new soft top 99SL

[Carlos Serrano]

What do you guys think about $1485.00 USD. for a new German soft top with tinted plastic windows, installed with the old headliner wich is flawless anyways? Its getting to be that time for mine, I can see it coming everytime I take the hard top off, my top is begining to come unraveled at the seams, all the threads are breaking and the seams are separating.
Also $280.00 USD for replacement leather panels left and right on the backrest of the driver seat installed?

[coleyjf]

Hi Carlos

I was just looking myself for my 107 and found this guy in the UK who does a good top at $449.95 + carriage for the 129 - he also ships to the US. Prices look very good.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Type-129-SL-1990-Convertible-Top_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33652QQihZ009QQitemZ190021004677QQrdZ1


Cheers

Jim

[Carlos Serrano]

That is a very good price and it does not look bad at least in the pictures.
By the way that is the first time I've seen a black door handle on a silver 129.

[snowbilt]

That is a good price for the top. It not the cost of the top itself it is the labor involved. My interior guy quoted me a couple of hundred less but I didn't ask for tinted plastic. I asked him about that same seller and he said thats fine but the labor is where it gets you. He told me that it is the hardest soft top to replace and right behind is the porshe cabriolet top.

[RSWoodley]

My 129 is silver and also has black door handles.

How hard is it to replace the soft top myself. If I order one online it is very reasonably priced however when I take it to an Upohlstry shop, they see the car and quote ridiculous prices to install. Is it really that hard?

[LeaUK]

I have a UK thread running discussing the 'ins and outs' of soft top replacement as I'm also about to replace mine. See here: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=26860

It's a long thread I know so here's a précis:

There are two rear window (flex-glass) manufacturers used in the manufacturer of R129 soft-tops: Gurit http://www3.gurit.com/auto/products_wopavin.php their material trade name is Wopavin and Polyone http://www.polyone.com/bizunit/films/films_reg_spec.asp ULTRALITE BUV.

An example of ULTRALITE BUV fitted: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=261911&postcount=67

Now here's the interesting point, Mercedes OEM material is Wopavin at a thickness of 1.25mm for the center window and 1.5mm for sides BUT Gurit only supply 1.0mm to ALL UK manufacturers!

I know of two European hood Manufacturers who have confirmed they use both the original sonnerland canvas and correct Wopavin thickness.

These are:

Aresma GmbH. Cost 615 euros plus 37 to ship to the UK
They will also supply just the flex-glass

or

EUROTOP GmbH & Co. KG, Mühlstr. 16, D-72622 Nürtingen, Deutschland / Germany

Prestige want 14 hours labour for fitting their hoods which in my opinion is excessive. Typically it's around 5 and it's NOT a DIY job - I have the video clip if you're keen!

Hope this helps some
Lea

[RSWoodley]

I would very much like the video clip. my email is rswoodley@cox.net if you could email it I would appreciatte it. Thanks

[Carlos Serrano]

Please e-mail me the video also, who knows I might feel brave enough to try it.
carlosserrano@britelitesigns.com
thanks

[Strife]

Be aware that the 129 top is supposed to be MUCH more difficult to install than the 107's.

[LeaUK]

Afraid the videos sum to 141MB so can't email

Please see PMs

Lea

[Carlos Serrano]

Thank you Sir for the videos, you are a gentelman.
It is definetly a time consuming project but not complicated at all, at least not for me, I have to rent a car since mine is my daily driver, but that is just a minor inconvenience.
How long will the video be available?

[Carlos Serrano]

Replacing your soft top looks easy on the video I estimated the tech in the video only took about an 2 hours to completly remove and replace the entire rag top on a 129 with a phillips head screwdriver a piece of welding wire a can of MB adhesive and a can of MB adhesive solvent, a stapler and a pair of flatnose pliers, the amazing part is the rear windows panel took the longest but obviously not that complicated.
The problem with my top is rear quarter were the plastic windows are coming unstiched, will the dealer sell this section by itself?

[detailas]

Carlos, try following link:

https://ssl.kundenserver.de/www.top-discount-verdeck.de/sess/utn;jsessionid=154305e6dfbd48c/shopdata/index.shopscript

I donot speak German, but I think they sell individually the rear half - but then again you'll have a problem in exact colour matching.

I don't know your car's colour but if I still had my silver R129 (sold 1 month ago..), I would go for the light grey soft top - for a more rare look and also to avoid the contrast in the eye (silver car / black soft top).

Lastly, all pre-1996 R129's have black door handles. Starting from '96, the door handles were the same colour as the car.

George

++

[Carlos Serrano]

Well the dealer is out of the question, $3980.00 for the top in a box, $2090.00 for the rear portion only, I will keep looking.

[Mike Miller]

Check out Performance Products. They sell tops and head liners