deanyel,

Thanks for the info. I saw a 300SL stick one time at a used car dealer and did not open the hood. I just assumed that it was 103 since it was a '90 model. I forgot that the 104 engine was used in other cars before the 300E.

Still there is LOTS of difference in torque and HP between the 104 and the more powerful V8's. I doubt that it would hold up.

Have a great day,

Although a 300e 5-speed is not rare on a global scale... being that many euro-models are 5-speed... I think that US-spec 5 speed 300e models are rare.

yea, when I said to my tech about missing a manual transmission he said 'welcome to America' :)

I'm actually thinking of selling my 300E soon as I'm bored of the auto 'box. Makes me feel 'disconnected' from the car, and I'm increasingly finding myself using the 3 & D positions whilst driving.
I think this is a case of missingmanualitis.

300E with stick
 

I know of a clean one-owner car in the Bay Area of California with around 145K miles on it. It could probably be had for $3500

I've though of buying it and using it to commute in (75 miles each day) instead of my '93 300CE convertible. I've only got a 2-car driveway and no spare spot to put the stick-shift 300E.

Anybody interested? I could get a phone number.

I wasn't so optimistic at first :) after all it was a heavy car, not a Porsche, and torque was pretty high placed, at over 4000rpm... yet my 260E was pretty lively (to my sheer dumb luck, it's a Sportline in mint condition, from 1990, with slightly over 60k miles on it). My uncle has a 300E from '87, still a manual - maybe I should take it to a quick tour on the highway. The difference is 20hp, and I wonder...

Obviously this is true for US only :p

I wouldn't trade my 5-speed for any automatic(or my Sportline suspension for a softer one, and keep in mind my city has the worst roads ever seen in Europe).

Would my car be a collector's item in the next 10-15 years? don't know. Yet it's damn fun. I'd take a six-cylinder + manual over a V8 + automatic anytime (OK, I wouldn't reject a 500E altogether.... dream on)

My advice for rstallings would be to not butcher the car - better enjoy it.

~Good luck

Nautilus

Nuatilus,

I apologize for not being clear. Yes, I was talking only about drivers in the US.

In Europe automatics are rare. I was sitting on the second story of a building near Lensburgh, Switzerland a few years ago gazing out the window and waiting for someone to finish up some work so we could leave. I was looking at a two lane road with a street that Teed into it from the opposite side of the road. I sat there for a while just watching all the cars that were coming to a stop and awaiting a gap in traffic so that they could make the left turn. I was at an angle where I could see into the cars quite well.

I could see the driver shift gears and tell if they were driving a manual. If I saw a hundred cars, I don't think that five of them were automatics.

In Europe gas is $6 a gallon or more. At that fuel cost, most folks aren't interested in buying the extra fuel required to operate an automatic.

When I go to Europe I absolutely drool over the neat MB's that I see with Manuals.

Have a great day,

you can tell a manual from an automatic by observing the car from behind.

at a stop light, if the brake lights are on, it is most likely an automatic, as most drivers just leave the car in "D" and use the brakes at stoplights. On an inclined road however, a manual car will also likely be braked while waiting for the light (i.e., it can also be hand-braked, which would not light up the brake lights. Also, even if my car is manual, I sometimes brake the car at stoplights, especially if pedestrians are crossing the road, to avoid hitting them if I am hit from behind).

the definitive answer comes when the brakes are released, on a level road - if the car creeps forward immediately after the brake light goes off, it is an automatic (based on the assumption that the driver leaves it in "D"). On an uphill incline, it is most likely an automatic if the car does not creep back noticeably when the brakes are released.

you can also check the behavior of the car as it accelerates from rest, onto its first upshift. A manually-driven car will exhibit a slight slowdown on the release of the clutch for the 1-2 upshift, and a rear suspension dip as the next gear is engaged.

with your windows down, you can also listen to the car ahead. The engine sound of an automatic-equipped car is more constant, due to the slippage of the torque converter. A manual car will have that distinct sound of the engine rpm rising and falling, as it is being upshifted.

on downhill roads, manual cars brake less, being able to use engine braking in lieu of short taps on the brakes.

i do all these almost subconsciously, just to make an informal/random poll of how many manual cars there are out there, and there are indeed very few.

in particular, I check the cars that are known to have manual transmissions, like VWs and Hondas. I have never come across a manual Mercedes, if memory serves me right.

i also check those "rice cars", and get amused if they turn out to be automatics.

and oh - another sign: if the car accelerates from rest or slows down for a stop with the driver using a cellphone with the right hand ...

In Australia (as appears to be the case in the USA), manual MBs are only appreciated by MB "nutters" like me. We have very few manual MBs here (although currently there is a small demand for manual SLKs and C-class Sport Coupes and sedans). It's not that Aussies won't drive manuals, it's just that most manuals are small, low priced cars, sports cars, or V8 "muscle" cars. Manual "luxury" cars are restricted mainly to BMW or Porsche. The few manual MBs that were available in the past were mainly W201s and W202s, and then only in four cylinder versions. Occasionally you will see a manual R107 or W116 (280 or 350), W108 or W123, but these will generally be a "grey" import. I am unaware of any six cylinder W124s or W201s coming here with manual transmissions.

Early last year I purchased my 1990 190E, really only due to it being a 5-speed manual Sportline 2.3 (most here were 2.0 or 1.8). I have subsequently found out that it is one of only 15 190E Sportlines believed to have come here, and possibly the only in manual. Despite this, I picked it up for for the same price as any regular 190E in similar (very good and original) condition. About a year before I purchased it, I had seen it advertised for a silly price (presumably based upon the owner's belief that its rarity would attract a high price).

Whilst the car attracts considerable interest, particularly among club members, most still seem to prefer automatics in their MBs. If I was to try to sell it I would probably find the same limited market (although I can think of a few club members who might be intersted). Not that this is likely to happen. It has turned out to be a car I really enjoy. The manual transmission is a delight to use (no, not the fastest shift around but not as bad as some would have you believe), performance is respectable and the Sportline handling is truely superb. It is a perfect daily driver for me and can still fit my family for those times when I want to enjoy it on a country drive. I often wish my 350SLC and our 300TE were manuals, although my wife would probably not agree. It would be an interesting (but unlikely in Oz) experience to drive a manual with the M103 (or M104) engine.

I would suggest that whilst it will have some appeal to a select market, your manual 300E will never be particularly valuable. Due to it's relative rarity in your country, I would enjoy it and maintain it in good, original condition so that others can enjoy it when you decide to sell it.