The Red Mercedes W123 Dream That Almost Turned Into a Nightmare
The Red Mercedes W123 Dream That Almost Turned Into a Nightmare
Lockdowns can be boring. Especially when youve already binge-watched everything Netflix and YouTube have to offer. But for one car enthusiast, the 2020 lockdown reignited a lifelong obsession: finding and restoring a classic Mercedes-Benz W123. What followed was a rollercoaster of hope, heartbreak, and ultimately, redemption.
A Lifelong Love Affair with the W123
We all love classic cars. We dream of owning one, restoring it, and maintaining that shiny piece of art. But only a very few of us really take the plunge. Everyone says maintaining an old car is a pain—youll waste time, energy, and money just keeping it on the road. But for BHPian Mr. Perera, the W123 series Mercedes-Benz was worth every bit of the struggle.
Since 2014, he had been following W123s coming up for sale. He saw a dozen cars over the years, almost finalised a few deals, but each time something fell through. Meanwhile, prices kept climbing. A good car that once cost 2-3 lakh rupees was now difficult to find below 6 lakhs. Work and life got in the way, and the hunt slowed down.
Then 2020 happened. During the lockdown, he found himself watching and reading everything about the W123. The fire was back. This time, his elder brother was equally interested. Two siblings with the same passion—thats a deadly combination.
The Hunt and the Find
They started looking again, but the process was exhausting. Seeing car after car, getting excited by photos only to be disappointed in person—it wore them down. They were almost ready to give up.
Then they heard about a well-maintained 200D for sale just 60 km from Trivandrum. The photos looked good. A quick background check among friends gave positive impressions. They decided to take a look.
Mr. Perera, his brother, and a friend (Mr. D)—a seasoned classic car restorer who had owned three W123s—went to see the car. It was red. Unlike the usual white, ivory, and blue W123s they had seen, this one stood out. At first, the red didnt catch Mr. Pereras fancy, but they continued anyway.
They reached Punalur and called the owner. After waiting 15 minutes, they saw a pretty red W123 driving towards them. None of them spoke a word. They just couldnt take their eyes off it. Mr. D, who is usually hard to convince, said, “Just pay and take her home.” That was all they needed to hear.
A Dream Comes Home
The inspection went well. The exteriors were perfect—no rust, all body lines and beadings in place. The interiors were original, though the beige fabric seats had minor stains. They negotiated, paid an advance, and the next day, the car was theirs. A W123 finally arrived home.
Every drive was an occasion. The 200D had a sluggish powertrain, but that didnt matter. Going slow and planning overtakes added drama. Sunday mornings became W123 mornings, with Mr. D and his beauties joining for coffee.
The Detailing Disaster
The minor stains on the fabric seats were a big eyesore. Mr. Perera asked friends for a good detailing place in Trivandrum. They took the car there. The workers claimed they could clean fabric seats and showed before-and-after photos. They started with the drivers seat, which was the least dirty. A few stains disappeared. Satisfied, Mr. Perera told them to do the rest and went home for lunch.
When they returned, they saw the shock of their lives. One worker was trying to dismantle the front passenger seat. Another was pouring water from a hose on the rear seat, which had been removed and kept on the floor. They lost it. They had specifically told them not to remove the seats or try anything new.
The owner admitted the mistake. They had applied cleaning spray on the rear seat, which caused discolouration. They tried cleaning it with water, and it went out of hand. Old cars have organic fibres—the W123 has horsehair cushion, which looks like dried coconut husk. When too much water gets on it, the material mixes and the water turns dark brown. That brown water had turned the beige seats into a nightmare. The workers removed the seat and poured more water, making it worse. The carpets were soiled too.
They asked them to put everything back and drove home. It was a painful sight. They tried drying and cleaning themselves, but it didnt return to how it was. Heartbroken, they learned their lesson.
A Silver Lining
Around that time, Mr. Pereras brother went back to the U.S. The car sat idle. One day, he sent a message: what if they changed the entire interiors and made them like new? It was sad to replace original factory materials, but given the condition, they knew theyd never be happy inside the car.
He wanted to bring genuine seat covers and carpets. Mr. Perera was worried about customs duty and luggage space. But his brother said he could hand-carry them. One day, he sent photos of seat covers, floor mats, carpets, and other parts. He bought them and would bring them home at the end of May.
He arrived at the beginning of the second lockdown and had to undergo mandatory home quarantine. Once his quarantine was over and he got a negative RTPCR test, Mr. Perera rushed to open the two check-in bags. Inside were:
- A set of MB Tex seat covers
- New carpets
- Coco floor mats
- New headliner
- New gear knob
- Parking brake handle
- ABC pedals
- New front Mercedes emblem
- Windscreen fluid tank
- Weather strip
- Parcel shelf fabric
- First aid box cover
- Rear speaker grill
- Some dashboard bottom panels
- Front door pockets
But due to the lockdown, they couldnt take the car anywhere. Restless, they decided to try fixing things themselves. YouTube and forums had tons of information. With sheer determination, they started the restoration at home.
The Restoration Begins
They started with the rear seat. Two pressing clips below the bench—press them and the lower bench pops up. Then they removed the backrest, two bolts below, pulled up, and it came off. Next was the parcel tray. They lifted the first aid box cover, removed the screw, popped out the box, lifted the parcel tray from the clips behind, and took it out. Then they removed the front seats by removing four bolts from the base. Once the seats were out, all the carpets were pulled off. Surprisingly, it all took just an hour.
They took the seats inside and converted an empty room into a workshop. They removed the fabric from the rear seat bench. A quick search showed the fabric is folded and inserted into a slot at the bottom. Pull it and it comes off. This revealed the horsehair cushion. They carefully removed the cushion from the metal frame, which had old-school springs—the secret to the magic carpet ride. They found rust on the frame, sprayed Carpro IronX, cleaned it, rubbed with green scotch brite, sprayed WD40, and later painted it black gloss.
The Takeaway
Restoring a classic car is not for the faint-hearted. It tests your patience, your wallet, and your relationships. But for those who love these machines, its a labour of love. Mr. Pereras story is a reminder: sometimes, the biggest setbacks lead to the most rewarding comebacks. And when you finally get it right, every drive becomes a celebration.
Have you ever taken on a restoration project? What lessons did you learn? Share your stories in the comments below.
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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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