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| Restoration / Modernisation advice please! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:11 pm (965 Views) | |
| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:11 pm Post #1 |
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Newbie
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Hi guys, I just bought my first 190 and being 20 years old it needs some work, mainly to the bodywork. I'm a young guy so I'd like to modernise it a little, bodykit, lowering, lightweight alloys etc. BUT... my Dad, being an old coot, thinks this is sacrilege and is telling me to just restore it to its original charm. This should not only cost less, but add more value to the car. Is he right? I'm completely new to 190's and I'm a bit of a philestine so treat me as a complete newbie! Easy on the jargon and all! Cheers. |
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| RobertE | Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:39 pm Post #2 |
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Serial victim...
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I'd say your Dad's right. So many of these cars have been cannibalised over the years that strictly original ones are not as easy to find as you'd imagine. M-B spent such a vast amout of money developing them that there is little that the Mark One bloke in a shed can do to improve them, with the exception of tyres and brakes. If it's in decent order, then go for it...
Edited by RobertE, Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:40 pm.
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| aemt | Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:46 pm Post #3 |
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Serial 190E Owner
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I can see you would like to put your own stamp on the car and why not. The secret is probably not to do anything you cannot reverse later on if your taste changes. So yes lowering springs and dampers plus some suitable alloys will give you something to get your teeth into and can easilly be reversed. Plenty of threads on here about lowering. Also on ICE ( sound systems) Welcome to the forum and do not be afraid to ask for help. Plenty available. |
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| Johnboy Mac | Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:47 pm Post #4 |
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More than part of things
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Hiya, it's all down to personal taste really. I'd side with your Dad. As for lights, white front indicators & wing repeaters look well on some. Alloys always look good again which style & size is down to personal taste of the owner, just like lowering the car. First off I concentrate on the basics like bodywork, check for rust and repair. Remove the plastic side panel/mouldings on wings and doors, check inside boot up under pardel shelf support panel for rust etc.etc. Go over the engine, check to usual service items etc. etc. Once you have the car in reasonable condition then do your mods imo. It always strikes me that original cars look best. But slightly bigger alloys & tyres and a slight drop on the suspension is worth while again imo. If you 'over modify' the car it may not be to everyones taste and could prove difficult to sell on. Good luck with your project. |
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| alan | Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:23 pm Post #5 |
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hmmmm interesting
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Restoration is a good start as it'll keep the car goin and make it worth moding. But keep mods subtle cause at the end of the day its a merc not a saxo. Changing indicators to clear drops the years, a nice set of rims and a 40mill drop is usually enough. Personally I think the preface lift cars look more modern than post due to lack of side panels so you could try lossing them |
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| Downside190 | Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:41 pm Post #6 |
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Japanese Import
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as to restoring or modding it, i would say it depends on what you ultimately want to do with the car, is it a keeper or are you planning on selling later? As any mods you make will normally lower the value of the car so your never get your money back when selling (not a problem if its a keeper) but can improve performance, handling etc while you do own it. As always its a personal choice, just any mods you make might be worth discussing here first so you dont make any poor choices that will get you onto the 190 owners to kill list
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| aemt | Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:44 pm Post #7 |
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Serial 190E Owner
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"As always its a personal choice, just any mods you make might be worth discussing here first so you dont make any poor choices that will get you onto the 190 owners to kill list" Not so sure Snake is still availabe to carry out enforcement action now that he is up there with the valver owners. |
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| rhysmangatmotorsport | Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:49 pm Post #8 |
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Mangatmotorsport
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Hi and welcome, u go for it m8, ye they look all nice when stock, but even stock look so much better when lowered.. Your car, do wat u want with it.. |
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| moomycossie | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:01 pm Post #9 |
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2.3-16v engine now in
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mod it mate i think they look so much better than standard, especially if you want to turn a few heads. look at my sig my 190 isnt over the to just subtle, it has a 16v bodykit, tinted windows, lowerd 60mm, 17" amg rep alloys with 205/40/17 low profile tyres. plus all little things like clear side reps and indicators ect.. if you want to mod it go for it mate
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| sportline_stu | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:03 pm Post #10 |
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More than part of things
