PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Looking for advice on a potential purchase

RobertFini · #10 05-11-2014, 12:13 PM

My race car is a 1984 190E 2.3/8-valve/5-speed with a completely stock drivetrain that has never, ever given me trouble. The engine is a junkyard unit out of a 1985 190E and has only ever needed regular maintenance over the 15 years I've been abusing it. I do have some trouble with it stumbling and stalling when the engine gets very wet, but other than that it has gobs and gobs of torque and pulls like a freight train until the cows come home. It's very light and tossable and simply a blast to drive hard (can you say "trail brake?").

That being said, I agree with Jim to start with the simple stuff and see where that leads you; be very methodical, beginning with the ignition and then getting into the injection system, checking for things like loose wires and broken connectors and cracked vacuum lines. The fact that it runs fine after warming up tells me that there's nothing seriously wrong with the basics. While $2,700 does seem a bit high, the key to value is in the body - if it's really clean, with excellent sheet metal and very good interior, it's worth the money.