advice from you SL gurus
 

I would like to replace the wood in the console area in my 1986 560SL.....is this a "do it yourself job" or should I find someone to assist me? The condition of the current console is not terrible, a couple of cracks, but I would eventually like to replace it. Suggestions, ideas, opinions? Thanks SL owners.

bamerson

The wood's not at all hard to get out, and the routine should be on the site. The basic drill is remove the ashtray, remove two screws to pull the ashtray holder (right side comes out first, power plug's on left), remove two more screws to free up main console wood, slide backwards to free the forward-pointing peg that comes off the back end of the wood. The panel for the AC control comes off easily once the ashtray holder's out. Reverse the process with new parts, or send the old ones to Heritage for refinishing.

You can not remove the main console unless you remove the the side mirror control unit behind the gearshift first, in order to allow the wood to move rearward. Unless the inside pin holding the back of the console at the curve is broken, you cannot slide back the console, this mirror joystick unit sits between the pin and the gearshift unit. Move the wood up and down nice and easy in order to free the joystick unit than pray a blade between it and the wood than remove it and unplug it. Only than you can slide the main console rearward and remove it. Failure to do that you may risk breaking the inside plastic rear pin that hold the wood in place. Without this pin the console will always be loose at the rear and sits higher at the back.
I may be just too picky but that's how its done.
By the way Madera Concepts in Santa Barbara, Ca. do a fine woodwork too.
Check them out.
Good luck...Lee

Carbon fiber
 

There's a Canadian forum member on here who is making console covers out of carbon fiber. The pictures look pretty cool. Maybe you should also check those out.

I don't know if you're trying to keep everything stock or not, but those would look great in an SL.

Lee's right about the mirror control; it's been long enough since I did it that I didn't think of it. It's a simple popout.

Good tip. You will see my experiance with this if you do a search on "Will Sadie ever run again". This mirror button problem is not discussed on the CD. But I recently found on my 86 that by pulling the wood aft hard enough the mirror button just poped loose on one edge, giving the unit enough clearance to be removed.

John Roncallo

129 carbon fiber kit?
 

who makes the carbon fiber kits for the 129?

would love to replace my wood interior with carbon fiber


99 sl 500 amg sport

This is what I found also, although if its never been done before it will be tough to break free.