Shrunk softtop - can it be stretched again?

[lethj]

Last year i bought a lovely 230SL 1967 from Oregon and had it shipped to Denmark. Its a beautiful car, but unfortunately the softtop has shrunk, so it will not attach in the back (only once - with considerable violence - 100 kg me standing on it!).

Anyone tried this - and solved it - short of buying a new one?  Condition apart from the shrinkage is not bad, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Best regards
Jesper

[BHap]

do a search in the archives - there are a few methods for stretching.  one that comes to mind is: with the top up, in the hot sun, "lean" on the top between the bows with your arms.  do this on both sides of the car, in front of and behind the top bows.  leave the top up as long as you can, the canvas will eventually stretch.....

Bob Happe
Pittsburgh, Pa
1970 280SL, white/black 4 speed

[Kemal]

Sorry to hear about your soft top ....
How is it possible that a car soft top can shrink ?

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

quote:Originally posted by lethj

Last year i bought a lovely 230SL 1967 from Oregon and had it shipped to Denmark. Its a beautiful car, but unfortunately the softtop has shrunk, so it will not attach in the back (only once - with considerable violence - 100 kg me standing on it!).

Anyone tried this - and solved it - short of buying a new one?  Condition apart from the shrinkage is not bad, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Best regards
Jesper

[DaveB]

Same thing happened to my wedding suit! After a couple of years in the closet it just won't fit anymore.
Your top will probably fit fine and wrinkle free with some stretching. Hot and sunny weather would be a great help, but probably not so frequent in Denmark? Some owners have apparently fixed this problem by removing the entire top frame, placing it on a homemade wooden rack and using turnbuckles for gradual stretching.

DaveB

[Kemal]

You're kidding right !

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

quote:Originally posted by DaveB

Same thing happened to my wedding suit! After a couple of years in the closet it just won't fit anymore.
Your top will probably fit fine and wrinkle free with some stretching. Hot and sunny weather would be a great help, but probably not so frequent in Denmark? Some owners have apparently fixed this problem by removing the entire top frame, placing it on a homemade wooden rack and using turnbuckles for gradual stretching.

DaveB

[Miloslav Maun]

As mentioned on this board before, the procedure for the 230 SL is to hook the top in the back first and then latch it the front. (Opposite to the 280 SL procedure).
My car is also hard to latch but I suspect the misaligned frame. (when the top is up, the upper horizontal frame rails are not level.

[DaveB]

Kemal - Kind of! I mean I was kidding but those trousers may never fit me again & that's no joke.

DaveB

[Naj ✝︎]

 

quote:As mentioned on this board before, the procedure for the 230 SL is to hook the top in the back first and then latch it the front.

Here's a demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY2BMTiKnpY&mode=related&search=


68 280SL

[Douglas]

quote:Originally posted by naj


 

quote:As mentioned on this board before, the procedure for the 230 SL is to hook the top in the back first and then latch it the front.

Here's a demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY2BMTiKnpY&mode=related&search=


68 280SL

Fantastic footage! I've got to think that hardtop was fiberglass. They make it look way too easy to remove.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[J. Huber]

That was cool. Guy's got a heavy foot though -- could he go any faster? Made me nervous...

I think the hardtop can come up and off that easy if you have Hans und Franz doing it. Actually my 118 lb wife and I used to handle it -- a lot easier now with a hoist. And with the soft-top demo, it was mostly like I do it -- but Hans' soft-top case lid sure snapped down easily. I have to go to other side and do a push.

BTW, I noticed the pull handles on the driver's side and the round horn -- suggesting that was pretty early footage. And was that Boringer's actual '63 in some of the footage? Because he had a different steering wheel.

Oh and Kemal. I think its true that some one once shared how they removed top and stretched it on a homemade contraption. They can shrink up from being stored too long. Mine even gets a little tighter after one season (but I just need to give it a little more oooph to connect front handles.

James
63 230SL

[Naj ✝︎]

quote:Fantastic footage!
Douglas Kim

There's more footage here, but its at the back end of the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiRDLiPTVYg&mode=related&search=

Can you tell it's a rainy afternoon in London  :?:

68 280SL

[lethj]

Thanks all.  Footage was really outstanding, wish i knew spanish(!). My harttop is surely heavier (or I am physically inferior to the guys on the clip).  

Anyhow - thanks to your hints and further research in the archives I took my car to the rain (came in rich volume today) and with the wet (all the way through) softtop I was able to stretch it into place, where I will now leave it to dry - hope it stays. The rain also revealed that my top is by no measure waterproof, so when dry I will spray it with water repellant (wording?)to make it more water resistant.

I also must recognize that the softtop - which is probably original 67' - is old and fragile so replacement is probably a task for next winter anyway.

Thanks

Jesper'
230 SL 1967
Audi A6 2006
Volvo V70 2002
Opel Rekord 1966

[Kemal]

Dr Atkins can sort that out for you .

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

quote:Originally posted by DaveB

Kemal - Kind of! I mean I was kidding but those trousers may never fit me again & that's no joke.

DaveB

[Kemal]

Ok , another question ,,,, Does one need to spray a water proof spray on the mohair soft top ?
I washed and waxed mine last week and nearly was tempted to wash the soft top .[ Glad I didn't now ]

Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

quote:Originally posted by lethj

Thanks all.  Footage was really outstanding, wish i knew spanish(!). My harttop is surely heavier (or I am physically inferior to the guys on the clip).  

