Hi all,
I have a XK-R 2010, and my leather looks bad because of the heat.
Jaguar doesn't want to install a used dashboard, I am looking for somebody who has experience with replacing these leather dashboards for a price of course.
-Raphael

 

Raf_AustinTX,
About a month ago I posted extensively about this situation as I had similar bubbles and "shrinkage" on my 2010 XKR. Although I found a custom auto upholsterer to re-upholster the dash for $1300 including the leather, I first had my mechanic take the dash out of the car for me. Once out, it was clear it could be repaired by any competent upholsterer in a matter of an hour or two. Being in the interior design industry, I had my personal upholsterer look at it, and with a combination of staples and much stronger adhesives, I had it repaired on the same day. My upholsterer didn't want to charge me anything but I tipped him $100.00 as it saved me a "fortune." To cover the stapes that were put on the edge of the dash up against the window, I had a small foldover piece of matching leather made and glued it to the edge covering the staples. It simply disappears between the defroster vent plastic pieces and is undetectable. I have enough of this leather braid left to probably do another 5-6 cars and will offer it free to anyone who needs it.

The plastic defroster vent pieces are extremely fragile and will most likely break when removing them. You will be carefully glueing them together to salvage them, which is what we did, but you can't tell once everything is back in place.

 

Thanks Tberg,
It sounds like I need to find a mechanic who is brave enough to take out the Dashboard, then a upholsterer... How about buying a dashboard on the used market?
-Raphael

 

If you can find one, but you're still going to have to remove your dashboard either way, and then replace it. If you've already got yours out, you might as well repair it for next to nothing. A good mechanic's shop (that is careful not to obliterate the defroster vent and save all of the little pieces that may break) can take the dash out in an hour or so, and put it back in the same amount of time. So long as there aren't rips in the leather it should stretch back out and be anchored by staples to the front of the dash as well as under and around the center speaker. There are several high temperature automotive adhesives available at upholstery supply stores that you can provide the upholsterer is he doesn't have it already.

I would not have kept my 2010 even though I had just bought it, if I had not been able to have it fixed at a reasonable cost. I just couldn't live with the bubbles and loose leather.

 

Talking to an upholstery now.
Only one hour to take it out? Hopefully I find somebody who can do it.

 

When I brought my car into my long time mechanic/body shop guy, I got a call within an hour or two that I could come pick up the dash. It is scary looking when they take it out because most of the center console comes out as well as a lot of parts, but it all went back together and looks like new.