My gorgeous, well-maintained 84 190D, with 1200 miles on new engine/clutch, just got creamed while parked. Insurance adjuster rated it "totaled." Am considering finding good body, with great interior/everything works, etc. to put my engine/tranny into. I really enjoyed the high mileage I put on mine in the last 5 years, and was looking forward to another 5 years of high mileage before dealing with the issue of a replacement vehicle. I am in SW Montana, near Butte. If I can't find a body to my liking, I'll keep the salvage (it can actually drive reliably, but will need something for taillights to make it street legal) and sell the drivetrain/interior. Actually, my cousin has 85 with trashed interior and wants everything from mine, so its spoken for. Anyone have the car, or anyone wanna buy my drivetrain? Make an offer.

Vicki 'piccolov@3rivers.net'

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1983 300D, the "Avocado"
1976 240D, 4-spd the "Pumpkin", SOLD to Pierre
1984 190D, 2.2L, 5-spd, my intro to MBZ diesels, crashed into in 2002

I'm thinking you could widen your search to 190Es as well. And drop in all your stuff from under the hood! It would be pretty sweet to find a sportline or dead 16V and put a diesel engine in it! heh heh.

Mine's going to die of body rot well before the engine even runs like it's old! The damn thing is 18 years old and it runs like it's straight off the lot!

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1984 190D 2.2 Auto 220k
2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 70K
2004 Lexus RX-330 ??K
2005 Chrylser Crossfire LTD 6K

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At 287K I needed clutch. I knew I was moving to the hinterland, so I decided to have all the work done thru trusted mechanic/machinist in LA before I left. The paint had been detailed, kept the interior clean, and it ran very reliably at 40 mpg. Love the tune-ups on these things too. Am sick over what happened to it. I even considered adapting the engine to pickup or bronco that're available, but sounds like too much work, even for my machinist. In this area, I could really benefit by owning a Toyota Pickup truck. Was thinking of 90's 4-cyl. jobbie that gets about 30 mpg with the fuel injection.

There was a Chevy S-10 conversion on EBay not long ago that had a 240D engine and transmission in it. Looked pretty good in the pictures.

Also there was a 190D on EBay a few more months back that had a good body but a seized engine, asking $1000.

I think with patience you'll eventually find a good 190 candidate body. In just about every case you're going to have to avoid cars from the "rust belt".

Ken300D

Yeah, I'll probably have to stick with So. Cal. (where there are lots of 190 cars) for a candidate. Someone is selling one in Orange County (asking) $2000, needs engine work. I wonder if my engine/tranny will pop right into any and all 190s, even if they were originally with auto tranny.