Many XK/XF Owners will be part of the airbag recalls sweeping through the automotive industry. I spoke with a Service Manager at the local Jaguar dealership today. Chances are good the dash will be pulled to make the repair. He said if I ordered a new dash at that time, they would install it as part of the recall.... meaning I only pay for the cost of the Dash and not the labor.

 

 

jhep993,
There is an older thread entitled "Leather dash shrinkage" I believe. There are more than 325 posts on that thread dealing with this issue. My posts there were numerous and several contained pictures. It is a very good reference on the subject, and others have taken different routes to achieve a satisfactory result. My posts were the following numbers, 86, 113, 117, 120, 123, 131, 140, 143 (with pictures), 145, 151, 158, 179, 180, 182, 186, 187 (with pictures), 192, 213, 237, 248, 258, 278, 279 (with pictures).
It has now been well over 5 years since we restretched, reglued, and STAPLED, my leather down onto the dash. My car has never been garaged even one night, it spends its days being driven throughout the San Fernando Valley with temperatures that sometimes exceed 120*F in the summer, and I am happy to report that the dash is as tight and as flawless as the day we did the work on it! Even though I can tell that there are a few areas where the adhesive has detached from the leather because you can feel it, the staples have prevented the leather from moving anywhere, so that there are no visible effects. These anchor the leather permanently! The staples are done on the front lip of the dash where it meets the windshield and all around the center speaker as there is a frame there that is receptive to holding the staples. If you need any further assistance or the shop that removed my dash and my upholsterer, please P.M. me and I will forward that information. Also, you should know that in removing the defroster vents, they are so brittle that they will surely break, so make sure to save all the pieces for gluing back together or as one forum member has done, have it 3D copied and formed and replace them (as he has done very nicely).

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...pulling-51324/

 

If Tberg says it can be be done; it can be done.

 

 

where did you originally buy the foldover leather welting. And I know MANY years ago you posted but if avail to forward to me somehow I will compensate for that shipping and the cost of the foldover leather welting material. Thanks

 

forgot pic of my dash issue and the color. Thanks in advance

 

This is how it starts for everyone. I assume that we're looking at the edge against your windshield. Once that edge is loose everything else happens. I am assuming as one forum member has done that you could just remove the windshield, have an upholsterer (or you yourself) use a long nosed air stapler and staple the folded down front edge to the frame from one side of the windshield to the other. Before doing so,lifting the leather from the dash to spray or spread a high heat adhesive, then stretching back to shape and stapling. The center grill speaker cover has to come out and the leather stapled to the frame in the little indentation all around. These staples will prevent the leather from ever shrinking down again. My dash looked much like yours, maybe worse, and it's been over seven years since we repaired mine and it still looks like the day it was done. I don't use a windshield cover, my car is not garaged, and the temperature in the San Fernando Valley for much of 6 months of the year is above 100*F during the day. With the dash removed as I didn't know at the time we removed it that the repair would be so simple (I thought we'd be reupholstering it), the repair took my upholsterer less than 1 hour to fix, and my mechanice re-installed the dash while he was doing other cosmetic upgrades to my car. Another forum member contacted me for some of the leather braid to cover the staples, this morning. I know I have some laying around the house somewhere, and I am going to look for it over the next few days. When I find it, if you need some let me know, and I'll be happy to send you some from my leftover stash.

 

Are you still gathering names for your 2009 Portfolio Edition Registry?
Thanks, Jim Davidson