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  #1  
Old 07-10-2002, 09:47 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Falls Church, VA
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250C Drives after Fourteen Years!

For anyone not familiar with my project, this is a 72 250C bought on e-Bay in 2000. It was a failed project car that last ran in 1988. I put it all together only to discover that the auto trans was totally hosed.

So I decided to convert it to a 4-speed. After many adventures, get all parts needed, only to discover linkage rods are too long and I need to order from Mercedes ...

The linkage rods for the four-speed came in today, so I installed them and after various adventures got all four gears plus reverse to engage. Tried it out on the jackstands. Rear wheels turn. Could shift it through the gears.

Decide to go for it. Put tires back on. Start car and back up three feet. Much creaking and groaning. Engage first and try to move forward. Car dies. Needs much feathering of clutch to move. Discover 3rd works much better. I have obviously not corrected the linkage correctly. Blame the funky diagram in the Haynes manual.

Do back-and-forward drill a couple of more times. Determine that brakes work. Back out of garage and roll to end of driveway. Put in 3rd-really-1st and drive 50' back into garage. Do it again. Large grin refuses to disappear.

Put a couple of gallons of gas in car, and drive it up to neighbor's driveway, turn around and drive back three driveways, managing to get into 3rd gear. Note nasty howl from rear-end and that braking is somewhat un-Mercedes like.

Call it a night and write this post.

Thanks to CTH especially and others who have helped me get here.

:-)

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Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
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  #2  
Old 07-10-2002, 10:57 PM
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Congratulations! I got this picture of you and your grin from your website:



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Spaces in sig so as not to screw up the SEARCH; every time someone searches for that MB they don't want my sig!

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  #3  
Old 07-11-2002, 12:53 AM
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Congrats!!!!


Now leave the linkage as is, and convert to RHD while you have the time, then it wouldn't be so awkward for shifting :p :p , that is as long as first is third, and third is first with second being fourth and fourth second .

Now if second is second and fourth is fourth, then it'll be tough to keep track.
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'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

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  #4  
Old 07-11-2002, 01:04 AM
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Location: Alexandria, Virginia
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You should try driving one with a column-shift!

Happy Motoring, Mark
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Old 07-12-2002, 01:30 AM
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Column shift Benzes, what a trip.

The very first benz I rode in was also the first one I drove back in 1977, an older Finney with the 4 speed (I think) column shift. I had to move it out of the shop (shop owners son owned it and parked it in the shop) one morning. I don't recall ever finding 1st, but I messed with the shifter enough to locate a low enough gear that I could drag the clutch and get it to move.

I remember it was white with blue interior, big old white steering wheel and the oddest column shifter I'd ever encountered. Took another 20 years before I got my own Benz.
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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.
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  #6  
Old 07-12-2002, 10:20 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
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My first Benz was a '61 180b Ponton with a 4 speed column shift. When I had to get tires or some similar service that I couldn't do myself, I had to instruct the service person on how to shift (they could never find reverse) or even start the engine (separate starter button on the dash).
Now I have a '57 DKW and of course 'Miss Daisy' my '60 220S Finnie. Both have 4 speeds on the column but the DKW shift pattern is half-backwards compared to the Benz.
Try switching between 2 different column shifters!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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