The Perfectionists Garage: Why 99% Perfect Isnt Good Enough for This Mercedes W123 Owner
Some people collect stamps. Others restore furniture. But theres a special breed of human who spends their weekends hunched over a 40-year-old Mercedes engine, chasing a level of perfection that borders on the obsessive. Meet Jeroen, a BHPian who recently shared his latest tinkering session with fellow enthusiasts, and whose story serves as a gentle reminder that true passion often looks a lot like madness.
Jeroen owns a Mercedes W123, a car thats already legendary for its bulletproof engineering. But heres the thing: his W123 was already running better than 99% of the W123s on the planet. Most of us would call that a win. Jeroen called it unacceptable. “When it comes to my cars, I am completely anal,” he admits without a hint of shame. “Everything has to be perfect. Nothing less will do, no matter what amount of time or money it takes.”
Now thats a philosophy you can either admire or fear. Possibly both.
The Never-Ending Pursuit of a Smooth Idle
The story picks up after Jeroen had already tweaked the carburettor and ignition, even borrowing a CO analyser from a friendly Alfa specialist named Goos. Raising the CO a touch made the old carburetted engine run smoother, as it often does. But it still wasnt perfect. So out came the manuals. Out came the forum threads. And naturally, out came the conflicting advice.
If youve ever waded into an online car forum, you know the drill. Some say you can measure ignition timing on a W123 with electronic ignition using standard tools. Others insist you need the original factory diagnostic equipment. Jeroen had a friend, Cor, who owned the proper gear, but he didnt want to bother him again. So he grabbed his generic tools and got to work.
The goal was to verify the static timing, which according to the manual and a little specification plate under the bonnet should sit around 13 degrees, plus or minus three. He used an old Ford diagnostic tool that measures RPM and dwell angle, though dwell isnt quite the same thing as static timing on an electronic ignition. Still, he figured it would give him a reading. He also used a strobe tool pointed at the front pulley. Both tools agreed: around 13 degrees.
So he experimented. A bit more advance, a bit less. Test drives followed. Eventually, he landed on 15 degrees, and the engine ran almost perfectly. “Lets say 99.7%,” he writes. “Good enough for now.”
Theres a lesson buried in there for anyone whos ever chased a gremlin in an old engine. Sometimes the spec sheet is just a starting point. Real-world driving tells you what the engineers couldnt.
One Tiny Wire, One Big Headache
While poking around the engine bay, Jeroen noticed a wire hanging loose from the carburet tor. It turned out to be the connection to the electromagnetic stop valve, and the wire had broken right at the soldered pin. He figures he knocked it off while adjusting the CO content, which involves loosening a 22mm locking nut. But honestly, the connection looked iffy from the start.
What followed was a small masterclass in doing things properly. He drilled out the old solder, set up a makeshift soldering station in the engine bay, and reattached the wire. The wire was short, so there was no room for error. And he offers a tip that any DIYer should tattoo on their forearm: “The trick with soldering is to heat up the metal pin to the point where the solder melts. If you just touch the solder to the soldering gun, it will melt, but it will not be a good solid joint.”
Thats the kind of advice you only get from someone whos made the mistake before.
Broken Tools and a Hood With a Tear
Jeroen also fixed his broken nose-pliers, which hed snapped while working on his Jeep. He sawed off the longer piece, ground it into shape, and admitted, “It will do, but I will buy a new one too! (As if I need a reason to buy more tools).”
Then theres the hood of his Spider. The little plastic window has a tear, a common issue on cars of that age. His is well over 25 years old. Replacing the hood would cost upwards of 1,500 euros, and its not a job he wants to tackle himself. Plus, he always drives with the top down anyway. So the tear doesnt bother him.
But it bothers Mrs. D. And so, in a moment of brilliant marital strategy, Jeroen is waiting for her to tell him to get it fixed properly. “So she is responsible for this outlay!” he jokes. Until then, transparent tape will do.
Its a hilarious reminder that even the most obsessive perfectionists have their limits. Sometimes the tape stays on longer than youd expect.
What the Rest of Us Can Learn
Jeroens story isnt just about one man and his Mercedes. Its about the mindset that separates a driver from an enthusiast. A driver wants a car that starts and goes. An enthusiast wants a car that starts, goes, and does it with a level of mechanical harmony that most people will never notice. And thats fine. Because the joy isnt in the destination. Its in the tinkering, the testing, the tiny victories that no one else can see.
His W123 is now running at 99.7%. For most of us, thats a rounding error. For him, its a reason to keep going. And honestly, thats the kind of stubbornness that keeps old cars on the road.
So next time you hear someone say, “Its good enough,” ask yourself: good enough for whom? If youre Jeroen, the answer is simple. Good enough is never good enough. And thats exactly why his cars are worth talking about.
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Mike Brown
Mike Brown – One of those authors who helps readers not get lost in today's news flow. He dives into political affairs as well as world events, social trends, and everyday stories that matter to everyone. The main focus of his work is fact-checking, clear language, and the ability to lay out the key points so that the reader gets a comprehensive and reliable picture of the topic in just a few minutes.
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