Spartan Mercedes 190 (w201)

[r129sl]

Mr Tidy said:

I don't know why manual Mercs don't seem too popular TBH.

I don't know. The dogleg in the -16 cars is a Getrag unit and is well-regarded. I found it a bit of a struggle. Obviously there was the dogleg confusion but the detent to get into first was tricky to master. Once accustomed to it, I expect it would be great. The clutch was nice, too. The selector mechanism had just been rebushed so I expect it needed a bit of softening up.

Regular Mercs have a Merc manual transmission (rather than Getrag). I have never driven one but recall a long passenger ride in a very early w202 C220 manual. It seemed to have a clear and positive shift and the driver liked it, too.

The ride on the 2.5-16 was challenging to say the least. It was more like a go kart than anything I'ver driven.

[anonymous-user]

r129sl said:

Mr Tidy said:

I don't know why manual Mercs don't seem too popular TBH.

I don't know. The dogleg in the -16 cars is a Getrag unit and is well-regarded. I found it a bit of a struggle. Obviously there was the dogleg confusion but the detent to get into first was tricky to master. Once accustomed to it, I expect it would be great. The clutch was nice, too. The selector mechanism had just been rebushed so I expect it needed a bit of softening up.

Regular Mercs have a Merc manual transmission (rather than Getrag). I have never driven one but recall a long passenger ride in a very early w202 C220 manual. It seemed to have a clear and positive shift and the driver liked it, too.

The ride on the 2.5-16 was challenging to say the least. It was more like a go kart than anything I'ver driven.

If I may drag your wonderful thread a little further off line for a moment, I had the privilege of an old A class courtesy car last week, complete with manual box. The gear change was amazingly, the best part of the car, smooth, positive and nicely weighted, shame about the vehicle it was attached to though.

[Sebastian Tombs]

Mr Tidy said:

I don't know why manual Mercs don't seem too popular TBH.

Hill starts + that stupid parking brake.

[sprouting]

Sebastian Tombs said:

Hill starts + that stupid parking brake.

It's probably not helping people's decision but I've had 2 manual mercedes and you soon get used to it.

[niva441]

sprouting said:

It's probably not helping people's decision but I've had 2 manual mercedes and you soon get used to it.

I assume you get used to comments about the extra leg

[sprouting]

niva441 said:

I assume you get used to comments about the extra leg

I have no friends (antisocial old bugger) so not an issue

[niva441]

[r129sl]

The 190 buggers along flawlessly and is on 191,000 miles. We found ourselves parked up next to an E30 325i in Morpeth. The owner emerged from nowhere; then another chap joined us and, before we knew it, my children were urinating in flower pots, chasing a cat, making friends with the local tramp and generally getting up to the sort of mischief that children who have been ignored for 45 minutes will get up to.

Check out the Blaupunkt graphic equaliser and tuner on stalks, not to mention the car phone.

[mercedeslimos]

Oh wow, those stalks and buttoned phone are very 80s-tastic!

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Great pics, very nostalgic and evocative.

[harrykul]

What a lovely thing, sporting one of my favourite steering wheels too.

[r129sl]

The 190 has a hold of me today so I really buffed it up and fitted these new old style plates that I had made up by DMG Graphics a couple of years ago.

[W00DY]

Lovely plates and that photo outside the pub with the E30 is fantastic.

[r129sl]

Thanks. Here’s another outside the curry house this evening:

[OEMster]

Mighty fine looking car, especially next to its contemporary BMW, then again I might be a bit biased on the basis that my non so Spartan 190E has just had I it’s missing Sacco panel back on...

[bolidemichael]

It looks really smart. I have a Blaupunkt car phone in my E30 325i Sport.

[r129sl]

Whoa, hang on a minute. I didn’t know you had an E30 325i Sport. More information required, please.

[Mr Tidy]

Sebastian Tombs said:

Mr Tidy said:

I don't know why manual Mercs don't seem too popular TBH.

Hill starts + that stupid parking brake.

I missed that, but W201 Mercs (190s) have a normal handbrake!

Manual might have been more of a challenge on a W123.

[carinaman]

Great photos. I'm even liking the Dick Lovett dealer plate on the E30.

[bolidemichael]

r129sl said:

Whoa, hang on a minute. I didn’t know you had an E30 325i Sport. More information required, please.

Here I am over ten years ago with both of them. Both are currently laid up awaiting funds to assess and either sell or repair. I'd much rather the latter as we have retention of the lineage from new within the extended family.