FS: 1987 16V w/48MM ITB's, Haltech E8, Ice cold A/C!!
02-05-2008, 01:25 AM
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1987 190E 2.3-16
FS: 1987 16V w/48MM ITB's, Haltech E8, Ice cold A/C!!
It is with great sadness that I put my car up for sale. I am selling this 1987 190E 2.3-16 which I have had since September 2002. The car was purchased with 133,000 miles and has been an occasional driver since then. It has been my pride and joy and has been meticulously cared for and maintained. Since September 2002, I have put just under 20,000 more miles on the car. The car now has 152,300 miles. It was my first car and it is finally time for me to sell it and to move on to another car that I will care for like this one. I am in need of a larger car that I can park in New York City and that I won’t care if it gets hit. I have not dared to take this car into NYC and I therefore believe it is time to pass it on to the next owner.
The car has been maintained religiously. Since buying the car in September 2002, I HAVE INVESTED $22,554 FOR PARTS AND LABOR TO KEEP IT IN TOP SHAPE. THIS IS NOT A TYPO (and I was indeed very surprised when I did the math myself)! Upon purchase, the car received a compression check, and when I knew the engine was in perfect shape, I had it gone through so I could enjoy it trouble free. The valves were adjusted, the gas tank was drained and cleaned, filters, spark plugs, and fluids were changed, a new water pump was installed, and a new timing chain, chain tensioner, and chain rails were installed (all of the rails were replaced, not just the top one which is the easy job!! The whole front timing cover of the engine had to come off). Since then, I have kept it in top shape by changing the oil every 3 months (the car was driven well under 3,000 miles every 3 months, so I would stick to the 3 month time schedule rather than a mileage schedule for oil changes). Tune ups were done once a year: spark plugs, filters, coolant and brake fluid flush, adjust engine valves. Springs and shocks were replaced, the A/C system was completely replaced, and other items were completed as per the list below.
Over the life of the car, I would modify it in order to make it even more reliable and fun. All problematic items known to fail in this car were upgraded or removed: the rear SLS suspension was deleted, the power robbing engine fan was deleted, the driveshaft was gone through and the problematic vibration damper deleted, a larger 134 amp alternator was installed, bigger Mercedes brakes were installed, etc etc. In addition, a 6 speaker stereo was installed with a hard-mounted amplifier and capacitor in the trunk (so they never move around, installation is VERY sturdy). A hidden subwoofer was mounted where the first aid kit used to be, and the first kit door was modified with mesh so the bass comes through. The stereo is simply amazing, it is well balanced (which is easy with the small cabin of the 190E) and it plays MP3’s besides regular CD’s, and it has an auxiliary input jack I installed so that you can plug in an Ipod. The stereo also comes with a remote and the case for the head unit. The full list of modifications is posted below.
In March 2007, I gave the car to a very reputable race shop (Porsche & German car specialist) for a full drivetrain rebuild. They went through absolutely everything and replaced as needed: New flex disks and bolts on the driveshaft, full front end rebuild including tie rods, new springs, full alignment, and finally engine work. For the engine, they entirely removed the stock intake and fuel injection system and replaced it with TWM 48mm throttle bodies and a Haltech E8 Engine Control Management system. These items are virtually maintenance free and are extremely reliable since there are only four sensors that drive the whole system (throttle position sensor, coolant temperature sensor, air temperature sensor, and manifold pressure sensor) instead of the dozen or so that were needed for the stock Mercedes system. Not only is this system more reliable, it now can be tuned by a laptop if changes are made internally, it makes the same or better fuel economy, it has made the idle rock-steady, and IT MAKES MORE POWER!! When I finally got the car back in August after 6 months in the shop, the car was dynoed at 185 hp at the rear wheels. Figuring a 15% drivetrain loss, that means the engine now makes 213 hp at the crank!! Stock Mercedes 16v engines dyno at between 130-140 at the wheels which equates to about 160-165 at the crank. THIS CAR HAS OVER 50 MORE HP THAN A STOCK 16V!! Full cost was $17,893 for this rebuild. The engine was deemed to be in perfect shape and is probably the healthiest stock 16v engine out there. And with a new set of camshafts (either factory 2.5-16 or Cat Cams), this car can have even more power: just look at the dyno chart, the engine runs out of steam at 6500 rpm even though the injectors and throttle bodies still have much more capacity. This engine is good for another 20 hp with just a new set of camshafts.
