How I Came to Own My Dream Car at 18

"190e30-Now with COSWORTH" (190e30) 03/05/2015 at 17:04 • Filed to: 190E, Cosworth, Stories

61

29

Hi again everyone. As many of you may know, I recently traded my 1998 BMW M3 Sedan for one of my lifelong dream cars. I figured I would take this time on my snow day to tell how I was lucky enough to acquire my favorite car yet- my 1987 Mercedes 190E Cosworth- at the age of 18.

I’ve told my automotive story here on Oppo a few thousand times, but if you haven’t read it and have some spare time on your hands, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Very long story short, I grew up very much a car enthusiast, and with some good knowledge of the automotive market, some good bargaining, and some well-timed sales, I managed to work up from a $3800 Dodge Neon Track car to a low-mileage E36 M3 with next-to-none out of pocket.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The Sale

As the beginning of winter rolled around, I decided I was done with the M3. It was very pretty, and very entertaining, but it had its own issues. For one thing, I had bought it with the full intention of autocrossing. 50/50 distribution, a limited-slip, and a renown suspension would have made the M3 the ideal car for the job. But considering my car was spotless, very rare in it’s color combination, and low mileage, I would have felt too bad abusing it. Also, it was quiet. I had deleted the resonators in hopes of making it loud without spending thousands on exhaust (I usually don’t keep my cars long enough to justify this) but it simply didn’t; this was a problem, because I like loud. Much to the chagrin of many of my friends, who all loved the car, I listed it and waited to see what would happen.

I began to get the odd offer and question, but never got very much interest due to the car solely being listed on craigslist, (aside from the one guy who said you’d give a number once you saw the car, came in your E36 318i and test-drove mine WAAAY too aggressively, and then disappeared. I hope you enjoyed your ride in a real E36 M3, and may it be your last) where a 250,000 mile example for $4,000 could be easily found next to my 100,000 mile example for $11,000 (in the craigslist world, for those who are unaware, mileage and condition are irrelevant- if their cousin has one he bought for $2500, your M3 is worth $2500).

Despite dialing the car in for the upcoming New England winter with some Blizzaks and cheap aftermarket wheels, I was still very ready to sell. I wishfully posted the car on a few forums, thinking that maybe, even though it was the dead of winter, someone might be in the market for a clean, unique, low mileage M3 and have the cash for it.

Surprisingly, it was amazing in the snow.

Since I sold my first car three years ago, the first words out of my mouth upon sale have always been “The replacement will have a turbo.” Every time. (Having just purchased my fourth car, guess who still hasn’t owned a turbo?)

With my typical craving for forced induction in full force (Hah.), I began to list the M3 as not only “For Sale,” but also “For Trade.” Originally, I was fairly broad in my desires, and even mentioned possible trades for a B5 S4, a well-done Neon SRT-4 plus cash, a Mazdaspeed Miata, a WRX, or various others. However, as I decided I wanted rear seats (to cart my friends around) and rear-wheel drive (to have fun doing so), I narrowed my trade options down to one car- An S14 240sx.

An S14 for sale locally that I still lust after

For anyone who doesn’t know, the S14 is the last 240sx we got legally here in the states. It vaguely resembles the ever-famed S15 chassis that people are getting sent to jail for importing, although has none of the performance to back it. Power came from the KA24DE, which was, literally, a truck motor. So why did I want one? Because finding an S14 that HASN’T already had the boring KA-plant swapped over to an SR20DET was almost as hard as finding a friendly B5 S4 owner had been.

The only problem with that was, there are no clean S14s. The majority of the cars tend to have anywhere from 150-200,000 miles, and the mileage on the SR-engines typically found in them are typically mileage unknown, since they’re chopped out of lost causes around the world and sent over here to the US (since we adore them, perhaps excessively). Even the ones with low mileage were typically trashed, since the owners usually throw in the turbo motor, some boost gauges, and weld the diff, and they’re a drift star for 5 minutes until they their rear-quarter panel is taco’d as the car sits against a light post in the Walmart parking lot.

“Don’t tell dad!”

