R129 Hardtop Hoist - Anybody used/using one?

[Vintage Racer]

Looking for a Hardtop hoist for my R129 (Pano Roof).

Anyone used one of these, or have any other suggestions: Mercedes-Benz SL Removable Hardtop Storage Hoist | The SL Shop

I have plenty of headroom in the garage, but not much space for a Hardtop Stand!

Cheers

Glynn

 

[Zonergem]

Special Vehicle Services Ltd

But cheaper than the SL Shop. The original Merc one cradled the hardtop in such a way that there was nothing
touching the seals, or so I am led to believe.

 

[Codger49]

I was thinking that the SL Shop offering looked to be quite profitable - for them!

 

[Lotiman]

Special Vehicle Services Ltd

But cheaper than the SL Shop. The original Merc one cradled the hardtop in such a way that there was nothing
touching the seals, or so I am led to believe.

The Special Vehicle product is the one I use on my 107 hardtop and very good it is too. I bought a manual ratchet type winch on eBay which I fitted to the garage wall and with an idler pulley at high level, it works really well. I just drive the car under it, release the hardtop, start winching and up it goes. Job's a goodun!

With the hardtop in the air, I do go belt and braces by putting nylon webbing around the rafters and under the top, just in case the winch ratchet should fail.

 

[BTB 500]

There was another company making R129 hoists, I'll see if It can dig out the details. IIRC they were Swedish.

What about a wall storage bag? You tuck your hardtop up in that and it hangs on a big pair of hooks fixed to the garage wall. I bought one but just use it for additional protection when the hard top is off the car (and now, on an M-B trolley).

 

[Lotiman]

The problem with storage racks or trolleys is that it's a 2 man job to remove the hardtop from the car. The hoist cradle + winch turns it in to an easy one man job.

 

[Lotiman]

Out of interest, this is the type of winch I bought, with a brake for safety when winching. I mounted it on a suitable bracket at chest height on the wall.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HN609CC/?tag=amazon0e9db-21

 

[219]

Looking for a Hardtop hoist for my R129 (Pano Roof).

Anyone used one of these, or have any other suggestions: Mercedes-Benz SL Removable Hardtop Storage Hoist | The SL Shop

I have plenty of headroom in the garage, but not much space for a Hardtop Stand!

Cheers

Glynn

I used my hardtop the first winter I had my car - never again : there were so many days I wanted to put the roof down and I had this thing on the car that prevented me doing it .

Since then the hardtop has resided in my mum's garage . The soft top is completely weather proof and it goes down almost daily : three top down trips today ... if it isn't raining heavily , the top goes down . Even with light rain , as long as you keep moving you don't get wet .

Hard top is just a nuisance .

 

[BTB 500]

OK I found the Swedish company I was thinking of:

Mercedes Benz SL 1990-2002 Hardtop Hoist | Toplift ? Open Sky Motoring

 

[BTB 500]

I used my hardtop the first winter I had my car - never again : there were so many days I wanted to put the roof down and I had this thing on the car that prevented me doing it .

Since then the hardtop has resided in my mum's garage . The soft top is completely weather proof and it goes down almost daily : three top down trips today ... if it isn't raining heavily , the top goes down . Even with light rain , as long as you keep moving you don't get wet .

Hard top is just a nuisance .

I prefer the look of the car with the hard top on but I haven't had mine fitted for 5 or 6 years now that the car isn't a daily driver. Main dealers used to store them for free over the summer months (removing and re-fitting for customers). This ended not long after I got my car in 2004, and I picked up a stand for nothing from M-B Eastbourne

 

[219]

Oh , and I don't have a stand either .

My mum no longer drives , so her garage is just a store room : thick rug on floor and blankets wrapped around top , it stands on end and leans against wall .

I only keep it in case soft top gets ripped or I lose a plastic window . My soft top is well worn and has seen better days , but still not a drop of water comes in
.

 

[219]

I prefer the look of the car with the hard top on but I haven't had mine fitted for 5 or 6 years now that the car isn't a daily driver.

I agree it looks nice , but defeats the point of a convertible if you can't put the roof down when you feel like it .

The car is quieter with the hard top on , but I have other cars with fixed rooves.

My SL has covered 40K in not much more than the last year , at least half of which will have been top down .

 

[Lotiman]

I used my hardtop the first winter I had my car - never again : there were so many days I wanted to put the roof down and I had this thing on the car that prevented me doing it .

Since then the hardtop has resided in my mum's garage . The soft top is completely weather proof and it goes down almost daily : three top down trips today ... if it isn't raining heavily , the top goes down . Even with light rain , as long as you keep moving you don't get wet .

Hard top is just a nuisance .

Maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age, but I do prefer the snug draught free feel of the hardtop on the odd occasion I use mine in winter and the hoist assembly does only take a few minutes to remove it if necessary. Having said that, I do tend to leave it off probably from early March through to October.

The hardtops on these cars are so damned heavy, they probably reduce the mpg whenever they are on!

 

[tanuie]

I bought an electric winch and nylon straps of e-bay and fixed it to the apex of the garage, it takes a bit of working out but it is a lot cheaper than the other options, under £100. When it is fixed in place you lift the top off so it is clear of the car and drive the car out of the garage, and then lower the top down to the garage floor and store it where you like.

 

[Vintage Racer]

Thanks Guys,

Looks like a found a cheaper source - less than half the price of the SL Shop version!

Hardtop-Lift für Mercedes SL R129 (9/1989 - 2002) - Motorform-Shop

I will be ordering one shortly!

Glynn

 

[MD5]

I would try and avoid cradles that make contact with seals. MB's own design:

 

[Vintage Racer]

I would try and avoid cradles that make contact with seals. MB's own design:

Now that looks like a proper job, but I would not have room in my garage to position it. - the TR3a takes up the rest of the space in its carcoon!

 

[BTB 500]

The hardtops on these cars are so damned heavy, they probably reduce the mpg whenever they are on!

The car has a lower drag coefficient with the hardtop on (Cd 0.32 vs 0.34 with the hood up), so fuel consumption is actually supposed be be slightly better! You also have much better visibility, and a heated rear screen of course.

The standard top is quite a bit lighter than the panoramic one, btw.

 

[Lotiman]

The car has a lower drag coefficient with the hardtop on (Cd 0.32 vs 0.34 with the hood up), so fuel consumption is actually supposed be be slightly better! You also have much better visibility, and a heated rear screen of course.

The standard top is quite a bit lighter than the panoramic one, btw.

I was only joking

 

[BTB 500]

I was only joking

I guessed that but the different Cd figures are interesting! The hard top reduces the height of the car slightly.