Unfortunately, I start this article with a small complaint.
Last year, after the Players Classic, I wrote an article about my friend Ray’s Mercedes SEC and my BMW 740i Sport. In this piece, I explained how the BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes of the 80s and 90s experienced a renaissance in popular culture that made it difficult for enthusiasts to acquire them.
Well, it seems that since then they have moved more in the direction of Mercedes models. Iconic examples are bought up in droves, and often for the wrong reasons.
The Mercedes-Benz of the 90s became the favorite car of those who wanted speed Instagram fame and tries to achieve it by throwing a Notorious BIG song over a reel with generic angles and a moody filter.
A little note for you: Biggie was a Lexus and BMW man, not a Mercedes.
So I decided to pop in during a recent trip to Wales 187 Automotive industry and give myself a little cultural reset of the three-pointed star variety.
Nic Stubbs is in charge and within minutes of chatting with him at FittedUK last year I could tell he was a Mercedes fan through and through.
His own 1994 E-class convertible – an A124 model – is currently one of my favorite old school Mercedes in the UK. I’m a fan of rare split rims, and Ronal Brabus’ three-spokes are close to my heart.
It’s a simple, relaxed build with a selection of components to make a painfully cool package.
Not like Nic’s 190 E. That’s another rant, but we’ll get back to that soon…
The laid-back attitude of the 187 Automotive team seems to be at odds with the engineering prowess and ‘serious’ nature of the cars they use. After all, Mercedes-Benz is a powerhouse known for producing some mechanically solid vehicles.
However, this is not a criticism of 187 Automotive, far from it. There’s something refreshing about being in a messy workshop surrounded by cool cars.
Yes, there’s a lot to be said for pristine work environments, sterile walls and white floors, and state-of-the-art bleeding-edge equipment capable of performing brain surgery on a flea. However, as 187 technician Ellis Simin so eloquently put it, “A clean workshop is a workshop that is not used.”
Some of you may be foaming at the mouth and disagree with this statement, but let me address your concerns. First of all, the quality of the cars and the craftsmanship that leaves 187 Automotive is top notch, so anything you have to say about the cars being “shop floor quality” is moot.
After all, 187 is an outfit that has produced back-to-back award-winning show cars.
Second, although the retro Mercedes-Benzes were overdesigned, they were still closer in construction to heavy machinery than other cars of the 80s. After all, the first 124 Mercedes that AMG dropped a V8 into was known as “The Hammer”, not “The Scalpel”.
Take, for example, the rubbed shell on the right. A Mercedes-Benz E 500, in 187 for the comprehensive restoration. Developed jointly by Mercedes and Porsche in 1989, don’t confuse this with a delicate sports car like the 911 or 968.
The thick steel frame houses a thunderous 342-horsepower M119 V8, making it a five-seat, four-door muscle car. Ellis knows these engines, electronics and chassis like the back of his hand. Fortunately, the wiring harness disintegrates almost as quickly as heavy German steel turns to light German rust.
The 190 E with Evo II kit is Nic’s next ‘big’ project after the silver ‘Evo’ 190 E. I can’t reveal too much, but there is a hint that this car is destined for somewhere else in the pictures. All I can say is that it’s going to be wild, and before another comment, these wheels are only on it for a trial run.
Does presenting a workshop matter? To some extent, yes. However, I’d much rather take my beloved German classic to a small, messy garage run by die-hard enthusiasts with real-world knowledge than a pristine garage that would have to dust off its manuals to relearn an old car.
Oh, if the 187 vibe didn’t sound cool enough, let me mention 187 Studios. Nic’s partner, Mica Dori, has her own tattoo studio next to the detailing section of the workshop, so you and your car can spend the day and leave with a few new tweaks.
Mica owns one of the most unique and cool 190 Es in existence. The craftsmanship and detail that he and the guys at 187 put into the build is insane and I was lucky enough to have some up close time with the car last year. I think it’s time for you to see it, so stay tuned. Mica’s car will hit your head.
Mr. 190 E
If you are so bold as tomr_190e‘ like yours Instagram handle, it would be better if the car held it back. Nic’s long-term 190 E, pictured, and the fact that he’s owned over 25 things over the years definitely goes a long way towards justifying the title.
