1979 Mercedes-Benz W123 230CE – Project Profile

It’s understandable to look at a classic car and deem it as being something delicate; something that should be treated with a great deal of care, and that probably shouldn’t be used every day. After all, if a car has made it to classic status, does it not deserve a pace of life that could be considered a little more relaxed? And for a great many classics, this is indeed true. You, generally speaking, wouldn’t take your E Type to B&Q, nor would you use a Riley RM through winter. But, true though this gentle approach may be, it’s not a uniform one. Some classics can still cut a retro dash while also being used regularly. Cars like this glorious 1979 Mercedes-Benz W123 230CE could be used every day. In fact, the car would almost prefer this to being hidden away in a garage all the time.

The Mercedes-Benz W123 was and indeed, still is, a triumph of engineering. Mercedes engineers pulled no punches when it came to building this model. It was strong, it was refined, it was smooth and it was reliable. It was also tough. Very tough indeed. They’re still seen as the ultimate form of transport in some of the world’s most unforgiving environments. Go to countries within Africa, for example, and you’ll still see W123 Mercs plodding along, normally with hundreds of thousands of miles on the clock. The W123 is a classic, but it’s still young at heart. You could, with ease, use one every day. And isn’t that so much better than a modern, soulless car? Yes, yes it is.

What is it? 

What we have here is a 1979 Mercedes-Benz w123 230CE, which is arguably one of the finest coupes the company has ever made. This car was first a resident of Hong Kong, before being brought to the UK by the same first owner in 1997. A high-specification model, this car has air-conditioning, central locking, power steering and electric windows. All the modern niceties you would like to have, right? It’s had a few owners since ’97, but has been looked after over the years. The current seller has proof of new front calipers, discs and pads, it’s had a new front screen, new radiator and thermostat, in 2020 it enjoyed over £5,000 of bodywork and paint and in 2019 it had new timing chain guides, a head skim and new gaskets. It even has an MOT until December of this year. You can buy this and drive it away.

Why is it a project? 

Yes, it has an MOT and can be driven quite happily. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There is some work to do, most of which lies under the guise of ‘preventative maintenance’. There have been advisories for rust on the underside of the car, and these will need sorting. While the W123 230CE is a tough old car, it is not immune to the attack of salt from UK roads. The seller states it would be a week’s work according to the garages they use. It’s a big job, make no mistake, but for a car with such good history, and in otherwise great condition, it would be worth undertaking. The interior is showing some age, too, so you might want to take care of that. Happily, parts are reasonably easy to find. Though don’t expect it to be cheap. This is a Mercedes-Benz after all. The seller also mentions some small blemishes on the body, but they don’t look too bad in the pictures. But again, better to get in front of these before they become big issues. All in all though, it’s well worth taking on this 230CE. It has, as they say, good bones. And it has many, many years of service left to give.

Five things to look for? 

1) Bulkhead

Speaking from experience (we had a 230CE many years ago) the bulkhead can rot out around the battery and around the bonnet hinges. Check this area thoroughly, and make sure there is no corrosion creeping in. It’s a very tricky area to repair, and could be costly.

2) Interior

The seller states that the interior has a bit of wear commensurate with the age of the car. To be honest, the MB Tex that fills the cabin of this 230CE is pretty tough stuff, so it’s going to be a matter of preference as to whether or not you restore it. It looks pretty good in the pictures though, so we would be inclined to leave it as is. That’s hard-earned patina, after all.

3) Suspension

Again, going off the car we had, check the suspension, in particular the rear arms. These can rot and are a bit of a pain to replace, if you can find them. The front suspension should also be inspected too, both from underneath and from the top with the bonnet open. We know the car needs some welding at the front, so it would be wise to see how bad it is. You never know, it might be something you have the skills to tackle yourself.

4) Engine

The 2.3 inline-four engine in this car is a sturdy beast, and it seems to have been looked after with new timing chain guides, a head skim and new gaskets. But even so, it never hurts to do a bit of due diligence. Check it gets up to temp and stays there (it should do with a new radiator and thermostat), have a listen for any knocks or bangs, check the fluids etc.

5) Jacking Points

The W123 loves a bit of rusty jacking point action, and the jacking points are involved designs that are tricky to repair or replace. There are four small holes, two either side, into which you insert the jack. Check these for any corrosion or damage.

What should you do with it?

If it were our money, there isn’t a lot we would do to it other than get the welding done and get the underside as solid as possible. Then, we would have it treated and protected against rust so that it was more resilient against our salted roads. Other than that, we wouldn’t do much. Modern stereo maybe, with Bluetooth? Some nice speakers? A good alarm and immobiliser system perhaps? The W123 230CE was a true high point for Mercedes-Benz, and as such is not a car that needs to be altered. Fix the rust, protect it and enjoy it as is. And enjoy it often, as this really is a classic you can drive every day. Which is good, because you’ll want to.

If you missed out on this one but are on the lookout for a similar classic to cut a retro dash in, here’s where to find a classic Mercedes for sale.