Description
1981 Mercedes 230CE Automatic.
2 Door Pillarless Coupe.
5 seater with 3 rear seatbelts fitted from new.
Historic Vehicle so no road tax/ mot required/ ULEZ free.
Very high specification which includes:
Metallic paint – petrol blue (MB code DB877)
Full cream leather upholstery with front and rear headrests
Zebrano wood trim in very good condition
Factory fitted air-conditioning in fully working order
Alloy wheels (including spare wheel)
Front and rear electric windows (you really need this in a Coupe if you don't want to have to clamber into the back every time you want to put the rear windows up and down!)
Electric sunroof
Headlamp wash/ wipe
Power steering
Central locking
Front centre armrest
Tinted windows
Front and rear fog lights
Bluetooth stereo with handsfree phone facility
Electric aerial
I am a Mercedes enthusiast and have owned this car for 4 years. In that time, I have had the car restored via the renown W123 World (Mercedes W123 specialists) and it now presents extremely well, turning heads and attracting lots of attention wherever it goes.
The colour combination is simply stunning and with fully working factory fitted air-conditioning and some extremely desirable factory fitted optional extras, this vehicle presents a unique opportunity to own one the highest specification vehicles in one of the best colour combinations on the road today. As a pillarless coupe, with all windows down and the sunroof open this is the closest you can get to a convertible without any of the drawbacks. Importantly this vehicle has 4 x electric windows and all windows go down fully after the window regulators were overhauled. If you don't have electric windows in the back, you have to clamber into the back of the vehicle every time you want to put the windows up or down!.
When I purchased the vehicle, the underside needed the most attention so that is where the vast majority of the money has been spent over the past 4 years. As mentioned, I have used W123 World to carry out most of the work and have bills approaching £20, 000 for all the work carried out and as listed below. It is important to note that the entire underside of the car was stripped back to bare metal, any areas of corrosion attended to and all mechanical components were fully restored and put back as new.
The work I have had carried out on the vehicle is as follows:
Full underbody floor pan restoration carried out which involved the removal of all suspension, exhaust, brakes and other mechanical components underneath the vehicle, full bead blasting, any areas of corrosion were expertly repaired and the original Mercedes rubberised coating reapplied to the entire underside of vehicle before all mechanical components (which were also fully restored) were put back. The underside now looks incredible and provides the new owner with peace of mind that all areas have been attended to by a W123 specialist.
Wax oil protection was also applied to all cavities including doors cavities and rear arches and jacking points.
Suspension laser tracked and caster/ camber angles adjusted.
All wheel rebalanced.
All suspension components and sub frames bead blasted and powder coated to as new condition.
All brakes removed and overhauled with new brake lines. New pads, discs and hoses fitted. Brake callipers pressure tested and rebuilt where necessary.
Engine bay fully detailed, and prepared to show standard.
Factory fitted air-conditioning system fully overhauled. Brand new compressor from Mercedes fitted and system underwent full antibacterial clean and regas to ensure it is blowing ice cold.
Paintwork fully detailed, stage one paint correction carried out and then ceramic coated.
Steering box replaced.
Alternator replaced with a fully refurbished one.
All drive belts replaced.
Gearbox overhauled, full service and flush through with new transmission fluid. New kickdown switch and gearbox reverse light switch fitted.
New underbonnet sound insulation pad fitted using the correct Mercedes glue to ensure that it does come off when heated.
Heater dials cleaned and fully renovated.
Alloy wheels refurbished (including matching spare) with new wheel bolts.
Replacement stainless steel exhaust and new manifold gaskets.
Full leather interior deep clean to carpets, door cards, headlining and leather upholstery. Colour wash applied to all leather and protective seal applied.
Rear window regulators overhauled/ replaced where necessary to ensure all the windows go down fully (a common issue on these coupes).
New Bosch battery fitted with 4 year warranty.
The car now wants for very little and is a very good candidate for show car with just a small amount of detailing. In such a stunning and rare colour combination of Petrol Blue metallic paint over sumptuous cream leather upholstery, this car turns heads wherever it goes.
With historic vehicle status there is no road tax to pay, no ULEZ to pay and nor is an MOT required. This makes the car extremely cost effective to run.
There is service history including evidence of bills and paperwork but there are a few gaps which is hardly surprising considering the car is now 43 years old. I have collated details of the previous owners so with a bit of time spent tracking them down I believe, the history could be fully completed.
Being a pillarless coupe and with the added benefit of a full working electric sunroof, with all windows and the roof open this is the closest you can get to open top motoring without any of the drawbacks of a soft top.
Being the 230CE, the M102 engine with fuel injection is considered by many to be the best choice of engine in the range with a good turn of speed and sensible fuel consumption. The 230CE is also much rarer than the 280CE with just a few hundred left on the roads today.
With such an outstanding specification which includes factory fitted air-conditioning, this vehicle is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase one of the very best available on the road today.
A vast amount of money has been spent restoring the vehicle via the renown W123 World with all bills to evidence the work carried out almost to the tune of £20, 000. The underneath really is now as good as the exterior and if looked after by the new owner should be good for at least another 40 years!
