Quick Question about Hardtop Value

[Bostonian1976]

Hi all - quick question -

I have a hardtop that has a bit of in the corners, all latches, the headliner (with a few tears), and the chrome rails on top......

what do these go for approximately in said condition?  thanks!

[Douglas]

I assume you meant to say it has "a bit of rust in the corners," correct?

Definitely worth more in parts than as a whole.

Value for a rough top is not great. I'd say a couple hundreds bucks at best.

[Bostonian1976]

yeah sorry a bit of rust

All glass is there and chrome is good - no dents
Etc

[scoot]

It seems like you see hardtops on ebay in the $500+ range.   I have heard that they are expensive to restore.

[Bostonian1976]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

I think good ones are $500+, but rougher ones are significantly less. Locale has a huge bearing on price since the buyer would probably have to pick it up locally due to its heft.

You should probably comment on the condition of the wood around the rear window. Also, is it an early or late top? (Does it have fixed handles on the front or just the posts with holes in them for the removable handles?) Finally, is the trim aluminum or chrome? All that stuff probably has some bearing on price as well.

interesting.  well I'm sort of new to the W113's - I grew up with one in the family (my grandmother had a white/blue '67 250SL from new)

the front handles pivot - they are still there and they pivot.

There is trim on the top of the top, which I haven't seen on all of them...

I believe the trim to be chrome, though I could be wrong.  I need to clean it up first.  I also need to take a look at the wood (it's not in front of me right now as you can tell)

[Bostonian1976]

so hardtops are fairly common eh?  I guess I thought these would be a rare commodity...

[peterm]

as it was standard equipment every car came with one.  I do believe many never went back on the car after delivery and suspect there are more hardtops lying around than there are 113's!

[J. Huber]

I suppose it is kind of a supply and demand thing...

On one hand, most cars that have been kept up still have their hardtop (albeit often gathering dust in the garage.) And the cars that have not been kept up often fall to ruin, get moved around, or just sit etc. All the while the hardtop gathers dust but survives even when the car has moved on... Thus the supply outpaces demand.

On the other hand, when one of these wayward cars gets rescued -- the new owner goes hunting for a hardtop -- bringing some demand back into the equation. Often times, the guy with a hardtop to sell has no car to go with it -- and just wants it gone... And he's probably not going to make the effort to restore it first (which would make it much more valuable)... just opinin'
 

[Bostonian1976]

quote:Originally posted by peterm

as it was standard equipment every car came with one.  I do believe many never went back on the car after delivery and suspect there are more hardtops lying around than there are 113's!

Is this true?  My grandmother had that '67 250SL, and it never had a hardtop.

My grandfather regretted it so much that when they finally replaced the car in '88 with a BMW convertible, he made sure that he got the hardtop for that one.

(by the way they sold the 250 for 5000 bucks - the family still cries over that one)

[Douglas]

quote:Originally posted by peterm

as it was standard equipment every car came with one.  I do believe many never went back on the car after delivery and suspect there are more hardtops lying around than there are 113's!

Not true, Peter. The hardtop was optional.

[Benz Dr.]

Good hard tops are anywhere from $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 for something unrestored but in decent shape. $500.00 or less is basically a parts top.

It's the soft top frames that are really worth something. Think $3,000.00 plus these days.

[peterm]

oops I was under the impression they were.  my 129 came with it

[J. Huber]

I am also surpised that hardtop was optional. Not doubting it -- just find it interesting that the defining feature of the Pagoda was not there in some cases...

[Douglas]

Here's how a US 250 SL was priced back in the day:

250 SL Roadster (soft top only): $5,445
250 SL Coupe (2+2 configuration with hardtop only & no soft top well): $5,546
250 SL Coupe/Roadster (both tops): $5,743

The only difference between a Roadster and a Coupe/Roadster is the hardtop, so that puts the hardtop at about $300 in 1967 dollars (if ordered at time of delivery).

[Naj ✝︎]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

quote:Originally posted by peterm

as it was standard equipment every car came with one.  I do believe many never went back on the car after delivery and suspect there are more hardtops lying around than there are 113's!

Not true, Peter. The hardtop was optional.

Here's a build plate for a hard-top less 230



naj

[JamesL]

question for the board...

is there an item for which naj does NOT have either or both of a photo or part number!!!?

[waqas]

quote:Originally posted by Tosh

question for the board...

is there an item for which naj does NOT have either or both of a photo or part number!!!?

I'll bet he has a picture and a part number that can answer your question...  :mrgreen:

[Naj ✝︎]

quote:Originally posted by Tosh

question for the board...

is there an item for which naj does NOT have either or both of a photo or part number!!!?

Yes, actually (today's search):

Part # of the rear wiring loom for the later Pagodas where the trunk light comes on without the side lights being on? [:p][:p][:p]

naj