If you want a reliable, fast, fun, and economical car (amazing to get all that in one car!), this Mercedes 16v is the car for you. The car drives and sounds like a stock Mercedes 16v, except power delivery is smoother, the idle is better, it is more reliable than stock, and it has more power! In all my years of ownership, the car has never left me stranded and has always started up and driven smoothly. Only small things have needed attention: the speedometer cable was replaced because it made a clicking noise, the A/C blew cold only half the time (traced to a leak at the speed sensor of the compressor and the front condenser, both were replaced along with the evaporator), the rear doors were clunky so they door checks were replaced, one rear window stopped working so the regulator was replaced, the thermostat got stuck open, etc. Mechanically, this car is perfect. Even the A/C blows ice cold every time thanks to a good flush and a full system rebuild! It is impossible to find another car like this: a 16v with throttle bodies and working ice cold A/C.
Known faults of this car are purely cosmetic ones on the exterior. There is no rust whatsoever on this car, simply a few scrapes here and there. The faults are:
1. Cosmetically, the trim pieces under the front headlights need to be repainted or replaced due to paint chips (new ones are included with the sale, they attach with one bolt and simply need to be painted with a spray can), the hood has the usual chips from many years of service, and there are small scrapes here and there. One noticeable scrape is on the front passenger fender, and one on the passenger rear fender, both from the previous owner.
2. There is a crack in the middle of the dashboard.
3. The middle gauge on the dash, which used to be the lap timer, is missing because I was going to install an air/fuel ratio gauge which I never got around to doing.
4. A new front strut bar is needed (the old one hits the airbox…the current one can be modified to fit for about $100, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet). It can also be left as-is.
5. The shifter knob is worn.
6. The door panels on the top of the rear doors have become unglued as is the case with most 190E’s.
The interior is absolutely perfect! There are no rips or seam tears anywhere, and the leather was maintained with leather cleaner. My next step would have been to give the car a repaint so it would be better than new, but I am moving on to my next car. I now have an old Range Rover for city driving, and I have fallen in love with old Porsches and have just purchased a 1975 911 for my next project.
Asking price:
I am looking to at least recoup close to the cost of last summer’s work, so I am asking $13,500 or best offer. You will never find a mechanically more perfect 16v and the car has had over $40,000 invested in it, so it’s worth it! Please email me at pac.kiato4@verizon.net with any questions or for more pictures.
Pictures are available here:
http://community.190revolution.net/g....php?ppuser=67
The car has been maintained religiously. Since buying the car in September 2002, I HAVE INVESTED $22,554 FOR PARTS AND LABOR TO KEEP IT IN TOP SHAPE. THIS IS NOT A TYPO (and I was indeed very surprised when I did the math myself)! Upon purchase, the car received a compression check, and when I knew the engine was in perfect shape, I had it gone through so I could enjoy it trouble free. The valves were adjusted, the gas tank was drained and cleaned, filters, spark plugs, and fluids were changed, a new water pump was installed, and a new timing chain, chain tensioner, and chain rails were installed (all of the rails were replaced, not just the top one which is the easy job!! The whole front timing cover of the engine had to come off). Since then, I have kept it in top shape by changing the oil every 3 months (the car was driven well under 3,000 miles every 3 months, so I would stick to the 3 month time schedule rather than a mileage schedule for oil changes). Tune ups were done once a year: spark plugs, filters, coolant and brake fluid flush, adjust engine valves. Springs and shocks were replaced, the A/C system was completely replaced, and other items were completed as per the list below.
