Hi Everyone,

So I have a 2014 Jaguar F Type S convertible. A few days ago I put the top down since we finally started having nice weather here in Los Angeles. When I tried to put the top back up I noticed that only the left side was going up but not the right side. Asked a couple shops around if they could take a look at it but nobody wanted to touch it. I ended up taking it into my local dealer in the area and as it turns out the right control arm of the top was bent and it would take upwards of $25,000 to repair the convertible top. The service manager mentioned that in their 30 years of working for Jaguar that they had never seen this happen before. Do you guys have any clue of what could have caused this and any recommendations to get the top repaired at a more affordable price? Do you think I could bend the arm back straight? =''''(

 

I would think you could get a junkyard frame for far less than $25k!

 

Wow, RUN away from that dealer. They lied to you, the seals wear out, especially if you do not use the top a lot. Get a third party to either replace the seals or that strut and have them change the fluid, as the fluid needs to be changed every few years, no matter what jag says.

 

ISTR a topic or two here, that pointed out damage to some of the adjusting linkages in the top's mechanism. If you can search better than me, you might find them, sorry.


That said, as an old-timer, I have lubricated the different pivoting parts at least once a year on our 'vert. (And, on the hinges in the trunk/boot)
I also apply a coating of talcum powder to all the seals along the top, side windows,and trunk...those can cause sticking (and stress) on the mechanism, too.

I guess I've owned British sports cars for FAR too long...

 

I find it hard to believe that a disassembly, repair and reassembly should cost much at all. Maybe even bend the damaged parts back into shape. After all they probably started out in a shape like straight and round.

The idea that metal can't be brought back into shape is nonsense. Unless it's utterly destroyed and cracked. Even then, welding may be an option.