing beyond regular upkeep, but you still want to buy a good one considering how many cars are listed for sale on a given day – in other words, you can afford to be picky. This 300E is priced right for a project and looks like a great starting point for car that’s already a classic.
Were the ’92’s when MBZ had the biodegradeable wiring harness?
I think that nonsense started in ’95.
I had two 92 Mercedes 300E the twins I called them, best automobiles going one had 400,000 miles on it when I let it go the other one had almost 370,000 on it when I sold it. Fantastic automobiles this one looks very good
I believe this is the last year for the KE-Jetronic so no it won’t have the wiring harness issue. That happened when they switched to electronic fuel injection in 93. The 400E, E420, E500 always had the bad wiring issue but most have been resolved by now. The seller is smart to not try and start the car. If the fuel is bad you will ruin the fuel distributor by firing up the pump and pushing the bad fuel through the system.
Very nice. I had a 300E in 1990-1992, and it was a great car. A bad sunroof switch was really the only problem I had with it, other than having punks snap off the hood ornament so they could wear them around their worthless necks…(not that I’m still bitter 30+ years later)
I don’t think I would call it a potential parts car if it may only need a battery.
Perhaps there has been a deleted paragraph in the description?
Like politicians do.
Oof! That moldy instrument cluster shows this ol’ Benz has been WET or at least damp for an extended period of time.
Jeff, funny how an estate sale deal can go either way. A couple years ago I found an ‘89 es300 at one, 120k miles non running. It was in incredible shape, has real deal sheepskin seat covers from new, chrome MB factory wheels, and all the books and records going back 30+ years.
Towed it home, put it on the lift, drained the gas tank, changed out the fuel filter and pump, installed a new battery, and it ran almost perfectly. One of the nicest drivers I’ve ever owned!
Lovely looking car. This has always been my favourite Mercedes-Benz model. All it needs is a turbo diesel engine and I’d buy it. If only more pictures were posted.
I guess the hood is stuck closed.
I had an E420. Had trouble with the spark plug leads. Finally figured it out and drove beautifully… until I was rear ended and the car was written off.
Go take a peek at the Kellyv Blue Book price guide….