Questions regarding soft top

[Pesherton]

As far as i understand from the technical manual, my recent acquisition (230sl) has an original sonnenland soft top, replaced during restoration some years ago. But, the rear corner edges tend to lift slightly just as i have seen on many other cars during my search. Since the top is in very good overall condition, replacement feels somewhat over the top if you pardon the pun..

Is there any way to sort this out without replacing?

[Garry]

There are lots of articles on this problem.  The main cause is how you put the top away into the soft top hutch.  If not careful the corners of the top get turned up and thus the problem.  Some use plastic to firstly ensure that it does not get damages as it is lowered but it also helps to turn the edges down once it is stored. Do a bit of a search and you will see several solutions.  With some time and effort the upturned corners can ge corrected.

Garry

[Pesherton]

Thanks Garry!

Tried searching for it before i posted, but it seems i have to do my homework a bit better

[Garry]

Here is a couple to get you started.

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=9376.0

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=13468.0

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=8940.0

Just punch in soft top in the search frame under forums and see pages of softtop problems and fixes

Garry

[Flyair]

It looks as an excellent show & tell topic at the next Group meetings. The edges of my soft top are obviously curling up, so I would be very keen to get some practical advice and I suspect from seeing that the topic comes back regularly, many of us would join me in that exercise. The question remains whether the curling process is reversible, once the curls are there…?

[Pesherton]

Very good explanations, many thanks!

[Cees Klumper]

It looks as an excellent show & tell topic at the next Group meetings. The edges of my soft top are obviously curling up, so I would be very keen to get some practical advice and I suspect from seeing that the topic comes back regularly, many of us would join me in that exercise. The question remains whether the curling process is reversible, once the curls are there…?

Yes it's reversible, at least it turned out (pun again) to be in my car. In fact, I now have to moderate what I do because as a result of diligent 'tucking under' I was starting to have the opposite problem: the corners curling down instead of up!

[Pesherton]

Like Cees and others, i can now vouch for the fact that this cure works very well indeed 
Soft top is looking great again!

[71Beige280SL]

I must be missing the trick on the "tucking under" method. Once I stow the back edge of the soft top in the hutch, i can't get my fingers in there to tuck the edges under. What's the trick?

[71Beige280SL]

Figured out the tuck under method. Works great!