A Mercedes-Benz SL is first and foremost an open car. Although a sturdy hardtop offers the experience of a fixed head coupe; maximum enjoyment is to be found with the roof down beneath sunny skies on the wide open road. The reality of British weather means a fully functioning soft top is an absolute necessity!
There can be nothing more frustrating than climbing in your car on the first day of the season only to find that the soft top cannot be lowered, or that the hard top is stuck fast.
-
- Elegant with the roof off…
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- and on. But it needs to work.
The roof mechanism and latches of the R107 SL is fabulously well built, but it must be aligned correctly.
Underneath the skin of the R107 SL there are numerous ways your roof can cause havoc. The most likely culprit is the cable that secures the peg into the rear section of the hard or soft top. If any of the complex array of brackets and tensioners connected to this cable are in disarray, it can be very difficult to release the roof from the decklid escutcheon. Attempts to free the roof can result in snapped handles, broken cables, bent mounts and damaged chrome, all of which lead to frustration and an inevitable trip to the workshop – we have seen all of these calamities through our many years of working with the SL.
It’s not just the tensioning cable where things can go wrong, the locking mechanisms that are mounted in the B Pillar and Windscreen Header Rail can become damaged and loose. This doesn’t just prevent the roof from lifting off, it can also mean that your hardtop is not secured correctly to the car, the outcome of which can be disastrous.
Across the plethora of cars to grace our workshops, our technicians have seen all manner of problems with the R107 roof. There can be no substitute for proper maintenance and an expert eye.
Don’t wait for your roof to cause problems before having it inspected. Old fashioned technology can be very forgiving, the mechanical components able to work to a wide range of tolerances. This means a roof could be functioning correctly, lifting on and off and locking in place without it being obvious that a key component is on the verge of snapping completely.
With your SL in our workshops our team will ensure all aspects of your roof are not only working, but will continue to do so. They’ll check every lever, pulley and lock, lubricating, tightening and realigning the roof to ensure your summers are free of hard top hassle and soft top tussles – leaving you to concentrate on enjoying your car, rain or shine.
Need to book your car for a Hard and Soft Top Check? Click here to find out more.
A Mercedes-Benz SL is first and foremost an open car. Although a sturdy hardtop offers the experience of a fixed head coupe; maximum enjoyment is to be found with the roof down beneath sunny skies on the wide open road. The reality of British weather means a fully functioning soft top is an absolute necessity!
There can be nothing more frustrating than climbing in your car on the first day of the season only to find that the soft top cannot be lowered, or that the hard top is stuck fast.
-
- Elegant with the roof off…
-
- and on. But it needs to work.
The roof mechanism and latches of the R107 SL is fabulously well built, but it must be aligned correctly.
Underneath the skin of the R107 SL there are numerous ways your roof can cause havoc. The most likely culprit is the cable that secures the peg into the rear section of the hard or soft top. If any of the complex array of brackets and tensioners connected to this cable are in disarray, it can be very difficult to release the roof from the decklid escutcheon. Attempts to free the roof can result in snapped handles, broken cables, bent mounts and damaged chrome, all of which lead to frustration and an inevitable trip to the workshop – we have seen all of these calamities through our many years of working with the SL.
It’s not just the tensioning cable where things can go wrong, the locking mechanisms that are mounted in the B Pillar and Windscreen Header Rail can become damaged and loose. This doesn’t just prevent the roof from lifting off, it can also mean that your hardtop is not secured correctly to the car, the outcome of which can be disastrous.
Across the plethora of cars to grace our workshops, our technicians have seen all manner of problems with the R107 roof. There can be no substitute for proper maintenance and an expert eye.
Don’t wait for your roof to cause problems before having it inspected. Old fashioned technology can be very forgiving, the mechanical components able to work to a wide range of tolerances. This means a roof could be functioning correctly, lifting on and off and locking in place without it being obvious that a key component is on the verge of snapping completely.
With your SL in our workshops our team will ensure all aspects of your roof are not only working, but will continue to do so. They’ll check every lever, pulley and lock, lubricating, tightening and realigning the roof to ensure your summers are free of hard top hassle and soft top tussles – leaving you to concentrate on enjoying your car, rain or shine.
Need to book your car for a Hard and Soft Top Check? Click here to find out more.
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For every SL owner we have met, the key aspect in ownership and running these amazing motorcars is ensuring that this prized possession remains a joy to use whenever, wherever and however; protecting and increasing its value over time.
As the World’s largest specialist in classic SL’s we have drawn upon our experience with our customers, with hundreds of cars and thousands of hours behind the wheel and under the ramp to develop CARE; a way of engaging a community of owners and protecting the value of their investments as well as enhancing their cars condition, reliability and desirability.
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