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ml430_owner_315
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Hardtop
I was just wondering how hard it would be to put a hard top on a cabrio or truck or whatever you would call it. Or would you just put it right on and paint it to your car color? Because i dont really like the soft top g's but this looked like a nice well kept G that mabye i could buy, throw a hardtop on and let it be my daily driver. Let me know if you have experience with this or if you know about this. Thanks |
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ml430_owner_315
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: Hardtop
Oh by the way I was looking at this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1980-Mercedes-Benz-230GE-CABRIO-230-... |
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Steve D
Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Denver, CO
Vehicle(s): 1984 280GE cabrio; 2011 Ford Expedition
Posts: 112
| Re: Hardtop
It is a nice looking truck. AND it already has a hardtop on it. |
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Re: Hardtop - Not a 1980
Steve D - 7/16/2006 1:11 AM
It is a nice looking truck. AND it already has a hardtop on it.
It's also NOT a 1980 model. The 280GE was not available then. The VIN puts it somewhere in 1985. Someone must have played the paperwork to get it past the DOT cert.
It's also been repainted from its original red color. That may or may not be hiding something. From the rust present on the seat base, I would suspect that it does. |
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gwagen460swb
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Vehicle(s): 280GE SWB, Toyota Highlander, BMW530i, RR HSE
Posts: 513
| Re: Hardtop
Josh,
I have seen this G before on two seperate occasions when I was in the Metroplex (Dallas-Ft Worth area). I saw it once in Richardson and once in Plano. I only caught the guy's first name--Andre. He owned another G and sold it in January.
Surprisingly, the reason why the owner painted it grey was for the same reason(s) you mentioned. He prefered a SWB unibody hardtop (or most commonly refered to as a wagon). Since the closest was the removable hard plastic cabrio, he bought this one and painted it gray so the removable hard plastic top blended in making it look like a wagon. The signs are still obvious it is a cabrio: you can tell the texture difference between plastic and metal, the pillars between the doors and rear side windows is a thicker appearance than a wagon, and the trim gutters do not extend all the way back. Or were you looking for the hard plastic top?
Going back to the paint: From the outside, you can see the original red finish on the inner side of the firewall behind the dash. You can still see the original red paint around the inner door panel. Red paint can still be seen on sides of dash and underneath dash. Obviously, red paint can be seen in the engine compartment.
As for rust, look under the floormats. I would clean and treat that rust as soon as possible. If not, the rust could eat out the floor panels and spread to door sill areas. On the passenger side rear quarter panel, there is a little bubbling from rust coming up. It is not that noticable from the distance. And it is not as bad as I have seen in some other Gs.
In the door sills, there is some dirt and grime build-up. I know when people wash and detail their cars, many people ignore the inner parts of the cars. When I wash my cars, I make sure the inner parts (door jam areas, trunk/tailgate/rear door, edges of hood, and inner sills) are cleaned. You may have to take some WD40 to loosen it up.
Aside from what I mentioned, it is a well-maintained G and ready to drive.
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