Hello and a question on Roof Lining (Jaguar X300)

[kellya4]

Hello PH,

I am now a member after months of breezing through the classifieds and gassing sections for fun and I am greatly impressed with the site, it truely is perfect for a PH.

In other news, I have a 1995 Jaguar X300 and the roof lining is drooping at the rear. Has anyone else experienced this problem and can it be repaired by a non-specialist? If so, is there a recommended product?

Thanks in advance for any help,

Andrew

[louismchuge]

Hi Andrew

I've got an XJ40 and had the same issue. You need to remove all of the cant rail trim, jesus handles at the back and the light console at the front. (The cant rail clips will break so you need to buy some more. I got a packet on ebay for about a tenner I think.) Then with the front seats wound flat you can manhandle the board out of a back door. Some people will say you need to take the windscreen out but that is pretty costly. If you're careful with the board and arc it you shouln't make any severe bends in it.

Once the board is out you'll need to remove all of the old material and the foam backing that will still be stuck to the board. Give it a coat of pva and water so it's sealed and let the board dry out.

I got some foam backed material for £25, off ebay again. Not quite the exact colour but it matches pretty well. The glue you use is the most important bit now! Don't go for any generic trimming spray glue, it won't last more than a day. I used a 3M heavy duty spray glue, but a few months later and even this is looking a little tired.

I'm going to be trimming it again soon with a better glue, I'll do my research and let you know which I'm using!

PS - if you really don't want to do this yourself be prepared for a fairly hefty bill. I've read of people paying north of £500 to get it done professionally

Louis

[Accelerated]

I have used these guys many times, check out the site - http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/

[Dominicc01]

Yep, I'm told it's a common problem. Just had a quote for ~£400 (depending on whether it's just the glue, or whether it needs re-trimming).

The glue, I'm told, is extremely important - most glues will not hold more than a couple of days.

All of the seats need to be removed in order to get the board out without damaging it. That, or removing the front or back windscreen.

[kellya4]

Firstly, thanks for all the swift replies, the information is very helpful. Although I usually carry out all repairs myself I don't feel inclined to tackle this, it seems like something I could end up making a disaster of. I am from Ireland and currently live in Germany for 1 year so I will price an expert here and at home but I will be expecting figures around £500 mark. It is not an urgent job so @louismchuge let me know how you get on with the new glue; I may become a bit braver in the next while (especially when I get the large quotes!!).

Thanks again!!