R129 arrives next week - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jjrodger · #1 03-06-2003, 04:29 AM

My new-to-me SL500 arrives early next week. (Why do the dealers always torture us like this?) I plumped for the smoke silver car some of you have seen me post about. It is a 1999 car with 49k miles. Smoke silver over Java with panoramic glass hard top and a brown hood. The colour really suits the dull British weather. It has the 3-valve V-8 motor and all of the last revisions. Condition is excellent, service history is very full and detailed (the car was serviced way ahead of schedule) and I just can't wait to get it. Even the weather is looking up.

Does this mean I am now a fully paid up member of the SL forum?

elau · #2 03-06-2003, 09:19 AM

Not till we see the pictures

Congrats on your new addition. Smoke silver with brown hood is very classy in my opinion.

G-Benz · #3 03-06-2003, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by elau
Congrats on your new addition. Smoke silver with brown hood is very classy in my opinion.

Congrats too, but what do you mean by "brown hood"?

#4 03-06-2003, 12:31 PM

You lucky dog.

BTW, hood is the British term for convertible top.

den500sl · #5 03-06-2003, 02:41 PM

. So a late model SL (R230) with the top folded away is said to have its "hood in the boot".

jjrodger · #6 03-06-2003, 02:43 PM

Yes, sorry, by brown hood I meant it has a dark brown fabric soft top. The hood or soft top from 1998 was available in black, brown, blue or green as standard. Some special editions have a red top, a white or very pale grey top, or a beige top. I think these were designo type cars. I hope you didn't think I'd bought a car with a special brown bonnet!

G-Benz · #7 03-06-2003, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PaulC
BTW, hood is the British term for convertible top.

Got it...thanks!

In the UK you refer to the front glass as a "windscreen". So what do you call that wind buffeting unit you attach to the rollbar?

jjrodger · #8 03-07-2003, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by G-Benz
In the UK you refer to the front glass as a "windscreen". So what do you call that wind buffeting unit you attach to the rollbar?

Ah yes, what else would you call the windscreen? I've never heard it called a front glass! The anti-buffeting device is called a wind stopper or wind jammer or wind break. Out of interest, does it work?

elau · #9 03-07-2003, 10:09 AM

It works very good. That's why you never see a SL owner going down the road at 65 mph topless with one hand on top his head holding the hat down (if you have a hat on) or the lady trying hard to peer through her hair or not to have a mouthful of her own hair.

I actually rode side by side one time on an interstate with a Miata. They do not have the wind breaker so you can imgine what that looks like with hair and all. Meanwhile not a strand of hair move on me and my wife's head. And we were doing 70 mph.

jjrodger · #10 03-07-2003, 10:43 AM

I had 145mph out of an SLK230k with the top and side windows down. I was worried I wouldn't have any hair left! Seriously though, I was concerned my spectacles might be blown off. Do you have to have the windows up with the wind break in place?

elau · #11 03-07-2003, 12:22 PM

With the windows up. I had the windows partially down before and the effect on reducing the tornado factor in the cabin was still very significant. I would not worry about the glasses being blown away. I wear Maui Jim and it is made of plactic. Never have it rip off my face yet.

With the window fully up not only reduce the wind, but also lowered the noise. You will hear much more of the wind noise with windows partially down. Then again that's what the automatic volume control on the stereo comes in handy.

suginami · #12 03-07-2003, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jjrodger
Ah yes, what else would you call the windscreen? I've never heard it called a front glass! The anti-buffeting device is called a wind stopper or wind jammer or wind break. Out of interest, does it work?

Hey jjrodger,

This is interesting. I have a degree in linguistics with majors in Japanese and Spanish. Lemme get this straight.

In the U.K., what we call the "ragtop", "soft top", or "hard top", you call the "hood". In the U.S., the "hood" is what you lift up to access the engine. What do you call this?

What we call the "trunk", you call the "boot".

What we call the "windshield", you call the "windscreen".

den500sl · #13 03-07-2003, 03:13 PM

...British term for what Americans refer to as a car's hood is... a bonnet?

97 sl500 triple black
Sport Edition 1
24K miles

suginami · #14 03-07-2003, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by den500sl
...British term for what Americans refer to as a car's hood is... a bonnet?

97 sl500 triple black
Sport Edition 1
24K miles

He called the bonnet what we call the soft top or ragtop. Maybe they use the same word...

LeaUK · #15 03-08-2003, 07:30 AM

Congrats JJ - can't wait to see her too... :-)