R129 manual

[benzman666]

how rare are these cars, i have chance to get '91 5 spd, how many in US and whats the value? share the info

[mbdoc]

Somewhat a "rare" USA car!

Doubt that MBUSA sold more that 500 a year.

Every once in a while they pop-up for sale, seem to have maybe $1K-$2.5K higher valve than an automatic version.

[ctaylor738]

Neat cars, but theyr'e more of an oddity than a rarity, so don't pay very much.

[deanyel]

They do seem to sell for a little more than the automatics which isn't saying too much. Make sure you take a nice long test drive though - a dismal setup - dogleg shift pattern, fairly long throw, heavy clutch, very short rear axle ratio, 3.69 I think. 60 mph in 5th gear is about 3,000 rpms, so noisy, poor gas mileage. And the early 104 motors are not really great engines. All things considered one of the most disappointing cars MB ever made.

[tecqboy]

Are you asking about a 300SL or a 500SL?

[deanyel]

Only a 300SL would have a manual transmission.

[omegabenz]

There was one for sale on MBworld he wanted like 15k or more, I cant remember. It was 199 in color, with LSD, and some nice mods.

If you just cant live your life without a stick, it's a good car, but I think a 500SL/Sl500 might be quicker & faster.

[benzman666]

crazy talk, $1-$2 more than automatic??? you guys hear what you guys saying? well from what i've heard its quicker than 500sl and way more fun and plus mileage is good, anybody know or can found out exact # of cars imported to U.S? the car i want to get was stolen, has few dings, few rust spots , i just want to know if its worth all that work and time and $$$$$, cause ive heard 500sl isnt half a car that manual 300sl is?

[Pete Geither]

Originally Posted by benzman666

crazy talk, $1-$2 more than automatic??? you guys hear what you guys saying? well from what i've heard its quicker than 500sl and way more fun and plus mileage is good, anybody know or can found out exact # of cars imported to U.S? the car i want to get was stolen, has few dings, few rust spots , i just want to know if its worth all that work and time and $$$$$, cause ive heard 500sl isnt half a car that manual 300sl is?

I could debate all of the above.

[ctaylor738]

No way.

The 129 is a great car, but it's big and heavy. I think the six has under 200 HP compared to over 300 for the V8, and it's almost as heavy. So a 5-speed is not going to make up for that. You're not going to turn a 129 into an instant sports car by throwing in a 5-speed.

And this is coming from someone who loves 5-speeds (300E, two 280SL's, 280E).

[deanyel]

The horsepower is a bit over 200 - 228 actually, but the torque in only 201 ft. lbs. EPA rating was 16 city and 22 highway, which is both horrible and worse than the automatic. It would be wise to be a bit skeptical of seller claims. In any case, drive it, can be fun under certain driving conditions, but also much like driving a truck in city traffic.

[benzman666]

Originally Posted by Pete Geither

I could debate all of the above.

oh could u? why dont u debate it, i want to hear what u have to say

[ctaylor738]

This thread is going downhill rapidly, so I'm closing it.