The stick shift 300E's were sold only in 1986 and 1988.

Both the straight and the V's are great engines. The straight sixes do sometimes have head gasket problems, but they are very smooth, tractable and long lived engines.

The V6's are even better engines. They are an absolute masterpiece of an engine. I have seen one torn apart so I've seen firsthand the construction and features of thise engine. A few years ago I was surfing around looking for information on the V6 engine and found a site where they had chosen the top 10 engines in the world. The Daimler Chrysler V6 was number one on their list.

Beyond having outstanding construction features and being picked by someone as their top choice, these engines have proven to be unbelievably reliable as observed by the MB techs at the dealerships that I've talked to.

Have a great day,