does anyone have any good ideas on how to "modernize" the interior of this car. It is starting to look a bit dated to me.
Thanks in advance
doug

Can you be more specific about what looks "dated"?

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John J. Meadows
'85 190E 2.3L 99k mi.
My first M-B, not my last.

The center console especially seems dated. I prefer the looks of the center console used in later model car with the sliding wood piece. Also does anyone know if the wood used on center console around the AC controls is real? I was thinking of adding carbon fiber or something to spruce up the interior.

Doug:

It all dpends on the amount of $$$ you're willing to part with. I had a 1984 190E 2.3 8V with ful AMG package. Interior-wise I had the following (no one ever said it looked "dated"): Zebrano shift knob, 3-piece Zebrano wood kit (triangles on either side of the instrument cluster and glove box), Recaro sport seats (definitely required due to the great handling -- can you say "Butt-slide-on MBTex"?), AMG steering wheel, AMG-logo mats, updated Blaupunkt CD/stereo, and didn't quite get to the white-faced gauges. Any (or all) these updates would definitely "spiff-up" your interior.

Good luck!

Brian

Dear Dug (love yer handle),

If you are looking for a quality (and real) carbon fiber trim kit for your ride, try calling Tora Sport in Santa Monica, CA at (310)-451-2133. The owners are Steven and Rose Miller (Rose will probably answer the phone). Unfortunately, they have no website, but they have always been prompt about faxing me a schematic for trim kits and answering other Q's. I have their product installed in my '99 SLK and couldn't be happier. Paul

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'99 SLK230 (Bahama Blue)
17" O.Z. Racing "Vela" Modular wheels
Real carbon fiber interior
AMG sideskirts
Custom rear wing

'96 Impala SS (Black)
17" Boyd's "Phoenix" wheels
Custom exhaust
Full custom interior(black and purple) with real carbon fiber
Custom intake

'94 Firebird Formula (Turquoise)
17" Antera "Opus One" (three spoke) wheels
Full custom interior
Vortech Supercharger
Other Misc Craziness

Dug,

The wood around the controls and shifter is real. It is a thin wood veneer bonded to or sandwiched around a piece of aluminum (supposedly to prevent excessive splintering in case of an accident). I have changed all my Zebrano for Walnut Burl and also included walnut on the glove box, the door panels and around the instrument console. Try eBay for some good solutions for a walnut burl upgrade in the $125 - $175 range.

In removing the top center console to fix a corroded light connection, I learned it is a single piece, but is unattached to the rest of the lower console, unlike the later models. This means, in theory, you could remove the top console (AC controls, radio and ashtray) and the center console (shifter, shelf, and rear ashtray) and replace the whole section with a donor single piece from an '87 or newer 190. Incedentally, based on one of the W201 enthusiasts websites (http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Boulevard/3949/main.html) the console you and I have was the standard until the "Taxi" console (with room for a meter) was preferred by US buyers as an "update." M-B changed their standard production design to feature their earlier Taxi console with a solid wood panel to cover the Taxi meter section for US 190s.
This could all be bunk, but I don't know that I prefer the Taxi console design any better than the standard on my 190.

You do have a 190 with Climate Control and not with the three knobs, though, right? I think that does look dated...

Cheers,

John

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John J. Meadows
'85 190E 2.3L 99k mi.
My first M-B, not my last.