http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/4877826053.html

What do you think?

 

That's not a "baby hammer," if by that you mean the 3.2 AMG version of the 190E described here. These cars had both exterior and mechanical modifications from AMG and are indeed very rare (only 200 produced I think?).

This just looks like a regular 2.3 with an authentic generation 1 (pre-1989) AMG body kit and wheels. The body kit, which was available as a factory option on ordinary cars without the 3.2 engine, is quite rare I suppose.

The pictures on the ad are crap, but if the seller is only asking for $1500 I'm guessing the car is quite beat.

 

1500 for an amg 190e? my guess is 350k on the engine...if it has an engine at all.

 

looks like a BBS or Zender body kit

 

For sure not an AMG bodykit from the factory.

I also highly doubt it has a 3.2 engine

Regardless this is an awesome project car!!

 

What makes you say that? The original ad appears to be taken down but I seem to recall the body kit looked like this, i.e. the AMG generation 1 (i.e. pre-1989) kit:




I guess in my original comment I meant "factory option" in the loose sense. As far as I understand, back in the 80s before AMG was officially part of Mercedes, you could take a regular car to an AMG shop and have them fit a body kit and/or complete mechanical modifications. Some owners had both done, some just got the body kit. So from time to time old cars show up on craigslist with the body kit but stock suspension and engine. There was a blue one, in the Chicago area I think, on craigslist not too long ago. It was also a standard 8v 2.3 with AMG kit and penta-style wheels.

I've been looking for an AMG body kit for my car for some time. Someone on the forum recently contacted me with a kit for sale from what I assume was a junk yard car. But I'm looking for a generation 2 (post-1989) kit which is slightly different because of the updated body cladding panels. The one he had for sale was from an earlier car, as you can see from the pics he sent me. You can see it clearly says "AMG" on the front lip on the front bumper:

 

Best of luck with the search for a real, later model AMG aero kit, they are extremely rare. The red car has some things to note about the early kit; they were specially made for either the US or non-US bumpers. The US versions used the three pieces rear lower apron and the front bumper shell was "grafted" onto the existing shell. So, if you find a Euro one, be sure to get the bumpers as well. The kit is a flexible PUR plastic, not fiberglass and should be stamped with HWA numbers.