How do you remove the top from a 1981 Mercedes 380 SL?

Answer 1

I assume you want to remove the hard top on the car, and use the soft top which is hidden under the horse shoe cover.... You will need 2 people to remove this top, unless you have a block and tackle set up, which I assume you don't. You need the "tool", which you should have either in the glove box or in the trunk, with the jack or tool kit. If you can't find this tool, you can use a large, flat blade screwdriver. Lower the visors...you will see a round chrome nut with a square slot in it. Place the tool in the slot, and move the nut outwards. There are two of these, one under each visor. The top will move upwards just a little. That's good. Then, on the inboard left hand panel behind your driver's seat, you'll see a small crank handle. Push that handle towards the rear of the car. You'll hear the latch move. There are two more chrome nuts, inside, just in front of the side window pillar. Use the tool and turn those bolts left. Once again, the top will lift up a little. This is good. Then, before you remove the top, on the right side, opposite of the crank, you'll find a little flap with two snaps covering a thick black wire. Open the flap and unplug the wire from it's holder and replace the flap, and re-snap. Here's the tricky part...get another guy...99% of the girls can't help you here...get the other guy on the other side of the car. The roof is aluminum and doesn't weigh that much, but its bulky and hard to handle. Lift the top directly straight up, at least 6" over the body. Once you have the top up, both of you walk straight backwards towards the rear of the car. Be careful to keep the top up, there's a 3" pin under the rear of the roof and can make a big mess if you hit the paint with it. Take the top all the way back and carefully lay it on the ground. That''s it. Pop that handle all the way back, which should pop open the horse shoe cover revealing the soft top underneath. Pull up on the soft top, then pull forward. Move the handle and small chrome lever to the forward position. Put the horse shoe back down, and let it lock down. Then put the top's pin into the hole in the center of the horse shoe. Then move the top down on the front holes. Use the tool to lock the front of the top down. Then, pull the crank in the rear forward to lock down the rear part of the top.... YOU'RE DONE.