LOL, forgot about this thread also.
Since then I sold my 400e, bought a 80 BMW 320i traded it for a 90 300ce
sold that and now have a 94 Alfa Romeo 164 LS :D

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_LUZgHSkN9t0/S3...7101240-01.jpg
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_LUZgHSkN9t0/S5...1101302-00.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_LUZgHSkN9t0/S-...6101927-00.jpg

I really like the acceleration of the 210hp 3.0 V6 24v
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_LUZgHSkN9t0/S-...6101926-01.jpg

How's the 164 treating you? I've always liked the styling of those cars but I've never been able to bring myself to buy one. I assumed that they didn't have much power (although wikipedia tells me I'm wrong about that, at least as far as the 3.0 24v goes) and the front wheel drive thing kinda squicks me just, oh, a whole hell of a lot. They're such good looking cars though.

Pretty good running car so far. Minor stuff to deal with. Only major issue is a dirty starter drive (the bendix doesn't fully retract from flywheel. Slight "ding" "ding" sound. I quick rev retracts it fully. Either replace or clean starter.) Easy to do, just difficult to get to the starter.

It's an auto so 0-30 isnt very quick but after that it flies. Actually had a guy in an Infinity G35 struggling to match the speed up to 120 mph (that's when he quit :D).

Here's a vid of a manual (I think 0-60 is around 6.9 sec)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeX6e3WJA3o&feature=related

Although front wheel drive, it has very little torque steering under hard acceleration.

It does have a Sport and Ice mode switch for the tranny which is a bonus and changes gear more smoothly than any Mercedes I've owned.

The seats are ultra comfortable, and hold you in firmly.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_LUZgHSkN9t0/S-...6101927-02.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_LUZgHSkN9t0/S-...6101928-00.jpg

400E's are so cheap nowadays its like a bad joke that similarly equipped E320's go for more.

That 210HP Alfa sounds like something outside the norm, maintenance-wise for an 164 - hang on to it! A relative had a 12V '91 that was nothing but bereft of problems.

A 94-95 24v model is the one to have ;)
The guy I bought mine from has over a dozen of them and resources for parts, etc... so no problem

He does have a very clean 95 Q4 (AWD) model rated with 20 more HP (but has an upgraded cam)
maybe I can talk him into selling that to me in the near future

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...319_5_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...19_16_full.jpg

Ooh, AWD. How easy is it to find AWD 164s with the 24v and a clutch pedal in the US? I'm guessing about as easy as it is to find a w116 350SE with a 4spd manual? :rolleyes:

LH module 1992 available
 

If anyone here is still looking for a 1992 400E LH module as discussed above, I have one (014 545 15 32) from a car being parted out. $75 delivered to your door in the 48USA.

That's a steal... someone better jump on it!

:zorro:

Good choice. ;)

If you look at one, check for rust, especially under the door frame seals, under the bottom of the door panels and the trunk lid. The W210 doesn't have the chassis build durability in terms of rust resistance that the W124s had. Have the spring perches checked, they can fail if moisture got under the factory mastik at the seal (do a search, well known issue, MB sometimes covers it). Check to see if the tranny was serviced (fluid & filter). These came with 'lifetime fill' transmissions per MB, but that has now essentially been changed. I change mine every 50K Km. Also check oil change intervals in the service records and look for use of full synthetic since Day 1. Earlier models may have had regular oil on lengthy intervals, which can cause some sludge buildup. MB 229.3+ oil only.

Those are the big issues that come to mind...the E430 is a great driver and highway cruiser. It's heavy but it also moves when you need it to. The transmission adapts shift values electronically so if you've been doing a lot of city driving, you can reset the transmission (search for the procedure) and it'll feel alive again.

No rust to worry about here. Frozen water falling from the sky is but a myth in this area. :D

The 210s were solid cars with very few issues, and what few issues they have are consistent and predictable. Transmission fluid and filter (I'd recommend every 60k) as you mentioned, diff fluid (nobody remembers that it's there), the diff breather tube can get plugged up and they'll start to leak out the axle seals, the crank position sensors fail, usually without fair warning, and 100% without fail they WILL leave you stuck (which is why you replace it at 70k and keep a spare in the glove box). Valve cover gasket leaks, oil leaks at the little cover plate on the front timing cover below the oil filter housing, and occasional upper & lower pan gasket leaks. They occasionally blower motor regulators (although not that often, in my experience), the intake seals @ the airflow meter and the airflow meter itself typically need to be done around 100k, and of course it's a good idea to make sure that the harmonic balancer recall has been taken care of it it applies to the car. Occasional instrument cluster issues, fan clutches wear out on the cars that have mechanical fans... *shrug* that's about it. Mostly wear and tear stuff, none of it is a big deal. I was a service adviser for a MB/BMW/VAG shop for 3 years, I saw about 10-20 210s a week, so I'm pretty familiar with their quirks. ;) Nice thing about the W210 is that it's still all more-or-less stuff you can DIY, the later cars are a pain to deal with in your garage at home.

Good car to learn on, either 123 or 124.



Excellent idea. And if she chooses one of the latter, that's your cue to say "let's just be friends". :D



Uh, unless she turns out to be an undiscovered Danica, I'd put her behind the wheel of something a lot cheaper for the first 1 year (minimum!) after she gets her license. Any cheap 124 would suffice (remember, it's not a car you'd necessarily keep long term). If the sacrificial lamb car survives the year unscathed, then trade up to something with a V8 under the hood (400E, E420, E430). If you insist on letting her drive a V8 anyway, *please please* make sure it has ASR. It will help keep the car intact with a nOOb driver.


:shutup:

Absolutely. :D:D

Yeah. This thought has crossed my mind. I've had ESP save my stupid *** a couple of times. I have thought about getting her something cheaper and less powerful than the 430, and we may end up doing so. The arguments in favor of getting the 430 instead are basically that from what I've seen they're marginally more reliable than the 320s (they're also a measurably larger pain in the neck to do some jobs on, though. At least the V8 isn't in there as tightly as it is in your 400Es and 500Es. :D:P), they get about the same gas mileage as the 320s and they don't need to be worked as hard as the V6s do to keep up with traffic (although the I6s seem to me to have a lot more bottom end torque than the V6s do, so an early 210 with the I6 might be the best option). It's a few months off yet and I need to get around to actually selling the Buick first. :rolleyes:

I am interested. Can anyone confirm that this is a drop-in replacement on my 1995 E420?

Is paypal OK?

Yes it is a drop-in, I have one in my 1995 E420. You should clear all codes and reset the adaptation immediately after installing the "new" module though. Remember that the power gain is only at WOT. There is no part-throttle power gain.

:scholar:

Thanks Dave. I read this same information on another forum in which you participate. This is not something I NEED, so it is still for sale. This is a good price for someone, though.