Hello,

My 1987 190E 2.6 seems to have lost some of its handling abilities, I was wondering if it was possible to replace the shocks and springs on my car with the Sportline package from the 190e Limited Edition or the shocks and springs from the 190e 16 valve. Here are my questions.

1. Is this possible?

2. How much does it cost? Estimates please.

I was also thinking about painting my silver grille black. Does anyone know how much this costs and is the process permanent or does the black paint wear off eventually?

Thanks for any advice you can give

vanakin,

I suppose anything is possible. The 190E 2.3-16 has a self levelling system on the rear of the car. I would not consider that practical to back fit to a car that had no provisions for the hydraulic system required. As for the Sport Line stuff, I imagine most of that is just a bolt up item. I would either call Phil at Partsshop, or see a dealer for what is involved and what it costs. Won't be cheap though.

If you have the grille grit blasted and powder coated, it should last quite a while and be under a hundred or so dollars. It will chip though, as the road debris is like bullets hitting the front of the car and that starts to look tacky. But once it has been powder coated it can be grit blasted and recoated for generally less money. Good luck, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Shame on Mercedes for not making a suspension system perform like new after 17 years!

Instead of grafting on a 16 valve SLS system, what is the current state of the revolutionary (for its time) stock suspension? Up front, there's a lot of links and joints that could stand refreshing, in addition to new struts, perhaps Bilstein HD's and a heftier anti-sway bar. In the rear, a stiffer bar will also help and going with the HD's in the rear.

As for the grill, it takes a couple of cans of automotive "Bumper" paint to do the egg crate grill. The bumper paint has the "flex" additive that allows it to resist chiping and cracking better than standard paint.

Hello Jim,

I know about the self levelling system and don't want to install it, I just wanted to know if using the springs and shocks from the 16 valve would make a big driving difference. I want that ultra stiff feel---like a car with bad power steering

Thanks for the advice

I also plan on replacing the bushings and every rubber piece I can find. Um...what's a HD? Heavy Duty?

I will start looking for the bumper paint.
I'm sure someone here has done this before. I know a lot of owners grafted the E500 swaybars but I don't think I want to go that far.

Please keep the posts coming, with estimates if you don't mind.
Thanks.

Hello again,

I've done my research and it looks like the 190e 2.5 Evo II comes the closest to the ultra stiff handling that I want.

Now I know it's impractical to install the SLS on my 190E. What i want to know is what suspension parts from the Evo can be easily installed on my 190e. Could someone be kind enough to list the parts I would need and let me know if the labor is expensive. Also, will these changes cause a significant difference in my car's handling

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Forget the Evo II parts . . . really. Get some R129 springs and trim the height to the ride height you want; add W124 V-8 sway bars and some Bilstein Sports, the brakes from the 400E (4 piston ATE) and you'll have a comparable suspension and braking system for a fraction of the price.