Swap 1993 Mercedes 190e - MOT Win

[Brian Damage]

They're OK.  I had an H-reg one.  2.5 manual.  Not quick and pretty heavy on the liquid dinosaurs but they're built well, comfy and, if you get a good one, will probably last you donkey's years.  That said, I preferred the BMWs I had.  Horses for courses and all that...

[omegod]

Hang on! Thats my old 190E! Sorry to hear it's dead now

 

I reckon you bought this from me just before I buggered off to Australia for a bit. I was gutted how cheap it went for, I think I paid about £600 for it a few months earlier, but had nowhere to store it and it was not much use to me on the other side of the planet.

 

It was ace. Have always fancied getting another.

 

If you were Krisbat80 then indeed I did, i had a massive hangover when I picked it up i'd bid on it whilst quite pished ? I'm sad enough to have a copy of the ebay ad in my stash, lol 

 

Was a hell of a car that I miss dearly, I have my eye on another one locally but the old duffer won't sell it to me ...yet!

[Keymaster]

Yes Jon, that was me   small world, eh. You werent the only one who was hungover that day haha!

[alfetta]

I had a manual 1.8 for 4 years. Loved it, it never let me down and was a very cheap car to maintain. Smoke silver perfect door cards etc. 8 owners a no history but was pretty mint. I crashed it sadly...

[Bear]

Try a manual before you buy. I've had a few auto mercs before my current Manual 190D, and the slush box suits the character of the car, but I find the manual box quite pleasant to use and get mid 40s mpg on veg.

I honestly think the 'merc manuals are shit' thing is a bit of a myth pedalled by gobshites that have never used one. Not having a dig at those of you who have tried them and hate them of course, but shifting pleasure is subjective to a point. If you're going to be using the car on the motorway for longish journeys like I often do, you won't be changing gear much anyway

 

I've had a couple of Mercedes manuals - W123 and W124, we'll skip the A-class as they're FWD and have a decent enough linkage.

 

I don't consider Mercedes manuals to be shit because of any real engineering issue, though the changes are "kind of interesting" - they feel more remote than say, a Manta 5-speeder or a Ford MT/Type 9 change, and nothing like as snappy as an MX5/RX8, but it's a strange remoteness. The shift is as precise as a RWD manual box should be, but it's as if the linkages are made of a really stiff rubber, to a high precision. Not slack... just... it's hard to describe. The closest I've found is the Audi C3, and that trades a lighter touch for a vaguer gate. Weight is comparable to an SD1's LT77, but it'll take much faster changes - albeit with the feeling that you made the swift change, then the linkage caught up with itself.

 

The feel on the A-class is kinda similar, but lighter and quicker. If you're a "palm through the gears" type the Mercedes box is good, but a tad heavier than it should be. If you're a "grab it like you're trying to extract Excalibur and wrench it where you think it should go", it'll baulk and resist. If you're a "driving along with hand on the gearlever" type, then you're dead to me.

 

I have driven a 1.8 C-class estate with a manual and the change on that was a little lighter than the W124, but the clutch feel wasn't great. Not the snappy, stall-inspiring low bite of a new Peugeot, but also not the smooth feel of, say, the hydraulic clutch on the MGF since I rebuilt the master cylinder. It's hard to judge as it was an old car with 180K on it.

 

Anyway, the dislike for the manual isn't so much than the manual is bad, but that the autoboxes are very good and suit the character of the cars. The size of the wheel, the star on the prow, the upright seat and wide windows - take the gearbox out of the equation and just enjoy the perfect balance of isolation and spatial awareness whilst driving in crowded cities.

 

As for overall character, remember that Mercedes took a great deal of pride in engineering for safety and show some stunning professional driver videos if you go looking. My 200TE may have inspired 50mph, super-laid-back driving most of the time, but when I wanted to get cross-country fast, it was amazingly capable (and the manual box helped a lot there, given it was such low power). The 190 and W124s share suspension architecture - they will corner very well on good tyres and with respect for the suspension travel.

