So the wood on the console is severely warped and cracked, would like to replace the piece on the center console with vinyl or something...undecided. How can I best take apart the console for this job??

 

If you just want to remove the wood grain panel around the gearshift it isn't too hard.

It's been a while so what follows might not be exact right down to the last letter but it should get you in the right direction...

remove ash tray inserts

remove ash try housings----two screws each

remove cubby box liner---several screws visible with lid open

remove connectors from the back of the switches

remove single screw at the very top of the "ski slope" just above the switches

remove rubber seal at base of the gearshift housing

remove wood grain panel


The sloped part with the switches is bolted to the wood grain panel....you'll see. The wood veneer can be scraped off and replaced with black vinyl. Looks very attractive, actually.

Oh, the ashtray housings are fussy to reinstall (you'll see). Longer screws help.

And to take the cubby box out you'll also have to pry out the friction latch. If you break it it, you won't be the first

Shout back if more help needed

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks DD, will try that in the morning. Since it's going to be out, I may try something more wild than vinyl.

 

Friction latch officially busted, never even saw it coming. Didn't have to remove the rubber gear shift base though....mainly because I couldn't...lol

 

New latches are readily available from the usual Jag suppliers :-)

RTLL

 

Decided to go with basic black vinyl, came out quite nicely. Took you suggestion about the ashtray harness and actually reattached them to the console board before re-entry into the car....no fussing with it at all afterwards.

 

Doug, do you know if the dash wood is also attached to a single piece of metal much like the center console? For a split second, I almost decided to reveneer another piece of wood to the center much like I did to my 67 MBZ but decided to go with just vinyl.

 

The main dashboard is a plywood piece about 5/8" thick with a veneer. It has a metal backing plate screwed on

Cheers
DD

 

So now the car won't start all of a sudden, did I mess up something during my console removal and install? I thought it was the battery since I bought it last week and the car was not driven often before. Did the starter crap out coincidentally? All electrical functions are good, just won't crank.

 

Doug Dwyer,
I have an 85 XJ6 Series lll Vanden Plas. My shift console is black leatherette and I would like to change the two level wood panel below the tray hood and above the radio and comsole to black leatherette.
How do you remove/replace the radio and trip computer panel?

 

It's been a few years so a couple details are a little foggy, but this should get you in the right direction:

- Remove trip computer. It pulls straight out. Just get your fingernails under the edges. Disconnect wiring plug

- Remove climate control knobs.

- Remove the shaft nuts behind the climate control knobs.

- You *might* have to remove the radio....but maybe not.

- Look upwards from below the panel. You should see two screws above the radio. Remove them

- Gently pull the bottom of the panel towards you and away, then slightly downward. The top of the panel has tabs that should disengage

- Remove wiring from switches, cigar lighter, etc

Cheers
DD

 

 

You've just been volunteered! Go out to your car with a camera, remove the panel in question, and take pics along the way. Then post them up !


Cheers
DD

 

if the console lid CATCH is busted, you can go to any home appliance store and get a Dryer Door replacement Catch. They are the same as the Jaguar part.

Maytag, GE, and other brands of clothes dryers use the same catch. You might even get them in black.

 

Ha ha - I've got enough "little jobs" stacking up on my to do list

 

Expecting Doug to pull his own console apart just to provide pics is somewhat extreme! As ever, we're lucky to have Doug's input on this stuff and his directions seem pretty clear to me.

Cheers,

 

I wasn't asking Doug for pics - it was meant for tsingtao35 tbh. Nevertheless, I wasn't being serious

 

the Factory Service Manual provides the steps needed to remove 95% of anything you want to remove.

you can go to XJ-6 - XJ-12 'HOW TO' quick links (always located at the top of the topic list), and download the .pdf file for any section of the car you need, or you can download all the sections. Free.

the Service Manual files are located near the end of the list of How To's.