As I continued the pointless search for a good S14, I actually got some good offers on Bimmerforums for possible trades. One guy offered to trade what was essentially a carbon copy of my car, except a 325is, with tons of aftermarket parts, and higher mileage, plus cash. I passed, since I was looking for something new and different. I then got an offer for a modified E30 325i, but that didn’t have an airbag (a requirement placed by my parents, for my own safety. Fair is fair). Someone offered to trade their Clownshoe M-Coupe, if I put $13,000 on top. I even got an offer for a Spec Miata, complete with three sets of wheels, the stock motor out of the car, and a crate motor in the car. I had some awesome trade offers coming my way, but nothing with rear seats, and the few people that were contacting me to buy the car outright kept disappearing for weeks at a time.

The Miata was cool, but obviously no rear seats

One day, after a particularly dry week in terms of offers, a guy messaged me on Bimmerforums asking if I still had the car and would be interested in trading it for a Mercedes 190E 2.3-16v, the Cosworth.

For those of you who read my, “Bring it Back Home to Daddy!” story (linked at the top of this post), you’ll know that I nearly bought a Cossie for a first car, and after watching it sell and immediately appreciate I thought I had lost all chance of ever owning one again. These cars had incredible history, originally built for Gruppe B, but were axed by Mercedes in anger when the UrQuattro changed rally forever. AMG engineers secretly continued development for the DTM series, realizing the potential of the car. Upon testing, the Cosworth broke 9 speed records, and reigned king on the DTM circuit for years, until BMW became jealous and made the M3. And with a story like that, who wouldn’t want one?

So thankfully, that was extremely incorrect, and I would go on to buy one of these legends. I promise, because I have one right now.

We chatted back and forth via Private Messages, and things actually started to look good. The car was reasonably low-mileage (110,000), had all records, and was in supposedly good shape. Okay, he had my attention.

I should clarify one thing before going any further; Here, in the US, we got the 2.3-16 in two colors; Blue-Black Metallic, very similar to the DiamondSchwartz found on the E30 M3, and Smoke Silver.

I hate Smoke Silver.

The only place that fits Smoke Silver properly is an elderly retirement home in Boca.

It’s like it was meant for it to be Blue-Black, and Smoke Silver was just to appease the elderly. Just like how you could either have a Dogleg 5-speed or a 4-speed Auto.

I asked some big questions, including what recent maintenance had been done, whether the car was a manual or an automatic, and whether the Hydraulic SLS airbag suspension was completely broken, like they usually are. I also asked for some pictures.

I waited a bit, pondering the idea of a Cosworth. Definitely not turbocharged, but potentially fun regardless. I’d be losing a lot of straight-line speed from the M3 to the Mercedes, but I’d potentially be gaining a lot of touring-car fun instead.

Ding. The pictures had arrived.

It was smoke silver.

Dammit.

I texted my girlfriend, who had been my primary advisor of what to buy next throughout this process, and simply informed her that this car was a definite “Nope” despite what I had just informed her about the history of the Cossie and the recent inflation in their value.

Thankfully, she’s awesome, so I received a million reasons why I should swap for the car. And naturally, she was right. Plus, it had a new clutch, so we could dive deeper into her lessons of how to drive stick.

Although that wasn’t an issue in the end, she was driving the M3 without hesistation and flawlessly in 10 minutes. We were both loving it.

My phone dinged again. More pictures. This, however, was not the same car.

Different wheels. Much lower ground clearance. Very tough stance. And stickers. The stickers, proudly displaying the same exact graphics that emblazoned Senna’s car back at the Nurburgring in 1984, told me two things; one, this guy was an enthusiast. And two, Bri was definitely right. I needed this car.

Stancenation

Phone calls were made, dates were arranged, and the swap was planned. Just a couple weeks later, my Dad and I stripped the Blizzaks and Brand-X wheels off of the car, threw the OEM Contours and Ventus V12 Evos back on, and left to meet the owner at a mutual location in New Jersey.

