Jimmy325

Hi guys,

Well, I'm not the new owner, but my folks are. They took delivery of a '05
Silver SL500 last night, charcoal interior, options include bixenon, parktronics,
and wood trim package. Told me the car runs great, is extremely beautiful,
and fantastic to drive. So quiet and so luxurious.

Question... the car with with the net/mesh material that attaches to the
pop up roll bar. My dad said the salesguy told him that everyone who puts
it on hates it being on and that it looks ugly etc. Do you folks put the mesh
on the roll bar and keep it on? Or do you not even bother? I'm wondering if
it should be installed and left on (can it be left on and not affect the vert
top?) and does it help further decrease wind turbulence in the cabin when
the top is down and the side windows up?

Thanks!!!
Jimmy

LovinMercedes

I do not use the windshield for two reasons. First, I don't think it looks that great but it is not terrible.

Secondly, and most importantly, I have tested the car various times with and without the windshield and I can feel absolutely no difference.

Having the windows up or down is what makes the difference in the amount of wind in the car.

Congrats on your parents new car.

ano0oj

The windsheild supposedly allows better flow of air around you and the passenger when cruising at high speeds...but previously said, I can't tell much of a difference, my parents don't even drive the Sl with the roll bar because if there is instability in the car, the car detects it, and the roll bar comes up by it self in less than a second, around there.

tiggerfink

It actually does work around 80 MPHs. I hate it, because it will fall off when you hit a bump and tear the MX-tex rear cabin panels. I had them replaced under warranty. Also the strips that hold the wind blocker will rub into the leather around the roll bars.

Also be careful when you take off the windblocker, because you tear the mb-tex rear cabin panels just by placing the windblocker on the panels.

blueSL

Agree with that. I fitted it once for an afternoon and found that it had marked the leather (I have the exclusive nappa leather option) around the roll bar because of the pressure of the straps. Those marks have long since recovered but if I used it all the time, the marks would be permanent and would look terrible if the shield was removed. Plus as others have said, there's little difference, certainly not night and day.

MBZFAN55

and that's the exclusive nappa leather option ?

v8plus4

The exclusive nappa leather option is an upgraded interior option with softer leather and upgraded interior surfaces, much like LovinSL600's x-11 package. In europe, it is available in all SL interior colors.

tiggerfink

I am so depressed, they always get the good stuff.

Scotsman

Hey tiggerfink, don't get depressed - at least you can get your top down most of the year!

I never bother with deflector. With all 4 windows up the turbulence up to about 80mph is OK.

Enjoy the car Jimmy325!

carlosfernandez

I also don't use it because I put the hanger behind the seat for a dress and also there is no difference with or without.

Gunther

I don't use it because when I bought a convertible, I wanted a convertible. Part of that is having wind around you as you drive.

If I put the top down, but keep the windows up and the wind deflector up...don't I just have an extra large sunroof?

Scotsman

Funnily enough Gunther, says my wife when we picked up the SL - "Does it not have a sunroof?" Ah, women.

blueSL

Don't knock her, at least she was showing an interest...

Scotsman

lol True BlueSL, she loves the car almost as much as me.

tiggerfink

I think that LovinSL600 sent all his California rain to me. It has been raining for 4 days straight.

blueSL

And Dubya doesn't believe Global Warming exists....

carlosfernandez

But is not raining in Puerto Rico so I have my roof down.

Gunther

LOL Scotsman....I do get people asking why the pano top doesn't open....and they just make you wonder......

Maybe it's because the whole top retracts?

JackStraw

Dubya understand global warming? You need to lower your expectations, blueSL. This is a a guy who won't take the time to learn how to pronounce "nuclear" let alone learn about climate change.

carlosfernandez

Hey Jimmy:

Finally did you put or not the wind mesh and what your fater says about it?

slsteve

I gotta say, i think the car looks ugly with the rear windows up,

My missus swears by the wind deflecter, i wouldnt know as i havent much hair to worry about, lol


personally i think it gives you a bit more privacy with the wind deflector and the front windows up,, plus looks great so thats how i like it.


Stevie b

Saud

When I picked up my car from the dealer, the salesperson installed the wind deflector and when I returned home 10 minuets later found the roll bar leather marked (I have the designo leather which is very soft). That incident really ruined my day.
This issue never happened to my pervious SL (R129). I had my wind deflector on most of the time then.

tiggerfink

Take that crap off. It will mark your roll bar.

carlosfernandez

I agree with tigerfind.

hermanr

I just got a 2004 SL, and during delivery I was shown how to mount the wind screen. I did not notice how/where to store it when off, as I don't intend to use it often.

Is there a place where the wind screen stores properly?

Herman