I was thinking of buying the Mods4Cars SmartTop but then I realised I had an AutoPi.

[rorywquin]

With you on this. Usually if it starts raining I'm somewhere doing more then 30 so would have to at least slow right down so may as well find a suitable stopping place for the 15 seconds it takes to close the roof.

Now if it were like the Smart where you can open and close the roof at over 80 mph....

Does your roof really close in 15 sec?

 

[Conor]

You can now do it at higher speeds, just wouldn’t recommend it! I did like Being able to get the roof down remotely before getting in the car

Yes John that's what my main aim.. leave the leave my flat.. and by the time I reach my car it's ready to go :cool

 

[rorywquin]

Still not enough for me though to justify the price, if it was £150 then maybe but I dont think I would get enough use of it to justify the cost. In 3 years of owning my SL I have never had the requirement to do any of those things.

Having had the ST in two different cars, my opinion is that they are worth every penny. I used to hate being at a café / coffeeshop / restaurant etc and sitting in (standing at) the car like a fool while I opened / closed the roof. It is so much nicer to be able to stop the car get out 3 clicks while I'm walking away and let the roof do it's thing. Ditto when returning, 3 clicks and the roof is open and the car is cooling before your get to it.

If that was the only benefit, I'd recommend the ST bit there are many other functions which only add to the benefit of installing one.

 

[LostKiwi]

Does your roof really close in 15 sec?

Yes.... The 129 is 18 seconds.

 

[flowrider]

Having had the ST in two different cars, my opinion is that they are worth every penny. I used to hate being at a café / coffeeshop / restaurant etc and sitting in (standing at) the car like a fool while I opened / closed the roof. It is so much nicer to be able to stop the car get out 3 clicks while I'm walking away and let the roof do it's thing. Ditto when returning, 3 clicks and the roof is open and the car is cooling before your get to it.

If that was the only benefit, I'd recommend the ST bit there are many other functions which only add to the benefit of installing one.

Just don't use it in public

 

[Chrishazle]

Put the seat all the way down. I don’t notice wind over the shoulder because of the small windows being down. I’ve a net wind deflector in mine.

Herself has the seat all the way up - maybe I have to look at installing seat lifting spacers on her side as I did in the 968 cab (bless, she's only 5'2"!!). However, even if I do that I'd put money she'd still find something to complain about!

 

[sl500amgsport]

How much is a set of tyres or service on an SL, kind of makes the one off cost of a module good value?

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[Conor]

How much is a set of tyres or service on an SL, kind of makes the one off cost of a module good value?

Mercedes SL500 R231

Good question.. what do people spend on a good set of rubber for the R230?

 

[LostKiwi]

Good question.. what do people spend on a good set of rubber for the R230?

My last set of rears were 300 the pair fitted. Mine are an odd size though - 285/35/19.
They were Falken FK510s

 

[Conor]

Yes John that's what my main aim.. leave the leave my flat.. and by the time I reach my car it's ready to go :cool

I just realised that was probably one my most incoherent sentences ever... I hadn't even been drinking.

 

[Blobcat]

I just realised that was probably one my most incoherent sentences ever... I hadn't even been drinking.

And yet we still understood

 

[rorywquin]

Yes.... The 129 is 18 seconds.

So not 15 sec..... However the reason I got the ST for my SLK (R172) was the very reason you mentioned. It had to be stationary for the full open / close process. I got caught in a thunderstorm on my way to work in Brisbane. Travelling at speed was ok until I had to slow down, pull over and stop, by which time I was pretty wet. On my SL you can open / close while moving but, the process has to be started while at a standstill.

 

[LostKiwi]

So not 15 sec..... However the reason I got the ST for my SLK (R172) was the very reason you mentioned. It had to be stationary for the full open / close process. I got caught in a thunderstorm on my way to work in Brisbane. Travelling at speed was ok until I had to slow down, pull over and stop, by which time I was pretty wet. On my SL you can open / close while moving but, the process has to be started while at a standstill.

230 is 15 seconds, 129 is 18 seconds.
I can't think of any time I've gotten wet through not closing the roof in time even though I've driven through some wet weather with the roof down.

 

[Blobcat]

230 is 15 seconds, 129 is 18 seconds.
I can't think of any time I've gotten wet through not closing the roof in time even though I've driven through some wet weather with the roof down.

Thought the 230 was ~22 secs

The SLK can’t be opened unless in reverse or crawling along. I’ve also been drowned on a slip road.

You also have to keep your finger on the switch to open or close which is a PITA at times

I’d also like to so I can open and close the roof In the garage as it would make getting in and out much easier.

 

[rorywquin]

230 is 15 seconds, 129 is 18 seconds.
I can't think of any time I've gotten wet through not closing the roof in time even though I've driven through some wet weather with the roof down.

I was caught in a tropical downpour - I was never going to stay dry. One moment it was dry and the next chucking it down (in traffic) and about 10 minutes after that it was over.

 

[Chrishazle]

Russel, there's nothing to stop you opening and closing the R171 roof in the garage, but best to do it engine running as it takes quite a hit out of the battery. Not a problem I guess if you're parking up for a day or 3 and connect the conditioner! I've done it in my garage engine running, but both front and side doors open to clear the exhaust fumes.

As an aside, the one thing Smarttop does that I'd like is it lets you put the small side windows up when the roof is down. Is this just a Star coding thing? Despite the large side windows up and the wind deflector (glass type) herself still complains occasionally about back draught.

 

[rorywquin]

Russel, there's nothing to stop you opening and closing the R171 roof in the garage, but best to do it engine running as it takes quite a hit out of the battery. Not a problem I guess if you're parking up for a day or 3 and connect the conditioner! I've done it in my garage engine running, but both front and side doors open to clear the exhaust fumes.

As an aside, the one thing Smarttop does that I'd like is it lets you put the small side windows up when the roof is down. Is this just a Star coding thing? Despite the large side windows up and the wind deflector (glass type) herself still complains occasionally about back draught.

Strangely my R172 SLK didn't have that feature either. I never used it with the ST because I thought MB had a good reason to not allow it, yet it is available on my SL without using the ST. Go figure.

 

[LostKiwi]

Our 230 lets us put up the small rear windows too.

 

[Blobcat]

Russel, there's nothing to stop you opening and closing the R171 roof in the garage, but best to do it engine running as it takes quite a hit out of the battery. Not a problem I guess if you're parking up for a day or 3 and connect the conditioner! I've done it in my garage engine running, but both front and side doors open to clear the exhaust fumes.

As an aside, the one thing Smarttop does that I'd like is it lets you put the small side windows up when the roof is down. Is this just a Star coding thing? Despite the large side windows up and the wind deflector (glass type) herself still complains occasionally about back draught.

I’ve parked up roof down in the garage. It’s not so handy when the boot is full of shopping though...
I’d like to get out with the roof down then close the roof so I can access the boot.
Likewise I’d like to access the boot then drop the roof and then get in.
Not something you can do easily with the standard setup.

 

[Blobcat]

Our 230 lets us put up the small rear windows too.

Yes, standard on the R230 that you can put the small rear windows up. Not possible as standard on the R171