1990 300SL-24 update

[MBenzNL]

Here are some pics of the current state of my 1990 300SL-24 that (still) is under modifying construction.

I finished mounting the lights, bumpers, lower body panels, trunk repairs & CD changer install and I re-adjusted the roll-bar (finally) and renewed the rear part of the softtop.
I will start putting back the complete interior (after it is totally cleaned and repaired) later this week...

[IMG]http://communities.msn.nl/_Secure/0MwAAAJQQ65gz8iL9OAL4rhcSFBnK7pLOLwRRCV2A74P!ItLA45GfmKiJCkd5hzxAJvQ*jNw4x921o0qjYi8Wsg/300SL-newfront2.JPG[/IMG]
Front view with license plate and mounted headlight washers.


Rear/side view with the new softtop (half).


This picture was taken some weeks before; the headlight adjusting switch is out of the car now (auto leveling headlights) and all wires that are hanging loose are connected again.


A picture of the innerside of the drivers seat.


The new and old rear half of the softtop ready to be mounted/thrown away...

greetingz,

[G-Benz]

Great job! Totally ambitious project, but obviously successful!!

Hey, I noticed the driver's seat with the cushions out. I hate to bug you about the seat thing again, but can the cushions be removed without taking the ENTIRE seat out of the car?

From the pictures, it looks like everything I need to work on can be accessible if I can remove the cushions! That would be great!

[Momo]

Enertaining progress.

I have no idea why, but the thing that strikes me first about the difference between the early and late model is actually the 6-bar radiator grill on the later models, versus the 7-bar grill on the earlier models. I notice you have not changed the grill so far. Is it difficult to do?

Momo (1991 500SL)

[MBenzNL]

Originally posted by G-Benz
I noticed the driver's seat with the cushions out. I hate to bug you about the seat thing again, but can the cushions be removed without taking the ENTIRE seat out of the car?

Yes, you can take the cushions out without removing the entire seat. You have to start taking out the seat cushion by removing two Phillips screws in the front of the cushion after which you can pull the front side up and take out the complete cushion by pulling it forwards and releasing two pins in the rear of the cushion.
The cushion for the back-rest is mounted with two torque screws at the bottom that can be accessed from behind the seat. The top of the back-rest has to be pulled/pushed down in order to release the two pins in top of it.
It is easy and the only thing that needs some attention is the wire and plug for the heated seat that goes into both cushions.

Originally posted by Momo
I have no idea why, but the thing that strikes me first about the difference between the early and late model is actually the 6-bar radiator grill on the later models, versus the 7-bar grill on the earlier models. I notice you have not changed the grill so far.

...huh...I never knew that! I guess that changing the grill is as easy as changing the lower front fender panel (plug and play); it can't be that difficult.

greetingz,

[AJG382]

MBenz;

It is really looking good. I think that the lights look outstanding!

Is the back half of the softtop on all R129's replaceable??

Tony

1993-300SL

[G-Benz]

I had the back section only replaced earlier this year, and it included all of the glass (plastic). Upholsterer did a great job!

[MBenzNL]

Originally posted by AJG382
Is the back half of the softtop on all R129's replaceable??

Tony,

YES, the back half of all the R129 softtops is replaceable. As you can see on the picture above there are some differences between the new and old part, but the newer updated rear half fits on all cars from 1989-2001. The inner color of the new rear half is the same color as the outer side (while my old softtop had a mushroom like color on the inner side).

greetingz,

[elau]

G-Benz,
May I ask you how do I to locate somebody who can do the back end of the top in my area? Did you just look them up in the phone book or have someone recommend it to you? How long it took before you get the car back, and approximately how much it costs? Thanks.

95 R129
98 W163

[tony s]

Mbenz,

How do you find the time to preform such an undertaking. I can't even seem to find the time to wash my baby by hand.

Anyone else out there doing your own work, with a fulltime job and family?

tony

[G-Benz]

Apologies to MBenz for answering questions on your thread...

elau: MB sprung for part of the cost of installation, since the rear window cracked 6 months after purchasing the vehicle (Starmark doesn't cover this, by the way). So the service rep used a shop that they trust for a lot of their interior refurbishings and repairs. Dropped the car off in the morning, and got it back that same afternoon. I've compared the results with other SLs and it looks and wears better than latter-year factory tops! Our cost was around $350, but the dealership claimed they spent about $2000 for their portion of the costs!

tony s: I don't know how MBenz does it either. First, I don't have facilities THAT roomy to even consider such a project. My repair space is limited to the walk-around perimeter of the car and the garage bay it resides in. With all of my other responsibilities, I don't get to tinker on anything for more that a couple of days. That means, for more involved projects, I have to save up my pennies and farm the work out to a professional. So I don't get bragging rights to say I did it myself, nor the experience attained with extensively learning about the car!

Me at a bar with my buddies: "Yep, I did the tailight bulb and fuse conversion myself, as well as a car wax upgrade...and I even did an air freshener swap!"

[MBenzNL]

Originally posted by tony s
How do you find the time to preform such an undertaking. I can't even seem to find the time to wash my baby by hand.

Actually I do not have the time...which is why it took me over two months to get my car back on the road again (it still isn't finished though). I got 3 weeks off from work (for the first time in 3,5 years time), but was asked back to work within a week again.
My luck is that my father has the space I need to take apart my car(s) and that I can walk away at night without having to clean the garage, because nobody else is using that part of the garage. This corner was the long lasting resting home of my fathers 230SL while it was being restored. Currently I claim that spot quiet often to get some modifications done to my car.
I work a lot at my daytime job (although not as much anymore as I used to do), but am not married and have no kids...

G-Benz, no need to apologize...this is not my thread; it is just posted information on the mercedesshop forum for those who are interested.

greetingz,