Starting with the obvious, the Nic 190 E wears a 2.5-16 Evolution body kit, which is my personal favorite for the W201. Not to be confused with the crappy Evo II kit, the Evo (or Evo I) is the better choice in my eyes. During the installation, the car received a Brilliant Silver 744 metallic bare metal respray and Nic went so far as to find a rare non-sunroof cover to give it a ‘slick-top’ look. Symmetrical mirrors are a combination of RHD and LHD passenger side ‘blunt’ mirrors for a ‘cup’ look.
It’s hard to fathom how much work goes into an Evolution kit on a road 190E, but ours The need for speed hero car is the perfect way to show it off. On summons Ryan Stewart“The DTM cars are blocky and lowered six inches over the factory cars; they don’t even need to be used anywhere other than a perfectly flat circuit with huge wheels.”
Nic built this car to drive fast. He found as many photos as possible, old and new, as well as technical documents of 190 E DTM cars, to base his own build on. As a result, fitting an FIA-approved roll cage and seam welding the chassis, Nic hosed both the front and rear arches to allow a full range of steering angle and downforce with a low ride height.
Inside the cage is a pair of Recaro Pole Position seats with Sabelt harnesses. Simple but effective driving controls are a full leather BBS three-spoke steering wheel (LBB 36/3-01 to be exact) on the BG pop-out head and an OBP adjustable pedal box with Wilwood hydraulic cylinders. Beyond the steering wheel, you’ll find a unique, pared-down instrument cluster with a lively little pressure gauge.
Between the seats sits a gear shifter with a nylon shift knob, with a surprisingly positive shift compared to the 190 E, and a stop valve instead of a handbrake. Why the booster, without the handbrake and with the surprising gearbox? This is due to the fact that not a single part of the drivetrain and suspension or brake package remains original.
Nic’s 190 now runs an M111 supercharged 2.3L engine, mated to a W202 5-speed transmission and a W124 E-Class ASD limited slip differential.
The crankshaft pulley was enlarged and the supercharger pulley was shortened, drastically increasing the speed of the Eaton fan. The whine this car makes is ridiculous. Even with a windy tailgate wide open, and with an insulated hat over my ears, I could only hear the compressor while taking the rolling photos.
The supercharger has been relocated and polished for better airflow, and a complete stainless steel exhaust runs from the manifold to the rear of the car.
Speaking of which, the trunk houses an 8-gallon OBP aluminum fuel tank with two Bosch 044 fuel pumps and an in-line high-flow filter connected via AN-8 braided fuel lines.
Behind the 18-inch satin black BBS BC306 wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires are W204 C63 AMG calipers with slotted and drilled 365mm and 345mm discs held in place by custom billet mounts.
The BBS wheels were as much a necessity as they were an aesthetic decision. Nic needed a high clearance wheel because the AMG calipers are huge.
Custom built BC coilovers with custom camber adjustable top mounts allow the 190 E to drop enough to fill out the heavily raised and flared wheel arches. The 190 Es rivals the Unimogs of Mercedes-Benz models, which have the largest factory arch gap, and Nic has given the W201 a very purposeful stance.
The sheer presence of this car on the road is immense, and seeing it chasing you at eye level made me feel like I was in a ’90s DTM music video.
The Nic 190 E is a loud, snarling, rough and ready pocket rocket – a world away from the Mercedes-Benzes that dominate mine. Instagram feed per minute.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no place to tell anyone how should enjoy the car. I have a big “thug” BMW in which I like to listen to hip-hop. I’ll post my own photo of it from time to time Insta too.
To many, it may appear that I am exhibiting the type of behavior I discussed at the beginning of this article. However, my grief is not about that what people do it with these cars, that’s it Why.
What I love about 187 Automotive is that they simply do what they love and have fun doing it. Nothing contrived, nothing trying too hard. No one is trying to maintain an image or create a perception of a lifestyle that doesn’t exist. This is a group of die-hard Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts living their best lives.
Nic and his team build serious bikes without taking themselves too seriously. This is seriously impressive to me.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn
