Spartan Mercedes 190 (w201)

Spartan Mercedes 190 (w201)

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Discussion

MJK 24

5,648 posts

236 months

Saturday 3rd February 2018
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The bulkhead on the W201 has a removable section enabling blower motor removal without having to disturb the windscreen wiper.

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Saturday 3rd February 2018
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Could be 877 Petrol Blue. The plate is off the car now but I did check the history when I first saw it and nothing terrible. MOT expiry 24 July so the best part of six months ticket anyway.

Alas the MD has nixed. "Over my dead body" were her words, but is that a warning or a challenge?

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

203 months

Saturday 3rd February 2018
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MJK 24 said:
The bulkhead on the W201 has a removable section enabling blower motor removal without having to disturb the windscreen wiper.
No way. You can remove the centre section of the false firewall/bulkhead but you'd have to drain the coolant to do so. Even then I don't think you could remove the blower motor without taking the wiper mechanism out. It is pretty easy to get the wiper out. It looks pretty difficult to get the centre bulkhead out! I followed these instructions:

http://mercedes-190.co.uk/topic/215473/1/

MJK 24

5,648 posts

236 months

Saturday 3rd February 2018
quotequote all
r129sl said:
MJK 24 said:
The bulkhead on the W201 has a removable section enabling blower motor removal without having to disturb the windscreen wiper.
No way. You can remove the centre section of the false firewall/bulkhead but you'd have to drain the coolant to do so. Even then I don't think you could remove the blower motor without taking the wiper mechanism out. It is pretty easy to get the wiper out. It looks pretty difficult to get the centre bulkhead out! I followed these instructions:

http://mercedes-190.co.uk/topic/215473/1/
Genuinely! I've done it twice now! Perhaps my 'bulkhead' comment is confusing.

If you look at the dipstick for your gearbox, there's a metal panel (you've removed the rubber seal from the top) that goes over towards the battery. This panel is removable - just bolts in place. I removed this and then the blower motor.

Your method may well be quicker and more logical than my own! Sometimes I end up doing things the hard way...

On the W124 you absolutely do have to remove the wiper motor.

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

203 months

Sunday 4th February 2018
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Oh well, you live and learn. I loosened the six screws/bolts (the hardest part of the job) and wobbled the bulkhead back a bit to make more space. I assumed its purpose yesterday was merely to cut my hands to ribbons.

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

203 months

Monday 5th February 2018
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r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

203 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
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A bit of snow action in the Spartan. It is on the same tyres as the w124 but it isn't as good, presumably the low weight means it is more easily deflected.






sprouting

481 posts

184 months

Saturday 3rd March 2018
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Last pic looks like your playing hide and seek.

BorniteIdentity

1,055 posts

130 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
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My little w202 was attrocious in snow. Genuinely - I wish I could underline that AND put it in bold. It couldn't even get up the gentle incline of our driveway. Granted, it had plastic chinese deathrings instead of tyres, but since I parked it in our garden hedge (fortunately causing no damage) I've parked my 201 up and left it for a week or so.

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

203 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
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It's just down to tyres. If you can't be arsed with a spare set of wheels shod with winter tyres (and when you have multiple cars it is a major ball ache), cars like these should run something like CrossClimates all year round. That's the way I am going to go if and when the 201 and 124 ever wear out their tyres; I'll do the same on the 210 for that matter. It's not like my daily drive is Brands Hatch on August Bank Holiday.

EJH

934 posts

209 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
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r129sl said:
It's just down to tyres. If you can't be arsed with a spare set of wheels shod with winter tyres (and when you have multiple cars it is a major ball ache), cars like these should run something like CrossClimates all year round. That's the way I am going to go if and when the 201 and 124 ever wear out their tyres; I'll do the same on the 210 for that matter. It's not like my daily drive is Brands Hatch on August Bank Holiday.
A couple of friends have these. They say they're not too bad in summer use and vastly better than summers in snow.

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
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Put CrossClimate+ on my wife's Yaris Hybrid in early Feb after getting sick of being snowbound -skinny little 175/65/15s. Was absolutely fine last week on snow and ice right up until someone slid a van into the O/S wing...

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

203 months

Tuesday 6th March 2018
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Zonergem said:
Put CrossClimate+ on my wife's Yaris Hybrid in early Feb after getting sick of being snowbound -skinny little 175/65/15s. Was absolutely fine last week on snow and ice right up until someone slid a van into the O/S wing...
Opportunity knocks... you're going to replace it with a stone age Merc, right? Your wife seemed very keen on the idea when I suggested it.

BorniteIdentity

1,055 posts

130 months

Wednesday 7th March 2018
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I have CrossClimate tyres on my Avensis and it was very, very surefooted in the snow last week. I’d never bother having full blown winter tyres here in leafy Cambridgeshire again, but probably would where you are!

I just naturally have more concern about RWD in inclement weather. Probably me being a snowflake, but I’ve never had a FWD car put me off the road yet. It’s happened twice in proper cars now!

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Saturday 14th April 2018
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You've read the thread...now buy the twin (ish).


https://www.gumtree.com/p/mercedes-benz/classic-me...




MJK 24

5,648 posts

236 months

Saturday 14th April 2018
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Are unpainted wing mirrors original? Likewise, that radio?


Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Saturday 14th April 2018
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OP's car seems to have unpainted ones too.

http://thumbsnap.com/ihA3fVqe

And that does look pretty much like an original (dealer-fit?) radio, if not perhaps one of an even older vintage.

What it certainly isn't is a LE special edition.

Edited by Zonergem on Saturday 14th April 16:04

r129sl

Original Poster:

9,518 posts

203 months

Monday 30th July 2018
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The Spartan continues to impress, wanting nothing other than scheduled maintenance since my last post three and a half months ago. I took a few pictures tonight. The car was unprepared, not having been cleaned in ten days and having stood in the rain all day. It's a gorgeous vehicle, I think.










It is all about the big sky in my part of the world:


carinaman

21,298 posts

172 months

Monday 30th July 2018
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The second one looks like a CAR Magazine cover shot.

Zonergem

1,368 posts

92 months

Monday 30th July 2018
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What was the planning decision on the open-cast mine?