News

My W123 Mercedes 230E: How I found the car & how I'm restoring it

28th April 2025, 10:32 by Deepankar Sadekar

This car was factory-delivered in China Blue! With the sunroof, autobox, manufactured in 1979.

BHPian chair recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hello everyone,

Here is a quick update on the restoration journey of my W123 230E — a car that’s turning out to be even more interesting than I first imagined.

VIN Decoding:

WDB: Mercedes-Benz (Daimler AG)
123: Series Code
223: 230 E M102 (Sedan & Type Designation)
2: Right-hand drive
2: Automatic gearbox
XXXXXX: Production serial number

What makes this car particularly special is that it seems to fall right in the transition period for the W123:
• It carries some pre-facelift styling details
• But runs the newer M102 engine with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection

Is it fair to call it a “best of both worlds” configuration? I certainly think so, and I’d love to hear what you’ll think.

How the Journey Started:

Interestingly, this W123 has had quite a story even before I entered the picture. Jatin sourced the car back in November 2024 — it was sitting in Madras (Chennai) in less-than-ideal condition and had it transported to Bombay to save it.

It caught his eye for one big reason: it’s a rare early 230E with the M102 engine.

At first glance, the car appeared to be a beige white shade. But while unloading, a few fallen-off trim pieces revealed a hint of China Blue underneath.

That small detail led to some digging, and after locating the original paperwork and also via the cars Datacard, it was confirmed:

This car was factory-delivered in China Blue! With the sunroof, autobox, manufactured in 1979.

Since then, Jatin’s team has been working meticulously through the bodywork, sorting all the rust out properly — no shortcuts. The shell is now solid, and we’re finally moving toward the next big phases.

Current Stage:

[]We’ve decided to rebuild the engine and gearbox along with the entire suspension system.
[]Some critical parts have been ordered (some still in transit).
The focus for the next month will be to get all mechanicals right first — before we touch the cosmetics.

A Special Thanks to Jeroen:

After Jeroen’s very helpful message, I double-checked the engine details on my car. Mine is indeed a 230E with the M102 engine and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection.

It’s a mid-to-late 1979 manufacture, registered early 1980 — so it falls perfectly into that interesting transition period.

Also, thanks to Jeroen’s note about the simplex chain and tensioner issue on the M102, I’ll be adding a new timing chain and tensioner replacement to the mechanical overhaul list while we’re rebuilding the drivetrain.

I also spent some time going through Jeroen’s W123 fiddling thread — it’s genuinely a treasure trove of practical DIY tips! Definitely bookmarking it as a reference through this build. Thank you again, Jeroen, for taking the time to guide me through this process.

I’m excited to share updates once the mechanical work starts coming together properly!

Your Opinions Needed: Wheels and Tyres:

There’s one point Jatin and I keep debating — and I’d love to hear what you all think.

Originally, the car was sold with Bundt alloys (14 inchers). Now, 14-inch tyres are getting tougher to spec properly. There are replica 15-inch Bundts available, which is one option.

But… I’m smitten by the classic look of body-colour steel wheels with hubcaps.

I’ve managed to source a 15-inch steel wheel set, but the rims are 6J wide.

175 width tyres would fit easily but might look too narrow for the car.
I feel 195 width tyres can still work well on 6J wheels without spoiling the stance or period-correct look.

Or should I go back to replica Bundts and call it a day?