1985 230CE 4 Speed
 

While searching for a 300CD coupe I ran across a 1985 230CE 4 speed that was brought in from Europe by the original owner.

I am looking for your comments pro or con on getting parts and service for a euro Benz in the USA and the 230E engine rather than the diesel.

Thanks in advance.

You won't have any problems. Body is standard w123 and engine was used in the 190e. You can actually drop a 16v head on that bugger for a bump in power. The 230s are great. If the condition warrants it, then it'd be worth buying.

And if you want to upgrade to a 5 speed is easy to find one from a 190E and cheap

Your biggest problem either way will probably be the coupe parts ;).

x2

W123 gassers are very cool but I'm partial to the M110.

Thank to all.

I had a 300D turbo at one time (many years ago) and the Benz Club had an event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 300D was a blast to drive at "SPEED" on the track and other driving events.

I always thought that chassis and body were solid and good looking. Always wanted a coupe.



Dan

I have a 1983 200, french import. My mechanic advised me to find a head gasket to keep on the shelf. Some parts are getting more expensive to find.

You can't order the parts for euro model from your local dealer? :eek:

The p/n for head gasket is A 102 016 23 20. :)

It seems that some dealers will not order parts for euro models. No idea if its simply that do not know that they can or that are unwilling to. Either way it sucks for euro owners.

Oh I believe I can. I was just meaning to say that time decay makes them a bit more expensive. Not unusual though. My MB dealer here in San Diego has been very helpful with any orders I have. I hope they will be as helpful when I am back in Amarillo.

And thank you for the p/n.

It an unwillingness. I have a great relationship with my parts manager and he gets me whatever I need but I gather the euro catalogue is different and a bit more complex and without the full vin to the car its easy to order the wrong part so a lot of dealers claim ignorance to avoid the headache. We discussed it one day but I do not remember all the details.

The classic center can get any parts needed for the most part. I have a euro coupe in the states and haven't had any big issues finding parts. Some are just more expensive than others.

Hi dwood1234

I started this thread to get some comments on the 230Ce since I was looking for a 300CD and was not aware of the 230Ce as a possible alternative in the US.

Since you actually own one, can you tell me about the 230Ce as far as performance compared to a diesel and if the engine is actually a US 190e engine.

Is your 230Ce a manual shifter?

Thanks,
Dan

To be honest I have never owned a diesel, so I can't compare. My coupe is an automatic, but I am generally satisfied with the performance of the car. Tune up parts are easy to come by and I think the car holds its own on the road. I never feel like the car can't keep up with traffic. It's never going to win a drag race (unless I'm racing a diesel). My car is registered as a collector car, so no emissions issues. But that is something to keep in mind if your state requires emission testing.

Another thing is that it's good to get any EPA/DOT docs with an imported car. My car didnt have them but I was able to jump through the hoops to get the docs for my car. It was done in the 80s and they actually still had them on file.