The first half of the journey went with only slight issues. One lady cutting across two lanes on the highway to get off and sending a passing Jeep Liberty into a wobbly, near-disastrous frenzy, and the horn on my car suddenly protesting. (Side note; Is it just me who experiences strange electrical gremlins every single time I’m on my way to sell a German car? It’s like they’re mad at you). My dad’s avoidance maneuvers and also his repeated pressing to clean the contacts solved both issues, and in Newark we stopped to switch seats, so I could drive my M3 one last time.

This would have been all fine and dandy, except a massive snowstorm was coming from the South and decided to meet us the second I merged back onto I-95.

Now I should clarify something; I now think of myself as a decent driver; with the M3 on Blizzaks, I thought I was god’s gift. With the M3 on Summer tires in a couple inches of fresh powder? Never again.

After struggling, slipping, skidding and sliding all the rest of the way to the meeting location, we sat and waited for the Cossie to arrive.

I heard it before I saw it. That’s always a win, in my book. It rolled into the snow-covered lot, rear tires spinning (it was on Dunlop Direzzas- so not much better traction than the M3) and the owner climbed out.

It looked magnificent.

And also, extremely small. The M3 dwarfed it.

Talk over exactly what was included on each side of the swap and discussion over the mechanicals ensued for a bit, but it eventually became impossible; it was too cold and too snowy to really get anything done, and neither party saw a purpose in a test drive when neither of us were going to be able to leave the parking lot.

We went inside, did the paperwork, swapped keys, and the deal was done. My dad and I, plus an extra set of wheels with tires and assorted other parts, left New Jersey in the Cosworth Mercedes I had wanted for so long.

“I don’t know what to do with my hands.”-Ricky Bobby

For size perspective, I’m 5'10"

I actually insisted that he drove. What with his rallying past, and my being simply an 18-year-old punk who thought he was amazing at driving due to splurging his entire bus-boy budget on some decent snows, I had a feeling that was the best way to make it home intact.

I was right. The highway was barely plowed, we spent the majority of the 6 hour drive doing 30, in 5th gear, with the tires spinning, and sideways, while all hell broke loose around us. Easily, the most tiring and draining drive I didn’t participate in.

But eventually, we got it home. And as an added, bonus, in one piece. I unloaded the various parts, brought it to get the M3's Blizzaks slipped on the next morning, and drove it for the next two days.

Then, whilst pressure testing the cooling system, the radiator gave out. And since the radiator made for the 2.3-16 DOHC is discontinued by all sources, the car was stranded at my school for the past week while I waited for the radiator to arrive, and now that it’s here, it’s the SOHC example, which doesn’t fit. The correct radiator is inbound though, and I’m looking forward to having the little screamer back on the road.

So what did I learn? S14's are usually garbage, I can’t stay away from German cars, Summer tires are bad in the snow, I can’t drive, and if your girlfriend is going to offer you automotive advice, you better take it, because they know best.

And also, if she’s going to inform you why you should buy a classic, DTM homologation car instead of a riced-out Nissan, you probably have done well.

Thanks to everyone involved in this story, because not only would I not have the awesome car that I have now, but I wouldn’t be able to add another interesting chapter to the crazy story that has been my life of high-school car ownership.

Hi Dad. Thanks for keeping us alive.

Official Modifications List:

-SLS Bag suspension deleted. Swapped to Bilsteins with cut E400 springs, one inch higher in the rear.

-Cats and Resonators deleted. Some sort of aftermarket muffler as well.

-Stoptech Rotors with EBC “Red Stuff” pads are in the basement, awaiting warm weather for installation. They came with the car.

-Stock wheels (15x7) with Toyo Proxxes RRs. A very serious tire that I’m looking forward to using.

-Evo I wheels (16x8) currently installed. Had the Direzzas on them, now have the Blizzaks.

-Camber Plates, from Poland, I believe it was 3 degrees in the front, 2.5 in the rear.

-Waaay more toe than a streetcar needs

And for comparison:

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/05/2015 at 17:15

4

Perfectly timed for snowflake face blur!

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 03/05/2015 at 17:17

1

Indeed. I remain anonymous!

