I just removed the old top and am currently swapping the rear window to the new top. I am still unsure of how to remove the window and install it but I will figure it out. This isnt rocket science.

I was amazed at how simple this design is. There really is nothing to replacing the canvas. Jsut remove the old one and back engineer it. There are four straps to hold it in and you remove four steel plates. You glue the top where the steel plates are. I marked exactly where the old top was by leaving some of the glue canvas in place so I can put the new top exactly where the old one was.

I will post photos of this. Its insane for anyone to charge more than $400 to do this job. You could do it in a couple hours if you know what you're doing. The old top disassembled in 30m...

 

You've gotta be f in kidding me. $60 for a bicylce brake cable?!!! Jaguar TENSION CABLE FOR CONVERTIBLE TOP - BBC8162

No way Im paying that. My car needs both the rear and side cable. I'm going to make some diy cables for a few dollars. Which will prob be better quality than what jag would produce. .

 

keep us posted...i thinking of attempting this on my own also.
Post pic's if you could.

 

one of the tensioners snapped so I went to the hardware store and paid 1.82 for a new tensioner that I made w a pair of pliers. It beats the friggin $50 I would have been charged by jaguar. I actually think mine is better. I got one slightly thicker than what was there.

also the back tensioner was starting to shred. I had a few diy options here. I could have just bought a threaded hook and looped the wire into it, making my own tensioner but I decided to fix what I had since it still has enough wire in there for a strong connection. I try not to waste anything when I dont have to, so I put a high strength two part epoxy (the one in the photo is an all purpose epoxy/ i couldnt find the one for metal only which is what i would recommend)all over the area that was shredding. I also put epoxy on the other side as a preventative.

I really cant see this snapping. The epoxy is strong and i also plan on putting an outer plastc shell around the part that may rub against the metal... the problem area is suppose to have the rubber covering it but it seems to fall away, shredding the wire. Look at where yours is shredding and you will see what I mean. I'm going to rubber cement the rubber pieceit back in there so it doesnt move.

I just saved myself about $100 in tensioners. these little things add up to thousands of dollars very quickly...

IMG00641-20110623-1555 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
IMG00647-20110623-1653 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

I finally got around to finsihing the top install. Since I did it slowly over the past couple months I did not get consitent photos of the process so i will try to explain the best I can how I went about this. It is definitely a do it yourself job and is not that hard, though you need to be patient with letting the top stretch and getting the rear tension wire in.

To get started with the disassembly:
1.) start in the front by unscrewing the front piece and pulling the canvas loose. 2.) next I removed the tension wire in the back ( the bolts are located just in back of the quarter windows).
3.) then unscrew where the rear window connects to the frame.
4.) pull the weather striping off and unscrew the pieces holding the canvas down.
5.) remove the two tension wires on the sides
6.) cut the two vinyl black straps attached to the frame on both sides.
7.) then remove the rivets that are holding the rear window straps (located on the second support piece from the front. you can access these by putting the top in the halfway up position). you want to save the rear window straps.

Assembly:
1.) For the rear window, measure the old top and install the new window in the same location on the new top. You will have to pry the old window out. Be careful not to break it! At that point you will see how it is just stapled on. I resinstalled the window before putting the top on. If I was to do it again I would have just installed the frame by stapling it in. Then I would attach the rear window frame to the support brackets. My rear window popped out when the canvas stretched and I had to reglue it. If I waited till the end to put it in, I would have avoided installing it twice.
2.) Once the rear window is attached to the support brackets, I attached the rear tension wire. I found that the tension wire does not stay in and I had to glue the canvas in to hold it in there before tightening the wire.
https://dc184.4shared.com/download/x...10817-1830.jpg
Dont forget to rivet the rear window support straps in before moving to step 3...
https://dc184.4shared.com/download/f...10804-2208.jpg
3.) Next I attached the front of the canvas. I did not glue it so I can can adjust it in the next month or two as neccessary. I first attached it overhanging about a half an inch from the attachment bracket. I then put a heat lamp on the top for a day until I was able to pull the top shut barely with the latches adjusted as far as I could go. I then left the heat lamp on for another day and then loosened the front so the convas was jsut at the edge of the bracket, as shown in the photo below.
4.) I attached the two side tension wires and drove the car around for a few days with the top barely latched. There was an inch gap and I had the top latch handles adjusted out as far as they could go.
https://dc184.4shared.com/download/J...10818-2312.jpg
4.) I then had to wet the top a few times while still driving it in the sun. After about 4 days I was able to close the top no problem.
5.) Once I was able to close the top, I attached the canvas along the quarter window by gluing it and then screwing the support bracket on.
https://dc184.4shared.com/download/E...10818-2312.jpg
6.) Do the same thing for the side front. Glue the canvas if you feel the top is stretched enough or just screw it and wait til you feel it is fully stretched out. then attach the weather stripping.
7.) Attach the black nylon strap. You will need to drill out the old rivet and then rivet the new strap in.


