PREP SCHOOL
With its MoT test booked, JJ is forced to finish off those last few jobs he’s been putting off on his 190E
1991 MERCEDESBENZ 190E 2.0
I’m not sure why, but I always seem to run out of momentum on my projects. This formerly forlorn Mercedes-Benz is a good example. I took the bits I wanted off its shell two years ago to put on my 190E
2.6 Sportline. The plan was to have it put back together, MoT’d and out of the door within six months. That clearly didn’t happen, but I’m rather glad that I took my time with this one. There was a lot more to put right than just the bent front end. There were rusty sills to patch, an interior to replace and a service for a start. But with all that work done, the car has been near MoTready for months.
Earlier in the year, I threw myself into the big jobs, gaining loads of satisfaction from welding in the new front crossmember and getting the front of the car straight again. Then making sure it went and stopped as it should. But from there, progress stalled. I went on holiday and forgot all about the 190E. I find it’s often my way, especially when the remaining
Odd wire colours were soon sorted. jobs on the todo list are of the little odds and ends variety. So, to give myself a kick up the backside, I booked an MoT test for a few weeks’ time leaving me with no more excuses. Re-acquainting myself with the 190E, I made a mental pre-MoT list, which included fitting replacement washer jets and wiring them up, bolting on the rear spoiler and fitting a front number plate. Nothing particularly taxing but that’s likely why I struggled to drum up the enthusiasm in the first place.
Wiring up the washers was straightforward, other than some mismatched loom insulation colours. The gauge of the wires made it easy to marry them up and the earth was the same (brown). As for the process of fitting a number plate, making sure everything was clean was about as tricky as that got.
As for the spoiler, the good news was that the body shop kept the mounting holes so they all lined up really easily. A bit of sealant and some new bolts sorted that one out. After taking it for a brief test drive and leaving it idling for a long while, all seemed well. Let’s just hope the MoT tester agrees with me...