[D Spares & Tyres]

I had a 2.0 Manual for a while. Lovely car to drive, no complaints with the gearbox other than where reverse is situated

 

The main reason I tired of the car was due to the dreadful low rent interior. Hard seats and cheap wood that looked like it was off a 1970`s HiFi. Not a pleasant place to be sat in to be honest

 

Also all the switches and steering wheel are the same as the 208 van...

[omegod]

I had a 2.0 Manual for a while. Lovely car to drive, no complaints with the gearbox other than where reverse is situated

 

The main reason I tired of the car was due to the dreadful low rent interior. Hard seats and cheap wood that looked like it was off a 1970`s HiFi. Not a pleasant place to be sat in to be honest

 

Also all the switches and steering wheel are the same as the 208 van...

The wood fitted to 190e's is usually zebrano which is quite high quality stuff ! you may well have had the ultimate povo spec with formica or summat

 

This thread is making me want another one even more

[D Spares & Tyres]

no it had 4 electric windows, sunroof etc. but the wood was alot like formica!

[Bear]

The wood fitted to 190e's is usually zebrano which is quite high quality stuff ! you may well have had the ultimate povo spec with formica or summat

 

This thread is making me want another one even more

 

My 190E was brown. It was called Brown Car. The interior was tan leather, a shade of which I have never seen again, and if David Dickinson had been reclining nude on the back seat, you'd be forgiven for not noticing. Only when he opened his eyes, two circles of bloodshot white against the leathery tan shades, would the full horror be revealed.

 

It was originally plastic trim. But, in keeping with the Zender spoiler, it had been wood trimmed with offcuts from someone's Primary 3 woodworking project to make a birdhouse (for your soul) glued on with no more nails. If I'd got hold of the person that did it, they'd have no more nails either. Pliers would be too good for 'em.

[BorniteIdentity]

Game on.

 

Collection hopefully tomorrow.

[AndyW201]

Good stuff, pics when you get it please!

 

Personally, I love 190s (see my user name...) and am just going through with selling my sixth one.

 

If you've not been on the 190 owners forum, have a look in the newbie section on there, there is a buyers guide at he top which is the best guide you'll find for these cars. Basically if the jacking points and adjacent drain grommet holes underneath are solid and the boot is dry inside with solid metal under the parcel shelf, it'll be hopefully a decent one. Look for the usual signs of hgf, the four pots can suffer, it seems to happen more to the 1.8, though not exactly in kettle series numbers!

 

Half the ones I've owned have had manual boxes, I really haven't a problem with them. At least it has a nice stubby lever and a fairly short throw. I quite like the mechanical feel of it. The advantage is much more relaxed cruising, the fifth gear really makes the difference.

Basically with a 190, with the last few I've bought on condition, especially the solidity of the shell and bodywork, rather than the spec. Which is why in succession I owned a brown 1.8 manual with beige cloth and uber-pov spec, then a bornite metallic 2.6 sportline with automatic and nearly every-box-ticked spec and loved them both as much.

 

Saying that, if I was to get another 190, I dont know if I'd go for anything but a 2.6. The m103 six pot is a fantastic motor, torquey, quick and sounds absolutely fantastic. I've noticed 2-3 mpg difference at the most between the 2.0 and the 2.6, probably due to the taller gearing on the 2.6 auto.

A 190 2.6 is a great little sport saloon and a right sleeper in cloth seated, steelies with trims spec.

[beko1987]

Gnomeotoole ran a volvo s40 t5 in giffer spec, was brilliant fun!

 

No help I know but good honest sleeper cars are great, especially when dicking about with brand new golf gtis or 320d's! But then I do that sometimes in the zx, not quite as well though

[the judge]

Chicken dinner!!!

[BorniteIdentity]

Collection on. Will take 3 cash points and 3 cards to finance.

 

More.... soon.

[oldcars]

My 190E was brown. It was called Brown Car. The interior was tan leather, a shade of which I have never seen again, and if David Dickinson had been reclining nude on the back seat, you'd be forgiven for not noticing. Only when he opened his eyes, two circles of bloodshot white against the leathery tan shades, would the full horror be revealed.

 

It was originally plastic trim. But, in keeping with the Zender spoiler, it had been wood trimmed with offcuts from someone's Primary 3 woodworking project to make a birdhouse (for your soul) glued on with no more nails. If I'd got hold of the person that did it, they'd have no more nails either. Pliers would be too good for 'em.

