Short Auto gear lever

[Garry]

When i purchased my ‘65 230sl it came with a short gear lever.
 Initially i thought it may have been cut down as all gear levers that MB Classic sell are about 2” longer. Taking the knob off there is no indication that it has ever been cut and is fully chromed at the end.
 I have never seen another but in discussion with David Latham at Buds, he believes that there were some with the shorter gear lever.


Any thoughts and comments or anyone with this as well.


Garry

[franjo_66]

That's interesting Garry, as looking at your photo, my 230SL seems to have a similar length to yours when judging how far yours sits above the ashtray in "P" position.

I'll measure mine over the weekend and get back to you.
May be a 65 230SL thing 

[66andBlue]

Garry,
there were two different shift levers for the 230SL cars.
Until VIN 013329 it was a 113 part: 113 267 01 01 and thereafter a 112 part: 112 267 00 01.
They are not interchangeable! I believe the later 112 part is longer.

[Garry]

Thanks Frank and Alfred. 

The part that showed inside the car in  my vehicle is not tapered and is like no. 14 in Alfreds picture but the picture appears to have them the same length but thy are not.
MB Classic and Buds both confirm they only have the longer length lever.  By the look of it the earlier cars up to the vin 13329 got the short shift so to speak. something to compare at pagodafest.

[Shvegel]

I don't have any information on lever length but after restoring my shifter last week I am pretty sure whomever had the job to assemble the shifters at the factory must have drank a lot of beer after work. Really annoying to put back together. 

[MikeSimon]

I don't have any information on lever length but after restoring my shifter last week I am pretty sure whomever had the job to assemble the shifters at the factory must have drank a lot of beer after work. Really annoying to put back together.

"after work" You know, that beer in the workplace was perfectly normal in the 70s. Even up to the early 80s, we had vending machines with beer in it on the shop floor...