Should I buy this car???
 

1992 190e 2.3L. well maintained with service records. Current owner has had it 12 years and drove a lot of highway miles. No rust, interior is fine

Car has 254,000 miles. everything works and drives well. Owner has not had to install a new head gasket but not sure if one was put in before he bought it. If it blows a head gasket I know how to fix that (been there done that)

With this many miles is the trans ready to go even if it was maintained properly? Asking price is $1900.

Looking for some experienced advice. Should I even look at it or keep looking?

If he's asking $1,900, he'll take $1,500. And $1,500 doesn't buy much these days. If it's a clean good running car, buy it, you don't have much to loose.

I was thinking around $1200 tops, my concern is the trans is just about to the end of its life which would cost more to fix than what the car is worth. I don't know how long the trans last in the 190E's.

Plenty of them in the junkyards that get $150 for a tranny. If you can replace a head gasket you can replace the transmission. If I was selling it in the condition you describe, I wouldn't take $1200.

Lowest I found for a used trans was around $800 plus shipping (no local yards in my area have older Mercedes) and then there is basically no guarantee that what you are putting in is any better than what you are taking out. They have a 30 day warranty but you are out the labor and shipping . I priced out a rebuild (for my e320) and it was $2K to $3K.

Don't know where you're at but the Pick&Pull I was in yesterday had at least 3 of those cars and the trannies are $99. You have to get it yourself and there is no guarranty, but if it's from a wrecked car, and assuming it was drivable when it was wrecked, and looking at overall condition of the car, i.e. did the owner spend some money on it with recent tires, is the inside clean, etc. you can take a good guess on the transmission condition.

With this many miles is the lower part of the motor and timing system on borrowed time or if I replace a head gasket and timing chain and rails am I good to go for awhile?