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Hi and welcome. You dont say what car you have? The advice you will get for a standard 1.8 manual will probably be different from a 2.6 sportline that already has bodykit. This is all my own opinion, but......... My 2 litre auto is totally factory standard and is a much better car to drive than many think. It even handles quite well on the original suspension and wheels. It attracts a lot of attention because it is standard and kept clean. This keeps it looking classy which original cars tend to. I personally think big alloys and big exhaust have to be carefully chosen as it is easy for them to look out of place and make the car look cheap. The 2 litre is not a car to be ragged around and I enjoy driving it sedately with the big steering wheel! This is a great idea if you want to stand out from your mates and drive a retro car. Its easy to go down the modifying route but you only have to look at all the blinged up Saxo's that look a right pile of s**t to make you think hard about what you do to the car. My 2.6 has 16" wheels, lowered springs (24mm), painted black grill insert and clear indicator lenses and thats it, yet it is noticably different from all the standard 190's I see driving around and parked up in car parks. Why not a compromise? Get some decent Mercedes alloys with wider tyres and lower the car no more than 40mm. This will significantly change the look and drive of the car but at first glance people will probably not know why your car looks so good. Then keep the rest of the car standard except for a stealth ICE install? At a later date improved shocks will hep with the handling, but from the outside Mr Car/Car stereo thief will just see a nice 190 and probably walk away! Keep all the bits you change in a big box and then if you decide to sell you can double your list of buyers as some will want standard only. Have a really good look around this site and find a picture of the car you would like yours to look like then message the member to see what they had done! Stu. |
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| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:08 pm Post #11 |
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Newbie
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Well now that I have the Merc experts' seal of approval I think I'll go for new alloys, lowering springs, new lights, needs a new front bumper anyway and a new paint job. There's a pic of it here: http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/981/fullv.jpg The alloys are in pretty bad shape so they have to go, also the grill has seen better days. An all black one might be nice. The driveshaft is knocking a little and the engine mounts are bad so they have to take priority for now. Did anyone see the 190 that Mikka Hakkinen drove on Top Gear a few months back? Probably wouldn't have bought one had it not been for that little beauty! To answer a previous question I intend to keep it for as long as possible (only 95k on the clock... wahey!) but obviously the resale value is important to me so it will always be on my mind. I'd like to get my money back at the other end if only just to reward my forthcoming efforts financially! Thanks for the feedback, I'll call back as soon as she's ready for a paintjob and pick your brains some more. |
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| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:09 pm Post #12 |
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Newbie
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She's a 2 litre manual 190 by the way! |
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| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:11 pm Post #13 |
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Newbie
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Great advice mate, thanks! |
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| Johnboy Mac | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:15 pm Post #14 |
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More than part of things
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Yeah, wheels gota go. A nice set of 15 hole Merc alloys 7JX15's and 205/55/15 tyres as per a Sportline or 16V would look lovely. Also the mud flaps must go! Maybe paint the lower moulding to match the paint work. Not daft on the boot spoiler either. Have fun. |
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| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:22 pm Post #15 |
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Newbie
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Those wheels are NOT popular! They're definitely in the top 3 things to do! Do you know of any good scrappers in Ireland where I could get a few bits and pieces? Seems to be some dedicated Merc scrapyards in the UK but I haven't come accross any at home. |
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| jeremy | Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:26 pm Post #16 |
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Too Far Gone To Help
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Dont forget , you can get your wheels resto'd for £35-45 a corner. Jeremy
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| sportline_stu | Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:46 pm Post #17 |
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More than part of things
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I have just seen the picture of your car. The black over grey with the spoiler is lovely. There is a temptation to paint the lower cladding to match as this does change the appearance of the car a whole lot, however, wait until after the car is lowered before you decide. Once that arch gap has been made smaller and the cladding sits closer to the floor, the car takes on a more squat look and different coloured cladding somehow accentuates this. Its surprising. I agree the mudflaps have to go. Aside from making the lines of the car cleaner it actually stopped some very minor tyre rubbing! On a black car, 'smoked' light lenses or clear lenses will make a subtle difference. As will a black grill insert and replacement chrome strips (a few quid from the dealer) to contrast against the black.. Keep us updated. Stu. |
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| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:08 pm Post #18 |
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Newbie
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Something like your own is exactly what I had in mind. Any idea how much you spent on the bodywork? My budget over the next 12 months will be around 2000 (euro) I'm not good at the dirty work myself, I'm a bit of a pencil pusher so I'll be paying a garage to do most of the work. |
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| ML190E | Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:34 pm Post #19 |
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Part of things
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Hi Mate Welcome to the site Im pretty new to the 190 scene aswell. I have a 91 1.8 auto wth 60k on he clock. Mine was totally standard when i bought her and like you im young (24) and wanted to cary out some modifications however big bodykits and spoilers etc are just tacky in my opinion. I have pu a set of 17 inch replica AMG's on her and i puchased a slightly damaged 2.3 16v which i transferred the leather interior into mine. I also upgraded the headlighs wih a HiD kit which do look great. I also got a set of German Stye reg plates which only cost €40.00 and look brill!! My plans for the future are to fit the 16v kit and spoiler and then rebuild the 2.3 and drop her and the dogleg in at some stage too. My advice to you is keep it original but if you dont want to do that do the same as me and make her look like a 16v. Mercedes made the perfect car when they made the 190 16v IMO! Good to have another Irish person on the site hopefully we can have a GTG in Ireland soon!!!! Marc |
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| CrysAk | Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:05 pm Post #20 |
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Moar Bass!