Over the life of the car, I would modify it in order to make it even more reliable and fun. All problematic items known to fail in this car were upgraded or removed: the rear SLS suspension was deleted, the power robbing engine fan was deleted, the driveshaft was gone through and the problematic vibration damper deleted, a larger 134 amp alternator was installed, bigger Mercedes brakes were installed, etc etc. In addition, a 6 speaker stereo was installed with a hard-mounted amplifier and capacitor in the trunk (so they never move around, installation is VERY sturdy). A hidden subwoofer was mounted where the first aid kit used to be, and the first kit door was modified with mesh so the bass comes through. The stereo is simply amazing, it is well balanced (which is easy with the small cabin of the 190E) and it plays MP3’s besides regular CD’s, and it has an auxiliary input jack I installed so that you can plug in an Ipod. The stereo also comes with a remote and the case for the head unit. The full list of modifications is posted below.
In March 2007, I gave the car to a very reputable race shop (Porsche & German car specialist) for a full drivetrain rebuild. They went through absolutely everything and replaced as needed: New flex disks and bolts on the driveshaft, full front end rebuild including tie rods, new springs, full alignment, and finally engine work. For the engine, they entirely removed the stock intake and fuel injection system and replaced it with TWM 48mm throttle bodies and a Haltech E8 Engine Control Management system. These items are virtually maintenance free and are extremely reliable since there are only four sensors that drive the whole system (throttle position sensor, coolant temperature sensor, air temperature sensor, and manifold pressure sensor) instead of the dozen or so that were needed for the stock Mercedes system. Not only is this system more reliable, it now can be tuned by a laptop if changes are made internally, it makes the same or better fuel economy, it has made the idle rock-steady, and IT MAKES MORE POWER!! When I finally got the car back in August after 6 months in the shop, the car was dynoed at 185 hp at the rear wheels. Figuring a 15% drivetrain loss, that means the engine now makes 213 hp at the crank!! Stock Mercedes 16v engines dyno at between 130-140 at the wheels which equates to about 160-165 at the crank. THIS CAR HAS OVER 50 MORE HP THAN A STOCK 16V!! Full cost was $17,893 for this rebuild. The engine was deemed to be in perfect shape and is probably the healthiest stock 16v engine out there. And with a new set of camshafts (either factory 2.5-16 or Cat Cams), this car can have even more power: just look at the dyno chart, the engine runs out of steam at 6500 rpm even though the injectors and throttle bodies still have much more capacity. This engine is good for another 20 hp with just a new set of camshafts.
If you want a reliable, fast, fun, and economical car (amazing to get all that in one car!), this Mercedes 16v is the car for you. The car drives and sounds like a stock Mercedes 16v, except power delivery is smoother, the idle is better, it is more reliable than stock, and it has more power! In all my years of ownership, the car has never left me stranded and has always started up and driven smoothly. Only small things have needed attention: the speedometer cable was replaced because it made a clicking noise, the A/C blew cold only half the time (traced to a leak at the speed sensor of the compressor and the front condenser, both were replaced along with the evaporator), the rear doors were clunky so they door checks were replaced, one rear window stopped working so the regulator was replaced, the thermostat got stuck open, etc. Mechanically, this car is perfect. Even the A/C blows ice cold every time thanks to a good flush and a full system rebuild! It is impossible to find another car like this: a 16v with throttle bodies and working ice cold A/C.
Known faults of this car are purely cosmetic ones on the exterior. There is no rust whatsoever on this car, simply a few scrapes here and there. The faults are:
1. Cosmetically, the trim pieces under the front headlights need to be repainted or replaced due to paint chips (new ones are included with the sale, they attach with one bolt and simply need to be painted with a spray can), the hood has the usual chips from many years of service, and there are small scrapes here and there. One noticeable scrape is on the front passenger fender, and one on the passenger rear fender, both from the previous owner.
2. There is a crack in the middle of the dashboard.
3. The middle gauge on the dash, which used to be the lap timer, is missing because I was going to install an air/fuel ratio gauge which I never got around to doing.
4. A new front strut bar is needed (the old one hits the airbox…the current one can be modified to fit for about $100, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet). It can also be left as-is.