8.) This is as far as I got. I am unsure of how to attach it to the quarter window. My car came without a top so I have nothing to go on here. I believe it is riveted? Any help is appreciated on this. For now it is just hanging (photo below).
https://dc377.4shared.com/download/S...10822-0208.jpg
9.) Overall it came out good I think, for my first top install. The only problem I am having is with the rear window. the cruvature of the window just does not match up with the metal frame. the frame is less curved so I have to fill up the gap with weather stripping. When I removed the window it was filled with weatherstripping. Now I know why. This is obviously a manufacturing defect. Let me know if you experience the same issue... The top is on there tight and looks good to me. I am happy with it and it only cost $250 plus a few beers! I cant say how long I spent on it because I split the time up to a few hours here and there. The labor itself did not take long. Standing there and staring at it, thinking about it, etc, ate up a bunch of time.
https://dc377.4shared.com/download/0...10822-0209.jpg

Sealing
I still need to seal the top. I did wash it with simple green with great results. Some people say dont do this but I cant see why not. It worked really well for me. It may be a bad idea in the long run but for one washing you will be safe, as I was.
I am going to the marine supply place to get a container of canvas sealant that can be brushed on. I just feel like this is a better way to go than aerosol cans (such as raggtop). Its a pain to have to mask everything and it seems like by using a brush you can get a better/ thicker coat on. I read that you need to seal it every 6 months - 3 years depending on who you talk to, so I am going to get a gallon of the sealer
Here is what I am looking at as a sealer. . http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...classNum=11065


I hope this helps some of you. I know I could find very limited information on the web regarding an xjs top install. Im still trying to find how to attach it at the quarter window...

 

I'm getting ready to start this project myself... well already removed the old top, so I guess I already did start.
It was this post that brought me to this site.
Hopefully all will go smoothly... Any further tips/tricks?
I too will need to replace the side cables (rear looks fine) and do not plan on paying for 'original' jag parts.
There are a few places on the internet that sell the canvas (seems around $350 is the average price). Will most likely purchase that within the next day or so. Anyone have any recomendations?

 

One thing I would do differently is I would have installed the rear window down another inch. It hits the rear seat when the top goes down. It was doing this before as after I installed the top I noticed that the rear seat was scuffed pretty good. When I got my car it did not have a top... so if you now have scuff marks on the rear seat, try installing the window an inch or even a half an inch down.

Be sure to get the rear tension wire installed in first, with the roof in the half up position. then let it it down as far as it will go. Then you should be able to get it closed with a lot of force. Get the top wet and put a heat source on it if you have one. I used a couple HID lights. Worked great. 12hrs and the canvas stretched nicely. You can get them cheap on craigslist and then resell them no problem when your done... especially if you live in Cali. Even without the lights though, you should be able to get the top closed by putting all your weight on it and then latch it.

I still need to rivet the sides on mine. Though, its been working fine as is. Long term however may be another issue.

Good Luck. I still have not finished mine, as I am going to paint the car and I want to be able to remove it from the rear. So I have not glued it yet. When I do glue it I am going to use contact cement or a TINY amount of gorilla glue (careful with this stuff as it expands). Even unglued and without the rivets its been working great. Its not rocket science as some people may make it seem. Its also not at all related to mechanic type work... Its more of a high school art project.

 

The rear window seems to be the only problem area. I got my old one out, but not w/o breaking the frame that the top staples to. I believe I can epoxy this together and it will work just fine. It sits in the metal window frame so don't see it having that much stress on it when it is installed.
I may see if this can be purchase separately (at not too high a cost) first to see if it is worth repairing.

I do not have any rear seats ('92 model) so that won't be an issue.

I'll take up your suggestion on installing this after the top is on instead of before.

Thanks for your insight on this.

 

I am sure this come too late but you need to search ebay for "JAGUAR XJS CONVERTIBLE TOP FINISHER SET BCC5563 BCC5564" you will also need the screws and clip

 

Hoodun, This looks like a great winter project for my 94 XJS Convertible.

 

For those looking at replacing the complete top, don't forget that there are two different types. the 2 seater cars and the 2+2 cars, the rear windows are not the same size and there maybe other differences. Later cars had detachable headlining's, earler cars (like mine, Dammit) do not.

 

Hello,
I'm looking how to proceed with the rear window?
Thx

 

My 94 2+2 seems to be falling a little short of meeting the wind shield dock for the top. Only about 1/4 inch or so. I adjusted the bolts behind the rear seats and it helped one side more than the other. I suspect there is something out of adjustment that is pulling it backward. Does anyone know where I could look/adjust to get it to fit proper?

