Quote:
Originally Posted by Killer
Long time lurker, new member here, I've got an 1986 300E with a 5-speed manual transmission that just recently clicked 189K on the odometer! I've had it for the past 6 years and +90K of that total. If I found another one in great condition I'd buy it in a minute. Mine has a slightly different transmission than the 1988 model but the 103 engine and these manual transmissions are just a fantastic driving combination. The engine's power curve seems to be perfectly matched to the tansmission's ratios and the final differential ratio. It allows very smooth driving and changing gears.
The one thing I did do last year was completely rebuild the shifter and that was just icing on the cake! There are some small rubberised bushings where the rubber had deteriorated and separated from the steel outer and inner rings which made the shifter feel sort of "mushy" the new parts have tightened up the shifter and allow completely accurate shifter position now.
Nice to see someone else appreciating and caring for a great driving car!
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Glad you're enjoying it Killer! Yes the '86 had a different transmission. Reverse was even in a different location.
The shifter bushings are different on the '86 shifter and easier to change. Luckily mine is still tight and smoothe.
In a collection of old Road & Track road tests, I have a road test of the '86 300E when it first came out and the test was done on a manual transmission car. They RAVED about it.
IMHO the manual TRANSFORMS these cars. They really come alive. I have given a few rides to other 300E owners that, of course, had automatics and they were always amazed at the feeling of power you can get from the stick.