[reproduction] Sun Visors by Kayvan

[mdsalemi]

Hi,

Earlier in the summer, I bought a set of repro sun visors from our fellow member here. Well made and all, but I cannot get them to hold position; they just seem to flop down, and will not stay in the upright position. I have the screw on the visor pretty tight; I'm afraid to tighten any more lest I strip whatever this screw is going into. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong. Any ideas?

[hauser]

Same here!  I bought a set from Authentic Classics.  There work perfectly!  I tossed the others in the trash.

[mdsalemi]

That's not welcome news, Hauser, and not how I saw the first pair of these on Bob Possel's car some years back.

[hauser]

The pieces inside the visor aren't very substantial.  I actually sent them to Buds to see if they could do anything to get them to work but they were unable to.

[66andBlue]

Michael,
by now I have installed 3 pairs of Kay's visors (2x 230SL; 1x 280SL) and all fit well and work well. I couldn't be more satisfied.
One needs to be careful when inserting the hinge into the visor. Because of the "guide barb" (for lack of a better word) there is only one way that it will go in deep enough for the barb to clear the adjustable clamp inside that you need to tighten with the screw. If the barb is still inside that clamp you cannot close it enough and the visor will turn.
Also it is easier to do that on the bench with the hinge removed from the car. You can feel it better when the hinge is aligned and clear to slide in. You can also look into the clamp opening and perhaps see where the space for the barb is. Perhaps the photos help.
Before you start make sure the adjusting screw actually tightens the clamp.

[66andBlue]

I tried to take photos of the clamp inside the visor but it is quite difficult. These two photos show that the sides cylindrical clamp extend downward and the adjusting sheet metal screw goes through these side walls to tighten up the clamp. When inserting the hinge stem the "barb" should line up with this V-shaped extension.
A bit further in is a slot cut out perpendicular to the long axis of the clamp that allows the "barb" on the hinge stem to rotate freely within that slot. The slot is not all around but perhaps about 180 to 270 degrees; difficult to see and impossible to photograph.
In any case the clamp is quite sturdy but I assume it can be damaged if the barb is forced in at the cylinder portion.

[hauser]

I took mine apart in the hopes of fixing the problem but was unable to.  Emailed seller thinking perhaps I had a bad set I was refused a replacement.

I sent them to the upholsterer at Buds for a possible fix but were unable to.

[Jack Jones]

I bought a set for my 107 280SL from Kay and after sending pictures showing how they were curling after only 6 months around the mirror opening, they want me to send it back at my expense before they would consider replacing it. I cut my losses and decided to never deal with them again.

[mdsalemi]

Well, my problem was fixed--easily and simply. Alfred (66andBlue) guided me to the solution which was my next step anyway.  Here's the issue, at least as it applied to me.

These reproductions come with what is called a "truss head" screw to tighten the clamp and hold it in position. However, what is supplied OEM with originals is what is called a "washer head" screw, or a "truss head washer" screw. This made all the difference in the world. If you are unfamiliar with these terms, photos are easy to find.

I had put off solving the problem for a bit, but yesterday was my final drive of the season, taking my car to storage in Northern Michigan for the winter. As I was preparing for the 3 hour 155 mile journey I realized I still had the "visor problem". So, I took the old screws out of the old visors, placed them in the new visors, and literally in a matter of seconds the problem was solved.

So: with the supplied new truss head screws, the visors flopped around, not holding position on their mount. Changing the screw to a washer head screw, and both visors were instantly returned to normal.

Shown are a couple of photos, generic, of examples of "washer head" and "truss head" screws. I believe that since the actual screw in question goes into a sheet metal clamp, the screw threads would be sheet metal, not wood or machine.

Now, as to other quality concerns: these replacements are very well made in my opinion. When I restored my car in 1999-2001, I bought OEM visors from MB at the then-ghastly price of $125 each. Note, at the time others were screaming loudly at this price, just as they were at $300 grill stars. These OEMS are not, in my opinion, well made or worthy of the price commanded. While the originals delivered on the car were so bad they had literally crumbled to dust (OK, they were abused and 31 years old), these OEM replacements are quite similar. On the driver's side, the part that snaps into the retainer fell apart after 12 years. The insides have hardened on both as the foam has deteriorated. There's just about 15,000 miles and 15 years since the restoration, but the car has led a charmed life since then. Stored for 6 months covered up; garaged during the season, and never left in the sun but for a display or car event. I would have hoped that these OEM replacements, even 15 years old, would have survived better. Most everything else replaced at that time has--including OEM, reproduction and restored original parts.