soft top compartment adjustment???

[erickmarciano]

Just had my softtop replaced and the lid once close is not flush with the body like the roof needs to sit more deep .  can the soft top be adjusted to go deeper in the compartment?

thnaks
Erick

1971 280sl
1962 VW
1954 Allstate vespa
1958 gs150 vespa
1962 gs160 vespa

[rwmastel]

Alternately, can the latches that the soft top lid connects to be lowered?

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Douglas]

My theory: new tops tend to be far less flexible, so they can make the frame sit up too high. I think it's a matter of folding it carefully so it lies the flattest. Over time, it will probably get easier to shut the cover as the top starts to sit flatter.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[erickmarciano]

great so I am not alone?this is a known problem with new roof ?


1971 280sl
1962 VW
1954 Allstate vespa
1958 gs150 vespa
1962 gs160 vespa

[Douglas]

I definitely experienced it when I changed my top.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[Vince Canepa]

While this may or may not apply in Erick's case, my car had this problem from the factory.  I had to replace the "links" that connect the rear bow to the hinge point for the rear bow.  This is the part that has a 90 degree bend at the forward end, with a hole for the pivot pin.  The opposite end goes into the rear bow and is held by a couple of bolts.  There is a cam on the forward end that locks the rear bow when you raise it to stow the top.  Seems some of the cams were ground wrong at the fatcory and would not lock the bow correctly.  Replacing those two parts (one for each side) cured the problem.  I found out about it from the Engineering Editor at Road & Track - a fellow named Ron Wakefield.  He owned a 250 and wrote about his ownership experience back in the early seventies.

Vince Canepa
1967 250SL
113.043-10-001543
568H Signal Red
116 Caviar MB-Tex