2.5 16v 190e cosworth blown lump

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
I've been flirting with buying one of these over the past fortnight or so, the values look all over the place though.

Anyone know how hard/easy a new lump is to come by? Is there another way round this i.e. would a 3.6 AMG lump go in?
 
SPX said:
I've been flirting with buying one of these over the past fortnight or so, the values look all over the place though.

Anyone know how hard/easy a new lump is to come by? Is there another way round this i.e. would a 3.6 AMG lump go in?
Click to expand...

There's only one Merc Cosworth engine for sale that I can find, and it's £6k !!

That 190 on ebay looks tatty enough to put a decent modern V8 in it :thumb:
 
The value in a Cosworth is the engine.

AMG fitted a (M103?) 3.2, IIRC Poormansporsche has done the same (M104?), so a 3.6 early will work. The cheapest and best place for a 3.6 is in a C36. You will get no value for the conversion of a 190 though and end up with a white elephant that is neither one thing nor another.
 
Last edited:
Yes exactly as said above.

2.3-16 and 2.5-16 'Cosworths' are worth good money as collectors cars. Remove that originality and you've lost the value and desirability.

If you're interested in a fun car/track weapon it make little sense to pay £3/4K for one with a blown engine and tatty bodywork - might as well start with a blank canvas, a 2.6 sportline or something else.

I did give this car some thought but personally for me I think the numbers don't add up. Once you've sorted the engine out and then the bodywork it's going to stand you in £7-8-9k, and it's still going to need a fair bit of TLC/de-modding etc. It doesn't have full history/original service books and I'm not sure how much I would value such a car afterwards?

If someone wants one to restore and do the bodywork themselves/mates rates then I reckon it's worth saving :cool: :thumb:
 
SPX said:
I've been flirting with buying one of these over the past fortnight or so, the values look all over the place though.

Anyone know how hard/easy a new lump is to come by? Is there another way round this i.e. would a 3.6 AMG lump go in?
Click to expand...

mercedes AMG 3.6 G Wagon conversion | eBay

....here's an AMG 3.6 if you need one.
 
I think it needs to be at least half of the price of what it is now, at least.

Still do fancy one though along with a W126.
 
Thing is, you won't get it cheap enough to make it worth restoring Lee. At £2k it would break well for parts so that's about it. Getrag gearbox + linkages/flywheel, ASD diff, engine parts, KE-jet bits, relays etc all sell easy and for good money. The interior would be worth a good few hundred, wheels, brakes, self levelling suspension bits, etc.

It's a shame because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly though you either need to be a bodywork guy who can DIY it or have an engine spare that you want to use to be worthwhile. If you're going to outsource the work and find an engine for it it makes no sense at all.
 
Will said:
Thing is, you won't get it cheap enough to make it worth restoring Lee. At £2k it would break well for parts so that's about it.
Click to expand...

Who'd spend anywhere near £4K on a non-runner when decent ones sell for £6-8k that would be a far better basis for one?
 
I don't disagree - other than it depends on what you class as 'decent'. And although I don't think it's worth £4K, it surprising what breakers/basket cases are worth.

Personally I would class a £6k 16v as a rolling restoration rather than a decent example. Decent examples are very rare now and make strong money when they appear.

2-3-4 years ago you'd be right, but prices have firmed up a lot in recent years.
 
I'm just brainstorming here really Will, as you know I've flirted with these for a long time (probably too long) and I'm not worried about spending £6-8k on one because prices won't be falling any time soon.

I'm talking about ones like this: 190 cosworth SOLD (1990) on Car And Classic UK [C682299]

I see plenty up at circa £10k or more that hang about forever, I'm not interested in those, just a good genuine example.
 
SPX said:
I'm just brainstorming here really Will, as you know I've flirted with these for a long time (probably too long) and I'm not worried about spending £6-8k on one because prices won't be falling any time soon.

