190E 2.6 0n ebay. Be careful!!

[ss201]

If I were looking for a 190e 2.6 auto then I would have headed straight to Blackpool; reading the answers to the questions it sounds like the auction can be ended for about £1500 and you are going to be looking for a long time to find another unmolested 110k 1 owner car.

Then you would have wasted your time and petrol money. It would appear from all of the above, that none of you have actually viewed or driven the car. I did both, several months ago when it was actually for sale by the original (one) owner of the car. He was not some doddery, poorly old gent, but a very healthy and lively retired local businessman who played a lot of golf. At that time it was for sale by the original owner, who did not live within 30 miles of Blackpool. I passed on it for the following reasons:

- rust at the base of the rear screen, both sides (needed rear screen out and welding to screen frame)
- boot floor had been re-painted, very badly, to cover up what was obviously a very leaky boot
- rusting badly on the sills around and above the rear jacking points - I poked my finger straight through the sill
- the gearbox made some very strange buzzing noises (which I've never heard a W201 auto make before)
- the front offside wing had been replaced with a pattern part (I spoke to the bodyshop who did the job, as I used to live across the road from them). The long time owner was well known to them as a cheapskate! - their words!
- the "full" service history was far from complete and a lot of it was done by a local garage, not M-B dealer or specialist as had been claimed. Almost no invoices to support the work claimed by the owner.
- the wear on the driver's bolster (which the current seller has owned up to).
- the non-standard alloys were in a really poor state, had been hand painted (badly) to cover up bubbling and kerb marks and the tyres were cheap, nasty and needed replacing.

That's off the top of my head. I'm sure there was more.

When this one came up again, I remembered it and contacted the current seller with a list of questions about specific areas (which I already knew the answers to). The answers all came back wrong, so this seller is obviously trying it on.

Neil was right to warn people about this car. It needs at least £1500 spending on it, possibly a lot more, to make it anything half decent. There are many far better ones about. What's the old saying? If it seems to be good to be true, then it usually is.....

 

[ss201]

Take your point, but most 1994 cars are now Bean cans

Really? Then you should come take a look at my 1989 and 1992 W201 bean cans....

 

[Deleted member 11979]

Really? Then you should come take a look at my 1989 and 1992 W201 bean cans....

Sorry, I should have made myself clearer.

I was making the point that although this car is not perfect, it is still on the road, as in Mercs last longer than most others. There are not many pre 1994 Fords, Fiats, etc left, and have been recycled into bean cans.

So, I was actually complimenting the 190E 2.6 and your sarcasm was misplaced.

 

[ss201]

Apology accepted.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

Yours too

 

[nick mercedes]

Neil was right to warn people about this car. It needs at least £1500 spending on it, possibly a lot more, to make it anything half decent. There are many far better ones about. What's the old saying? If it seems to be good to be true, then it usually is.....

Or nothing spending on it and just using.

A £1k 17 year old car was never going to be flawless...

 

[ss201]

I think Neil posted his warning about the integrity of the seller as much as the condition of the car. There's a big difference between flawed and flawless.......

 

[Spinal]

Not to mention that even if common sense dictates that a 17 year old, £1k car will have "issues", if it is advertised as flawless it better be flawless...

M.

 

[Dieselman]

Where does it say it is flawless?

THE BODY WORK IS IN FANTASTIC CONDITION, NO FADING OF THE PAINT. NO STRATCHES YOU HAVE 2 SMALL STONE CHIPS ON THE BONET BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK CLOSE FOR THESE.

I think we need to take a reality check sometimes.