replacement soft top

[deneals]

I will need to replace my soft top before the next open-top driving season. Does anyone have any suggestions for where I can learn about different material being sold? Comparisons with new materials vs OEM? How to choose an installer? Should I pay dealer price to assure the job is accomplished correctly? Any help much appreciated.

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[BJonesFL]

Originally Posted by deneals

I will need to replace my soft top before the next open-top driving season.

Does anyone have any suggestions for where I can learn about different material being sold? Comparisons with new materials vs OEM?

Deneal, the Haartz Corp is the largest manufacturer of the top materials in the US. Good place to learn

http://www.haartz.com

How to choose an installer?
I would only do this on referral from another owner locally, or high end autobody shop
Should I pay dealer price to assure the job is accomplished correctly?
Paying dealer price, imo, does not assure correct installation. The dealers here, and I suspect probably everywhere in the US sub this work out to a local contractor after adding alot of markup to the installers normal price. Where I live, the dealer was 25% higher using the same guy that I could use walking in the door. About the only advantage of working through a dealer is they can be held accountable for errors, etc. To me, however, the most important criteria is the level of experience the installer has with these tops/cars, and references supplied by the installer of other 129 happy customers.

Any help much appreciated.

Bob

[Quadrobenz]

From my experiences, that is excellent advice. I had the top replaced by a top & upholstery specialist, he purchased what I believed to be a quality top. The installation was never quite satisfactory in that it did not adequately seal to the rear body panel at the sides behind the rear quarter windows. The installer claimed it was manufactured that way. I ultimately took it to the Mercedes mechanic I now use for all the work on my R129. He left the MB dealership and set up his own shop in south OC. He purchased a new MB top and installed it. It is now exactly as new. His total price was way less than the dealer. It was complicated since I changed from a black to a tan top to update the look of the car and there were no tan tops in 1994. (Car is red with Tan interior.) This is not a job to take shortcuts on as doing this top correctly seems harder than on the 60's/70's GM intermediates I was familiar with.

[Jim Clark]

M & T Manufacturing in R.I. 800)999-2892 has exact copy tops made in Germany with the EXACT same material used by Mercedes. Almost any color you want. Complete with plastic windows--$650. They guarantee it to fit! I have one (black)--not installed (came with an earlier car) yet. Give them a yell.

Terry Clark
tclark@nctv.com
864-506-2691