5. The shifter knob is worn.
6. The door panels on the top of the rear doors have become unglued as is the case with most 190E’s.
The interior is absolutely perfect! There are no rips or seam tears anywhere, and the leather was maintained with leather cleaner. My next step would have been to give the car a repaint so it would be better than new, but I am moving on to my next car. I now have an old Range Rover for city driving, and I have fallen in love with old Porsches and have just purchased a 1975 911 for my next project.
Asking price:
I am looking to at least recoup close to the cost of last summer’s work, so I am asking $13,500 or best offer. You will never find a mechanically more perfect 16v and the car has had over $40,000 invested in it, so it’s worth it! Please email me at pac.kiato4@verizon.net with any questions or for more pictures.
Pictures are available here:
http://community.190revolution.net/g....php?ppuser=67
02-05-2008, 01:26 AM
#2
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NYC
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1987 190E 2.3-16
Modifications:
Vogtland Sport lowering springs
Bilstein Sport shocks
300TE metal rear swaybar links, modified by race shop with adjustable heim joints
Factory mercedes metal oil pan skidplate
Delsing Motorsports SLS block off plate (SLS rear suspension fully deleted)
Delsing Motorsports billet accelerator pedal
MRP-Engineering short shift kit
Alpine CDA-9807 (with remote and auxiliary input for Ipod, laptop, cellphone, etc. near shifter)
4 x front Infinity Reference 4” Speakers
2 x rear Infinity Reference 5 ¼” Speakers
Clarion SRV303 subwoofer
Jensen 400 watt amplifier
Wiechers Sport strut braces front & rear
Kmac rear camber kit
W124 Sportline 27.5mm front swaybar and swaybar mounts
W201 190E Evo II 18mm rear swaybar
Problematic driveshaft vibration damper deleted
Momo competition steering wheel
Troutman stainless steel Dot braided brake lines
1992 Mercedes 400E brakes all around
1992 Mercedes 500E Brake master cylinder
Mercedes 134 amp factory alternator
European kick panel under steering wheel (more space for tall drivers!!)
Haltech E8
TWM 48mm DCOE throttle bodies and airbox with Motorman manifold
30# fuel injectors
Aluminum oil catch can
190E 8v oil filter head (uses simpler spin-on oil filter)
Silvercosworth CNC 10% underdrive crank pulley with VR sensor wheel
16” Electric Flex-a-lite fan (stock auxiliary fan for A/C, engine fan deleted)
R134a A/C conversion (COLD A/C!!)
Hella genuine front euro headlamps
17x7.5” Mercedes C-Class Sport Wheels
215/40R17 Yokohama Parada Spec-2 Tires (NEW! Only 200 miles on them)
Key maintenance items replaced since ownership in 9/02:
Full exhaust system and catalytic converter (including flex pipe to prevent breakage)
Thermostat
Driveshaft flex discs, bolts, and center bearing
Radiator
Coolant system hoses
Rear window regulators
Rear door checks
Front shock mounts
Hood pad
Engine drive belt tensioner and shock absorber
Timing chain, timing chain tensioner, water pump
Speedometer cable
Power seat diode
Full A/C system rebuild (condenser, evaporator, compressor, temperature switches, o-rings, control unit)
Climate control & dash rebuild (pushbutton control unit, valves for flaps behind dash, switchover valves, vacuum lines) – fixed the common 190E heat always on issue!!
Fluids flush (Transmission & differential with Redline fluids, limited slip differential tested and works fine)
Front and rear windshields due to stone chips and bad removal of tint (glue residue)
Spare parts included:
First aid kit
Lug bolts
2 sets of spark plugs
Trunk actuator
Muffler hanger
Under-headlight trim panels
Oil filter relocation kit (mount and adapter)
Original shift rod
Shifter bushings
Air vent
A/C Relay
Original spark plug cover
2 sets of rear swaybar links
Assorted interior bulbs
Asking price:
I am looking to at least recoup close to the cost of last summer’s work, so I am asking $13,500 or best offer. You will never find a mechanically more perfect 16v and the car has had over $40,000 invested in it, so it’s worth it! Please email me at pac.kiato4@verizon.net with any questions or for more pictures.
