That's unfortunate, as they seem to be one of the few outfits who sell a complete set of replacement wood, thus guaranteeing a grain match.

Is your car exposed to the elements much?

 

I had the same experience w/ Myrtle. I have since bought a few things from Paul's Jaguar, and have been very pleased with the service, and the product. I saw the thread over on JL, but didn't want to post it there as it is a no no...

Dave
Atlanta 1994 XJS 6.0L

 

btw... the ski slope I bought from Myrtle cracked and peeled before I even got it on the car! It happened in the garage in about 2 months. And there are no extreme temp. or other conditions in there...just poor workmanship, and materials.

Dave

 

Wow, sorry about your experience, but thanks for the warning. I was considering just replacing my ski slope once I tint the windows, but I think I'll hold out for a complete matching set. Will definitely check out Paul's.

 

I second Pauls Jaguar, however for wood, I used British Autowood.

Haven't had any problems. I wanted to say that he seemed like a straight up guy based on my conversations with him, but I suppose you never know.

I was going to ask if anyone has had trouble mounting bezels on new ski slopes...it seems mine is thicker than what the bezels are made for. (Perhaps its the metal backing plate that British Autowood uses...)

 

I saw this thread on JL, as well, but can't really understand why these types of posts are frowned upon. That being said, however, this thread is of great importance to me and I'm glad the experience was shared with us. Does anyone have any feedback on britishautowood.com ? He sell slopes on eBay, but I'd like to hear from others before I spring for one.
Thanks. Willie

 

quote=Willie Engelson;438105]I saw this thread on JL, as well, but can't really understand why these types of posts are frowned upon. That being said, however, this thread is of great importance to me and I'm glad the experience was shared with us. Does anyone have any feedback on britishautowood.com ? He sell slopes on eBay, but I'd like to hear from others before I spring for one.
Thanks. Willie[/quote]

Ok, I've been monitoring this post as I'm sure some of the other mods have been also. In answer to your question about these posts being frowned upon?

We are / can be held responsible to some degree to whats posted or allowed to be posted here on site.

To offer your experience of a dealer / service or product that has been "less than satisfactory" is fine if offered for viewing in the correct way. This can help our members to avoid certain pitfalls, hopefully poor service and keep repair bills down.

But, to come here, shout from the rooftops using our site as a soapbox to slate a company / person, verbally abuse and or run them down, is NOT acceptable and not permitted here, or on most forums I think you'll find.

Back on topic, I can also say I've heard many good things / read many good posts about recomendations for British Autowood in my time here

 

Purchased my console and wood set at Paul's Jaguar about 9 months ago. Installed it in the vehicle during a restoration about four months ago and my console did the exact same thing. Cracked and de-laminated and the restoration wasn't even finished yet! Whoever answered the phone claimed it wasn't his problem and suggested that I go to a refinishing company to have it repaired! This is a $350.00 wood set that hasn't even seen regular use yet. Paul's is just fine when they are trying to sell you something...Just see what happens when you want a replacement or a refund. They get nasty. Very nasty. They'll try to talk over you, not letting you get a word in edgewise. They will twist your words and they will tell you that every other Jaguar supplier has no idea what they are talking about! Especially if that dealer tells you that what Paul's sold you was defective. For those of you that think that Paul's is just the greatest thing since sliced bread...That only means you haven't tried to approach them with a return yet. The slopes he's selling are garbage. If they are indeed authentic Jaguar, they are missing the backside balancing laminates that prevent the front from cracking. Regardless, they should stand behind what they sell. These should last for years. They will never get another dime from me.

 

I have been very pleased in my dealings with Paul's Jaguar. What I mainly like about them is that they do not over inflate prices of parts just because they are NLA. They let OEM ski slopes go for 150-200 bucks. That's a good deal to me, when most want to charge hundreds for a part worth 80.00 just because they think people are desperate, but I have not had to return my ski slope or any other parts otherwise to them.

On the other hand I do sympathize with the OP and others. While it is true that some clients are perpetual nightmares, some businesses are just greedy;

When I first inherited my car some years ago, I prepared *heavily* for her arrival. I found one of the "known" Jaguar online parts places and went with them. I had gotten a small severance package from a previous employer and immediately gotten another job...Lets just say most of that severance package went towards new parts for the car. I read the XJS forums and bought everything I thought might be wrong. I bought new blowers , entire A/C, coils, hoses, belts, you name it, I got it. A little less than 6K just in parts as I was "nesting" for my XJS . Once I got her, over the course of the first year I spend around 5K in additional parts. Around 10K in less than 12 months. Naturally, as it is to be expected a couple of parts failed. The reply was "WE HAVE SOLD HUNDRED'S AND NEVER HAD ONE FAIL"....they ended up changing the parts but now they only get my business as a supplier of last resort .Really unfortunate. I tell everyone who asks me privately about their awful client service. Now I buy from jaguar classic parts in England first, second from Motorcars LTD since they are in my city and third from the dealer. I have never had a costumer service issue with any of these entities when I have had to return a part, and they do not try to imply I am an idiot who probably submerged my electrical part in my fish tank and caused the failure myself. As a matter of fact Motorcars LTD more than once has acknowledged that they got a bad batch of something, apologized and given me a store credit. Needless to say this is why they are on my top three.

