Mercedes 190 the New Forever Car
Discussion
I spent a number of months working in the Algarve in 1993. Whilst there were many motorcycles back then on the roads the majority of cars were quite old.
We had a holiday there in 2004 and I couldn’t believe the number of new mainly German cars.
Put the clock on a further 20 years and it’s almost like time has stood still with lots of older cars on the road.
One car that appears to be highly prevalent is the Mercedes 190 in various engine guises. I always liked the 190 back in the day and saw it as a real good looking quality piece of engineering. Whilst the youngest must be over 30 years and the oldest 40, they still look great and cool.
We had a holiday there in 2004 and I couldn’t believe the number of new mainly German cars.
Put the clock on a further 20 years and it’s almost like time has stood still with lots of older cars on the road.
One car that appears to be highly prevalent is the Mercedes 190 in various engine guises. I always liked the 190 back in the day and saw it as a real good looking quality piece of engineering. Whilst the youngest must be over 30 years and the oldest 40, they still look great and cool.
Whilst the climate on the Algarve is kind to cars regarding tinworm, it does paintwork few favours!
I needed a catalytic converter repairing a year or two back on a UK regestered car. I found a workshop run by an expat who took the job on, took them a week to cut/drill out the mounting bolts.....fellow told me that if it had been a local car it would have just unbolted!
Still worked out cheaper to have the thing ultra sonicly cleaned over buying a new one, though.
I needed a catalytic converter repairing a year or two back on a UK regestered car. I found a workshop run by an expat who took the job on, took them a week to cut/drill out the mounting bolts.....fellow told me that if it had been a local car it would have just unbolted!
Still worked out cheaper to have the thing ultra sonicly cleaned over buying a new one, though.
I bought a 1989 2 litre 190e in 1997 and it was a fantastic car. Much better build quality than the W202 C280 I replaced it with. 
A 2.6 190e would have been a better idea!
W123 Mercedes were also very rugged. You only had to look at the taxi ranks in the Canary Islands in the early 2000s.
A 2.6 190e would have been a better idea!
W123 Mercedes were also very rugged. You only had to look at the taxi ranks in the Canary Islands in the early 2000s.
Being taken to school in the early 90s in the neighbour’s lovely 2.5D was the trigger for me. I bought my first ten years ago; now on my second. Unfortunately it is awaiting a couple of fuelling and aspiration mods so not yet back on the road. Hopefully at some point next year. Are you going to buy one OP?
muchacho said:
Being taken to school in the early 90s in the neighbour’s lovely 2.5D was the trigger for me. I bought my first ten years ago; now on my second. Unfortunately it is awaiting a couple of fuelling and aspiration mods so not yet back on the road. Hopefully at some point next year. Are you going to buy one OP?
I won’t be buying one, but having seen so many in Portugal, I’m really admiring what is, similarly to the E30 BMW a design classic. I did like them back in the day, but by 1993 when I was 20 decent 6 cylinder ones were still out of my price range so I went for a 320iSE that was more affordable.
[quote=ferret50]Whilst the climate on the Algarve is kind to cars regarding tinworm, it does paintwork few favours!
I’ve got a 15 year old Merc on the Algarve - the blue metallic paintwork is like new. Most French/Italian stuff from that era has paint that is so baked that it is difficult to know what colour the car started out as. Same goes for those plastic headlight lenses - cloudy yellow within a couple of years.
The Portuguese and Spanish hang on to their cars - the average age for on-road cars being 14-15 years. I believe in the U.K. the equivalent figure is approx 9 years.
2nd hand cars in Portugal are incredibly expensive, I’m currently looking for a left hooker in the U.K. to export and matriculate. Problem is that 90% of availability over here comprises hideous Japanese people carriers, Smarts & a surprising number of dubious clapped-out Mustangs….
I’ve got a 15 year old Merc on the Algarve - the blue metallic paintwork is like new. Most French/Italian stuff from that era has paint that is so baked that it is difficult to know what colour the car started out as. Same goes for those plastic headlight lenses - cloudy yellow within a couple of years.
The Portuguese and Spanish hang on to their cars - the average age for on-road cars being 14-15 years. I believe in the U.K. the equivalent figure is approx 9 years.
2nd hand cars in Portugal are incredibly expensive, I’m currently looking for a left hooker in the U.K. to export and matriculate. Problem is that 90% of availability over here comprises hideous Japanese people carriers, Smarts & a surprising number of dubious clapped-out Mustangs….
