[R129 SL] New to me SL320 and a quick question

[Rob Vonderhaar]

Jody,
I had the same questions when I bought my '95 SL fourteen years ago. Everyone I talked with (dealers, Performance Products, etc.) confirmed that an R129 top should not be stored long-term on a hoist. As I recall, suspending it on a hoist allows the top to 'flex' a bit, and you end up with cracking paint and/or an ill-fitting top over time. This is apparently unique with the R129 top, because it was fine to store the earlier R107 tops on a hoist.

There are some very fancy (read: expen$ive) hoists where the top doesn't hang from straps during storage but actually sits on a rigid frame much like it does when it's on the car. (I think it's called a "Stor-Away"?) I assume these would probably be fine. Also, I know some people that used wood to build custom racks to either store the top on a rigid surface above the car, or to create their own version of a rolling storage cart.

Personally, I thought all that was a lot of hassle, especially since I've moved twice since buying the SL. So I went with the hand-crank "Fritzi Hoist" from Performance Products and also their rolling storage cart with cover (which has definitely been improved over the model they sold 14years ago). As Deneal says, it really takes very little floor space since it's stored vertically.

The hoist comes with tons of metal brackets, straps, bolts, etc. I skipped all that and simply attached the main pulley to the heavy steel brackets with holes that mount my garage door opener. These are lag-bolted into the ceiling joists, so they're very solid and the top isn't all that heavy. Screw a second pulley into a wall stud, lag-bolt the winch itself to a wall stud, and you're done. I've done this three times now - quick to install, easy to remove later, and leaves just three bolt holes in the drywall to patch.

With this setup, I've always removed and reinstalled the top by myself. For the latter, I spread an old blanket on the floor, roll the cart onto it, move the top from the cart to the blanket, and then hook on the straps. The only trick is placing the car so the rear pins of the top will drop almost directly into their matching holes on the car. Both winch and storage cart are highly recommended.

    Rob Vonderhaar

-----Original Message-----
From: Jody Techlin
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 6:50 AM
To: r129list at mbcoupes.com
Subject: [R129 SL] New to me SL320 and a quick question

Hello all,
I am very pleased to say I have purchased a 1996 SL320 with 27,000 on the clock.  I had the vehicle fully inspected at Mercedes of Sarasota prior to purchase and all checked out very nicely. My question is in respect to top storage, I am sure it's been asked before but please indulge the newbie.  I have seen in both the Performance Products and Adsit catalogs advertisementgs for the top hoist. I know the top is not to be stored using the hoist long term - but that said I would like to know if any of you choose to leave the top suspended for four or five months at a time or not.  My garage is all concrete block as are many Florida garages and if I could feel safe simply hoisting the top out of the way for a few months at a time it would surely save floor space.  Your thoughts please?
Thanks and warm regards,
Jody
1996 SL320 27,000k (Emerald Green with Parchment)
1989 190E 2.6 116,000k