QuestionQUESTION: I have a clk-430 mersedez benz, year 2000 and I want to know Is it possible to change a clk-430 mercedez Benz automatic transmission to a manual transmission. And what turbo's are compatible with a clk-430 mersedez Benz. Thanks a lot!!
ANSWER: Modifying Mercedes cars is a very expensive hobby. Mercedes did make a manual transmission that will work in this application, but finding one will be very difficult. Very few U.S. market cars were fitted with manual transmissions. As far as turbos go, only a highly qualified installer should even think about fooling with something like that. There are way too many things to account for, and if any of them go wrong the whole engine is shot. This just sounds like a really bad idea to me. Suspension modifications, however, would be an excellent idea. Non-AMG Mercedes have very softly tuned suspensions and all of them could benefit from better damping and more roll stiffness. If you only drive from stoplight to stoplight, then more power is the only thing you are going to notice. But, if you actually drive the car, better handling will be much more rewarding.
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QUESTION: Alright thanks for the advise. Where could I start to look for a clk-430 amg mercedez Benz manual transmission. Like where would I look for it, what would be a decent price, and how much to install it? I'm really looking forward to getting a manual for a Benz
Answer Aside from a Mercedes dealer, a salvage yard is the only other possible source. If you can find someone local to you who works on Mercedes and has a LOT of experience with modifications, he might be able to help you. I honestly think that the best bet, if you want a stick-shift Mercedes, would be to sell your car and track down one of the fairly rare stick-shift cars that were sold in the U.S.
