I got a 1991 MB 190E automatic with 85K Miles, some minor rust, decent interior. Front and Rear bumpers are cracked. There is an oil leak on the engine but the oil pan does not looked cracked. It made a puddle of oil right below the front of the engine. The car was given to me for free.

I was planning to restore and decided on a EVO II body kit, BBS wheels (staggered) and maybe an engine swap if the 2.6 needs a lot of work.

Any idea where I can find parts to get this the respect it deserves. I will post pictures as we go along. I am a former owner of a 1993 190E 2.6.

thanks

BTW I could not find the key how do I release the auto trans from park if I could not find the key?

 

Probably timing cover seal leaking at the front there, fairly common. Amazon has a few basic parts and otherwise the various parts stores stocking MB gear have online shopping/delivery, such as Eziautoparts, etc. Just use a search engine for specific MB parts and browse the sites, you can get anything from piston kits to accessories, those not in production can be found remanufactured or alternate/non-OEM manufacturer.

Not having a key is going to be a pain. I don't know what the lockout system for the trans uses but it's probably on the shifter itself, so you might be able to disconnect that and move the actuator manually with some multigrips or something. At some point you're going to have to change the locks so you have a key, might want to use a trolley jack to put it where you want and leave it there until you get that sorted.

With that low mileage unless it's been driven with no oil in it or something the motor shouldn't need any more than age-maintenance like replacing degraded seals. The M103 is fairly bulletproof even at high mileage, the later production ones have the double row timing chain which was the only weak point.
That can still get expensive, the fuel distributor could be leaking, all the low pressure gaskets degraded, injector seats have probably petrified, things like that which just happen with 20 years of ageing. A rebuilt fuel distributor alone can cost upwards of $500 without labour, I spent a grand recently solving all the age-related fuel leaks. Spark gear probably all needs replacing too, also expensive.
And if you got an engine swap you'd still need to replace these things.
Probably nothing wrong with the engine itself, just age on the anciliaries.

 

Thanks for the input I might start working on the car once I get have the title on hand, Merry Christmas

 

Hello GuamE320! Greetings from Wisconsin USA!

I just so happen to also own a 1991 190E 2.6 that I have thoroughly being through. If you have any questions about it, do not hesitate to ask me.

You should be able to move the car with no key. I can with my '91. Just push down on the brake and it should be able to shift. I know that the W124 (300-Series) in 1991 brought in the lockout system and there's a chance mines broken. You should be OK though.

 

Thanks for the offer I will surely take you up on that. I will also try to shift it to neutral even without the key by stepping on the brake. I hope it works

 

I made a discovery: my '91 190E DOES have a cable lockout to the shifter.

While doing some wiring, I found someone zip-tied the cable by the shifter (under the wood trim) and allows me to shift without the key. If you go under the wood trim (with all the window switches), you probably could override the lockouts cam.

Hope that helps and sorry for the misinformation.

-201Freak