1994 Mercedes W124 E200 updated 21/7

At last, I've gone out and bought something. And (in somewhat of a departure for me, given my love of all things Gallic and oddball) it's German, solid and stable.

After wheeling round in the Xantia for much more time than I ever expected it to last (11,000 miles in 12 months for a car that cost £200 to save from the weighbridge) the amount of problems it had accumulated (knocking small ends, water loss, oil leaks, breathing engine, knackered spheres) just became too much to have any real trust left in it. I'd looked at all manner of crusty tat to replace it but either I was too slow off the mark in viewing them or they really didn't fire any sort of enthusiasm.

So when ^^this^^ cropped up on this here forum for £500 last week I was more or less smitten on sight. Something I'd always fancied but (as is my wont) I'd always managed to somehow talk myself out of buying. Not this time. Daddy Damaged and I trekked over to Northamptonshire yesterday morning, did the deal and hot-footed it back here by 2pm.

It is a LOVELY old bus. Feels very much a child of the 80's when you're at the helm which is understandable as it's a mild facelift of a design that first saw the light of day back in 1985. The 136bhp 2-litre 16v M111 engine isn't a ball of fire (especially when, as in this case, it's coupled to a switchable four-speed slushbox) given that it's got a fair weight to pull around, but once you're rollin', you're rollin'.

The interior is magificently comfortable, if not that practical for a bloke who comes home from work filthy....a decent seat cover and some over-overmats will sort that out.

I dodged the showers this morning to rip the stereo out of the Xantia and install it in the Benz. Aux-In means I can hide my iPod in the centre console and fill that swarthy leather-clad cabin with my usual diet of eclectic musical detritus to my heart's content.

I've a few odd jobs to attend to, the bootlid lets the rest of the car down as it's had a whack on the top and there's all manner of grot coming through above the number-plate light. There are plenty on Evilbay though, so I'll hold out for a black one. The wheels are off a later car and don't really suit it, but I've already won a set of eight-hole OEM rims on Ebay this morning (for a whopping £34.....LOL) which will go on it once I've picked them up, given them a refurb and done a bit of tyre-swapping.

Will update this as and when anything interesting happens. No big plans other than to enjoy being a wafty old fat bas**rd for the summer.

Brian