SL/R129: Hardtop for my 96 sl 320
02-19-2013, 09:03 AM
#2
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Bradenton, FL
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'87 560SL Sold, '99 SL500 For Keeps
If by hydraulics you mean the 11 or 12 hydraulic cylinders that you can have rebuilt for less than 1/2 cost of new ones, or is it something else?
For a top, I'd make sure I had the correct part number (Dealer or EPC) then contact the closest MB boneyard to you and let them source it for you preferably in the exact color you need and/or check ebay & craigs list; tops show up from time to time.
For a top, I'd make sure I had the correct part number (Dealer or EPC) then contact the closest MB boneyard to you and let them source it for you preferably in the exact color you need and/or check ebay & craigs list; tops show up from time to time.
02-20-2013, 11:46 AM
#3
SPONSOR
hardtop compatibility and hydraulic cylinder replacement/upgrade
Katoadam,
Any hardtop from model years from 1990 through 2002 will fit your '96. As a side note, the seals on model year '95+ hardtops (1994 in most of Europe) are not compatible with model year '90-'94 vehicles' window operation.
I remember your previous posts about the leaking hydraulic system: https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...-sl-320-a.html. It states there that you are located in Mexico.
I would think that you will pay less money for the rebuild of your full set of 12 hydraulic cylinders shipped to Mexico than for a hardtop including shipping! If you are willing to spend some time on removing and re-installing the hydraulic cylinders yourself, then you are looking only at some $600 including shipping for the rebuild service from Top Hydraulics. That is assuming that nobody has tried to "fix" your cylinders before and ruined them. We have literally had housewives swap all the cylinders on their R129's with the help of our DIY instructions.
Please note again that frequent use of the emergency procedure (manual locking) will wear out your locks and cause more damage long term. Manually locking the rear of the hard top on a '96 can be tricky, so you clearly don't want to do that frequently. Please check out this manual locking guide, as it shows you on the second page how to manually lock the rear of your hard top: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/maunuallockhardtop.pdf
I am attaching below a diagram with the location of all the twelve hydraulic cylinders in your system.
Also, here are the DIY instructions for inspection, removal, and re-installation of all cylinders. Maybe you are lucky and only some of them are actually bad:
Front lock cylinders p/n 1298001672: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Rear lock cylinders p/n 1298002172: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Storage cover lift cylinders p/n 1298002072: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...0Cylinders.pdf
Storage cover lock cylinders p/n 1298000072: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...0Cylinders.pdf
Bow extension cylinders p/n 1298001772 and 1248000272: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Main drive cylinders p/n 1298000272:http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Hope this helps,
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
Any hardtop from model years from 1990 through 2002 will fit your '96. As a side note, the seals on model year '95+ hardtops (1994 in most of Europe) are not compatible with model year '90-'94 vehicles' window operation.
I remember your previous posts about the leaking hydraulic system: https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...-sl-320-a.html. It states there that you are located in Mexico.
I would think that you will pay less money for the rebuild of your full set of 12 hydraulic cylinders shipped to Mexico than for a hardtop including shipping! If you are willing to spend some time on removing and re-installing the hydraulic cylinders yourself, then you are looking only at some $600 including shipping for the rebuild service from Top Hydraulics. That is assuming that nobody has tried to "fix" your cylinders before and ruined them. We have literally had housewives swap all the cylinders on their R129's with the help of our DIY instructions.
Please note again that frequent use of the emergency procedure (manual locking) will wear out your locks and cause more damage long term. Manually locking the rear of the hard top on a '96 can be tricky, so you clearly don't want to do that frequently. Please check out this manual locking guide, as it shows you on the second page how to manually lock the rear of your hard top: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/maunuallockhardtop.pdf
I am attaching below a diagram with the location of all the twelve hydraulic cylinders in your system.
Also, here are the DIY instructions for inspection, removal, and re-installation of all cylinders. Maybe you are lucky and only some of them are actually bad:
Front lock cylinders p/n 1298001672: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Rear lock cylinders p/n 1298002172: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Storage cover lift cylinders p/n 1298002072: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...0Cylinders.pdf
Storage cover lock cylinders p/n 1298000072: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...0Cylinders.pdf
Bow extension cylinders p/n 1298001772 and 1248000272: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Main drive cylinders p/n 1298000272:http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf
Hope this helps,
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
