190e 2.3 16v buying advice

[leicesterboy15]

Hi

I am looking at a 1986 190e 2.3 16v tomorrow which looks immaculate, its gold (hmmm), with full electric leather and a dogleg box. It has 100k on the clock which is low for the year but I don't think it has any history . How much should I be paying for such a car (I know its not a lot to go on!) And should this car have specific things (other than the history) that keep the price up , e.g. original alloys, a/c, original colour etc.

Is there anything I need to look out for in particular when I go to see it? I know the history is a problem but I bought my current merc without history and that has worked out a treat - doesn't mean to say they all will.

Do these cars have any particular weak spots?? I will give it a thorough check but I know there are many sharks out there and I don't want to end up with a duff motor!!

Also, in peoples opinion is the 2.3 or the 2.5 the best / one to go for??

Thanks

 

[grober]

Weak spots as with all 190s except 2.3 16v' s tend to be thrashed more!!!
Pay particular attention to tubular exhaust manifolds as they tend to crack- a KNOWN WEAKNESS. Noisy valve gear,suspension bushes,wheel bearings and LSD differential. Missing or damaged body moldings or trim- Expensive to replace!!!!! Good Luck!

 

[leicesterboy15]

went to see the car, report as follows:

Suspension up front bouned more than twice, the top mounts had cracks in the rubber (does this mean anything?)

Car was full of condensation (even in the instrument panel) - car has been standing for a while and is only driven occasionally.

Some areas of the body had been badly resprayed, not sure why it was resprayed to begin with.

The sills by the passenger door by the kick plate (may have gone under the kick plate), was bubbling - not sure how bad this was.

The car idled at 900rmp, was running around 80 degrees oil and about 60 degrees water temp.

In general the car appeared to be strong mechanically - was fine through the revs and stopped well, the gearbox performed as it should but the idle was slightly lumpy.

Overall the interior was in good condition but could do with a little tidying up, the main concern was that the body had been sprayed in various places and had not been done very well - the body kit was in good condition but it looks like it used to be gold, its now a champagne type colour not sure if this is a standard colour but the hidden areas of the car are all sprayed the same.

I am planning to go back and see the car when its not raining if that ever happens and I want to get underneath and have a good look.

Thanks for the advice, I am very tempted to buy it but if its going to cost me double again, I might as well buy a minter in the first place.

How much do you think I should pay for this type of car? I've tried parkers who only price the 2.5 and it really depends on condition and mileage as to how much I should pay but some kind of range would be nice!!!

Any advice would be greatly received

 

[kensalriser]

Your best bet for valuations is to pound the internet! Look on e-bay, loot, auto trader, exchange and mart and anything else you can find, and just see what they're being advertised for - and don't forget to take a little off for actual, rather than advertised price.
This one doesn't sound too good to me. Look for filler with a magnet, and make sure you look down the lines of the car, front to back on both sides, and see if you can spot any uneven areas. The rust sounds nasty too - rust is ALWAYS worse than it seems.

 

[neileg]

I've never owned one of these but I understand that the timing chain is a weakness on the 2.3. It was upgraded for the 2.5.

The doorsills on the 190 are an extension of the floorpan so you can't just replace them. I bought some aftermarket sills for my 190 and they were OK when on, but not great. If the body kit covers them up it could be a good answer for this car.

Condensation is not good, it gets into all the little important places.

The rubber on this car is now 17 years old. You'll end up replacing it all so I wouldn't worry about a couple of cracks.

If I were you, I would pass on this one. A minter is always a better deal. The most expensive Mercs are the ones that are cheap to buy!

 

[leicesterboy15]

Thanks for the advice

I have decided not to go for this one but I am gonna look out for another one. The drive really impressed me and it was a fantastic car - if it wasn't for the question marks. The other thing was that it wasn't that cheap considering the prices of other 2.3 16s out there.

I am gonna do my research properly and go for a good one, looking around I think pick up a good one for around 2k. Considering the other cars out there for the money, theres no comparison - maybe an M535 but this comes with higher running costs and is not as well built, other newer performance cars may be less risky in certain departments but they are not made like the 190 and you would be hard pushed to get 185bhp in a chassis that can handle it for that price.

I think I am gonna stick to an over-engineered late 80's, early 90's merc (unless I get a good pay rise!!)

I would recommend anyone to drive one of these if they get a chance, they are little gems, I probably wouldn't have considered one before I actually saw it in action!

Keep the advice coming guys, I'm sure it will be of use to anyone looking for one of these.

Cheers

 

[Vito113]

Make sure it has a history!

The best advice I can give when buying a merc is?
Make sure it has a full MB sevice history, if its been bashed or touched up? walk away!! Try and get a one or two owner vehicle, Mercs need to be regularly serviced and the more owners the more likely corner will have been cut on servicing.

Good luck

Andy