Vogtland Sport lowering springs
Bilstein Sport shocks
300TE metal rear swaybar links, modified by race shop with adjustable heim joints
Factory mercedes metal oil pan skidplate
Delsing Motorsports SLS block off plate (SLS rear suspension fully deleted)
Delsing Motorsports billet accelerator pedal
MRP-Engineering short shift kit
Alpine CDA-9807 (with remote and auxiliary input for Ipod, laptop, cellphone, etc. near shifter)
4 x front Infinity Reference 4” Speakers
2 x rear Infinity Reference 5 ¼” Speakers
Clarion SRV303 subwoofer
Jensen 400 watt amplifier
Wiechers Sport strut braces front & rear
Kmac rear camber kit
W124 Sportline 27.5mm front swaybar and swaybar mounts
W201 190E Evo II 18mm rear swaybar
Problematic driveshaft vibration damper deleted
Momo competition steering wheel
Troutman stainless steel Dot braided brake lines
1992 Mercedes 400E brakes all around
1992 Mercedes 500E Brake master cylinder
Mercedes 134 amp factory alternator
European kick panel under steering wheel (more space for tall drivers!!)
Haltech E8
TWM 48mm DCOE throttle bodies and airbox with Motorman manifold
30# fuel injectors
Aluminum oil catch can
190E 8v oil filter head (uses simpler spin-on oil filter)
Silvercosworth CNC 10% underdrive crank pulley with VR sensor wheel
16” Electric Flex-a-lite fan (stock auxiliary fan for A/C, engine fan deleted)
R134a A/C conversion (COLD A/C!!)
Hella genuine front euro headlamps
17x7.5” Mercedes C-Class Sport Wheels
215/40R17 Yokohama Parada Spec-2 Tires (NEW! Only 200 miles on them)
Key maintenance items replaced since ownership in 9/02:
Full exhaust system and catalytic converter (including flex pipe to prevent breakage)
Thermostat
Driveshaft flex discs, bolts, and center bearing
Radiator
Coolant system hoses
Rear window regulators
Rear door checks
Front shock mounts
Hood pad
Engine drive belt tensioner and shock absorber
Timing chain, timing chain tensioner, water pump
Speedometer cable
Power seat diode
Full A/C system rebuild (condenser, evaporator, compressor, temperature switches, o-rings, control unit)
Climate control & dash rebuild (pushbutton control unit, valves for flaps behind dash, switchover valves, vacuum lines) – fixed the common 190E heat always on issue!!
Fluids flush (Transmission & differential with Redline fluids, limited slip differential tested and works fine)
Front and rear windshields due to stone chips and bad removal of tint (glue residue)
Spare parts included:
First aid kit
Lug bolts
2 sets of spark plugs
Trunk actuator
Muffler hanger
Under-headlight trim panels
Oil filter relocation kit (mount and adapter)
Original shift rod
Shifter bushings
Air vent
A/C Relay
Original spark plug cover
2 sets of rear swaybar links
Assorted interior bulbs
Asking price:
I am looking to at least recoup close to the cost of last summer’s work, so I am asking $13,500 or best offer. You will never find a mechanically more perfect 16v and the car has had over $40,000 invested in it, so it’s worth it! Please email me at pac.kiato4@verizon.net with any questions or for more pictures.
02-13-2008, 10:29 PM
#3
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1987 190E 2.3-16
The car is now on ebay (too many tire kickers). I have listed it with a $7,500 reserve and a $13,500 buy it now. Whoever gets this car is getting a steal of a deal. I hope the next owner enjoys her as much as I have. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=300198974435
02-16-2008, 12:03 PM
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SFV CA
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2008 Black Out C350 Saks Edition / 87 VW GTI
The car is now on ebay (too many tire kickers). I have listed it with a $7,500 reserve and a $13,500 buy it now. Whoever gets this car is getting a steal of a deal. I hope the next owner enjoys her as much as I have. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=300198974435
good luck