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/05/2015 at 17:17

3

Your friends owe you big time for passing this up, just so you could haul them around with you!

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 03/05/2015 at 17:21

4

Well having fun is only half the fun when you have no one to share it with! The idea of enjoying a backroad on a nice summer day with three other people and an entire picnic in the trunk appeals to me a bit more than me and one other touching elbows the whole time. That being said, I definitely considered forgetting about them and getting a Mazdaspeed Miata.

Bricks > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/05/2015 at 17:24

4

awesome! also, try to get the springs replaced, people around here get nervous whenever someone mentions cut springs.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Bricks 03/05/2015 at 17:28

1

As do I. And I plan on it, but my goal as of now is to get that radiator up and running and then we'll see what's next.

I've heard a lot of why cut springs are bad, but don't actually know how they're dangerous. Would you, perhaps, be able to enlighten me? I mean, it makes sense that when you take out compression it can be a dangerous formula...

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/05/2015 at 17:31

2

Ok, I can appreciate that. My best friend has owned an NA Miata (non-speed edition) and an S13. Both were incredibly fun cars, but we could obviously get more people in the S13 (barely). haha

Also, nothing is quite as wonderful as the look on people's faces when two guys in their early 20s pull up next to them in a red Miata with the top down blasting/singing/dancing to Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. lol

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/05/2015 at 18:12

1

Nah, you're way better off with the Benz. It might not be the real thing (and the real thing is probably a very expensive thing to begin with) but it's an insanely awesome tribute to one of the most important cars in Senna's career. That win at Nürburgring is often regarded as the moment he made sure he had what it took to run with the big guys. That's way cooler than another Miata.

Bricks > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/05/2015 at 18:52

2

the extra stress from cutting springs sometimes can cause bad shit to happen, and if the install is really ghetto, they sometimes don't sit well, and that can lead to a whole bunch of other issues

(I'm not really the best person to ask though, I really haven't researched the topic too much)

Vicente Esteve > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/05/2015 at 20:00

1

What a cool story about very cool cars. Hope it gets back on the road as quickly as possible. Keep us informed about it!

TopSirloin > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/06/2015 at 11:29

2

Cool story.. A couple great cars involved. I hate the Merc in Smoke Silver too, mostly just cause it looks so much better in Blue-black.. Nice ride. Those stickers though.. It's a touching homage but kinda ridiculous on a DD. But hey, to each their own, cars are certainly one way to express yourself.

TheJWT > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 03/06/2015 at 11:43

0

So unbelievably jealous... I can't wait to see it at the next C&C!

Now all you need is a bright yellow helmet for AutoX

Delusion77 > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/07/2015 at 18:57

2

The more I read stories on here the more jealous I become. Nice ride man!

salisfury > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/07/2015 at 19:54

0

Not local: the car may be in your area as of selling but this photo is at a highly popular graffiti wall just outside of Charleston S.C. I do not know where you are located but I can promise you that we do not have the slightest idea of appropriate snow tires here. Just as a warning incase you decide to get rid of the beauty of a Merc that you scored. I'm sure there are similar street art walls in other states but mark my words... this is behind a used boat dealership on the way to Folly Beach.

The Real Dacia Sandero > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/07/2015 at 20:25

3

In my usual spiel of cars I get into and then move on, I've come back around to the 190e recently. I'm jealous.

Steve in Manhattan > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/07/2015 at 21:51

1

I had an '87 300D, and took a buddy to my dealer to test drive a 190D (2.5?). I recall being struck, behind the wheel: 1) how narrow the car was, and 2) how short the hood was compared to the W124. But a nice firm ride.

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/07/2015 at 22:18

1

Fucking rad dude. It's always nice when younger car enthusiasts like us get fun classics. I had my S2000, now I have the 944, both modern classics, and great cars, and I'm still 19.

Deucenberg > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/07/2015 at 23:01

0

Nice ride! My brother has 2 201s; a rust bucket of a smoke silver 87 190D 2.5 (drivetrain soon to be transplanted into a 91) and a black 93 190E 2.6 Sportline Limited Edition (1 of 700 made) with the 400E brake upgrade. Neither are as nice as your Cossie, but are great fun to drive. I highly recommend the 400E brake upgrade, it makes for the hardest braking in a car that I have ever experienced. Also, find a nice set of Bosch of Hella Euro lights, they look the part and make visibility at night so much better.

