Why are there so many SL roofs for sale?

[Willsco]

Apologies for the random question - but I keep an eye on EBay for R129 SL stuff and I never cease to be amazed at the number of hard tops for sale...

Why so many?

Why do they get separated from their cars?

Any theories?

Thanks

ike W

 

[BaldGuy]

Allot of people like me take the Pano roof off when they buy the car and never ever put it back on..... It's on it's stand in the garage and will stay there.....

 

[IanA2]

I can only see one panoramic roof on eBay at the mo. In fact they are not that common, leastways not when I was looking for one!

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

The hardtop for my R107 has been in our warehouse for over three years , as the car is only used during the summer. It will probably stay there until i get rid of the car .

 

[Willsco]

Thanks for thoughts

I wasn't just referring to pano roofs - I can see at least 7 roofs or hardtops on eBay at the moment

It just struck me as quite a few

Thanks again

Mike W

 

[b1g1an]

Apart from the people that don't use them so look to make a few quid you'll probably find a lot of people trade the car on and then remember that thing they've got buried in the garage or you try to give dealer as little as possible to compensate for that stinging feeling.

OK, so a roof is a big item but I'm sure all of us have bits we took out of cars that we haven't had for many years and forgotten about, the missus seems to get a kick out of reminding me as often as possible.

 

[219]

A fair number of cars may be written off , with the roof left at home .

 

[BTB 500]

Combination of the above I think. Older cars being scrapped now (not economical to repair), so 'spare' hard tops that way. Unscruplous sellers keeping the hardtop (and wind deflector, first aid kit, etc.) when the vehicle is sold on to someone who doesn't know what was standard.

 

[E55BOF]

Apart from the people that don't use them so look to make a few quid you'll probably find a lot of people trade the car on and then remember that thing they've got buried in the garage or you try to give dealer as little as possible to compensate for that stinging feeling.

OK, so a roof is a big item but I'm sure all of us have bits we took out of cars that we haven't had for many years and forgotten about, the missus seems to get a kick out of reminding me as often as possible.

I still have a brand-new windscreen wiper blade, an inboard CVJ boot, and a three-quarter set of front brake pads for a Citroen CX, and I sold my last CX (of seven) in 1995. I bet they're worth, oh, at least two quid now...

 

[Ian_Mac]

I still have a brand-new windscreen wiper blade, an inboard CVJ boot, and a three-quarter set of front brake pads for a Citroen CX, and I sold my last CX (of seven) in 1995. I bet they're worth, oh, at least two quid now...

I could do someone a deal on a Mk1 TT tonneau cover and an engine cover from the 225 model, sat gathering dust for a few years now.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Freelander 'shower curtain' style back cover somewhere in the garage.
Come to think of it there's a car under there somewhere.

 

[219]

At the bottom of my garden there is ( from memory )

a W111 front wing
gearbox from same car
stainless steel exhaust for W111 220S
set of Ponton front brakes
2 Fintail bootlids
spare M180 engine complete with gearbox ( from Ponton 220S )
Pair of W126 facelift bumpers with good chrome
approx 20 wheels both alloy & steel with & without tyres from various Mercedes models
1 complete LPG kit for W126
a second 'doughnut' LPG tank

in my shed

two sets of carburettors from Fintail and Ponton 220S , complete with manifolds
radiator from W111
ATE T50 brake booster
W126 wiper linkage complete with motor
set of W126 window regulators
air con compressor from W126
radiator from W126
2 sets of W126 headlamps ( one with wash/wipe )
2 sets of W201/124 door mirrors ( remembers I have to check one out for another member !)
2 sets of W126 tail lights
numerous Ponton,Fintail,W114,W115,W123 chrome wheeltrims , plus plastic ones from later models
complete SLS system for the 500SEL

many many more W126/W124/W201 small parts too numerous to list ( or remember )


then in my attic there are two brand new W126 front wings
W126 leather interior

Over at my mum's
a shed full of Ponton parts
another spare Ponton engine & gearbox
set of front & rear Ponton bumpers
The Ponton itself ....

I'm sure there is more that I've forgotten............

Oh , and the stuff I've thrown out/given away/sold far outweighs what I currently have !

Then there are my collections of Hi-Fi / Photographic / Video equipment ........ which take up almost as much space again

I need a bigger house !

 

[Willsco]

Yes fair point on the previous car leftovers

My garage has a good set of museum artefacts as well

I guess I'm just too new to SL ownership and still enjoying every aspect of ownership so much

My roof is in a tailored bag hanging from the garage roof and I can't imagine forgetting it if I had to sell the car

But I guess I would've said the same 8 years ago about the Porsche 928 bits in the garage that I forgot to include with the car when I sold the car last November....

Thanks for all your insights - and just consider how much space you'd have in your garage and how many pounds you'd have in our pocket if you Ebay'd all your old car bits...

Regards

Mike W

 

[ss201]

The dealerships used to offer to store customers' hardtops during the summer (don't know if they still do). Then the customer would sell the car, move away, leaving the dealership with the hardtop. When 129s were new, they were expensive and sold to some people with more money than sense. My local dealership had two customers' hardtops for stored years - which they couldn't sell in case the customer returned for it one day.

I guess eventually they sold them on as they do take up a lot of space.

 

[BTB 500]

The dealerships used to offer to store customers' hardtops during the summer (don't know if they still do).

Dealer storage of hardtops ceased long ago. I was given a free trolley stand with my R129 because of this (they didn't need them any more) ... that was back in 2004.

 

[Tiff]

Seems the same with MGF's- loads of hardtops for sale, but still seem to make strong money.. I'll wait until there are more hardtops than MGF's then the prices should plummet..

Everyone I knew with an X1/9 had more than one targa top, these were the only bits that didn't rust I had 4 and had no idea how I came by them...couldn't give them away. My lad ended up using one as a sledge.