we have a 1989ce and couldn't be happier.... i will be keeping this car forever.

have to do valve stem seals... i know some year down the road the evaporator will have to be done as well.... but i am prepared to do all this..

i am strongly considering buying a rebuilt head from a member just to have it in the garage for the day the valves will have to be re-done. i suspect this car will be a daily driver until at least 200k...maybe 225k.

O.K. Thanks everyone on their input. I think I've made up my mind.

I'll probably get a 94-95' E320 coupe unless a nice well kept 88-89' (with the upgraded front end) comes along. My concern is reliability and cost of ownership. I plan on keeping this car pretty much till I die. This has been my dream car.

I plan on putting on 17" or 18" Monoblocks II, lowering it with Votland springs with the KMAC bushing kit, and upgrade the front bumper (Wald or AMG). I"ll leave everything else stock.

I'll keep searching and reading up on the different engines. Until June 2007...that's when I'll NEED the car.

JR

Suginami,

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

Do you know if these problems with the M104 are the same on a 96 W210 M104?

My 96 has not had a problem with either the wire harness or the head gasket.

1996 E320's don't have bad engine wiring harnesses.

I don't know when the latest / greatest head gasket was finalized. My general feeling is that head gasket failures on W210 chassis 1996-1997 E320's are rarer than on W124 E320's.

Remember that while your engine was no longer used in W210's starting from 1998, it was still in use in the W140 chassis S320's until 1999.

I frankly wouldn't worry about it. M104's are great engines that will surely last as long as you continue to keep maintaing the vehicle.

That's what I was hoping. Thanks