Soft top wires

[Ricardo]

A quick question before I start....do all softtops have the side wires in the fabric or are the early tops different? There seems to be only one style of replacement available, but perhaps early frames were different, though the canvas stayed the same?
I printed off Don Czapski' excellent article from the old yahoo list, but it doesn't mention this and I don't see any wires in my top. Meredith doesn't mention it either, but then he states the softop is secured by two front and TWO rear handles...huh....
Frank Mallory's good article on the production changes doesn't mention the softtop at all....but the cross chrome strip was omitted and the above window bow was changed to metal at some point...were wires added then?
Richard

early '67, softtop with exterior chrome trim piece

[J. Huber]

Hey Ricardo. Not sure if I understand the question (its me, not you)... but if it is: do the early top have wires? -- mine does.

Now mine also has the chrome strip -- but I think you may be lucky to have yours. I thought they were omitted earlier than 1967, but I could be wrong on that.

James
63 230SL

[Ricardo]

Hey James
Sorry for the confusion, but that was the answer I was looking for....my car was originally a california coupe, that had a softop added by a previous owner and I guess it came from an early donor car, but at least I now know the wires should be there and probably are....

Thanks James

[Bob G ✝︎]

According To SL tech Gernold an expert soft top restorer I beleive the later soft tops for the 280SL changed twice during production till 1971.

Bob Geco