As a new owner of a 107, without a handbook/manual, can someone please point me in the direction to find out how to lower and raise the soft-top hood. There are two levers (a larger and a smaller one) at the back which I am not sure what to do with. I'm ok with the front bit using the tool. Help and thanks.
350SL r107 hood release process
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Myros
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It's not as frightening as you'd think
first, release the the two fastener bolts at the top of the windscreen with the removable handles.
second, push the little handle at the back all the way around to about 8 o'clock, clockwise ( looking at it from the driver's seat.
Third, push the big handle with the round knob as far back as you can to about 9 o'clock counter-clockwise.
( the little one is the safety-catch, the big one is the release)
That should have opened everything up, so step out of the car and gently lift up the rearmost bit of the hood. There is a big catch in the middle of it, and you might need to wiggle it a bit, or release the big lever again.
Fold the rear of the hood up until the back edge sits vertically. Lift up the hood cover and move it to the back of the car until it sits vertically, watch out you don't snag it on the hood.
Still holding the hood rear verticallly, use your other hand to lift the front edge towards the back of the car. Try and make sure the hood folds nicely between the support bows, and that the one immediately back from the leading edge folds down.
Sort of gently, in one movement, let the rear of the hood fall into the stowage space, and the rest of the hood follow suit. Square away the skirt and make sure that all the folds are natural. Ease the rubbers back to their normal position, as the hood can catch them and deform them a bit.
Close the hood cover by pressing it down on both sides, and then return both the levers to their 3:15 locked position.
With practice, you should be able to do the whole thing in under a minute. Less to get it up.
first, release the the two fastener bolts at the top of the windscreen with the removable handles.
second, push the little handle at the back all the way around to about 8 o'clock, clockwise ( looking at it from the driver's seat.
Third, push the big handle with the round knob as far back as you can to about 9 o'clock counter-clockwise.
( the little one is the safety-catch, the big one is the release)
That should have opened everything up, so step out of the car and gently lift up the rearmost bit of the hood. There is a big catch in the middle of it, and you might need to wiggle it a bit, or release the big lever again.
Fold the rear of the hood up until the back edge sits vertically. Lift up the hood cover and move it to the back of the car until it sits vertically, watch out you don't snag it on the hood.
Still holding the hood rear verticallly, use your other hand to lift the front edge towards the back of the car. Try and make sure the hood folds nicely between the support bows, and that the one immediately back from the leading edge folds down.
Sort of gently, in one movement, let the rear of the hood fall into the stowage space, and the rest of the hood follow suit. Square away the skirt and make sure that all the folds are natural. Ease the rubbers back to their normal position, as the hood can catch them and deform them a bit.
Close the hood cover by pressing it down on both sides, and then return both the levers to their 3:15 locked position.
With practice, you should be able to do the whole thing in under a minute. Less to get it up.
Last edited:
Myros
Senior Member
- Joined
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I think the little handle
is mainly the soft top cover/tonneau thing, and a safety for the big pin. It is nearly 6 months since I did it, so I could of course be mistaken. It won't go anywhere until you release the big lever though.
is mainly the soft top cover/tonneau thing, and a safety for the big pin. It is nearly 6 months since I did it, so I could of course be mistaken. It won't go anywhere until you release the big lever though.
David Pemberton
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You should do the big handle first or you will get an asymetric load on the header rail and also cause unnecessary wear in the header rail catches.
This is 100% copy from page 49 of the Owner’s Manual, the references to the diagram are replaced with descriptive text in square brackets. It’s written in that wonderful 1970s English translated from German style; at the end I’ll summarize in plain words.
------------------
“If possible, park the vehicle in the shade as continuous exposure to sun rays will harm canvas colour and rubber coating.
To lower or raise the folding top or remove or attach the coupe hardtop, find two locking handles in a bag stowed in the glove compartment. They are used to engage or disengage locks [on header rail by sun-visors]. Put locking handles back in glove compartment after use.
Lowering the roadster top:
A wet or frozen canvas top must not be folded.
To lower or raise the roadster top, wind down the windows and open the doors.
1. Unlock top bow [rear edge of roof below plastic rear window] and top storage compartment cover [metal lid under which the folded roof lives] by shifting lever [large window winder like handle behind passenger seat] to position [fully anti-clockwise against the spring loading at 8 o’clock]. Lever will automatically return to position [10 o’clock] (bow remains unlocked but top storage compartment cover can be locked. If the top bow cannot be raised in this position, shift lever [little chrome lever by large window winder like lever] to [5 o’clock].
2. Fold up top bow. Be sure that that rear window folds inwards free of kinks.
3. Open top storage compartment cover.
4. Disengage top framework by turning locks [on header rail] inwards. Then disengage the locking handles.
5. Swing back top framework. The second bow [where the roof folds in its middle] must then also swing back otherwise the top material will be damaged.”
----------------
What this really means is:
1. Big lever fully anti-clockwise past the pressure point until the metal lid clicks up.
2. Little lever fully clockwise.
3. Unlock catches by sun-visors.
4. Open metal lid and carefully fold roof down making sure that there are no tight creases that might get snagged or cause marks and wear.
This is 100% copy from page 49 of the Owner’s Manual, the references to the diagram are replaced with descriptive text in square brackets. It’s written in that wonderful 1970s English translated from German style; at the end I’ll summarize in plain words.
------------------
“If possible, park the vehicle in the shade as continuous exposure to sun rays will harm canvas colour and rubber coating.
To lower or raise the folding top or remove or attach the coupe hardtop, find two locking handles in a bag stowed in the glove compartment. They are used to engage or disengage locks [on header rail by sun-visors]. Put locking handles back in glove compartment after use.
Lowering the roadster top:
A wet or frozen canvas top must not be folded.
To lower or raise the roadster top, wind down the windows and open the doors.
1. Unlock top bow [rear edge of roof below plastic rear window] and top storage compartment cover [metal lid under which the folded roof lives] by shifting lever [large window winder like handle behind passenger seat] to position [fully anti-clockwise against the spring loading at 8 o’clock]. Lever will automatically return to position [10 o’clock] (bow remains unlocked but top storage compartment cover can be locked. If the top bow cannot be raised in this position, shift lever [little chrome lever by large window winder like lever] to [5 o’clock].
2. Fold up top bow. Be sure that that rear window folds inwards free of kinks.
3. Open top storage compartment cover.
4. Disengage top framework by turning locks [on header rail] inwards. Then disengage the locking handles.
5. Swing back top framework. The second bow [where the roof folds in its middle] must then also swing back otherwise the top material will be damaged.”
----------------
What this really means is:
1. Big lever fully anti-clockwise past the pressure point until the metal lid clicks up.
2. Little lever fully clockwise.
3. Unlock catches by sun-visors.
4. Open metal lid and carefully fold roof down making sure that there are no tight creases that might get snagged or cause marks and wear.
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