SL/R129: R129 - Soft Top replacement, recommendations?
10-01-2006, 02:55 PM
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'93 SL500
R129 - Soft Top replacement, recommendations?
Those wishing to purchase a third party replacement soft-top may be interested in my 4 month research..??
Thread starts here:
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=26860
Near-concluding page here:
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showt...t=26860&page=8
Hope this helps others.
Lea
Thread starts here:
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=26860
Near-concluding page here:
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showt...t=26860&page=8
Hope this helps others.
Lea
10-02-2006, 09:58 AM
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1997 SL280
I for one would like to thank you for your hard work and sharing your long and arduous voyage with us. I have been following that thread for some time now and have been awaiting the final instalment before ordering my new soft top.
My experience..... When I purchase my car earlier this year, the rear windows looked to be in fantastic condition, which I put down to the soft top not been used much (low kms and the tyres were perished through lack of use, so I though this fitted in). Too good to be true I hear you ask.
After about a month of use, the windows had creases in them that didn't come out and two month later areas of the stitching closest to the plastic started to tear in places. Shortly after, in other places the plastic pulled out from the stitching. Hmmm, I though, someone must have replaced them shortly before I purchased, and done a crappy job. I asked a friend who does Porsche to have a look at the self destructing windows and he said they had, with the wrong plastic, wrong stitch tension and stitch length.
There is a moral here.
Pete
My experience..... When I purchase my car earlier this year, the rear windows looked to be in fantastic condition, which I put down to the soft top not been used much (low kms and the tyres were perished through lack of use, so I though this fitted in). Too good to be true I hear you ask.
After about a month of use, the windows had creases in them that didn't come out and two month later areas of the stitching closest to the plastic started to tear in places. Shortly after, in other places the plastic pulled out from the stitching. Hmmm, I though, someone must have replaced them shortly before I purchased, and done a crappy job. I asked a friend who does Porsche to have a look at the self destructing windows and he said they had, with the wrong plastic, wrong stitch tension and stitch length.
There is a moral here.
Pete
10-02-2006, 05:22 PM
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'93 SL500
Pete
Many thanks for your kind comments and interesting to note about the stitch tension and length playing such an important role too. Not only must the correct materials be used, but of course the assembly process is just as critical!
After several communications with the kind Klaus from KHM I have a very warm feeling indeed. None of the other manufacturers (excluding Aresma who came closest) gave such positive customer response and knowledge about the R129. These two points alone would swing it for me, let alone the '100% identical' statements and we manufacture hoods for MB
, fit 2-3 R129s per week etc, etc.
Most the UK manufacturers couldn't / wouldn't provide info or blatantly lied about materials used, some Europeans didn't even bother answering or offered frustratingly poor responses.
However, now the question is - do I purchase now or wait until the spring?
Many thanks for your kind comments and interesting to note about the stitch tension and length playing such an important role too. Not only must the correct materials be used, but of course the assembly process is just as critical!
After several communications with the kind Klaus from KHM I have a very warm feeling indeed. None of the other manufacturers (excluding Aresma who came closest) gave such positive customer response and knowledge about the R129. These two points alone would swing it for me, let alone the '100% identical' statements and we manufacture hoods for MB
, fit 2-3 R129s per week etc, etc.Most the UK manufacturers couldn't / wouldn't provide info or blatantly lied about materials used, some Europeans didn't even bother answering or offered frustratingly poor responses.
However, now the question is - do I purchase now or wait until the spring?
Last edited by LeaUK; 10-02-2006 at 05:25 PM.
10-03-2006, 10:44 AM
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1997 SL280
The answer is obvious...
And yes, I am only joking, but you take one for the team and buy now. While you are at it, don't forget to get all the optional parts and report on whether they are worth getting! For completeness, you would then do an epilogue and finish the post with pictures of the the area around the doors and the rubber strip that channels the water from the rear windows.
Not too much to ask, it is not as though I am asking you to run it through a car wash 100 times to see how it stand up.
On a serious note and for bonus points, I understand that some of the modifications over the years are to how they treated the recess the door windows lift in to. Do you know anything about that?
Regards
Pete
Not too much to ask, it is not as though I am asking you to run it through a car wash 100 times to see how it stand up.