Fresh-Outta-Nissans > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 04:51

0

The way I understand it, you don't really risk parts failure. The problem is when you hit a big bump, the bumpstops come out of nowhere and the car goes flying.

random001 > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 10:08

0

Bah, your going to crash it, you irresponsible 18 year old kid! Rar grumble grouse!

I'M JUST KIDDING! I'm old, I feel I need to grumble a bit, but honestly I love the story. I'd be proud to be your dad. Except that I'm only 18 years older than you, so it'd still be a little weird. I also feel compelled to convey how impressed I am with the level of effort you put into getting that awesome car, and how responsible you actually are for making your dad drive home despite what was likely the most exciting thing in, about, ever. I'm saving this story and I'll show it to my son in a few years as a lesson in being awesome. Bravo, sir. Bravo!

NougatPassion > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 10:12

2

3 thoughts: When I was 16, I was gifted my dad's old 190E 2.5. It wasn't a cosworth, but it was a fun introduction to small RWD sedans. I had a grand old time bombing the back roads of northern Virginia. The motor blew one morning driving to church, I received a yellow Ford Focus as consolation :/

Someone near my house owned a black 190E Evo II, with the outrageous spoiler and fender flares. I still lust for that car.

Never has a vehicle screamed for 17x8 inch BBS LM wheels, preferably with gold centers, as the mercedes 190E.

Berger Meister > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 10:20

1

I nearly pulled the trigger on one of these a couple years ago when I was in college. I still regret not going for it. Heading to Autotrader in 3...2...1...

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 10:39

1

Cool story. Because of this I went back and read your story about the M3 too. You've owned an impressive list of Germans in such a short time. And if your girl liked both the M3 and the Cossie? She's a keeper!

palandi > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 11:03

1

great ride, Sir. congratulations!

(now you need a W124 500E as well, so I can be even more jealous)

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Steve in Manhattan 04/08/2015 at 11:20

0

I once read something about the W201 chassis being the smallest sedan (lengthwise) produced until something like 2001, knocked off by some model of Kia. Definitely on the suprisingly small side.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 04/08/2015 at 11:21

0

944 Turbo and and S2k were both on the list of "cars I really want assuming the M3 sells."

I need an S2000. So bad.

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 12:20

1

The S2000 teaches you a lot about car control and all that. 944 turbos, good ones, are getting pricey. My NA 85 was $4500, and it has issues, so just know how much stuff will cost

Steve in Manhattan > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/08/2015 at 13:46

0

I'm 6 feet and was perfectly comfortable driving as well as in the back seat. Very well-designed.

KenboP2 > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 04/09/2015 at 15:24

1

Most springs are progressive. They get stiffer the more compression load is placed on them and if too short can hit the bump stops causing a terrifying bump steer situation where you can lose control of the front end. Also it compresses the shock absorber into a rebound state that keeps the shock from working properly, It's stuck in the middle of what it's supposed to be doing.

When you cut the springs, depending on angle grinder or torch, it could weaken them by removing the temper of the metal causing it to crack. Also with the configuration of the front end suspension geometry being changed, adding camber and caster do to shorter springs, it can cause the front end to get pushy and twitchy due to the caster and toe.

Add to the fact that you added camber plates you might not be at 3 degrees. When you turn the wheel and hit a bump it could go as far as 5 or 6 degrees throwing you out of control.

Solution: get drop spindles or shorter springs with shorter (performance) shocks that match the springs.

Drop spindles maintain the original geometry with stock springs and struts/shocks and are much safer.

Performance springs and shocks/struts will lower the front end and add camber automatically. And for gods sake get rid of camber plates. Most race cars don't run that much camber and too much toe in can cause you to fly off the road if you sneeze and your hand moves on the steering wheel, a little.

Great article, good luck and have fun!!