How many ZF5 speeds are there left?

[supercsa67]

Hello everyone.  I'm new to the boards.  I have searched the forums and have not come up with any answers on my query.

I have read about how rare these cars are, but has anyone even attempted to estimate the number of remaining 113s with an original ZF 5 speed?  I also tried to go through the member list to see how many ZF5 speeds there are in the SL Group but I had no luck.

Thanks.

[mbzse]

I have read about how rare these cars are, but has anyone even attempted to estimate the number of remaining 113s with an original ZF 5 speed?

Just over one percent of all the Pagodas built were equipped with ZF 5-speed manual gearboxes. Not many of them were 230SL, because you could
only order with a ZF from May 1966 - and the delivery time for a W113 car was long (many months). Of course, about half of the close to 50 000
W113's delivered were automatics...

Several threads on this Forum have discussed what would be the total No of Pagodas remaining in the world today. Up for some speculation.
It is reasonable to believe that many more 280SL remain, than 230SL. Much higher percentage (I'd say up towards 70%) of the
280SL delivered were automatics.

Then, 1 out of 100 of those manual Pagodas that remain today have a ZF still installed
Sorry I am not able to give any firm answer, but, let us bounce those numbers together!
/Hans in Sweden

[Benz Dr.]

There were aboout 1,400 cars built with the ZF 5 speed but only 855 were 113's. The rest were 108, 109, 112 ( very rare ) and some 111 coupes. So, it's a little bit more than 1% but that's pretty close.

I'd say that most of the transmissions would be around even if the car isn't. It's one of those things that would be removed if the car got hit or rusted out. Not likely there's more than 400 - 500 left world wide which makes it a pretty rare car.
There are a number of them owned by people around the site. I have one which was export to Itally which is often the case.
 I see the odd one that comes up for sale every year so they are available and you can find them. The best way to obtain this option iis to buy the whole car and not try and put one together from parts. A lot of the pieces were made by ZF and they're no longer available. If you find one and it doesn't have a bell housing it won't be much good to you. ZF made the sand casted bell housings and the MB ones won't fit or work.

[jaymanek]

I test drove one last week... Lovely to have that extra gear but the car was priced at almost double that of a similar 4 speed.. so of course declined it...

[JimVillers]

The production numbers from Michael Egan's Mercedes Collector article, reprinted in Pagoda World is as follows: 230SL/250SL 538, 300SE 283, 280SL 350 for a total of 1,171.   

[supercsa67]

Thank you all for your responses.  I hope to own one soon.