1985 Mercedes-Benz 190-Series

Manual

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1985 Mercedes Benz 2.3-16v AMG VIN: WDB2010341F112536 50,800 miles I am a Mercedes and an AMG enthusiast; I have owned some of the coolest ‘80s AMGs and many, many different Mercedes. I know these cars very well. This car is quite special. This is a European-import 1985 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3-16 valve with a manual Getrag 5-speed dogleg transmission. This car was specially ordered through Classic Motors in Chicago in 1985 (AMG of North America); the car was sent from the MB factory to AMG’s facility in Affalterbach where it received further modifications to the Cosworth-headed engine. These modifications pushed the HP ratings from a euro-stock 185HP to AMG’s 210HP. I have the original AMG documentation to prove these modifications; in addition, the documentation lists this car’s VIN number as the identifier. There is not an itemized list of alterations done by AMG, but knowing AMG back then, they likely polished and ported the head, installed a hotter cam, and tweaked the mapping on the EZL. All of those were regular things they would do in the mid-1980s. Keep in mind, this car was built in 1985 – two years before AMG created the famous 190E AMG Power Pack for the 2.5-16 and the Evo I which bumped HP up to 224. As far as I’m concerned, this car is one of the earliest, if not THE earliest, AMG Power Pack ever created for the 16v Cossie engine. This is a one-owner car from 1985 to 2011. I found the car in Chicago last year; after having the original owner prove that the car was indeed an AMG-tuned car, I flew to Chicago to meet the seller and see/drive the car –it was so rare, most AMG experts I contacted didn’t even know that these cars were built this early. The original owner kept it in a garage since day one; he never drove it in the winter (hence the only 50,000 miles in 26 years). I have all the service records for the car, including the almighty-important original AMG documentation. He bought it as a toy in 1985, and although he’s gone through lots of toys over 25 years, this one was his constant. I bought it because I thought the car was cool as hell; I’m selling it because I just bought a one-owner 1969 Porsche 911S Targa and a 1971 300SEL 6.3, and both of those cars have needs. I've always owned cool cars from the '80s (I still have an '86 CJ7), but I'm finding my tastes changing to the classics of the '60s rather than the cars of my youth. For me, the '60s cars are more entertaining to drive. Selling this 16v AMG will mean better funding for the 911S and the 6.3. Exterior Condition. This 2.3-16 AMG has the original paint. No door dings. Some minor scratches. The grill and badges were painted body-color by AMG in 1985. The body-color AMG Pentas were put on by me because I know that is what AMG would have done back then – when I got the car, it had its stock 16v wheels on it. The original stock wheels need to be repainted, but they will go with the car as well as these Pentas. There are some visible signs of rust (see pics), however, there are no holes in the body or undercarriage from the rust. The front fender rust was more than likely caused by the installation of the 16v front fender flares at the factory; those are rust bubbles, but they do not go through the fender nor do they weaken the integrity of the fender. It’s surface rust. Look at the pictures of the jack holes – no rust. The other location of rust is underneath the trunk lid (see pics) – that rust does not go through the body either. It’s surface rust. There are also pictures of the undercarriage so you can see that as well. As much as I hate the rust, it is quite minimal considering this car was a Chicago car its entire life. Interior Condition. The interior is fantastic. The seats are firm, the carpets are original and clean, and the headliner looks new. All switches work. No dash cracks, but there is a crack on the panel piece that surrounds the sunroof switch. Minor wear on the driver’s seat bolster. Smells like wonderful black leather – never smoked in, no funny smells. All switches work – the car was originally a manual window car, but Classic Motors also converted the car to power windows in 1985. This car was also ordered without AC, but it was added by Classic Motors as well (read more about the AC below). No stains in the carpet, no squeaks and rattles, no water entry ever. Mechanical Condition. This car runs great. It idles at 1100rpm because I have the EZL set to a high setting for 93 octane fuel. The car drives very well – straight, fast, and smooth. The shifter isn’t sloppy, and the car feels very tight. You experienced MB guys will know what that means. When I bought the car, I had every fluid changed and performed a tune-up on the ignition system, and I had the timing chain looked at in case the guides were old - but everything looked great so we did nothing. No leaks anywhere - the drip pan in the picture below has been under the car for six months. Suspension is firm, the brakes are excellent, and no drivetrain vibrations. Tires are brand new from Tire Rack. Bad Things:· You’ve seen the rust pictures. Explanations are in the “Exterior Condition” section above. I won’t buy a rusty northern car, but I bought this one because it didn’t have rust in the areas I expected, even though it did have rust where I didn’t expect it. Regardless of the rust, the car is in fantastic condition.· The AC doesn’t work. It is a non-standard 190E AC system – almost custom done by Classic Motors. All the pieces are there, and the blower/heater in the cabin does work. I was going to have my mechanic do a pressure test of the system; if the parts were good, I was going to get some custom hoses made, put them on, and charge up the system to see what worked. I figured I’d still need to buy a new compressor, drier, and expansion valve – just knowing what I know about old Mercedes AC systems.· Most times she starts right up on first try and settles to a wonderful idle, but sometimes she’s bitchy to start, has a rough idle for about 20 secs, then calms down to a wonderful idle.· Other than those things, there are no more bad things. This car was always well-cared for, always garaged, always well-serviced - and it shows in the excellent condition. I really love this car; driving it is so much fun. It wants to be high-revved, shifted late, and carry you along to high speeds. It's all just so effortless with this car. A lot of cars that I've owned over the years make you want to cruise, but this 2.3-16v AMG makes you want to drive fast. When you keep the revs up above 3500, you just want to fly through traffic and hang it out. I'll miss it, but I wouldn't be selling it if I hadn't thought long about it. It is certainly rare with a great history and full documentation including all service records since 1985. The car is as I have explained, but if you get down here and find out that I lied about most everything, then we can gladly cancel the deal. All questions will be answered, but I won’t tell you what the reserve is – you’ll just have to wait and see. Clear title in my name; car is located on the west side of Houston, Texas. If you're buying from out of town, I'll be glad to help you in any way I can.