Anyhow - thanks to your hints and further research in the archives I took my car to the rain (came in rich volume today) and with the wet (all the way through) softtop I was able to stretch it into place, where I will now leave it to dry - hope it stays. The rain also revealed that my top is by no measure waterproof, so when dry I will spray it with water repellant (wording?)to make it more water resistant.

I also must recognize that the softtop - which is probably original 67' - is old and fragile so replacement is probably a task for next winter anyway.

Thanks

Jesper'
230 SL 1967
Audi A6 2006
Volvo V70 2002
Opel Rekord 1966

:?:

[Kemal]

Naj , That was fantastic to watch , love to get hold of that film in DVD format .

[ Still raining ,,,, Don't let Ami know though ! ]

Thanks
Kemal
280 SL Manual 69

quote:Originally posted by naj


 

quote:As mentioned on this board before, the procedure for the 230 SL is to hook the top in the back first and then latch it the front.

Here's a demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY2BMTiKnpY&mode=related&search=


68 280SL

[al_lieffring]

In the video did you notice that the stars on the hubcapa are all upright. In photos from this era the wheel covers were removed and placed upright before photos were taken.
We would tell apprentice mechanics at our shop that when installed properly all 4 hubcap stars would always be upright when the car stopped. More often than not they would believe it.

The  chrome tack strip on the top indicates that the car was a very early model, the velour carpeting might make it a pre production prototype.

back to the original question. Storing the car with the top up when not being driven will make a big difference, soaking the top and then leaving it up in the sun to dry will help stretch it out too.

Al Lieffring
66 230Sl
Jones'n for a new gas tank

[J. Huber]

One thing I learned: the chrome vents turn. I tried mine -- the driver's side doesn't seem to want to budge but the pass. side turns fine.



James
63 230SL

[jameshoward]

James,

My vents were the same - one moved a little, the other was stuck. I sprayed them with some light penetrating fluid over a few days - WD40 sort of stuff - and they freed up nicely after a while. They now both rotate. They were just clogged up with gunk/dried chrome cleaner/God knows what else, etc.

James

[J. Huber]

quote:Originally posted by jameshoward

James,

My vents were the same - one moved a little, the other was stuck. I sprayed them with some light penetrating fluid over a few days - WD40 sort of stuff - and they freed up nicely after a while. They now both rotate. They were just clogged up with gunk/dried chrome cleaner/God knows what else, etc.

James

Thanks James. Your tip worked like a charm. Didn't take much -- they now spin freely.

James
63 230SL

[RBurg]

Sometime back when I was with the 190 group (1980 or there abouts) someone made a frame and mounted the top on it where it attacheted to the body. Fastened the front on the frame. Applied a cable with a turn buckel and over a period of months tighten the turn bucket to stretch the canvas. It work out quit well. Maybe Jim Vallis can weight in.

Ron - Minnesota
71 280SL Tobacco "O GIGI"
03 528 BMW BlACK/BLACk
97 E420 Silver Mist

[scoot]

quote:Originally posted by BHap

do a search in the archives - there are a few methods for stretching.  one that comes to mind is: with the top up, in the hot sun, "lean" on the top between the bows with your arms.  do this on both sides of the car, in front of and behind the top bows.  leave the top up as long as you can, the canvas will eventually stretch.....

Yesterday we attempted to deploy for the first time in what I assume is many years the softtop in the 250 SL that we are evalutating for purchase.  I'm afraid I didn't do as well as some of you.  I couldn't get the thing to streatch out enough to latch.  If I latched the back, the front was nearly 1 inch away from where the latch pins go in the latch pin holes.  If I latch the front first, the same for the back.  Any suggestions for how to get the top stretched without taking it out of the car?   I'll try again on a hot sunny day.  Will having the canvas be wet help or hurt the process of initially getting the thing latched?    Thanks!

[scoot]

quote:Originally posted by scoot

quote:Originally posted by BHap

do a search in the archives - there are a few methods for stretching.  one that comes to mind is: with the top up, in the hot sun, "lean" on the top between the bows with your arms.  do this on both sides of the car, in front of and behind the top bows.  leave the top up as long as you can, the canvas will eventually stretch.....

Yesterday we attempted to deploy for the first time in what I assume is many years the softtop in the 250 SL that we are evalutating for purchase.  I'm afraid I didn't do as well as some of you.  I couldn't get the thing to streatch out enough to latch.  If I latched the back, the front was nearly 1 inch away from where the latch pins go in the latch pin holes.  If I latch the front first, the same for the back.  Any suggestions for how to get the top stretched without taking it out of the car?   I'll try again on a hot sunny day.  Will having the canvas be wet help or hurt the process of initially getting the thing latched?    Thanks!

I did better forum searching and think I found the answers:  hot day, wet top, time, effort.

[glennard]

Saw one of those 'stretchers' at Warwick Castle- they used it on the peasants, etc-probably work fine on a Pagoda top.

quote:Originally posted by RBurg

Sometime back when I was with the 190 group (1980 or there abouts) someone made a frame and mounted the top on it where it attacheted to the body. Fastened the front on the frame. Applied a cable with a turn buckel and over a period of months tighten the turn bucket to stretch the canvas. It work out quit well. Maybe Jim Vallis can weight in.

Ron - Minnesota
71 280SL Tobacco "O GIGI"
03 528 BMW BlACK/BLACk
97 E420 Silver Mist