On a serious note and for bonus points, I understand that some of the modifications over the years are to how they treated the recess the door windows lift in to. Do you know anything about that?
Regards
Pete
10-03-2006, 03:07 PM
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'93 SL500
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry...!
Maybe I should buy a hood for everyone who's thinking about purchasing, just to make their decision so much easier
Ah, the rubber strip, of course, a water channel - that's it's purpose and obvious when you think about it for more than 2 minutes. Unlike myself who just knew I needed it...based on that sole fact that my car had one from new.
I understand that some of the modifications over the years are to how they treated the recess the door windows lift in to. Do you know anything about that?
Last edited by LeaUK; 10-03-2006 at 03:09 PM.
10-11-2006, 02:56 PM
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Just a quick update.
Greg has also made contact will Klaus from KHM and the Technical Director of the German 129 SL-Club. Here's Greg's comments:
So, yet more evidence pointing towards KHM
Greg has also made contact will Klaus from KHM and the Technical Director of the German 129 SL-Club. Here's Greg's comments:
You won't believe this. Talk about the power of t'internet!!
I've had a mail just now from the Technical Director of the German SL-129 club. He copied in a chap from Daimler-Chrysler who did all of the development of the R129 soft top throughout its life at MB!!!! He does fit replacements in his spare time.
And guess what he uses? Why, KHM of course. Apparently, He and Klaus Mayer worked closely together when developing the KHM product....
Phew!
I've had a mail just now from the Technical Director of the German SL-129 club. He copied in a chap from Daimler-Chrysler who did all of the development of the R129 soft top throughout its life at MB!!!! He does fit replacements in his spare time.
And guess what he uses? Why, KHM of course. Apparently, He and Klaus Mayer worked closely together when developing the KHM product....
Phew!
10-11-2006, 06:43 PM
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US Availability?
LeaUK,
It does appear that you found the "holy grail" of top replacements and thanks for all of your updates.
Do you know if they will ship their tops to the US? Of course my real concern is who will install it as my 1991 500SL could definately stand to get a new top.
Thanks!
It does appear that you found the "holy grail" of top replacements and thanks for all of your updates.
Do you know if they will ship their tops to the US? Of course my real concern is who will install it as my 1991 500SL could definately stand to get a new top.
Thanks!
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10-12-2006, 02:44 AM
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International shipping from KHM I really cant see being a problem, however who fits it will naturally be your next.
I'm planning on heading over to KHM early spring but unfortunately this isn't particularly viable for you guys over the pond. I'm also lucky to find a reputable fitter here (just up the road from me) who will fit hoods supplied by the customer, but they are rather rare and tend to be the smaller outfits without ties to the major insurance firms.
Hope it goes OK and keep us informed.
Lea
I'm planning on heading over to KHM early spring but unfortunately this isn't particularly viable for you guys over the pond. I'm also lucky to find a reputable fitter here (just up the road from me) who will fit hoods supplied by the customer, but they are rather rare and tend to be the smaller outfits without ties to the major insurance firms.
Hope it goes OK and keep us informed.
Lea
10-16-2006, 04:36 AM
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'93 SL500
There are several hood fitters in the UK that will perform window replacements - http://www.carhood.com/ for example. Most are around 300-350GBP.
However be warned, all UK fitters/soft-top manufacturers do not use the correct flex glass material and/or thickness.
For the rear sections the material should be Wopavin and at 1.25mm and 1.5mm thickness for the centre and rear quarters respectively. Most use Ultralite at 1.0mm.
It's obviously your choice, but in my opinion as there is minimal/no data supporting the durability of Ultralite in the R129 hood assembly it's a risk not worth taking.
See here for some comments and pictures of Ultralite - http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showt...t=26860&page=5
Lea
However be warned, all UK fitters/soft-top manufacturers do not use the correct flex glass material and/or thickness.
For the rear sections the material should be Wopavin and at 1.25mm and 1.5mm thickness for the centre and rear quarters respectively. Most use Ultralite at 1.0mm.
It's obviously your choice, but in my opinion as there is minimal/no data supporting the durability of Ultralite in the R129 hood assembly it's a risk not worth taking.
See here for some comments and pictures of Ultralite - http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showt...t=26860&page=5
Lea
