All things w168

[Ellie]

There are other who may come up with other suggestions but 'Royal steering Wheels' in Oxford are good. Had a car with one of their refurbished ones on it. Ace!!

I’ve actually just searched and watched a you tube clip...shoe polish!! Who knew?!

 

[Ellie]

I’ve actually just searched and watched a you tube clip...shoe polish!! Who knew?!

I’ve also taken a look at the webpage you’ve sent me... it looks expensive - you’ll get used to this, if it’s cheap or free then I’m there! This car is my stop gap for my new job, once I’m in and hitting my targets I may be upgrading (or lovingly restoring )

 

[Edd1968]

I’ve also taken a look at the webpage you’ve sent me... it looks expensive - you’ll get used to this, if it’s cheap or free then I’m there! This car is my stop gap for my new job, once I’m in and hitting my targets I may be upgrading (or lovingly restoring )

Abs ( clk320x) did mine when he owned it. Not sure how much but a couple of hundred.
Baby Wipes also work a treat

 

[alexanderfoti]

I will have my A210 AMG up for sale soon. Manual box, bit of rust on the rear quaters, but 4 new tyres and good brakes all around, bushes/arms etc. 62k. Nice condition inside too.

 

[clk320x]

There are other who may come up with other suggestions but 'Royal steering Wheels' in Oxford are good. Had a car with one of their refurbished ones on it. Ace!!
Royal Steering Wheels | Exclusive look, unique feeling

Think you mean Aylesbury Ed

 

[Edd1968]

Think you mean Aylesbury Ed

... Indeed I did, just spelt it using o x f o r d!!!

 

[clk320x]

... Indeed I did, just spelt it using o x f o r d!!!

 

[markbax]

I recently saw a link (can't remember which forum or platform) ) to a German guys pimped up W168 A210. Not the one with the strange front bonnet but a bored out motor to a bigger displacement and some other performance modifications - I can no longer find the link - anyone else seen it and would be able to post a link?

 

[markbax]

Ein Mercedes A210 (W168) treibts bunt: Form und Farbe für eine 2003er A-Klasse - Auto der Woche

Als Evolution-Modell avanciert der A210 zum Schmuckstück der Baureihe W168. Hochwertige Ausstattung und AMG-Styling veredeln den Mercedes sichtbar zu einer aut

www.mercedes-fans.de

 

[alexanderfoti]

Id rather this Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W168) A 190 Twin Study AMG 1998

 

[Darrell]

Are these little cars any good? Would t mind one for a sub £2000 runabout.

 

[markbax]

Id rather this Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W168) A 190 Twin Study AMG 1998

I think we all would but hats off to the guy in Germany creating not only a W168 A230 but also a blown A190 too.

 

[markbax]

Are these little cars any good? Would t mind one for a sub £2000 runabout.

You can get a belter for half that - My A210 LWB Auto was £850 this time last year and is a ton of fun & seatless it loads up like a transit van.

 

[Darrell]

You can get a belter for half that - My A210 LWB Auto was £850 this time last year and is a ton of fun & seatless it loads up like a transit van.

eBay here we come.

 

[markbax]

eBay here we come.

Autotrader is as good as any - there's 1 & 2 owner cars with 50,000 miles sometimes less in great nick for under a grand.

 

[markbax]

Autotrader is as good as any - there's 1 & 2 owner cars with 50,000 miles sometimes less in great nick for under a grand.

this one's a stunner but a bit pricier - still what does this sort of cash buy you usually? Not much IMHO!https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...archad=Used&include-delivery-option=on&page=3

 

[Piff]

A bit late replying but

Which ones? Edd's A210, my A200 or my old A160 (it was sold three years ago)?

your A160. Grey or black IMHO

 

[clk320x]

A bit late replying but

your A160. Grey or black IMHO

Nor Edd or David own A classes anymore

 

[zoofish]

A little anecdote for the the A-class Fans out there....
Most of us know the difficult birth the A-class had, and it's reputation reminded me of the 'rusting Fiat' one. I have had 4 so far, the first being a '99 A190 Avantgarde with the ACS. Everyone hated it but I loved it, it never gave problems.
There after it was 3 A210 Evolutions, an ex demo A210 back 2004, with every option box ticked, the 2 current 2002 ones I have now.
These cars are now some of the rarest Mercedes cars around today. That makes them worthy of a future classic status in my mind. Sadly most of them now have been driven into the ground by (and I choose my words carefully, mostly but not limited to) the housewife while the husband drive the C, E, S-classes.
As a result, most of the remaining examples are in a poor state.
When I started the hunt for the 2 we now own, I saw a number of them and the wheels were all ruined, the bodywork was dented and scratched, the grey leather and white Alcantara wasn't white anymore and all of them had signs of kids trashing the back seat area!
I was tempted to go over to Germany where they seemed to ha e cherished their A210s far more than us Brits have but their cars still command really high prices.
I found our 2 down south (we're in the Highlands) where they won't have been exposed to the kind of winters we have.
I have steadily restored them into the condition they now find themselves in now. Wheel refurbishment etc. I favour the 'factory look' myself therfore the mods I have done to mine are subtle but have transformed the car into something so much better -
Mainly in the chassis department. Their ride was always terribly harsh therefore I've fitted a set of 30mm lowered H&R progressive springs, coupled with Bilstein B6 sport shocks has transformed the quality of the ride. Still firm but not crashy. This isn't a full blown sports car but it now handles like a quality sporty Mercedes should.
I've also increased the negative camber slighlty to which has helped with its torque steer and has the added bonus of giving it quite and agressive stance. 10mm wheel spacers front and rear add to that look and lastly I've uprated the brakes with a good set of pads on new Pagid discs (EBC Greenstuff). Very little brake dust, which MB are renound for, and being such a light car, powerful stopping power now.
I haven't done any motor mods just yet, they're not very tuneable sadly, maybe 20hp without a massive dent in the wallet, but a second motor in the back a la A38 AMG? It's in my head, whether it makes in from there into the car is uncertain at this point!
It's lightweight so the, what these days seems a bit meager, 140hp from its 2.1l engine makes it relatively lively enough for our busy speed camera ridden roads!
I'm glad to say that both mine have not suffered from the kind of reliability problems I've read about. Is that because I am mechanically minded and sympathetic? Don't know but aside from normal wear and tear they are as reliable as any Merc. Certainly having spent time as a mechanic at a Mercedes-Benz, BMW dealer, the amount of warranty work I saw being carried out on newer MBs my 2002 models are no less susceptible to breakages.
There are some great sources of information available for these cars, one I really like is Albert Rowes website.
My A210 project continues, I'll keep you posted.

SUCH a great write-up and a great car. Quick question: Does anyone know where I can find the actual yearly sales of the A210 Evolution cars? I am currently in the process of importing an A210 to Australia and to get final approval, I need to substantiate the volume of cars sold per year, to see if qualifies under the 'rare' exemption. Thanks in advance