jjay911

I have a very rare R129 with a 5 speed. Its a 91 300sl with 78000 miles and its in amazing condition. Im just wondering if anyone else here has one or knows how many are surviving. JJ

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3.../KIF_16421.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3.../KIF_15941.jpg

bobterry99

There were 800 imported into the U.S. in the early '90s, one of which is in my driveway. In Europe and elsewhere they are not at all uncommon.

jjay911

I work for Mercedes Benz and I have heard numbers like 166 or less than 200 so please tell me facts because there seams to be no info on this subject even from Mercedes. I have talked with several owners like yourself and myself. I have never seen a manual transmission SL in person accept for my own. So I would think it difficule to believe that there are 800 of them. Oh and thanks for responding. JJ

mebeJOE

Jay:

1. I know you have written that you have a short term memory problem, but you gotta remember starting a similar thread a couple of months ago, wherein this topic was discussed at length:

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-r129/139682-manual-transmission-r129-sl-300-24valve.html

2. If you work for MBZ, you should know something about the MBZ archives, no? There is a website for it (I think). I don't know the link. I think they have factory records of every MBZ ever made -- meaning they should have records of how many manual trannys there are. I don't know much about the organization, only heard of it . . . but somebody you work with should know something.

99_SL_Sport

It's really a shame that people make up stuff like this. How did you come up with 800?

Moron.

bobterry99

Wow. I believe when someone posts and takes an inappropriately negative tone that it is best to simply ignore them. But I was asked a question, and I'm going to make an exception here.

'Sport, the number of SLs with manual tranny imported to the U.S. was not 166. And it wasn't less than 200. It was about 800. I really don't care if you believe me or not -- I simply have no stake in what you choose to believe or not believe. I can't cite the source of my information, because I just don't remember. But I am confident it is accurate.

Tell you what. At the risk of appearing to be a "moron", I'll make you this offer. If you can cite a reliable source that shows the number of manual SLs imported to the U.S. was less than 790 or more than 810, I'll PayPal you $100. If you reply here with the source contradicting me, the money is yours. That is a standing offer that does not expire.

I expect we won't be hearing from you again on this subject .

SL BRABUS

you just put your foot in your mouth......

Bigdot

come on u guys, enjoy the car. stop bickering and say your sorrys.

mark

SL BRABUS

lol.......I bet you Mark you doing your research right now......so you could get that $100........I know I will..........lol.......

Bigdot

haha
u caught me! jk. i dont care about the $$$ we just need love in the 129 sections

<3
mark

jjay911

Ok didnt want to start something. THere is a very valid reason for this discussion. THere is an article in Mercedes Benz enthusiast magazine this month about the values of R129s. The article talks about the values at the bottom and that only the very rare or very nicest examples will have any long term value. So that said Taking into account the demographic of younger people liking the manual trany and youger people owning these cars than did when they were new leads me to believe the manual trany cars that are clean will have an inhearant collectability. I need to know how many were made to access this value of rarity. JJ

91 300SL Stick

I have one...Garnet red...18" AMG wheels and Clear turn signals...2002 rear lights...This car handles great with the 5-speed manual and wide tires...

o_Anapodos...

I dont know how rare is the 5 speed manual gearbox... The only thing i know is that IT'S VERY RARE to find a 5 speed automatic gearbox! (used)

jjay911

Yes indeed. i think im almost pulling 1 g in tight turns..

vixapphire

maybe it was 160-200/year for a few years, totaling 800 units or thereabouts in the states for the manually-equipped R129? you guys may both be right, for all we know.

Tech-Tune

Listen up 18 year old newbie (99_SL_Sport). Do you realize that you just called one of this forums most knowledgeful, and helpful members a moron. Where the **** do you come off??? This guy has single handedly solved more problems and helped more people than you know how to count.

In the future, when you decide to rebute a fact or opinion, learn to do it in a tasteful manor. Otherwise, dont act surprised when you need help (and trust me, you will) and no one offers it.

Tommy_s4

Well, i have been looking for a manual, anyway to update the climate controll to the digital one? or am i stuck with the "old fashioned" one.

