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Well my initial fix lasted for about a year. Its that rear seam that runs across the back of the top above the rear window. I bought an adhesive recommended by a sailmaker that I spoke with. He uses it for his business. I thought all was sell until I put the top down yesterday for the first time this year. When I put it back up the seam separated.
So I found some new stuff on the ol' interweb yesterday. I am just shooting in the dark but I figure it will either work or I will have to replace the top anyhow. I am going to try some stuff called Welder Adhesive. It is supposed to bond porous and non-porous materials. I will post later about success or failure.
If anyone has a better product/idea I am open to suggestion.
I am afraid that no matter what you use, it will eventually fail. Part of the issue is that there are two layers of adhesive and you are only going to be able to repair one layer without removing the canvas. The front section of the canvas, which is the top part of the seam, is folder over and glued underneath. The rear section of the canvas lies flat and is glued to that upper/front section. Here's a diagram I made to try to show it:
Now, a good permanent fix would be to access this inner fold of the front section and re-glue it as well as re-glue it to the rear section. A better fix would be to do this AND add some stitching. This would mean removing the canvas back to the seam, which is not a horrible job, but requires some skills. I replaced my entire canvas and it was quite a job. The new top (made by Robbins) was stitched and glued.
Thanks for that diagram, I was unaware of that other glued surface. If I remember correctly I think I might be able to get to that. I will let you know how it works out.
Ultimately I know I will have to replace the top someday. Just out of curiosity, how much was the replacement top. Did you get one made of the factory material? Was the R&R a one man job? How long did it take?
I did some research and here's what I found. MBZ uses a fabric made by Haartz, called "Sonnenland German A5". This is a tri-layer fabric with a thick,textured rubberized backing and a woven fabric outer layer, with a waterproof middle layer. You can buy a genuine MBZ replacement canvas for about $3,000. Aftermarket canvas can be had for about $600, but that won't be made with Sonnenland fabric. Of course the fabric is not all there is to it, but you want the best fabric.
There are several manufacturers who use Sonnenland fabric but the finished product construction is just as important. The canvas system has several straps, cables, and plastic attachments that need to be high quality and assembled correctly. What I found in talking to some installers and reading a lot of testimonials is that if you don't want to pay for the genuine MBZ top, the next best thing is made by Robbins. They sell through dealers and installers. I purchased mine here:
I found them online, but called to ask questions and make my final purchase. The guy I spoke to was well-versed in the job and very helpful. I paid just under $1,000 delivered. They highly recommend a professional installer, and one that is on the list of Robbins authorized shops. These shops generally charge around $2,000 labor for the job. My local shop had originally quoted me a discounted "good buddy" price of $1,200 (my brother-in-law has been in the local car dealership business for years and sends them lots of business). But...their convertible top guy quit two weeks when I called the schedule to job! Besides that, I am a handy guy so I figured I could do it myself.
It took me two days, but a good half day of that was spent figuring out how to re-install the rear "C-pillars". It is a one-man job, but it's not easy. You need to be very observant and need to be a good "puzzle solver". Most of the work is on the C-pillars. Removing the canvas from the front edge to the back glass is a few minutes of work, but there is a very complex series of straps and cables on the C-pillars that is a beyond description. Even though I had the WIS docs, the photos did little good. The best thing to do is detach only one side, then use the other side as a template to attach the new canvas. That's easier said than done, though because you have to remove the glass and parts of the rear headliner. It's one of those things I can't explain, but now that I've done it, I could do it again much more confidently - and would definitely do it again to save the labor dollars! I can tell you that if I can do it in 20 hours on my first try, this is NOT a "$2000 job" for a professional - they are making LOTS of money on this work!
My advice, if your canvas is in good condition other than the seam, then you might see if you can get a shop to remove it back to the seam, then re-glue it and stitch it (the Robbins top I bought was glued and stitched). I replaced my canvas not just because of the seam, but also because it was faded and worn with a few suspect looking "picks" from road debris.
04-18-2016, 01:51 PM
