$6,800 for soft top replacement @MB.
 

I was just quoted $6,800 to get my soft top replaced by Rallye Motors in Roslyn NY (Long Island). Obviously that is ridiculous. Can anyone recommend a good upholstry shop in the NYC area for my 1988 560sl?

You have opened one of the more popular threads on the SL Forum. you are going to get opinions from many SL affection ados.

I can offer you a fantastic soft top manufacturer. They do not install tops. They just make them and will ship anywhere. I found this place through another of our brothers, Richard Wooldridge (who drove from Florida to Southern California in his SL to get a new interior), on the SL Forum.

My MB dealer quoted $3200 to replace the top only after my top was vandalized. The insurance company would only pay $1850, due to the age of my top. Great, they wanted me to install a new, AGED, top. :mad:. It was time to take the money and shop around! :cool:

I just bought a new top and headliner ($650) and new seats and headrests
($650). I had to find someone to install them, but that is not too hard here. Installation for the top was $400 and seats $250. That comes to $1950 OR $100 out of my pocket!!!!!!!!!:) The quality is OUTSTANDING. He uses only German OEM materials, has all the factory specs, runs that on his computerized cutting tables and there you have it!

Call German Auto Tops, Inc., John Oganesan, President, (818) 766-9511, 5547 Satsuma Ave, North Hollywood, CA, 91601. This is a first class operation and great guy to deal with. Please mention my name. It won't get you any more discount, but I promised I would pass on my satisfaction to others. :D

There is a high end shop that has been in business a long time that does nice work in Port Washington, Long Island. I have not had work done there, but I have seen restored cars that they made/installed tops for. Looked very nice. They may have experience with 560SL's. Not sure if they will install a top you purchase elsewhere, but you can go visit them. I looked it up and it's called "Trim and Top". Check out their website:
trimntop.com/

Mike is absolutely right about John and German Tops. I got mine from him as well and it's perfect.

cmp21, if you haven't purchased the top yet, you should give John a call. He sells to many shops around the country and can probably refer you to good ones he knows about. He did that for me after I promised not to tell the shop where I got the new top from...small price to pay.

Good luck with yours.

Bob

$6800 is beyond belief
 

FWIW, the going price for a 107 top intstall in the DC area is $600 - 750.

In Wash DC try this shop awesome work installed my top in March for $450. I purchased top on my own. He also makes tops. He been in the business over forty years. Quoted recovering leather SL seats with new pads at $500 ea

Brown's Upholstery
4210 Bladensburg Rd
Brentwood , MD 20722
(301) 779-3858

Yes I used to work for Rally Motors. It was actually the best job I ever had but my back went out and I had to change carears. They do a good job but they do get their money. When I left 19 years ago the labor rates were $105 per hour for BMW and MB and I belive $120 for Rolls. Id like to know what they are today becaue thats about what the labor rates in Fairfield and North Haven CT MB are today. But that's Long Island. I also read about the guy that had his break lines changed at Helms Brothers Manhatten for I belive it was over $1500.00 on an ML. Roslyn LI is like Beverly Hills CA. Try going further out east on LI (But not too far out East). I heard an new MB dealer opend up in Massapequa. For a convertible top replacement you should be able to get a quote over the phone.

I got my top and entire interior from German Auto Tops. I thought he was very good. But I will say this Any aftermarket tops or interior material I have ever seen for the 107's is not up to the standards of genuine MB material. However I paid $450 for the top MB listed the top at $1700 top only no install. I got a quote here in CT at an independand shop for $750.00 to install it. I'm going to give it a try myself.

My guess is you wont be able to get a genuine MB top installed on Long Island for under $4000.00 and an aftermarket for about $2000.

I guess I wont say you get what you pay for, but I will say you get a little more when you pay alot more.

You can always do what several of my aviation friends do when they buy avionics. Fly the plane (car in your case) to some remote low income town in PA and have it done there.

John Roncallo

Holy Crap! $6800! I had mine replaced a couple of years ago in Detroit for $750. That was for the top and installation on a 380sl.

Just had mine replaced with OEM top. Top, Labor, and Tax was $1031.00

I charge $1250 for gahh top german canvas in Chatham NJ 973-635-3443

Thanks for all of your help.
 

I just checked Trim & Top (www.trimntop.com)as one of you reccomended and they quoted $1,450 for new top (German) and install. They seem very reputable and the guy seemed knowledgable in 107's. They were reluctant to install a top purchased elsewhere...but they would if the top was made by a manufacturer they were familiar with. I will probably go with them since they are so close. Thanks for all of your help and I'll let you know how it comes out.

It wouldn't suprise me if that is where Rallye Motors would take it, as this shop is good. Makes sense.... $350 to transport the car back and forth a few miles (includes lunch), and $5000 profit.

Soft Top for R129
 

My warehouse in Burbank supplies orig. German canvas tops for $499. The all USA tops are $399. Obviously, I work some margin into the sale but customers know this and our installers typically charge $625 for the labor if I send the car over with all required materials. No one should be paying more than about $1400 total for a professional top job.

Pete, What's the name of your company?

Thanks

Rick