Unfortunately 190rev . net is down. That was the holy grail of W201 info. There is a Facebook group and a few of the old gurus are there but it’s not searchable as it once was.

Yes. They’re easy to work on. They’re where I cut my mechanical teeth so to speak. I don’t have any formal mechanic or engineering education.

These were the last of the old school Mercedes on which their old “bullet proof” reputation was built. The engineering of these cars is quite satisfying to admire when you work on them. There’s ample space, enough slack in every wire, and everything you need to access is accessible with standard tools. It is often more complicated and a more involved job than a Cavalier would be but everything makes sense. I learned the phrase in the non ironic sense of “German engineering” on these cars. I’ve just about done everything on the chassis and the only specific tool I’ve had to buy was a spring compressor (also works on Audi of the same vintage iirc).

The M111 bolts in to the factory mounts and has the same bolt pattern for the transmission as the M102/3/4 which makes sourcing transmissions equally easy. I don’t have a video available as all my learning was done when the old 190rev forum was up. There is a ton of info out there though.

I have recommended this platform to a few friends before and none of them have been disappointed. It’s an old underpowered platform. It behaves as such in factory trim but responds to modification better than any chassis I’ve ever worked on. It has taught me more than any other car. As long as you go into it understanding this it will surpass expectations.