Not to put to fine a point on it, did they no more nails the wood trim on? 

[BorniteIdentity]

Fuckety cunt balls in twat sauce garnished with a crescent of flange.

 

Abort. Abort.

 

Temporarily. There was no way I was chancing a drive in that.

 

Not to put too fine a point on it? How much am I talking for two rear jacking points welded up, preventative maintenence in the boot and a central locking fix?

 

Vendor was a gent and felt like a knob.

 

Unsure on how to proceed.

[garethj]

Not to put too fine a point on it? How much am I talking for two rear jacking points welded up, preventative maintenence in the boot and a central locking fix?

 

That work could be £500, or if things are that bad it might be just the first £500 you spend this month to be followed by many, many others.

[BorniteIdentity]

[trigger]

Shame John's sold my old one, that would have been a great but I think.

[Bear]

Fuckety cunt balls in twat sauce garnished with a crescent of flange.

 

Abort. Abort.

 

Unsure on how to proceed.

 

Run and look elsewhere. Central Locking is probably a vacuum leak. If the rear jacking points were bad, how were the subframe mounts?

[BorniteIdentity]

Run and look elsewhere. Central Locking is probably a vacuum leak. If the rear jacking points were bad, how were the subframe mounts?

A good question.

 

One I'm not able to answer, but good nonetheless.

 

Maybe my expectations are too high at the price point. Maybe I'm losing my bottle.

 

Maybe I'm just getting wiser with age.

[Bear]

You should be able to get a solid and usable 190 for £1K or thereabouts - usual 'take the one with nearly bald tyres and solid body over the "New tyres and brakes" but shitload of filler one. Trigger's was about that price each time, I think?

 

Last year a great green one was on RR for £350. Wish I'd grabbed it.

 

If the budget is more like £500, look for a C-class, there's a much wider pool of cars.

[mercrocker]

Agree with above. C180 not a bad car just not a W201.....Never ever buy a rusty 190, there are so many good ones about. Mine sits out all year, is on the road every day with Mrs Rocker, slush or drought and it hasn't rotted yet. I am not that fussy over it either....

[BorniteIdentity]

I quite like the W202, but I think I just like seeing them in the wild, not necessarily owning one.

 

I think I'll always be wondering about this one.  On the one hand, it needs welding. On the other hand, I'd rather have it done by 'my man' and know that it's definitely been done and done well.  On the one hand, the central locking doesn't work.  On the other - fix it and it'll never need fixing again, so peace of mind.

 

Fucks sake.  It's times like this I wish that I had a penchant for rust heaps from the USSR.

 

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated.

[BorniteIdentity]

We're back on.

 

Vendor completely volunteered £300 off in order to get the works done myself, so it's a revised deal.

 

Thing is - the car's done 2 miles since the last MOT, and from what I can see they weren't even an advisory.  So either 1) it's not as bad as I think, 2) they've deteriorated in a garage in 15 months or 3) the MOT inspector and the owner are very close friends.

 

Collection revised for tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

[The Moog]

My brother just sold his for £500 and had people biting his hand off. Engine was a bit smokey and some wing rust but not a lot else. Dealer bought it sight unseen over the phone.

 

Fingers crossed yours is a goodun

[stripped fred]

As long as you buy it at the right price you can always sell it on if you don't like it.

 

I bought a 1989 325i e30 touring a few years back. Most people rave about it but I never gelled with it. A lovely, well-made car but I just didn't get it and much preferred the shonky 1.4 ZX I replaced it with.

[2MB]

Welding is welding but the central locking is on a vacuum system and could take some finding. Luckily my 201 is perfect in that respect but previous 124 and 123 both had slow leaks that were ok in daily use but didn't work after being parked up for a week or so. I never did find the leaks and a total failure of the c/l could be something obvious but could also take some finding

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

Would just replacing all the vacuum lines work - or is it more complicated than that?

[richardmorris]

Jacking points only a failure if they can see them. I had all mine done and I think it was about £200 for four.

 

Ps nice colour- most seem to be white to beige.