I was at the launch at our local dealer when the new 190 range was first shown and I was driving a 380SL at that time. I heard that a Cosworth version was on the plans and immediately put my name down for the first one available. So strange that when the car srrived it suddenly had already been sold and there was by then a backlog of orders. I never did buy one even when the rush of orders was assuaged. Maybe I should have, but I just never got around to it.
Edited by lowdrag on Tuesday 27th August 05:48
Mr Tidy said:
My only advice would be to avoid the UK spec 2 litre diesel with no turbo and an automatic gearbox.
A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
As a teenager a neighbour of mine had a new one. They were so painfully slow they were actually interesting. A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
Yes, I had the NA 2.0 diesel and it was verging on dangerous joining a motorway. I thought there was something wrong with it so had a retired Mercedes tech have a look. "Drives really nice, what did you pay for it?", "Eh, it's really slow and dangerous though, must be broken!", "Nope, normal'.
I had to two tank setup and ran neat veg oil (when it was 30p a litre) from Tesco. Ran a lot smoother.
It was a very over engineered car. I sold it and bought a brand new 06 E class. New but not a patch on the 190.
I had to two tank setup and ran neat veg oil (when it was 30p a litre) from Tesco. Ran a lot smoother.
It was a very over engineered car. I sold it and bought a brand new 06 E class. New but not a patch on the 190.
nismocat said:
Yes, I had the NA 2.0 diesel and it was verging on dangerous joining a motorway. I thought there was something wrong with it so had a retired Mercedes tech have a look. "Drives really nice, what did you pay for it?", "Eh, it's really slow and dangerous though, must be broken!", "Nope, normal'.
I had to two tank setup and ran neat veg oil (when it was 30p a litre) from Tesco. Ran a lot smoother.
It was a very over engineered car. I sold it and bought a brand new 06 E class. New but not a patch on the 190.
My neighbour in the 80,s was a Mercedes salesmen, he told me to never by a 2 litre diesel, as they are so slow. I had to two tank setup and ran neat veg oil (when it was 30p a litre) from Tesco. Ran a lot smoother.
It was a very over engineered car. I sold it and bought a brand new 06 E class. New but not a patch on the 190.
I had a W123, 240d, manual luckily, that was painfully slow.
I drove a few old Hymer motorhomes, and a 508d with a big box body to Ireland around 2000, my god they were slow.
reliable old unit though, I suppose great for running around in the sun, but motorways? No thanks.
While the 2.0D (especially with the auto) is certainly too slow to be entertaining, anyone saying it's dangerous should probably take it up with the experienced, qualified designers and engineers that Mercedes-Benz pay millions to, to ensure their cars are not dangerous.
I haven't driven a 2.5D with the OM602 engine and 89-93BHP but the W202 C250D I took in as a part exchange once had the OM605 NA unit with 111BHP in the heavier shell and that felt quick, smooth and strong. And it'll probably still be going with half a million miles on it.
I haven't driven a 2.5D with the OM602 engine and 89-93BHP but the W202 C250D I took in as a part exchange once had the OM605 NA unit with 111BHP in the heavier shell and that felt quick, smooth and strong. And it'll probably still be going with half a million miles on it.
Mr Tidy said:
My only advice would be to avoid the UK spec 2 litre diesel with no turbo and an automatic gearbox.
A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
I had the petrol version, it was terrifyingly sluggish as well. Loved it though, only cost me £800. Chopped it in for £500 as a part ex on an A6 and saw it up at a secondhand place a few weeks later for £3495! A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
Boleros said:
Mr Tidy said:
My only advice would be to avoid the UK spec 2 litre diesel with no turbo and an automatic gearbox.
A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
I had the petrol version, it was terrifyingly sluggish as well. Loved it though, only cost me £800. Chopped it in for £500 as a part ex on an A6 and saw it up at a secondhand place a few weeks later for £3495! A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
Boleros said:
Mr Tidy said:
My only advice would be to avoid the UK spec 2 litre diesel with no turbo and an automatic gearbox.
A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
I had the petrol version, it was terrifyingly sluggish as well. Loved it though, only cost me £800. Chopped it in for £500 as a part ex on an A6 and saw it up at a secondhand place a few weeks later for £3495! A mate had one briefly and it was so sluggish that getting onto a roundabout was dangerous!
My same mate ran a 190e auto for several years and for the early 90s performance was fine. I had a manual 2 litre injection one towards the end of the 90s and it was just as quick as the 2.0 GLSi Sierra it replaced.
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