Well, folks, good to see a forum on these type vehicles. My husband always wanted a MB 380sl and specifically a 1983! WEll, we just got one on Saturday!! Needless to say, its a nice car, shows its age inside a bit, but we wanted to get her home, since we only had this vehicle, my husband did an even trade up. We didnt have another vehicle so the hard top had to stay on the car. We thought we could just get this little gem home, but we ran into a rain storm on the way home, almost a 2hr drive home... The hard top leaked!! So we thought once we got her home, we could just take the hardtop off, NOT!! We have an appt. tomorrow to get her off at a euro auto station. However, we thought we could do this on our own. We got the four locks open just fine, but the last one, which we seen its a pin that goes into a hole, back windshield area,just dosent want to come up at all. Is it possible to get this hardtop off without a hoist and or what is the best way, when you might not have a hoist? We know we will work on her cosmetics in time, but the hardtop is an undesireable piece of equipment that just didnt want to get off at all. We could see, that there were scratches on the inside from previous owners who also tried to take the hardtop off. Any advice on these little hardtops? We wanted the soft top out, so we can see if she is the new one as stated in the ad. We're hoping the euro auto station will do the weather stripping on the hardtop? I am just helping my husband, he is partially disabled, so working on some items on a car is not alot for us both. We dont mind some costmetics and the like of it, but anything that requires good clean and even adhedsion work and other clean fits for the roof tops, we want someone else to do the work. Its my husbands project and I dont mind helping out. He doesnt use a computer so anything he wants to know, I need to ask for help on. She's a nice silver color, some paint work will be needed by the areas of where the hardtop is mounted, as well as checking out the electrical too, she seems to work, except we want to install a new am/fm/cd player, and it needs speakers. I guess we will be looking at bucoo bucks there! She had some work done on her and I guess my husband was happy with what he got. Its a project in the making, but never thought it was so hard to remove a hardtop!! I guess no one really removes them without a hoist? or if they do, what is the trick and best results in doing so, without a hoist? I guess there are many more qustions to come, but just getting some out now, as the hardtop is our little problem for now, as is checking out how to keep all else from leaking too? Is it just the hard top we need to check as well as the window and windshield tops, trunk areas too? Can you run a rubber seal around those? I guess we're going to be learning as we go, but alittle help, and advice from those who already have and know, well we could use it, if anyone will want to. I thank those in advance for doing so.

 

I hope you have gotten most things figured out on the top and radio, the rear pin is always a hassle if not oiled and the radio and speakers are always something, not alot of room for the speakers without modification, I have a Kenwood in my 83 but added more wires for the power.

 

I am restoring a 380 sl which I bought in March........ I just took off the top with the help of a neighbor....turn counter clockwise......loosend the windshield clamps with the keys you should have....they pop up when released...then loosen the Hard top release bolts by the door until they pop up....finally turn the handle in back 1/4 turn and that should release. then unlock the lock by turn the latch by the handle.....I had to jiggle things around the first time but it came loose and 2 people just to lift carefully and set it down without scratching.........adding a pioneer deck from bestbuy for $60 and using original dash speakers.....not a hard job

 

I have an 85 ... I had lots of trouble at first ... now we use two people to lift the top ( there are handle in side for carrying it) and we have one person inside to play with the release handle until it pops out .It is the smaller safety handle that pops it off turn it all the way to the bottom.
That way we dont have to pull and shake and risk damaging parts.
I think it is easier with 3 people.
You can find video on this on you tube.I'm going to oil my latch too ... that sounds like a good idea!Congratulations on your Benz roadster ... these cars are awesome!
I put white grease on the pin ... and my soft top finally popped of without the hassle I had before.... I'm wondering where the water is coming in that you are talking about.