DOTQ*

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 09/20/2020 at 16:27 • Filed to: Mercedes, 240TD

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Merc 240TD with DIY gears.

*Quayside

No, the T isn’t for Turbo.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Cé hé sin 09/20/2020 at 16:36

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I don’t think I’ve ever seen an 80s Merc like that with a manual. They’re all  auto it seems. And very few of them are wagons. Some, but not many. Neato.

CB > Cé hé sin 09/20/2020 at 16:57

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The spelling of the word quay and how you pronounce it angers me.

Cé hé sin > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/20/2020 at 17:20

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They were mainly manual here, especially the diesels.

Cé hé sin > CB 09/20/2020 at 17:21

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Interestingly, it was traditionally pronounced as “kay” here, just as it is in the original French.

CB > Cé hé sin 09/20/2020 at 17:23

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Where I grew up (Toronto, Ontario) it was pronounced “key”.

Language is dumb.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Cé hé sin 09/20/2020 at 17:34

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I can't imagine wanting a diesel with an auto yet all the diesels I've seen have been slushboxes. 

Cé hé sin > CB 09/20/2020 at 17:57

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The change from kay to kee might be part of the G reat Vowel Shift which tended to replace -ay by -ee. Words like tea and meat were pronounced as tay and mate before the shift.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/20/2020 at 21:01

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All USDM 123 wagons were auto.

Most 1975+ MB manuals you will see are 240D.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 09/20/2020 at 21:39

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I see plenty of automatic 240Ds around the place. Every once in a while you'll see a wagon but I don't think ever seen a manual sedan.  Interesting how that works. If the wagons had a manual it would be incredibly rare so it didn't make sense to offer it. 

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/20/2020 at 21:53

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An automatic 240D would be slow enough to the point of being dangerous in some types of traffic. It’s a car that really needs a manual. A 300D, especially turbo, is a lot more capable in modern traffic.

All USDM wagons were 300 series cars, mostly turbo (MY 1981 onward).   Manual wagons are not uncommon in Europe, but weren’t sold here at all. Same for 123 coupes, I am pretty sure - all automatic here.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 09/20/2020 at 22:02

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I’ve seen less coupes than wagons but all of the ones I’ve seen have been auto. Well all the sedans I’ve seen have been too but I pay less attention to them so I’m more likely to overlook a stick. I talked to a guy who said his automatic diesel coupe wasn’t dangerously slow so IDK.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/20/2020 at 22:13

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The only manual USDM 123 you will see will be a 240D (sedan only here) - I think even the 280E and 300D (turbo and NA) were all automatic in this market.

A friend of mine has a 300CD, turbo - I’ve driven it, and it is adequate for Seattle highway driving anyway, maybe on par with the fintail, but not as high strung, being a diesel.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 09/20/2020 at 22:18

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The diesels have that torque so that automatic loses them less performance over a manual. I wouldn’t want a slushbox on the base gas engine in a sedan though.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/20/2020 at 22:27

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The 240D problem is raw lack of power - 0-60 is probably around 25 seconds with an automatic. Small displacement normally aspirated engine won’t make much power or torque. The turbo 300D halves that 0-60 , which is workable in many areas, especially with traffic congestion.

Maybe fortunately for American driving habits, we never got the base engines, which would be 200 numbered cars for both gas and diesel.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 09/20/2020 at 22:31

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But Europe also wouldn’t have insisted on an automatic in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Yes, it is merciful we never got those.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/20/2020 at 22:40

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Yeah, the basic cars were usually manual - automatic was not a cheap option, and Euro buyers knew the manual would have performance gains.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 09/21/2020 at 00:16

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And American buyers were willing to make performance sacrifices for luxury when the car was already so expensive. 

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 09/21/2020 at 01:39

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It was also the age of 55 mph speed limits and sad performance from many larger engined American luxury cars. American buyers would tolerate it for diesel economy, at the time unmatched quality and(for  a relatively mass market car)  exclusivity.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 09/21/2020 at 08:48

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That era was also not know for build quality and ling lasting cars so the Mercy was a rare exception there.