I kind of want a MB 190e 2.3-16

What are your thoughts on these? I can't really find many for sale, for a reasonable price. Here's some I found somewhat local to me:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648&item=320939790548&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT#ht_22652wt_1165

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=29681&endYear=2013&modelCode1=190E&startYear=1981&makeCode1=MB&listingType=used&transmissionCode=MAN&searchRadius=300&listingId=310457410&Log=0

Yes.

Nice car but I wonder what upkeep will be like

not anywhere local to you but i know of a guy that has two that could be turned into one good one. i bought a jet ski trailer from him a couple weeks ago.

Theres a few in the Cinci area between 1500 and 7500...bottom of the barrel examples have rust and mechanical issues, and at the top of the list is basically the 190e Cosworth...minus the Cosworth head (standard 2+ liter head, aero body stuff, suspension upgrades etc).

Ive always liked the looks of these in metallic beige/grey 2 tone

Oh, I wouldn't consider one that wasn't a 190e Cosworth. I guess I should have specified that.

4cylndrfury wrote: Theres a few in the Cinci area between 1500 and 7500...bottom of the barrel examples have rust and mechanical issues, and at the top of the list is basically the 190e Cosworth...minus the Cosworth head (standard 2+ liter head, aero body stuff, suspension upgrades etc). Ive always liked the looks of these in metallic beige/grey 2 tone

A 190E-16V w/out the 16V head shouldn't be worth 7500.

rotard wrote: What are your thoughts on these? I can't really find many for sale, for a reasonable price.

I always thought they were pretty.

An MSCC member I know bought one to autocross with. He sold it after one event. It was too gutless for his tastes.

The 190e 2.3-16 cars were supposed to be designed for rally, but were released about the same time as the quattro. It used AWD goodness to turn the merc into a footnote.

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/3127350342.html

I thought the difference was the head between the standard 16v and the "cossie"...I guess after some googling, there isnt a 16v 2.3ltr that isnt a cosworth

from the $7500 listing:

seems legit

Pretty much anything I get will feel slow, so I'm going for "cool."

I think a 190E-2.6 with a manual (especially a "Sportline") would be great fun.

I like my wife's 190E 2.6. If I cam across a manual trans one for cheap I'd be mighty tempted. Especially with the W124 parts sharing that is possible.

My sister had a 190.. not sure what model.. but it had THE worst seats I ever had the displeasure to perch atop. You literally sat on them, they felt like they had all the cushioning of Concrete, and had absolutely no lateral grip at all.

My uncle also bought one before going to Florida. He sold the car down there at a loss as he was not about to subject himself to those seats for the trip back

My friend has one for ferrying the kids. So far, it's been pretty killer. And he won't sell it to me.

JoeyM wrote:

rotard wrote: What are your thoughts on these? I can't really find many for sale, for a reasonable price.

I always thought they were pretty. An MSCC member I know bought one to autocross with. He sold it after one event. It was too gutless for his tastes. The 190e 2.3-16 cars were supposed to be designed for rally, but were released about the same time as the quattro. It used AWD goodness to turn the merc into a footnote.

You should look into that further, that is not what they were designed for; however, after a season of kicking BMWs butts the m3 DID relegate the 2.3 16v to a footnote. The later 2.5 evo II is a bad ass piece of machinery.

I've owned three 2.3 16vs and always buy the best you can afford and never buy an automatic!

Vacuum lines for door locks, windows I believe too.

And they only look cool when done up like the old DTM cars.

I'd pass.

I test drove one for a friend once (he did buy the car.) I liked it a lot. It's not a low rpm, high torque engine...they like to be revved.

Well, MB built them in response to the E30 M3, so it's not a surprise that they like to be driven hard.

I am pretty sure they have normal electric windows, the only vacuum stuff should be the locks, some of the climate control, and that's about it. They do seem like fun cars, probably not as fun as a Milano, but I'd be willing to trade a little bit of fun to not have $750 windshields and door panels made out of material similar to foam picnic plates lol.

I am pretty sure there are two cosworth 16v mercedes, the 2.3l and the 2.5l. I read mercedes originally wanted to make the engine larger than 2.5l but they ran into harmonics issues over 2.5l so that was as big as they got.

The quattro did indeed put mercedes out of the rallye business. I read about a 500sec rallye car mercedes build but didn't run as it wouldn't be competitive.

Sadly the US didn't get the 2.5.

rotard wrote: Oh, I wouldn't consider one that wasn't a 190e Cosworth. I guess I should have specified that.

Didn't Martin Brundle say that was the finest rear wheel drive chassis he had ever driven?

Secretariata wrote:

rotard wrote: Oh, I wouldn't consider one that wasn't a 190e Cosworth. I guess I should have specified that.

Didn't Martin Brundle say that was the finest rear wheel drive chassis he had ever driven?

Well done. I would have missed that reference if I hadn't just watched that episode...

BoxheadTim wrote: Well, MB built them in response to the E30 M3, so it's not a surprise that they like to be driven hard.

It's the other way around. The M3 came after.

The model in question has different seats than most of the normal ones, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Just test drive one before you commit to buy. I found my time behind the wheel of a 2.3-16V underwhelming. I prefer the 325is E30 for pretty much everything.