stuck top on 280SL - fixed!!

[tadink]

recently, I managed to wedge my soft top while trying to put it away, would not go up, would not go away.

Lots has been written about how to un-stuck the soft-top when it gets wedged halfway up, halfway down. Lord knows why the engineers have done it, but on my 69 280SL, there are honest to god latches that flex outwards....they are even chrome!! After struggling, e-mailing, e-researching, I found that there are apparently a couple different versions of the 'right' thing to do....

on my car, the latches are spring loaded, and need to be pressed by hand towards the outer edge of the car. Then, with simultaneous pressure on each side of the top [2 people] the top returns meekly to its home.

others have talked about having to prise an L shaped lever upwards to free the mechanism. mine does not have this, only the spring loaded chrome latches pulling towards the center of the car.

finally, the top has been returned to its home, perhaps NEVER to see the light of day again!!

good luck, and thanks for all the help!

td