380s and earlier can be worked on. 560s are so tight under the hood,
that it would be difficult to even change a spark plug or wires
without major disassembly. Watch out for plastic timing chain
guides. another engine killer.
Later is always better, except for the 1974-5 450SLs, which were
blast furnaces under the hood due to efforts to meet pollution
controls and the installation of under hood catalytic converters.
1981-2 380SLs should be checked for single row timing chains, an
engine killer that has pretty much been eliminated, but could still
be lurking out there.
I'm not aware of any U.S. spec manual transmissions, unless they
were special ordered. There are some out there that have been
converted after the fact, but again, are rare from what I've seen.
Look around on the R107 forum on BenzWorld as well as other online
venues to learn more. John Olson's book is good, but pricey.
Dan
Sent from my iPad
On Nov 24, 2015, at 9:19 AM, Dan Elliott via Mercedes
<mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote:
I have a 1982 300D that I have enjoyed a great deal, especially
for its reliability and how easy it seems to be to work on. Was
thinking of starting to look for a Mercedes SL from the same era.
They were produced from 1971 to 1989. Was wondering if any years
are more or less desirable for any reason?
I like the idea of getting a manual transmission, not sure if that
is advisable?
TIA
Dan Elliott, Philadelphia
300D 155kmi
> Sent from my iPhone
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