190es

You want to get over to www.mercedes190.co.uk - all the info you'll ever need there!

The 1.8 and the 2.0 are about what you'd expect from a 1.8 Saloon, similar performance to 1.8/2.0 Cavaliers and the like, they handle loads better though(RWD, full independant suspension built by engineers and not accountants...).

Look under the coolant tank on the inner wing for rust (physically take it out, it's only one thumbscrew...) as they are prone to going there, also the arches and jacking points are favourite places for rot.

I'd recommend an Auto, mostly 'cos Merc manual boxes are horrible. The 16 valve models were better (getrag boxes), but still not brilliant. Apparently if you remove the linkages and re-bush them with phosphor bronze (sp?), it makes a whole world of difference....

Aside from that, there's not a huge amount that goes wrong with them. If the ABS light is on and the car struggles to start from cold, it's most likely a fuse in a relay, or the relay itself (it's called the OVP relay and is situated well out of sight behind a cover behind the battery!). Easy enough to replace, pennies for a fuse or about £70 for a new relay, but a good haggling point

Then it's just the usual, no funny engine noises, no clunks from the suspension, same as any other car. They're easy to work on, so no probs there.

Mine's a V8 in progress....!



And here's one owned by Steve (merc190uk - owner of the above website).... Ignore the exhaust on the roof, he'd bought it from me and it's the only way of getting it home! hehe

I like the look of the V8 conversion! Give us some more details! What engine and how much work was it to fit everything?

Mike

PS- The roof-mounted exhaust looks quite cool there. Definitely something to consider as a proper installation.

Hi, the V8 conversion is from a 500SE (M117 motor), and so far it's actually paid me to do it... I bought the 500SE for £215, broke it for nearly twice that, leaving me with the engine, box, loom, diff etc. Then sold me 2.6 engine and gearbox for £100 and a few other bits for another £70 or so...

And so far, it's cost me £30 for getting some manifold plates laser cut. The most expensive bit is gonna be all the tubing for the exhaust - going shopping for the manifold stuff next week!

I'm expecting a genuine 150mph+ car with standing quarters just into the 13s when I'm done...

Oh, and I've picked up some uprated (4-pot front, 2-pot rear) calipers from an E320 w124 for £30 too... I've set a deadline for it to be done by May as I will be building my new garage then and won't get time to work on it!!

Cheers, Martin

Heres some pics I took at a meet in 2005 which was on the same weekend and same place as the polo show...

OOOOFFFFFffff... !!!!! Again ^^^^^^^^^

I've seen that smooth 190e around Croydon way.

Back in 2003 my brother and I drove to Budapest in his rally-prepped Lada to spend two weeks with a guy he knows out there... He took us to a motorsport preparation place that a mate of his works at, they were doing loads of one-make SEAT racers and Mk3 Astras at the time. Anyway, I spied this nestled away in a corner:



not a great pic, but we managed to blag a good look round it and a quick sit in it ;D Apparently it's an ex-DTM car, the owner of the business was some kind of ex racer, but I couldn't get the name, lost in translation... Awesome motor though!

Thats intriguing,with the two seats ,wheels and ride height it looks like its been used for tarmac rallying later on in its life.

Bosozoku?