Hello all.
I installed the QUARTER VENTS on my XJS and now I have water leaking into the car. I have the interior completely stripped.
As I stated earlier, I purchased this car disassembled. This was done to repaint the car.
So far, I installed the front and rear glass, the door and quarter glass and I have no leaks there. I also installed all of the chrome trim.
Is there a seal that goes between the body and the 2 piece quarter vents?
If so, I will have to remove the rear quarter glass to drill out the rivets I used when I installed it.
Remember, I am winging it on the installation of all the parts that were removed.
Thank you for your input.

Quarter vent

 

You may want to let people know what model year your car is.

If you set up an automated signature, you won’t have to worry about this again. Maybe mention what engine you have, and anything else that might be important.

 

Sorry you missed it. It's in my signature line. It is the 1985 Jaguar XJS; V12. I hope this clears things up.

 

I have done this job, but some years ago. In any event, I would keep the interior out of the car until the leak is found.
First point: it is far more likely that the water actually is coming round the quarter window seal than the vent. As the interior is out I think setting up a hose and definitely finding the leak area is a must.
Removing the window again is worth doing anyway, as if you did not fill the seal channels both sides with bitumastic gunk, or similar, before fitting the window, then I would do this as a priority.
If the leak really is from the edges of the plastic piece, then refitting with some sealer all round the edges, and anywhere else, such as under the chrome and round the rivets, is also a must.
I use bitumastic roof and gutter sealant, as although it makes a mess, a rag soaked in white spirit cleans everything up wonderfully and you know that under the trim, rivets, corner trim bolt and chrome, the stuff is fully in place.
By the way, if you have not already done so, using a garden sprayer or similar, spray wax protection up inside the wheel arch interiror. You just push the probe up from the boot and the cabin and it runs down right into the inside of the wheelarch/rear wing seam. Attached is a photo of my car's aperture and it is clear the factory gunked up the join to the plastic. But under the trim wheerever there are rivets is very important too.
Another thing worth doing is to remove the little flaps on the vent, seal up the bottom two and remove the top one completely. This removes all chance of rattles from them, which, after the entire car was rebuilt and silent, drove me mad and was the reason I took the vent etc apart!


vents modified:

 

Greg. Thank you for your response. That was exactly what I needed to know.
The interior will not be installed until the water leak issue is resolved
I used my garden hose and the water is definitely coming from the quarter vent. The quarter glass was sealed properly. I used 3M Auto Bedding and Glazing Compound.
When I sprayed water in the area of the Quarter Vent, the water trickles from the top of the wheel arch.
I noticed in the photo you posted there is some type of sealant on the body where the plastic goes. Based on that, I will remove the Quarter Vent and reseal it when doing the installation.
I will also address the issue with the flaps. Will post results upon completion.
Presently, the interior is completely bare except for the carpet on the tunnel and sides.
Also, do you know the purpose of the bracket shown in the 1st photo?



Upholstery and trim pieces, treated and redyed, awaiting installation.

 

Do you have that on the other side too? I do not recognise it. Have you a close-up shot?

 

@ Greg: Yes, there are two brackets. One on each side.
BTW. I removed the quarter glass and removed the vents. It was leaking between the plastic piece with the flaps and the body. I removed them cleaned and applied the same glass sealant (because it does not get hard) and riveted everything back in place. I also fixed the flaps the way you did yours. Using my garden hose I sprayed water on both sides for about 20 minutes and the leak is history. Thank you again.

bracket

 

Hello Sanchez

I think you are referring to the bolt sticking up in the below photo. If you are - it holds the rear seat belt to the car.

I have also attached how the front seat belt lower mount is done - just for your info

(Very nice upholstery by the way)

Cheers
Steve

 

Sorry - attached this time, looks like another small change through the years for the front seat anchor

 

Yes, looks like the rear seat belt anchor. The actual strap comes through a slot in the trim. Well spotted Bez!

 

Thank you for the prompt response.
My rear seat is a little different to yours and so is the side trim. I guess there were subtle changes for different MYs
I noticed there are 2 slots in the side trim shown in the photo. My trim does not have the lower slot. It only has the upper slot with a chrome surround. The seat belt will have to come through the upper slot.
The rear seat is also slightly different. The seat belt anchor comes through the slot in the seat.
When I purchased the car I got 3 sets of seats and trim. I chose the best of the lot and made one good set.
I am also using the "SPORTS PACK" seats for the front. These are taller and have electrically controlled lumbar adjustment.
I will have to wire this up since my car did not come with the wiring for the front seats.

