Some of you may have seen my recent post about a slipping clutch, that I think I am going to need to replace. Tearing into my drive train might be a good time to follow up on something I have considered since buying my 1969 280 SL with a vintage ZF 5-20 Transmission. I know the tranny is cool, and I do like it, but my 280 is far from a concourse ride, and is more of a number 3 driver with a few rust bubbles, so the tranny is probably 1/3 my value! I have considered asking if anyone on the forum who wants a vintage ZF (stamped with PN 1025 401 042 +) might be interested in swapping their good 4-speed for my tranny and components (I think the drive shaft is different) for a negotiated sum and paying for the swap. While everything is out, I can have my clutch replaced.
This may be a hair-brained idea, but there are very few of these original tranny's around. I even have the shift knob. The transmission is silky-smooth. It was in the car when I got it. A prior owner did the swap, and I have the paperwork when he had it installed. I called him once and asked if I could buy the old 4-speed, (he said he was using it for a door-stop) and he was kind of a jerk. Said sure, but never called me back to arrange the pick-up, and when I checked back, he had sold and moved, so I will need a replacement - thus the swap. Contact me if you are interested. Still not sure if it is a good idea, but worth exploring.
