Noisy hard top

[GGR]

Hii all,

my hard top makes a heck of a noise in the back on the driver side when I drive through uneven surfaces or hit potholes.  Is there a cure?

Thanks!

[dtuttle123]

Any cure?.....Take off the roof!

Are both lock-down handles fully engaged?  Is there any play in the handles?  Inspect the spiral threads of the lockdowns to see if there is wear or if they are stripped.  How are your seals under the hardtop?  Can you 'wiggle' the roof once installed?  Try installing a small piece of cloth material under the driver side, and then clamp down the roof and see if this helps.

[dseretakis]

As above. I have the same problem which is incredibly annoying. It bothers me so much that I actually stick my hand out the window and pull down onto the roof when I anticipate a bump in the road. Long term we of course have to get this problem fixed.

[GGR]

As above. I have the same problem which is incredibly annoying. It bothers me so much that I actually stick my hand out the window and pull down onto the roof when I anticipate a bump in the road. Long term we of course have to get this problem fixed.

We shall take the hard top off next time you're around and study a fix.

[dseretakis]

We shall take the hard top off next time you're around and study a fix.

Sounds good. I'll be in DC in a couple of days.

[VincentR]

Hello,

280 SL 1970 : I've the same problem (i.e. rear of driver place hard top fixing). As I did not drive before restoration with the hard top, I cannot say if the noise was present before restoration. I did not succeed in finding the reason of the noise.There is no gap in the fixing rotation handle (no radial and no axial gap).
All the seal are new.
If you finally find one solution please submit it on this forum.
Thank you in advance.
Best reagards.
Vincent R (France).

[GGR]

Bonjour Vincent,

c'est vrai que c'est desagrable, surtout quand on passe sur des nids de poule. On a l'impression que la voiture se desintegre.

Dimitri passed by the other day and we took the hard top out to have a look (I still can't believe how heavy that thing is).

We didn't find anything wrong either. His car is doing the same thing. So we are still at the same point. I will try with a piece of cloth trapped in between the hard top and the body to see if there is any impovement. But obviously this won't be a permanent fix.

[VincentR]

Hi GGR,

You speak a very good french Monsieur!

At he beginning I had also one noise which was due to the collision of the chromed part which partially covers the rear upper end of the door lining and which was in contact (when I drove in big road holes - chicken nests) with the down side of the chromed part in which the hard top side fixings are going (i.e. where the upper part of the seat belt is fixed).
I will try to make one picture. I finally cancel this collision by erasing the down side of this chromed part. But this problem was existing since the beginning on my car because the chromed part on the door was worn at this place.
Kindly keep me informed if you find one solution (maybe one thick rubber washer between hard top fixing and the big chromed part?).
I don't know if you have the same problem but the big chromed part is not well fixed because the self tapping screw (for aluminium) are often worn and this chromed part may move a little bit.
As a conclusion, I feel like you that this noise don't give a good image to this car (but maybe we have to stop to compare with the current car quality level : don't forget that the conception was in the 1960's).

I totally agree on the weight of the hard top...
I have to organize one hoist in my car box (closed underground garage in my building) but it is not easy because the door of thix box is sliding on half of the box ceiling and I'm not sure that I will have  place to back drive enough to hoist the hard top (i've to think about one solution and to find one very heavy duty hoist and hard top support).

Best regards.
Vincent R.

[GGR]

You speak a very good french Monsieur!

Je suis Francais (Breton plus exactement) installe aux US depuis deux ans et demi.

Yes please, post a picture of the mod you did on that chrome part. Will keep you posted if I find a solution.

[Cees Klumper]

J'espere que notre ami ici, mr Al Lieffring qui est en cours de decider si lui et sa femme vont demeneager a l'Europe ou pas, a conclu son evaluation.

Probably plenty of errors in there, but I think you'll get the meaning. Last week I spent a few days in Niamey, Niger, and it's amazing how much French one picks up when that's all that is spoken around you. Next week it'll be deja-vu all over again as I will be in another francophone country, Cameroon.

Somehow there must be play between the hardtop and the body I would say, even if it appears to be on tight. It may just appear to be on tight since the weight of the top is so significant. Try gently lifting it by putting a lever between the bottom of the top and the body (carefully of course, we don't want to damage the paint etc) to see whether there is any play. When you turn the handles to 'bolt down' the hardtop, they should feel like they really tighten down the top.