There aren’t many ways into a limited production car, built for homologation purposes, with a genuine motorsports connection, within our self-imposed budget cap. The Cosworth-head version of the W201 190E is a pretty rare car, and it takes quite a bit of luck to find one with a manual transmission that hasn’t been neglected or subjected to questionable modifications. With a couple of thousand made – a quick search shows production of somewhere in the 2-3000 range – and some of those equipped with 4-speed automatic transmissions, and plenty with over 200,000 miles on them, it’s worth a closer look at this Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 for sale for $4500 in Vancouver, WA.
So what’s the catch? Well, it’s got a salvage title, so you’ll want to be very diligent in your pre-purchase inspection. On the bright side, the car is said to have a full service history, and a recent set of H&R Cup springs and shock absorbers up front paired with a fully functional, leak-free self-leveling rear suspension. In addition, the car has received 16″ Evo 1 wheels and home-market headlamps. The seller does not mention any upgrade to a later double-row timing chain and tensioner, nor what led to the salvage title, so the service records should help there.
Shown in Pearl Black, the paint is said to be worn through in a couple of spots, and at 167,000 miles you should watch for smoke from general engine wear. Other possible weak points include rust in the lower body areas, lower steering and suspension ball joints, and valve tapped adjustment. On the bright side, the seller uses this car as his daily driver, so he’s hopefully debugged it as needed.
As you can see, the interior is in decent shape for a used car of its age, but there’s a split on the driver’s seat base, wear on the driver’s seat bolster, and splits in the dashboard. The leather looks a little dry, so the whole interior would probably be well-served by a good cleaning and leather treatment. At this point, it might be more fun to source the correct home market fabric (or entire seats) and redo the interior as it would have been elsewhere. It’s hard to understand why sellers of enthusiast cars in which the engine is a key selling point do not show a picture of the engine, but the condition of the rest of the car is compelling enough to make it worth a closer look. How many chances does your average person get to drive a car with a dogleg manual transmission?
Tags: 190E, 190E 2.3-16, Feature, german, mercedes, sedan, w201
Rusty But Trusty 
January 25, 2016 at 1:49 pm |
Vehicle Information:
1987 MERCEDES-BENZ 190E 2.3-16
VIN: WDBDA34D1HF357045
SEDAN 4 DR
2.3L I4 FI
REAR WHEEL DRIVE
Detailed History
Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
03/30/1990 21,105 Washington
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Vancouver, WA
Title #9509012702 Title or registration issued
04/04/1995 Washington
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Vancouver, WA
Title #900890980195094 Title or registration issued
05/02/1997 83,000 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Passed emissions inspection
01/22/2001 Utah
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Riverton, UT
Title #9929537 Title or registration issued
11/21/2001 113,773 Service Facility Vehicle serviced
12/24/2001 Utah
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Riverton, UT
Title #9929537 NOT ACTUAL MILEAGE TITLE ISSUED
CARFAX Advisor™
A NAM title is issued when the owner discloses to a DMV mileage fraud, a broken odometer or that the actual mileage of this vehicle is unknown. Mileage reported after this reading is potentially unreliable.
12/26/2002 Utah
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Riverton, UT
Title #9929537 NOT ACTUAL MILEAGE TITLE ISSUED
Passed safety inspection
12/31/2003 Utah
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Riverton, UT
Title #9929537 NOT ACTUAL MILEAGE TITLE ISSUED
02/12/2004 Utah
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Riverton, UT
Title #9929537 NOT ACTUAL MILEAGE TITLE ISSUED
08/05/2005 150,551 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Failed emissions inspection
08/10/2005 150,670 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Failed emissions inspection
08/12/2005 150,727 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Failed emissions inspection
08/15/2005 150,864 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Failed emissions inspection
10/01/2005 150,894 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Failed emissions inspection
10/03/2005 Washington
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Vancouver, WA
Title #0527402804 Title issued or updated
New owner reported
Exempt from odometer reporting
05/03/2008 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Failed emissions inspection
06/09/2008 Washington
Inspection Station
Vancouver, WA Passed emissions inspection
11/05/2009 169,501 Idaho
Inspection Station
Ada County, ID Passed emissions inspection
11/13/2009 Idaho
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Boise, ID
Title #093067673 Title issued or updated
Registration issued or renewed
Exempt from odometer reporting
Vehicle color noted as Black
12/29/2009 Idaho
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Boise, ID
Title #093067673 Registration issued or renewed
Correction to record
Vehicle color noted as Black
12/15/2011 Idaho
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Middleton, ID
Title #093067673 Registration issued or renewed
Vehicle color noted as Black
01/23/2012 Idaho
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Boise, ID
Title #093067673 Registration issued or renewed
Vehicle color noted as Black
09/06/2013 Washington
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Vancouver, WA
Title #1324917810 New owner reported
NOT ACTUAL MILEAGE TITLE ISSUED
Exempt from odometer reporting
07/31/2014 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com Vehicle serviced
09/29/2014 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com Thermostat replaced
Oil and filter changed
10/29/2014 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com Auxiliary fan switch replaced
Battery charged
11/05/2014 Washington
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Vancouver, WA
Title #1324917810 NOT ACTUAL MILEAGE TITLE ISSUED
Exempt from odometer reporting
Registration updated when owner moved
the vehicle to a new location
Vehicle color noted as Black
11/25/2014 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com Vehicle serviced
01/29/2015 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com Oil and filter changed
Wiper(s) replaced
02/25/2015 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com Wheel bearing(s)/hub(s) replaced
Steering/suspension checked
Front strut(s) replaced
Wiper(s) replaced
Brakes checked
05/12/2015 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com Oil and filter changed
12/02/2015 172,001 Gaynor’s Automotive Inc
Vancouver, WA
360-574-4416
gaynors.com
January 25, 2016 at 2:22 pm |
What a long strange trip it’s been? Thanks for sharing, too bad this doesn’t give any insight on the salvage situation… it’s surprising how far back the records go.