Recapping six months with a high-miler Mercedes-Benz W123

About six months ago I finally took the plunge and bought myself a Mercedes-Benz W123.

If you follow me on any of the social media platforms, you have either been charmed by — or grown bored of — my endless posts in adoration of the 40-year-old 230E, affectionately dubbed Shirle.

As motoring journalists, we slide in and out of all manner of cars, from humble hatchbacks to loftier machines with equally impressive price tags. But nothing quite beats that feeling of piloting your own car — especially if it is a model you have long pined for.

With the trip meter about to click onto 1,000km, I decided to take stock of my season of ownership. At this point, I still intend to run the car for a full year at least, before I decide whether to sell it on and roll the dice on yet another oldie.

You may recall my last missive about this high-mileage Mercedes, whose odometer exceeds the 530,000km mark. The leading image was one of my steed on a flatbed — and the story went on to document a decent list of work that was required to get her running healthily.

I’m sad to say it, but about two weeks before penning this piece she found herself parked atop a rollback truck yet again. But let me get to that a bit later.

For now, I want to expound on the sheer joy and the warm, fuzzy feelings a person gets behind the wheel of a functioning classic. Even through the coldest parts of winter, Shirle never skipped a beat, starting right up every time.

There were times when I found myself making excuses to take her out — unnecessary trips to swipe my gym card and that kind of thing. One week, I decided to deploy my beloved 230E as would any contemporary daily driver. That included horrible traffic, a proper grocery foray, and on one occasion taking the longer highway route home. No issues.

The most fun outing with Shirle was to Cars in the Park at Zwartkops, over the first weekend of August. She basked in glory among the other stunning old Mercedes-Benz specimens, and while there were other W123 examples in attendance, my girl was clearly winning insofar as odometer digits were concerned.

Cruising back to our Parktown office that Sunday, I left my 230E parked in my usual basement spot. A few days later, I noticed something that made my heart sink almost instantly — the unmistakable outline of fluid on the floor.

It seemed to be clear, which led me to believe it was brake fluid. This happened before, and the leak was traced to the front right caliper. Perhaps this time it was the master cylinder. So I opted not to take a chance limping the car to my trusted workshop and instead called a tow truck.

Viewed in the light, the fluid had a reddish hue and was traced to the rear seal on the steering box. It was a pretty straightforward fix and while on the operating table the classy dame gained some retro swagger in the form of a Zithulele roof rack. The functional carrier is crafted from aluminium and fits most models.

My Mercedes-Benz specialist fitted the Zithulele roof rack to my 230E for a few days as a loaner, and it seemed to turn heads.

One thing you need to remember about old cars — even one built as indestructibly as a W123 — is that there is always going to be something that needs attention. And so, a few days after being parked in my spot at the office, I noticed yet another fluid leak. This time, it was a droplet no bigger than a R2 coin that seemed to be engine oil.

Back at the workshop, the diagnosis was a bad rear main seal — a simple job, but one that is labour-intensive, as it involves removing the gearbox. Luckily, the leak is not severe enough to require immediate attention. But it is already in my budget for next month.

Speaking of budgets, I was quite happy to learn that Shirle’s fuel gauge wasn’t broken, as I had initially thought. It turns out the amounts I had been putting in were just not enough to make a dent. The other day, I told the pump attendant to take it to the first click, and I grimaced somewhat after seeing the finally tally — 70l of juice later.

It was a good feeling, though, seeing that needle swing all the way to full.