Author Topic: B Pillar Top  (Read 3173 times)

dougd

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  • USA, WA, Kenmore
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B Pillar Top
« on: June 17, 2012, 00:20:05 »
The chrome cap on the driver's side B pillar got mangled when I put the softtop down recently.  I found a new replacement (ouch, it hurt the wallet) but apparently it's for a 280 and the new 280 style isn't quite the same as my older 230 style.  The attachment difference (as shown in a post on the Chrome Top Cover for B Pillar thread in the Wanted to Buy forum) I can deal with pretty easily.  Authentic Classics had a small piece to make the screw mounts work easier.  However, the cap doesn't fit down on the pillar top.

The top of my pillar (shown in the first photo), has two ridges along the edges.  It's a sideways view, the front of the car to the left.

The new cap (second photo) has an indentation that interferes with the ridge. The old cap (also in the second photo) doesn't have that indentation so it fits nicely over the top of the pillar.

What does the top of the B pillar on a 280 look like?  Is the ridge along the top of the pillar different?  I suppose I can just take a grinder to the ridge and make the new piece fit, but I'd rather not do something quite so irrecoverable without seeing if there's a better option.  Haven't seen the older cap available anywhere.  Yet.
'66 230 SL

dougd

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  • USA, WA, Kenmore
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Re: B Pillar Top
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2012, 19:27:51 »
Anybody?  Any clue?
'66 230 SL

66andBlue

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Re: B Pillar Top
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2012, 21:30:32 »
dougd,
the problem may be that nobody has ever seen such a pillar cap as you show in your first photo - at least I haven't.
There was a change in the design of the cap.  Current caps have a ridge in the center and a ribbed bottom that wasn't there before.  Some members reported that the ridge interferes with the installation of the cap and have simply cut it off.
Alfred
1964 230SL manual 4-speed 568H signal red
1966 230SL automatic 334G light blue (sold)
1968 280SL automatic (now 904G midnight blue)