Hi folks. I have a 2004 XK8 (which I love), and, the black rubber seal that surrounds the driver side exterior door handle is wearing and breaking apart. My dealer says that the rubber seal is not a separate item and can only be replaced with a new door handle at $700 plus. (The door handle, of course, works perfectly fine.)

Help!! What can I do here?

 

Lots of us in the same boat. Wreaking yards aren't interested because they want to sell the door complete or at least the door handle complete.

Surly there is one among us with contacts in the restoration parts business. You can buy new reproductions of every single piece of rubber gasket on a 30 year old GTO, at a reasonable price, but not for a 5 year old Jaguar.

Since the door handle is common to several Jaguar models I would bet there is a market for at least 5k units backed up waiting on a solution.

 

I think Coventry West has the gaskets available as a new item. Jag didn't sell them that way, and you have to make a small cut in them to remove/ refit. Not a problem.

 

How good are you with an exacto knife? An option is you can go to the auto parts store and get some black sticky backed foam rubber. From there, you can pull out the door handle and run the foam rubber along the outside edge of the door handle. Trim off the excess and stick the door handle back on. I'm sure the piece from Coventry West will be easier to install, but if they don't have it, not many more options.

 

We do have them. They are sold in pairs and are on our site with a picture under New Products:
http://coventrywest.com/Jaguar/newprods.htm
The reason you cut them is so you don't have to take the handle all the way out of the car and take it apart. More trouble to get the door panel off than to replace the gaskets.

 

Great, return the favor anytime.

 

I appreciate the referral. I was just working on new products on the site and had just done some reformating so remember seeing them. I am not one of the salesman so am not always familiar with all of the new products.

 

It was a good addition, as was the availability of your column reach motor cables. I'll probably wind up talking to your boys about those when I run out of good used ones soon.

 

I wish I had checked out Coventry West sooner. I see in the new products they have the Differential Pinion Seal. I just replaced this about a month ago and had to buy the flange with it from Jaguar I'll be watching this site more carefully.