5 speed?

[m300cab]

anyone see this car on ebay?
140683479096
they claim it's a 5 speed, I'm curious

[JPMOSE]

A 5 speed ZF transmission was available as an option.  Unfortunately, there aren't any parts available!   Do a search on this site and you'll see many postings, as this transmission has plenty of fans (and is priced accordingly)!

[m300cab]

thanks for the reply
i remember this gearbox now, it;'s the 4 speed with the optional overdrive gear, the pistal grip is great, I had this 4 speed in a 280S for 12 years

[George Des]

J.P.

Not to quibble, but parts are available for the ZF 5 Speed from ZF. If you go to their site for Oldtimers, they have a listing of repair parts that are available-supposedly right now. They are also producing a replica of the ZF S5-20 that is supposed to be delivered to those who ordered them "soon". Now all that being said, ZF is not very communicative via email on these parts and how much they are or even how to get them. I was able to get a brand new reverse switch recently from ZF with the help of one of our UK members who deals with ZF regularly but even he had problems getting timely responses from them. The other thing about these ZF boxes is that a large number of the parts such as the bearings, nuts, bolts, washers, studs, etc are commonly available DIN/metric items. Castings and shafts are another issue. Some of the parts are in common with the ZF S5-20 model used on the Maserati and there is at least one Maserati supplier on the West Coast that has both new and used parts. They even carry the repair manual.

[Jack Jones]

MB offered a 5 speed box for this model and it appears to be a Getrag unit model number G76/27-5. 

[GGR]

MB offered a 5 speed box for this model and it appears to be a Getrag unit model number G76/27-5. 

Correct, and the shifter and center console seeem to confirm the side shift system.

The shifter doesn't seem the show the 5th engraved on the top. This reminds me of the time when I rushed to buy a rare 5 speed transmission out of a 350SL r107. When i reached there it was only a four speed. The seller then told me "oh, but with reverse it's a 5 speed !".

[Jack Jones]

I also noticed the 4 speed knob so who knows what it has. I have a 5 speed in my 107 chassis 280SL and it is a very nice transmission.

[JPMOSE]

George....that is good to know!  I was going by other posts I've seen in the past.  The ZF 5 Speed is really a great set-up!  Being able to repair it is even better!!

[George Des]

J.P.

The ZF 5 Speed has become a legend, I believe more because of its rarity than anything else. Those of us that own them will be the first to admit that while it is certainly nice to have that 5th gear, the boxes aren't the quietest out there and until they warm up they can be quite sluggish to shift. 1st gear is so low that you almost have to pop out of it right after starting off and it is so far to the left and up that most newcomers to it invariably try to start off in third by accident. Then there is the issue of getting ZF to respond to spare parts requests even though they have them available! All that being said most of us who have the 5 speed are glad we have them!

Georg

[jaymanek]

I looked at a car with a 5 speed box here in the UK.. I let it go because of the fact that they are so difficult to repair when they go wrong. Also the seller was asking a large premium for the car and IMO it needed partial restoration.
I think another member on here later bought that car,

I opted for a 4 speed manual and then converted it to the ultra reliable Getrag 5 speed using Marks conversion kit... All the parts are available, not only from normal gearbox parts suppliers but from any make that used this box such as BMW, Mercedes etc etc.

I know classic car lovers get all obsessive about correctness and originality but I think there is a balance between reliability, function and originality... after all, who is ever going to crawl underneath the car to check.. the car looks no different but drives 10x better..