There was a gentleman in Naples, FL who was trying to produce replacement dash vents. I may have been one of the few that actually got a set. They were not perfect, but they worked. He seemed to have a lot of problems having them produced. I don't know if he ever really got the project off the ground. Here is a long post that describes the situation:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...r-dash-195005/

Good Luck.

Ken

 

Thanks Ken, i guess he didn't succeed with the production otherwise we would have been updated on this forum.
I remember the promo he did and the disappointing of some customers. I guess you are one of the very few that actually get it right.
Myself just glued the pieces together and carefully layed them in not before cutting the holding pins so the vents won't break when inserting them

 

How hard is it to remove the dash cover? Is this way better than removing the windshield? Thanks.

 

Thanks for the great information as my dash leather has also separated. I have a few questions after discussing the repair with a local auto upholstery repair shop. Removing the dash seems preferable to taking out the windshield given the risk of cracking.

Ques #1 - Has anyone's windshield cracked as a result of removal?
Ques #2 - How dried up and shriveled was the leather? The repairman has no confidence that the leather is supple enough to stretch it back into place but he has not yet seen it.
Ques #3 - What is the risk that the dash will break or crack when using staples? The repairman is concerned the dash will crack if stapled.
Ques #4 - Is there less risk to the dash vents cracking if the dash is removed versus stapling with the dash in place and windshield out?
Ques #5 - What is the name of the heat resistant adhesive being used? The repairman is interested in knowing what glue has proven to work with the original leather.
Ques #6 - Is it more costly to remove the dash or the windshield?

Thanks for anyone willing to take these questions on. Michael

 

I had mine done by removing the windshield. I was advised that the windshield could break, but since I don’t have the heated windshield, the replacement was under $200. It didn’t break. The vents on mine didn’t break. When I was pricing the job (a year ago) removing the dash was quoted at about 5 hours labor plus the leather repair...around $1000.00 total. I paid $450.00. Staples are essential...thanks tberg.

 

USMAXKR2010,
If you remove the dash, the vents will have to come out, and they will most definitely crack. When I had my dash repaired about 7 years ago, as soon as the dash was removed I could see the problem regarding the lack of stapling. There are high heat resistant adhesives, however, without stapling around the front edge of the dash against the windshield, and around the center dash speaker, your repair will be temporary at best. The dash will not crack if stapled. And if you take the route of having the windshield removed instead of the dash removed, the vents are not touched, If the leather is still reasonably supple it should stretch over the front lip where it will be stapled permanently. Your upholsterer will need to put a small 1/2" leather braid on top of the staples to cover them and prevent them from being seen from outside the car. I have had mine repaired now for nearly 7 years. My car has never spent a single night in a garage, and I live in the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles that typically has daytime temperatures of well over 100*F from May throught the end of October. Seven years later my dash which was loose all along the windshield and literally not attached at all over the passenger airbag, and had loose air pockets on each side of the center speaker as it surrounds the center digital display, is still as perfect looking as the day we repaired it. My upholsterer, by the way, was not an auto upsholstery shop, he was an ordinary furniture upholsterer. The repair took less than a couple of hours, and was such an easy repair that he refused to charge me as I had been a long time commercial customer.
Take your car to the auto upholsterer and have him assess the condition of the leather, but I'm fairly certain it will be able to be salvaged.

 

On this current thread, there are three members that have done the repair, in addition to me, and all have said the same thing, that without staples, the repair is useless. Listen to us, the stapling makes it a permanent fix. Think about it, do you have any couches at home that don't have their coverings stapled to the frame, just glued? Of course not.

 

I used the Windsheild Removal Method as well. Here are my answers to you questions:

1. My windshield did not crack. I was not warned that cracking was even a possibility
2. My leather was not in bad shape and pulling was not a problem
3. My dash was fine with the staples. I was not warned that dash cracking was even a possibility
4. My dash vents fell apart. It's also a Florida car and Florida sun may have added to the plastic being brittle. A lot of plastic in my car is brittle
5. Don't know.
6. My guess is that it's way more costly to remove the dash

Hope this helps.

Ken

 

Do upholsters use a specific or prescribed method to actually stretch the leather? Is it a special product they use? Thanks.

 

Did you ever pull the trigger on this at a shop in Los Angeles? Experiencing the same issue and would love a recommendation!! Also looking for a good general Jaguar mechanic.

 

You might not get a reply from Ronald MacGarvey, as his Public Profile shows that his last post was on 6-7-2020.