In reply to yupididit :
I had a gorgeous 300CE-24 coupe (with the twin-cam engine). Black with saddle brown interior. Lowered on H&R springs with 3-piece BBS wheels. Euro headlights. Bought it from the original owner, who was the manager of a Mercedes dealership. Rust and accident free.
Stupidly crashed it into a dump truck when I fell asleep behind the wheel going home from work one morning. Those 24-30 hour shifts at the hospital are killers :(
I had a friend in high school whose dad had a 190E 2.6. I never drove it, but I thought it was a cool car when I rode in it. The seats were definitely hard. It seemed somewhat fast (at that time) and I loved the looks of it. It was definitely softer than the E30, but it seemed to surge forward on upshifts in a way that was fun.
When I worked at a MB dealer, I drove a 4-cyl one with a manual trans, and it was one of the worst manuals I've operated. I remember thinking "this is why MB mostly does autos." Not sure if the 6 had the same trans.
If I was to add more power I would add boost and ditch the stock fuel system. I think mine had the mechanical injection but I don’t remember for sure. I really liked that car. It had plenty of go for a street car. It was definitely a momentum car but I found that entertaining. It rewarded smooth driving.
LanEvo said:In reply to yupididit :
I had a gorgeous 300CE-24 coupe (with the twin-cam engine). Black with saddle brown interior. Lowered on H&R springs with 3-piece BBS wheels. Euro headlights. Bought it from the original owner, who was the manager of a Mercedes dealership. Rust and accident free.
Stupidly crashed it into a dump truck when I fell asleep behind the wheel going home from work one morning. Those 24-30 hour shifts at the hospital are killers :(
Sounds like my kind of car
I just picked up a well sorted one of these for a very reasonable price here locally - it's my first Mercedes and only 2nd German car (had a 91' 318is).
My initial impressions are very positive. For my intended purpose (freeway commuting), it is going to be fantastic. The ride home on the highway was a lesson in refinement and comfort.
One thing I found odd was how even though it is the same size as my previous E30, it drives totally differently. The ride is floaty and irons out all bumps, there is no steering feel to speak of, the throttle is lazy. In other words, perfect for cruising. It feels like a car much bigger than it is.
Coming from mostly cheap Japanese cars, the fit and finish is on a completely different level from anything else I've experienced. The doors close with a solid thud. There are no squeaks and rattles, even at 126k. The switchgear has no play and is mounted in what feels like granite, and I'm sure like the E30, it's all completely rebuildable. Real wood. No discernable imperfections in the vinyl.
If you're on the fence about getting a golden era Mercedes, just do it. You only live once, they are great cars, and criminally underpriced. Only problem now is I really want a W124.
What I know is, every morning on the way to work, I see one being driven in the opposite direction. it has a factory wing. It reminds me of the 1980s Mercedes commercial where they are talking about the technology they have and "one model even has a wing".
In reply to c0rbin9 :
A W201 16v for track days and a W124 for normal use is a winning combination. My baby hauler is an ‘87 260E these days.
Also, the steering feel shouldn’t be all that bad. They have recirculating ball steering, which is probably worn out by now. A fresh box will be a little sloppy right at dead center, but the feel increases dramatically as soon as you load it up even a little. You can also delete the steering damper, which adds mushiness for no good reason. Just unbolt it and toss it out. A more aggressive alignment also helps.
I have no complaints about steering feel on my racecar, but I’ve done all those things already.
NorseDave said:irish44j said:I don't honestly know any real facts about them, but I do know that one has been coming out to a few rallycrosses each year for the past couple seasons, and I can't recall it ever actually finishing one. No idea if that is because of the car, the maintenance, the driver or what.....
I'm not the guy that keeps coming out, but I brought my 190 to the October DC rallyx. I heard this comment before I went, and as he went over my car, the guy doing tech said "we've never had a Mercedes finish a rallyx day. Good luck!" That was my first ever rallyx, and although I wasn't fast by any stretch (def due to the driver), I am apparently the only person to pilot a MB in a DC rallyx without it breaking. I'd put this down to all the preventative maintenance I did before bringing it out. Any 30-yr old car w/ beat shocks, wobbly ball joints, and a totally shot steering linkage is probably not going to fare well.
Next season if I get the stereo sorted (ie, working in more than 1 speaker) I was thinking I'd blast some classical music during my rallyx runs to maintain that high-falutin MB image. Not as effective if I have to keep the windows up though
May I suggest 'Ride of the Valkyries'?
Those 300CE have beautiful lines. I would love a brown one with tan interior and lowered on bronze 3 piece Brabus Monoblock III wheels.
You didn't learn your lesson after the e28 thread? Ok, get your excuses ready because this one is LOCAL and EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT.
berkeley man. Luckily for me you berkeleyed up the hyper link so it doesn't work.
Just needs these wheels to set it off right.
MAE wins the wheel race on these...
Luckily for me you berkeleyed up the hyper link so it doesn't work.
As per our earlier discussion i have come back and fixed the link. 
In reply to Vigo :
If I falter and buy this, I'm parking something at your place lol
Bump. 190E 2.6 has been my daily driver for the last 2 months and I love it even more now than when I got it 2 months ago!
If object fetishism is your thing, you won't be disappointed. The fit and finish is on another level from any car I've experienced.
Besides materials/build quality, there are engineering touches that add to the high-quality experience as well. Beautifully designed automatic gear shifter, throttle pedal spring is heavy to reduce stress on the ankle, the dashboard-mounted ignition visible from a normal position in the driver's seat so you don't have to poke and prod to get it in. The asymmetrical mirrors, the panoramic wiper... the list goes on.
Also love the lines of the car, especially in light color. There are a lot of hard edges and surface breakup on the panels. It couldn't have been inexpensive to manufacturer all the styling ornaments and details, it almost looks like a faceted gemstone. Very unique.
So back when you started this thread I became interested in the 190E or should I say re-interested as I periodically have thought about these over the years. In a search for one I ended up buying a 1992 300E 4matic in really good shape for a stupid cheap price which I think I am happier with than I would be with it's little brother. It has a few minor issues but overall in great shape. Sooooooooo thanks for enabling me as I now I have 6 vehicles and I really only need one.
I keep daydreaming about stuffing a V8 into a wagon version of these or the previous generation. Keep it auto for city manners, but add turbos because WHEEE!
How much of a pain is it to ditch the SLS on them? Well, relative to just keeping it.
Very few 201 chassis cars have sls
For Sale 90 2.6 190 5 Speed Manual Beater with a heater! If anyone is interested let me know
You do know that there is a for sale section for cars. This is the second thread you have posted this hot mess in.
You may want to put it in the regular cars for sale and in the Classic cars for sale.
Yes, please just create a "For Sale" post in the appropriate forum instead of dredging up ancient discussion threads.
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