 

I suspect the strap for the side anchor of the belt comes out through that angled slot in the trim bottom edge. The belt loop containing the buckle is anchored at the parcel shelf (or C pillar) one end and at the side on the other. The buckle on this loop goes to a fixed "clicker" engage/release part that nestles in the slots in the middle of the seat squab. The slot at the top with the chrome surround is for the front belt, the loop of which is anchored at the sill, and exits through the slot, up to a fairlead on the B pillar, and then comes down to the sill by the seat side where the other end of the loop is anchored. The buckle on this loop engages into a clicker engage/release part that is fixed to the tunnel towards the rear of the seat squab.
Bez's photo shows the front seat belt anchored on the sill.

 

Thanks for the seat belt config explanation. I will do a trial run install prior to the final install to make sure I got it right.
Based on the explanation the rear seat belt retractor goes where the bracket is in my previous photo.
I still have a little more sealing to do. We had thundershowers here last night and I saw a little leak here.


I think I damaged (OR DID NOT INSTALL PROPERLY) the left side rear quarter glass seal and I now have a little leak there.
I will remove the quarter glass and see if resealing it will help. I am a novice at glass installation.
Thank you again.

 

The retracting spool for the rear seat belt (if you car has that type rather than manually adjusted ones as I have) goes on the parcel shelf just in front of the rear window. You should find a tapped reinforced threaded hole there. The fixing at the sill is for the other end (not the spool) of the rear loop.
Resealing the window will do it, Loads of gunk in both sides of the rubber and fun cleaning the #mess up when it is in.

 

Merry Christmas to all.
Greg, I resolved the leak issue by removing both quarter glasses and resealing them. Now on to the front quarters. I have to remove them to install the chrome trim and waist seals.
Hopefully, I will do it tomorrow(Christmas Eve) if the rain lets up. If not, sometime before the New Year.
The car does not run at this time. I removed all 12 Spark plugs and put some marvel mystery oil to free up the engine. I hope it turns when I try again. I tried turning the crankshaft pulley when I got the car to no avail.
I just want to complete the interior before I do anything else with the car.

 

Sanchez, good luck, but remember that the engine must ONLY be turned CLOCKWISE as you look at the engine from the front of the car.

 

Just from my side of things - Every time I think I have things correct - I end up needing to remove some of the upholstery to install something else. On the up side - I can have the seats, centre console and most of the carpet out in 30 minutes and back in just as quick.

Every (most) afternoons - she is back together looking complete (from a distance), I find it is the best way of storing parts

Cheers
Steve

 

No work on project XJS today. It's raining cats and dogs here. It rained most of the night and during a brief lull in the weather, I verified that there were no more leaks.
@Steve: I am not in a hurry to install the interior. Now that I have no leaks, I am going to apply a rust barrier coating before the interior goes in. The coating takes 24 hours to cure at 70 degrees. Temperature here in Florida is a balmy 55 degrees today. No painting today either. Merry Christmas.

rust barrier paint

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL:
After struggling to figure out what goes where, I pretty much have the most of the upholstery and trim installed.
I have installed the front seat belts but the rear seat belts like the ones shown in the pic that BEZ posted are missing.
I have the floor pieces with the latching mechanism but no belt to attach to the bolt at the sail panel. Since no one will be sitting back there, I am in 'rear seat belt delete mode' until I find some with the same color as the front belts.
I did get a set of retractable rear seat belts (same color) but there is no threaded hole in the parcel shelf only a blank bung.

front seat installed

rear seat installed

Home made headliner. This is glued directly to the roof.
Since I could not find a good headliner board, I opted doing this. I used a 1/4 inch thick dense poly foam. I cut it to the shape of the roof, covered it with the headliner material and glued it directly to the roof (HOT ROD STYLE).
After a month of soaking the engine with a WD40 mix with marvel mystery oil, the engine does not want to turn, not even a little bit. I think It is frozen solid. I raised the car about 18 inches to facilitate the use of a pipe extension on my (MATCO)1/2 inch breaker bar and broke the breaker bar instead. I bought a 3/4 inch breaker bar and socket. Trying to turn the engine clockwise(looking at the engine from the front of the car) all it did was tighten the crankshaft bolt.
Since the engine will not turn with a 3 foot extension on a 3/4 inch breaker bar, I am ready to pull the engine and "LUMP" it.

 

Hello Sanchez

Firstly - that interior looks great
Secondly - The roof liner also looks great - this is what I am going to do with mine - good to see it come out so good.
Thirdly - motor seems very stuck. Do what you need to do to keep her alive.

On a side note - might have changed - but my rear seat belt attaches to the side panel near the parcel rack - not the parcel rack itself.





On another side note - we finally had some rain her in QLD on Christmas day. Have a water leak - same place as you did. I removed the glass to fix up some rust. Looks like I did not get it right either

Cheers
Steve