I'm talking about ones like this: 190 cosworth SOLD (1990) on Car And Classic UK [C682299]

I see plenty up at circa £10k or more that hang about forever, I'm not interested in those, just a good genuine example.
Click to expand...

Yep - that looks like a decent example, probably amongst the better ones I've seen available at circa £8k recently. I'm sure I could pick holes in it, but I won't :D

It's sold so that says it all really. Someone's probably very happy with it :thumb:
 
Out of interest Lee, which ones have you seen at £6k for comparison? I've not really been looking like I used to, but most at this sort of money usually need a lot of work! (££££)
 
Will said:
Out of interest Lee, which ones have you seen at £6k for comparison? I've not really been looking like I used to, but most at this sort of money usually need a lot of work! (££££)
Click to expand...

Just a general browse once a fortnight really, nothing too scientific, like the one on C & C at under £8k sold relatively quickly that's how I value them. I'm sure £7500 in cash would have bought that one, makes some of those at both ends of the spectrum look ridiculously overpriced.
 
SPX said:
Just a general browse once a fortnight really, nothing too scientific, like the one on C & C at under £8k sold relatively quickly that's how I value them. I'm sure £7500 in cash would have bought that one, makes some of those at both ends of the spectrum look ridiculously overpriced.
Click to expand...

I think most of the good ones at low prices get snapped up quickly and then hung on to. £7995 (or whatever it sold for) was a good price for that car hence it sold quickly I guess. Once it's gone, it's gone as they say :D

I wouldn't be thinking that there's plenty more out there like that - according to DVLA records there's around 70 manual 2.5-16s left licensed/taxed and about another 170 SORN. Not all will be that tidy, and most will be rusty/tatty/modded/high mileage etc. If you said even half of them were decent (the ones in use), you'd need to wait for them to come up for sale. These are not the sort of cars that change hands quickly - good ones people hold onto for several years usually.

When you look at it like that, I'd be surprised if you found more than a handful of nice looking cars like that per year for sale. And the chances of an owner selling up a tidy car, cheaply, that doesn't need a few thousand quid spent on it - very unusual :)

Take into account that there's a few broken for spares or crashed each year and the numbers will keep falling and values will increase further. Look at the 2.5 in this thread - rod through the block. People will want an engine for it - there's only 200ish 2.5s left. Kind of puts it into reality. That car will either end up broken for spares or another one will have to in order to supply an engine for it - and so on.

2.3-16s seem fewer still - apparently only 51 licensed at the end of 2015 and 150ish on SORN.

You need to be lucky and patient to find a decent example cheap, or pay up for the convenience of having one prepped and ready to go. Even at £13k, the second 2.3-16 I linked to needs work IMHO. They all do really - they're 25-30 year old cars now. Where do you stop though? :eek:
 
I know I've missed the boat on these and my chance of a bit of fun with a 190 Cosworth for sub £5k has gone now because once stuff like this starts ballooning then you're always scared to drive them. I do check in on the 190 forum from time to time but there's little for me to glean value wise; classic car owners only ever talk the value up of their cars and proclaim their intelligence in the matter after saying the same thing for the past ten years, very similar to bar room property developers who own one house and make out they're Donald Trump by way of pure chance.

Anyway, I digress, if they really are making over £10k for good ones then it's not a game I'd want to get sucked into, there are far more suitable cars I would throw that kind of money at than something is not really be able to drive for fear of losing value etc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Similar threads

M
Timing chain guide 190e 2.3 16v
Replies
5
Views
631
Muds81
M
S
190e 1.8 Parts Catalogue
Replies
2
Views
905
StrangelySane
S
D
190e 2.5 16v Cosworth Auction
Replies
0
Views
1K
Deleted member 37751
D
Gollom
1992 Mercedes-Benz 190E (not ebay, but my local Facebook in Preston)
Replies
0
Views
708
Gollom
Gollom
S
Performance Fuel Pump 190e 2.5 16v
Replies
16
Views
890
Sallps
S
Back
Top Bottom