1972-1973 450 SL Manual Transmission?

[carock]

Were the 1972-1973 450 SL's available with manual transmissions in the USA?

[cth350]

The 350SL, as built with an M116 could get one easily. Benz would have sold you a 450sl with one if you pushed them for it, but they would have discouraged it. -CTH

[fonzi]

Originally Posted by cth350

The 350SL, as built with an M116 could get one easily. Benz would have sold you a 450sl with one if you pushed them for it, but they would have discouraged it. -CTH

I’m not so sure about that. It does bolt together. There appear to have been 5-speed 3.5 w109 (maybe w108), and definitely w111 cars, and I do believe that there may have been 4.5 manual w108/109, but I don’t believe there was any “option” for a manual on a 4.5 107. Why? I’m not sure. Could you have it done if you knew somebody? Probably. Would it have a 107.044.10.###### VIN? Probably not. That’s just my opinion.


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[fonzi]

Originally Posted by carock

Were the 1972-1973 450 SL's available with manual transmissions in the USA?

Maybe an improperly badged gray market imported 350sl, yes. I’ve own two 107s badges as 450 cars that are 107.043.10.00#### and 107.023.10.00#### which are 1972-73 cars that had the wrong badges on them when I got them. The SL actually has a 4.5 in it for some reason. The VIN is a m116 car VIN for a true 3.5 350sl. So the motor was swapped at some point in the car’s history. It has the 3.46 rear end in it for the higher revving 3.5 motor. So it scoots well.

The same transmission should bolt to the 450slc 5.0 motors too.

[SickFinga]

I'm 99% sure that manual transmission was not available on the M117 4.5l engined cars anywhere in the world. I'm 100% sure it was not offered on the 450SL/C, W108/109 4.5 (US or anywhere else).

[Usaguy]

1972 US market 4.5 R107 was called a 350SL for some strange reason and from 1973 they changed it to 450SL

[fonzi]

Originally Posted by SickFinga

I'm 99% sure that manual transmission was not available on the M117 4.5l engined cars anywhere in the world. I'm 100% sure it was not offered on the 450SL/C, W108/109 4.5 (US or anywhere else).

I will try to remember to dig up the w108/109 options in the EPC for you. I’m confident about it being available on a w109, but not so sure about the w108. Whether anyone actually ordered a w109 4.5 with a manual trans or not is a different story. I imagine if any were actually produced, the numbers would be insanely low.

[Tony H]

A 4.5 of any kind with a factory stick shift would be extremely rare. I have never heard of one. One off maybe?

[fonzi]

Originally Posted by Tony H

A 4.5 of any kind with a factory stick shift would be extremely rare. I have never heard of one. One off maybe?

Here it is on a 109 in the EPC as a valid part:






And that’s a US market 4.5 v8 manual option. Kukukachu!

Maybe nobody buying that is the reason we didn’t get ANY manual trans r/c107 or w116 in the US. The Germans decided to keep the fun cars for themselves and send the slush boxes to the snobby Americans.


Edit:
Looking further, the w109 3.5 for Europe could come with a 5 speed, while there doesn’t appear to be a 5-speed option for the 4.5, just the 4 speed. Here’s the 5-speed in the EPC under the 3.5 w109. I think the case is the same, but there’s an OD section on the back I think. Edit: nope. Different part numbers. Edit again: The US 3.5 seems to also not offer the 5-speed, just 4-speed like the 4.5.



And one final edit: the manual trans was not available on the w108 4.5, just the w109.

[fonzi]

Originally Posted by Tony H

A 4.5 of any kind with a factory stick shift would be extremely rare. I have never heard of one. One off maybe?

Jason’s got a “factory” 3.5 manual trans (factory for a euro 3.5) in his 450slc drift car. And as I said, I’ve got a 350sl 4-speed manual with a 4.5 in it. They are factory parts, but didn’t come from the factory the way they are now.


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[Tony H]

I meant from the factory equipped with a manual transmission.

Originally Posted by fonzi

Jason’s got a “factory” 3.5 manual trans (factory for a euro 3.5) in his 450slc drift car. And as I said, I’ve got a 350sl 4-speed manual with a 4.5 in it. They are factory parts, but didn’t come from the factory the way they are now.


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[SickFinga]

Originally Posted by fonzi

Here it is on a 109 in the EPC as a valid part:

Believe it or not ETK is not exactly the most accurate thing out there. For example, in the first image where your mouse is hovering over 10661 option. If you click on it, you will see that 109.057 is nowhere to be found.
If you look at the Mercedes archives, you will see that the only transmission they list for 300SEL 4.5 is a 3 speed automatic.



And for 300SEL 3.5 it lists two transmissions



If you look at the US price list, you will see that automatic transmission was standard.




If you look at the 1972 Mercedes Benz Technical Data book, you will see that there is no manual transmission for 109.057





but obviously there was an automatic transmission available.



Therefore, I'm 100% sure that there was no manual 300SEL 4.5

[Tony H]

Wow-a 3.96 first gear. I knew it was low but not that low.

[Tomguy]

Wonder how daring someone may be feeling...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Transmission-Manual-w108-w109-1172601801/193213616263?hash=item2cfc6dd087:g80AAOSwbEFd0eyt