This could be my first Benz - so I need your help! 190E 5-speed...
 

Hello all,

I've been tooling around on the Diesel forum for awhile, and I have been toying with many different ideas of what to get for my second car considering that my last one, a 1989 VW Jetta with 300K miles on it, is being put out to pasture. It's a great car, and I'll always drive German cars, but I think I want something different this time.

I really like driving manual tranmissions, and honestly, almost every Mercedes that is older has shifted too firmly. Yes, I understand that this is a vacuum issue, but honestly, I've been in many, and you can't tell me that ALL of them have vacuum issues...oh, what I would do for a W126 300SD manual.

I LOVE the 240D 4-speed, but honestly, for a long commute, the gearing is a little, actually no, a lot on the high-strung side. The W123 is pure Benz, though.

That being said, here is the car I'm looking at, and drove today:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/car/400916305.html

The basics:

http://images.craigslist.org/0102110...186c00616b.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/0102100...b369005766.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/0102070...2d65005a6c.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/0102110...e361001741.jpg

It's a 1985 190E 2.3, 5-speed.

It has a hair under 200K on a WORKING odometer. It runs great, and it shifts well too, and didn't get hung up in the gears. The clutch is pretty new, and feels like it too, with good take-up that isn't very late in the pedal travel.

It ran well, didn't overheat (duh) and didn't move past the halfway mark in the temperature gauge.

The clock worked.

The CD player had a CD stuck in it for long term food storage = needs new radio, though the AM/FM worked fine.

Mirrors worked.

Central locking worked, but was a tad slow.

The clearcoat is blah. A paint job is a must.

There isn't any rust.

The rims are off of a W126. I actually like them.

The right rear window is shot, by all accounts it looks like the regulator is gone (I'm coming from VW - this is not a foreign concept).

The A/C had $1200 worth of work done, according to the owner - and still doesn't blow coldly.

I think the strut bump stops are worn out, because the car made banging noises that sounded like, well, worn strut bump stops, when we went over bad pavement.

The headrests didn't move with the electric motor, but everything else did.

The wood surrounding the shifter was lifting up from the console surround, and the hazard flasher switch didn't work. The blinkers worked though via the stalk on the steering column.

Horn worked.

Sunroof worked.

So MercedesShop forum - help!

I REALLY liked this car, and I'm comparing it to an E30 BMW 325e or 318i, an E28 528e, a MKIII Jetta GL, or possibly, possibly, a 240D 4-speed.

If I do buy this car, what's a reasonable offer, and what should I go about fixing first?

How much is a reasonable paint job?

If you're handy with cars, a 190e like that in the LA area is relatively cheap to keep running. TONS of 190's in the local junkyards. The 5spd is a big plus, very very rare. The price is right and it seems the owner is pretty forthright in telling you the problems with it, I would go for it. Very very rare to find a 5spd, especially at that price.

That is what I was thinking. Even though there are nicer cars I have driven, and need less cosmetic work, the 190E just felt special. Is it just me, or are the 190Es pretty nice driving cars? It felt so solid, and so well-built.

You weren't imagining anything. Those cars really ARE well built---- really really well. Mercedes Benz was at the top of its game as far as build quality across the board back in the mid 80's, without question.

While they are not as famed as the W124, W124 and W126, those little W201 cars are INDEED well built, to the highest standards of the time.

They are really good looking and shapely little sedans, but cramped as hell in the back seats, though.

I never saw one with the W126 bundt-cake wheels on it though. Looks astonishingly good to me.

Having the sheepskin covers on the front seats is a VERY good sign, indicates the owner cared about taking care of the car.

If I were to buy one of these, I would want to put Euro lights on it and a Euro trunk warning triangle on it right away.

They are really good cars; the base for the stickshift 190E 2.3 16v Cossie - those fantastic little street racers the public could buy here back in 1986 and 1987.

Try to get as much history on the car as you can - 4 ZUZxxx California plates aren't original California issue - they are about 2002 I would guess, so what is the story? Prior out of state; collision, personal plates, what?

they aren't immune to collision damage, rust, or worn bushings, or perished rubber- so check the condition.

If you can grind him on the price a bit, I would think $1,200 - $1,300 would be more than a good price for a Calif. 190 in good shape. It could be a good deal for that money - it's not much for a good condition old Mercedes IMO...

I thought I was the only one who noticed that plates were sequential like this. Ha. 4ZUZ is late 2002, but apparently the car has been owned by his brother for a long time, and then sold to him. He mentioned that the 190E was his daily from 2002 (ding!) to 2005, when he got a C230K 6-speed sedan.

I think the W126 "Bundt" rims look great, also. I think that 1998-2000 CLK Steel rims would look great, too.

With regards to the car being special, I know that older MBs are special cars, I especially felt it in the W126 and the W123, and the W126 coupe is amazing, but to feel it in the W201 was great, also.

I was thinking $1200-$1300, actually. Maybe I'll split the difference and hit $1250.

Now, paint jobs...hmm...

What about headgaskets?

echo?

Go buy that thing! Sounds like a steal with the 5 spd. As far as paint, and possible mechanical work, just prioritize and take one thing at a time while you enjoy driving it.

you might want to hit up the 190Revolution forum.. www.190revolution.net lots of good info there as well as here.

no more?

It seems the worst issue on the list of what to fix is the struts, right? Was this in the front or the rear? New mounts and struts should be similar to my 124 chassis, parts for probably 250-275, front. Rear shocks are reasonable.

If it drove well, didn't heat up, shifted, and didn't vomit any fluids, and didn't smoke, 1300 bucks I think is more than reasonable. That is a very well-built car, no contest when comparing an e30 BMW (I had one) or similar.

RE: head gasket- if coolant and oil both look clean, I wouldn't let that potential issue deter you.

sounds like a nice car. the price seems ok too.

just a note. the sd with the 617 motor could receive a stick tranny from the 240 with no problemo. I have been daydreaming of finding one with a bad automatic and swapping in a stick.

Tom W

I think I'm going to go for it.

W201 gassers with manual transmissions,
don't exactly grow on trees, either.

For the price you are thinking of paying, it is not much of a gamble either

But get all the books records and history you can. Neglected ones can cost a lot to fix....

Good luck if you really do pull the trigger. It really looks good in that color with those wheels