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i also wanted to modernise my 190(s) and feel ive done an ok job doing it without goin too over bored, so you may be interested in lookin at them.. simple things like colour coding door handles/mirrors / bumpers/grille , custom lights, grille, lowering, alloys, tints, exhaust etc. nothing over the top, only things that compliment the 190. dunno if its of any use to you but heres some pics 16v, (current WIP) ![]() ![]() ![]() 8v, old daily drive i modded from stock ![]() ![]() |
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| kentronix | Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:39 pm Post #21 |
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I'm only really here for the Kitchens
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I would say it definitely depends on the owner, and the car. Personally I have no objection to mods but I do try to keep them in the MB style. I am sure some may think I am off the mark when looking at the car but I try at least ![]() More advice would be plan away, make decisions, but get used to the character of the car before you actually do anything. I can honestly say the first 5 mods I did have most likely been undone since. I hadnt got into the swing of the MB thing. I should have done the little tidying jobs, darkening faded plastics, etc.. I totally agree with folk, not liking the wheels at all. Oh yeah, one more thing. If you like it, then thats all that matters. Dont take any carp from folks on here, its all just opinion. Apart from me of course. I speak fact
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| dave_irl | Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:41 pm Post #22 |
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Defector
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Lots of good advice here Mr.Libertine, I suppose I'll throw mine at ya too ![]() -forget about a bodykit for now (8v/12v body looks great as it is)* -spoiler delete -mudflaps delete -keep the amber corners, ESPECIALLY on an 040 Black W201 -colour code the grille surround & matt/satin black the insert (chrome or black strips optional) -get a choice set of alloys no larger than 16" -drop it 50/40 front to rear with a slight nose down stance -W124 front and 16v rear anti roll bar -EBC pads and stainless lines -smaller steering whel That should be a very healthy spec for a newcomer to the world of W201 ![]() Keep it healthy and clean and enjoy ![]() Handling mods FTW! *though I do think a front bumper swap from a 16v could be an idea.. GenII AMG front bumper + standard 8v body also looks nice |
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| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:57 pm Post #23 |
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Newbie
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Think the spoiler's OK to be honest. I've ordered a lowering kit. I've seen what my mate has called "aero" wheels and they look pretty sweet so might see if I can get my hands on them somewhere. Mudflaps are gone! Have to keep some cash aside to pay the VRT tax so I won't be splashing much cash for a few weeks but the simple stuff I can get cracking with. Actually now that I take a closer look at Crysak's one those are exactly the wheels I want! Bloody gorgeous! I'd swap my sister for em (any takers?)! Also going to replace the front bumper with the 16v type as soon as I have the cash for a respray. I'll probably order the new grille soon too. That'll be it for the first few months unless anyone wants to pass a basket around for donations. Hoping to have this finished before the winter, I'll keep ye posted with any progress! Oh and keep the suggestions coming! I figure if I can impress the hardcore enthusiasts, I can impress anyone! |
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| dave_irl | Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:00 pm Post #24 |
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Defector
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Is your sister any use?? Sounds like you have a good plan anyway man. Did you get a quote on VRT yet? Mine was handy enough last year, €320, but I think they sneakily ramped up the prices with all their new carbon based tax bullplop... |
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| libertine | Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:11 pm Post #25 |
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Newbie
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Got a quote for 650 online but I have a mate who buys and sells used cars he says he can get me dealers rates so I'd expect it to be a good bit less. Fingers crossed. Carbon emissions me bollox! The weather still seems pretty bloody cold to me. Get me 4 of those wheels and see what she'll do for ya!
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| alogaparaloga | Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:00 pm Post #26 |
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crazy mind
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Hi Libertine, You may want to have a look on my thread, to see how low is my 1.8L 190 1.8 details of lowering are in the thread and colors are very similar if not the same as your car's color. |
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