My XJS has always had a bit of flex in the roof frame. If you drive into steep driveway at an angle so the front suspension is flexed I get some creaking or pop sound from the roof frame around the top of the front windscreen. I've never had the same noise from any XJ6 series 1-3 cars I driven.

This week I've been driving the car without the hood lining and associated trim. So just bare metal on the roof and pillars. Well, the constant creaking while driving is quite a shock, obviously the hood lining and trim muffles the sounds when it's in place. Just driving on small road undulations causes the creaking/flexing sounds.

Is this normal for the XJS? I have probably stiffened up the suspension a little over the years. The car now runs a rear anti roll bar (standard size from the late 70s model), poly bushes on the front anti roll bar and GAZ shocks all around which perhaps stresses the body a bit more. The car is rust free (no ice and little rain where I live)

Mark