Hey everyone, new member here and new to the w201's. Looking for some advice on a 190e 2.3-16 thats up for sale for a while at a local dealership. I haven't gone to look at it yet but it's a 1987 190e automatic with over 130k miles on it, currently listed at $19,500 and cosmetically appears to be in rather good condition based on the photos.

(I'd post the link but I can't get it to work atm, photos below)

Now I'm assuming that this is in fact a legit 2.3-16v cosworth but correct me if I'm wrong.

First off is it worth the price, especially for the mileage? I've seen these cars go for similar prices at auction. Whats a fair price that I should aim for?

Next up when I go to look at it, what should I be on the lookout for? Rust areas?

Also what should I inquire about? Are there any particular problems that these cars have at such high milage that I should ask about? Such as the timing belt, water pump, transmission, etc.

Finally I've been doing my research but I'm still nowhere near being a guru when it comes to these cars, but I noticed that the front grill is different with a MB logo on it and it's missing the 2.3 badging on the trunk. Again correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't seen these differences on any pics I could I find on the web. Also according to a vin decoder there is suppose to be headlamp wipers which appears to be missing. Now it's advertised as all original so I'm assuming that its referring to it in a mechanical sense and not a cosmetic sense, but is there anything else that you can see that is different or concerning?

Also, of course, this dealership does not have the best reputation, and the 19,500 price tag does not include an up-to $5,000 "reconditioning" and dealership fee that is totally not hidden but just buried in the fine print where no one would think to look.
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Welcome. The front grill is not original, it's an aftermarket grill. You're correct that the 2.3-16 badge is missing on the right side of the trunk. I would recommend that you have a pre-purchase inspection done by an outside of the dealership MB expert to look for any potential and possibly costly issues in the future. If the dealership refuses to allow this inspection, walk away. I would insist to see any service records on the car and ask for an explanation on why any equipment the car originally came with is now missing. A car where the service has been neglected can be very expensive to get back into top condition. I would also get a Carfax report as well. The dealership not having the best reputation may already be a red flag. Actually, 130,000 miles isn't alot for an MB since MBs aren't considered broken in until they reach 100,000. The price seems pretty reasonable but I always say, "buyer beware". Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

Car looks nice in the showroom. I would question and inspect for signs off a collision. Fact that the front grille swap and badge missing in trunk is odd.
You will see the same comments from most members. If there is deferred maintenance you will spend an extra $5K-$10K on deferred maintenance. And there will be some.
So paperwork is critical. The paperwork on my car (a 2.6) is 3 inches thick from the last 34 years (200K miles). The 190's are easy to maintain but they have very many wear items that need replacing.
So it is key you repair the car yourself. Most mechanics these days do not know these cars that well any longer.

It is hard to list everything here that you should inspect for. Rust can be an issue after 36 years. Pop the molding covers at the jack points and check for rust there. That's were it starts.
Most importantly though take the car to a mechanic before purchase and have it inspected by a specialist.

The car will be worth a lot more in a manual transmission. If the auto goes bad, it should be swapped with a manual transmission.

Good luck with the inspection.....

 

Thanks for the advice, I'm going in on Monday or Tuesday to take a closer look. The carfax shows no accidents on record, and the Alt was replaced at 115k miles and the water pump was replaced at 120k. Other than that nothing to report except that it says it was a 1 owner car and that it was sold in New Jersey, then followed the owner to Florida and then made its way back up to New York.

Lots of questions to ask.

 

Sounds like it is pretty light on the maintenance. To keep up in top shape it is probably due for some maintenance.

Let us know how the showroom visit turns out. Since it was up north for a while, I would definitely check for rust around the jack points.
It will probably need a new O2 sensor, EHA valve, shocks absorbers, exhaust (muffler and silencer), etc, etc soon. So I would say all and all $5k should be set aside for all this and more that I did not list.

- Cheers!

 

You need to put the car up on a lift so you can inspect it from underneath. Many serious issues can be hidden with a good wax job.

 

All good advice. Your stack of paperwork sounds about the size of my stack of paperwork after 31 years for me. My car has now recently stuck me for the first really significant amount of work I've had done on it in the 31 years I've owned it. I've replaced alot of rubber as in suspension bushings, fuels hoses ,etc. My finances are no longer on speaking terms with me, lol.