I have talked to no less than 4 owners of 190 series Mercedes all selling their cars for cheap because the transmissions are blown.

Why are these transmissions so weak? I have a friend willing to sell me a 1985 190D for cheap, but it needs a new transmission. I have no idea where I would source one, and if I do, and the transmission design is inherintly weak, then I will probably be installing another transmission some time soon.

How easy would it be to convert to a standard transmission - assuming that I could even FIND a standard transmission complete with pedal and everything.

My '84 190D has just short of 300K (I have had it since 170K). I have no idea whether the tranny had been changed before I bought it, but it didn't appear so; if it had, it had been long before. Today with 290K+ it shifts as nice as you please. I have heard from a friend who has had 190Ds since the mid eighties that the key is regular oil and filter changes.

Buy the car cheap, put some $ into a tranny rebuild, service it at suggested intervals (or more frequently as I do), and drive on.

Good luck,
Jim

__________________
2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

Those cars probably were not cared for.

__________________
'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

we have two 190Ds and the trannys shift like butter.

__________________
Audi TT