 

Funny you should mention that quote. He said EXACTLY the same thing: "WE HAVE SOLD HUNDRED'S AND NEVER HAD ONE FAIL" and took a condescending tone like I was some kind of an idiot. A truly nasty individual. The customer service there is great...when you're buying something. Unfortunately, it's a completely different story when something goes wrong....Take my advice, pay a little extra somewhere else and get the kind of customer service a reputable company provides.

 

I don't believe that quote was being attributed to Pauls by Spikepaga.

 

That is correct. It was this very well known online parts vendor who got around 10K of my business in a year and then gave me a hard time over 400.00 worth of bad parts.

I have not had to return anything to Paul's Jaguar, so I can not comment on them. I have liked the service thus far.

Nevertheless, I guess when its time to return a faulty part is when you find out what kind of business you are dealing with. What the hell does "I HAVE SOLD HUNDREDS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM" mean?..when I heard those words I was so p.o'd I shot back "WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A PROBLEM NOW!"


Like I said before, JHDT.COM, Motorcars, and Central Jaguar in Houston have all accepted returned parts graciously, and I will pass up a crank sensor on sale for 50.00 dollars from a seller with poor service/dishonest attitude and buy one from one of any of those three companies for 150.00.

This thread is very therapeutic!

 

Yep, everybody looks good when things go well. It's only when problems arise that an outfit has the opportunity to show what they're really made of. Some rise to the occasion, some don't.

I've long believed that a problem, quickly and professionally resolved, does more to build customer loyalty than if there hadn't been a problem at all.

Cheers
DD

 

How about a DIY job.
In the UK we occasionally get a show called Wheeler Dealers.
A fat bloke who knows nothing about cars buys a ' classic' and a thin bloke who knows alot about cars does them up.
They then sell the car and congratulate themselves about the profit they made.
They don't tell you that the thin bloke apparently runs a charity for old cars and restores them free of charge
After 11 minutes of this episode Ed the mechanic does a very nice DIY repair on the ski slope.

Wheeler Dealers - S06E09 - Jaguar XJS - Car Videos on StreetFire

 

quote=Doug;453863]Yep, everybody looks good when things go well. It's only when problems arise that an outfit has the opportunity to show what they're really made of. Some rise to the occasion, some don't.

I've long believed that a problem, quickly and professionally resolved, does more to build customer loyalty than if there hadn't been a problem at all.

Cheers
DD[/quote]

Been in sales over 20 years Doug and that is a very true statement!

Seen that one RichKaz, been posted here and referred to several times.....Love Wheeler Dealers
Did you see the new show where they go to the US and bring back some American classics, do them up and sell them here?

 

Apparently that quote comes directly from the "We're Not Going To Help You With Your Problem" playbook.....It's only used in the event of possible refunds.

 

I just came across this thread while searching for Jaguar walnut dashboard suppliers and was interested to read the comments about Myrtle Productions.

About 8 years ago I bought a new walnut dash set for a Series 3 from Myrtle Productions and was quite disappointed with what I was supplied with. The stain finish had a horrible orange tinge to it which was particularly noticeable in the sunlight. The glovebox door lid had no capping around the edge (the factory finish had a plastic covering around the edge), just the exposed cut timber which had been stained!

With having ordered from New Zealand, the very high cost of the UK exchange rate plus the cost of shipping made returning the item prohibitive and left me very disappointed.

About 2 years ago I was in the market for another new walnut dash set for a Series 3 and decided to keep clear of Myrtle Productions and try a US company called Madera Concepts.

The initial communication and helpfulness was excellent, but as I later found out, this was just to get my order and money. Once these had been provided, communication dropped off and repeated requests to be sent photos of the walnut veneer selected and to be shown the finish BEFORE it was completed and shipped, were largely ignored. Photos were emailed to me at the same time as the dash was apparently shipped and after seeing that the finish was not what I wanted and requested it be refinished, I was told it was already sent.

When I received the dash, the cut out holes for the speedo and rev counter gauges were too big and there was a white mark in the veneer next to where the cigar lighter is. The back of the glove box lid door was strangely finished in a different type of walnut in a different colour (why? as this was not a factory fitting?).

Just like the situation some years earlier with Myrtle Productions, the cost of the dash when converting from US to NZ dollars and the cost of returning the dash made it prohibitive. Very disappointing.

I am again in the market for a good quality dark burl walnut dash for a Series 3 and read with interest the favourable comments made about British Autowood. Are they the best to use?

 

I stripped and re varnished mine in about a week and they turned out great... no they look beautiful. I bought the stripper and varnish at Lowes and at a cost of less than $20 it was the least expensive project I've completed.

 

Is there a UV resistant varnish that you considered? The ski slope I bought from British Autowood was beautiful, but it has since faded. Not the fault of British Autowood, no delamination nor cracks, and I was warned that it would happen.

That being said, I was wondering if there was some kind if varnish or topcoat that could eliminate, or minimize the fading.