TREZ63

I personally own 798 of them for my collection, that's where they all went. It's a big country man and 800 is still a pretty small number for some 1990s vehicle. I am guessing at least half of those have been decommissioned by now.

ruymoreira

Hi,

over here in Portugal SL's 280/300/300 24V with manual tranny are common. People here really hated auto's until very recently!!!
As a matter of fact I'm currently looking at two SL 300 24V ads, and they're both manual!!! they're a bit on the expensive side, one at about $23.500 the other $29.500!!! a nearby dealer is selling a SL 500 at $33.500!!! all three car's are from 1992 with about 60~70000 miles.
I think the price's are somewhat over inflated compared to other countries, but they're were also more expensive when new! let's just say that of the $150.000 you'd pay for a brand new SL500 in 1992, apx $70.000 were taxes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a quick doubt: the US SL300 were the 24V or the 12V?! in eurospec, the 300 was rated at about 180hp, the 300 24V 220hp. then the 280 appeared with 192hp if I'm not mistaken and the 320 with the same 220hp as the 300 24V, but with more torque, and peak power at lower rpm's.

also I think the manual tranny is a Getrag "dogleg" as used in W124 300/320 with the Sportline pack! can you confirm this?!

jjay911

Yes. My 91 is a 300 24 valve rated at 228 horse and has the Getrag dog left Trany and Limited Slip diff.

The problem I have come to realize is that the Bosch CIS injection makes the car run like crap. I think I will eventually put in a C36 engine. That may make the car very fun to own. JJ

And on the depate. I wonder if it was 800 for the world and less than 200 for the states. That might make sence.

ruymoreira

jjay911: thanks for the reply! I found out just yesterday that US spec 300's were all 24V rated at 228hp!
I was suspicious about the Getrag, because someone told me it was a dogleg, and I knew that the W124's Sportline had a Getrag dogleg, so I assumed the two tranys were the same! didn't know about the LSD, though!!! can it drift, or not really?!

I've read somewhere that AMG built some SL36's but officially denies it!!!
If you ever decide to do it, good luck! engine transplants always get far more difficult than they're supposed to be!!!

on the numbers built, 800 for the world seems kind of short! over here my guess is that most of the 6 cilinder car's were manual! something like 70~80%! and most SL's over here were 6 cilinder, because the 500 costed almost twice as much!
also, Spain, France and Italy were markets with very low percentage of automatic car's in the early to mid nineties. and also where the 500 was much more expensive than the 6 cilinder!

E4///Turbo

In 2000 while trying to find some info on a car i bought and thought was very rare Mercedes Benz Classic Center in Germany Via a letter told me there was 2,000+ of my 1967 300seb 5speed, turns out there were 28 cars built to my specs so indeed very rare being stupid and believing the information i parted the car out and decided to look for a more solid one to restore, it never materialized and never will out of 28 cars how many can be left and can i even afford one if I find it yeah right...1 had probably the only one in the United States

R129 5 speed there are many,many,many probably a lot more than 800 worldwide but in the United states no matter how you look at it they are very rare period,166 or 800 it won't be as easy to find out as one might think, and California has to be R129 capitol of the world, if I was a gambler i would say it is closer to less than 200 delivered as US models.it probably won't be in Mercedes Benz USA database because at best it was a special order.I was in Germany years back looking for a R129 5speed or a W124 cabriolet E36-I found 12 R129's manuals in 2 days for sale and was told the W124 E36 did not exist even at a few Mercedes dealerships and there was no language barrier as my friends spoke perfect German this was in 2000.

Keep it enjoy it and keep the mileage as low as you can if you really think it will be collectible, don't do any mods than can't be undone easily and you may reep great rewards if prices start heading for the moon

lynns

FWIW, attached please find the Production Figures from M-B that were shipped to the USA. These figures do not show the number of cars with a manual transmission.

jjay911

Yes on value. the car only went down by 6percent last year. So I imagine it will slowley creap back up towards the 4 to 8 percent a year mark in about 6 years. enough to keep up with inflation. Adding the C36 engine can only add value because it increases the cars drivablilty. Tantamount to a Resto Mod of the 60s. There will always be a buyer for that car. Now if it had 20,000 miles on it then yes I wouldnt drive it much. I have over 90,000 now. JJ

ruymoreira

Coastline: in fact manual R129's are common in Europe, even on Germany wich has a large percentage of automatic's!
W124 E36's are rare, but about 6 months ago there were at least to W124 E36 T for sale, for a good couple of months! and cheap too, about $10~12.000!!!


jjay911: if your car was a SL 320 there was an easy way to gain 10~20 hp!
replace the original ECU with another from a W140 S320.
also the C36 was automatic only, could give some headaches with the transplant!