TOny in NM

 

This thread's been dormant for awhile but having just replaced the top and headliner on my 1994 XJS 2+2, you can bet I read through the various comments with a keen eye. I'll offer a few of my own, which'll hopefully help the next person in the chain. I had a shop manual to further assist, but in a couple areas it was completely unhelpful.
1) Disassembly is indeed pretty easy. My car still had the factory top (in awful condition) so I was able to keep track of nuts 'n bolts, top bows, etc., as things came off. My three cables were in great shape, thankfully. I started at the front, removing weatherstripping and side cables after pulling off the screws 'n parts where the frame meets the windshield header.
2) There was some difficulty at the back, as I couldn't figure out how to remove the interior quarter trim panels. The 'plug' visible through the quarter window is obvious, but there are two pine-tree-shaped push-in pins along the leading edge of the panel. You have to feel for those; one's about halfway up, the other is near the floor. No need to remove the door sill plate or vertical "fuzzy"; just pry the panel FORWARD against the fuzzy with a large screwdriver where you feel each pin and it'll pop loose. Then pull the panel straight up. This makes accessing the headliner's hook-shaped wire and the rear top cable much easier (the manual says "remove quarter trim panel" without saying how. SO helpful).
3) I pulled my old fabric off with the window still attached, having removed the window frames' lower Allen bolts and upper straps. I DIDN'T need to drill out those straps' rivets farther forward on the top frame: on my car, the straps were secured to the window frame by a black plastic dowel through a loop in the strap. Just loosen the strap where it passes through the window frame and you can remove the dowel, then the whole strap can be pulled out of the frame. Totally simple.
4) Things got rough in separating the window glass from the frame. I didn't have access to one of those two-handled cable saws, and I'm not sure one would've been much better than my solution anyway. I tried a box cutter, a hacksaw blade, other small tools, but eventually settled on guitar strings to saw through the adhesive holding the window to the frame. I started with a D because it was small enough to jam through a tiny hole made in the adhesive, but it broke almost immediately. I switched to E strings, laboriously sawing through the adhesive until each broke. It took a couple hours and six E strings (the adhesive starts smoking when it gets hot... pretty weird).
5) Getting the new top's rear wire installed was not easy. I had endless trouble getting the fabric squeezed into the channel in a uniform manner, and the final result isn't quite as nice as what the factory did. They probably had multiple people working that step, or some elaborate machine to make it work.
6) Here's where I totally blew it, thanks (in part) to the shop manual being completely unhelpful: I'd reattached the window frame (sans window) to the top assembly and got the fabric installed and looking nice and tight. Time to cut the hole for the rear window! Ah, but while the shop manual points out that on the 2+2 you need to put a spacer between the window frame and the last top bow (the 2+2's window frame pull-up straps are elastic), it DOESN'T say is what that measurement is! I put tension on the straps by forcing the frame rearward by hand as far as I could, which resulted in a 2" gap between the frame and the last bow. I made a couple 2" wood blocks and stuck 'em in there to hold the frame away from the bow. My guess was wrong. I needed a gap of maybe 3" or so, because the result was that my back window is too far forward and it bumps the back seat on the way down. Another side effect is that the lower frame pivots cause tiny bulges in the top fabric because, yes, they're now slightly farther forward and higher than they're supposed to be. You can't redo this; once you've cut the hole for the window you're stuck with it, and a new top (plus re-doing all that work) ain't exactly cheap. So to say I'm annoyed is probably putting it mildly.
7) Be sure to install the outer and inner rear window gaskets as soon as possible after you've used sealer to re-attach the window. That sealer--if you're using the right stuff--hardens and if it's glopped in an area where a gasket goes, you're hosed. I did the outer gasket but was so disheartened after realizing my measuring mistake that I left the inner for the following weekend. It now won't go on at all because in a few areas around the glass, sealer got there first.
On a side note, hoodun pointed out a mismatch in the curvature of the window vs. the curvature of the frame. I had the same issue when re-installing mine, despite the fact that it had never been taken apart before! I now have more sealer in the middle of the window than at the sides. All I can think of is that the window frame flattens out a bit when re-attached to the top, although it doesn't seem like that would be the case. The headliner install was comparatively easy 'cause most of it is just screwing flaps into top bows, working back to front.
Am I regretting doing this job myself? Yes. A local shop wanted $550 and admittedly they might've screwed it up too. I've done quite a few tops on older cars (Mustangs, Fiat sports cars, a '58 Lincoln) but those all share very similar designs and most have plastic windows. The cable-around-the-rear and glass window-in-frame were new to me. My top looks great but that bugaboo about the rear window measurement... well, wish I'd known. Hope my whining helps the next person to tackle this. Read everything on this forum, pick up that shop manual if you can, and you'll be miles ahead.

 

"howoodlive"

- first thanks for your updates because i got an XJS in September and an Softop exchange is on as well on my 1993
- second do you have some pics from your result? Would be interesting to see that
pics posted here
- third which replace item did you choose? Brand /shop?
- last, have fun with your Kitty ( R6 or V12?) in the upcoming season 2018, i was fully surprised how smooth and comfortable these old cruiser was rolling.

We did a nice trip down from WA to CA in 3 week full of fun and sun on 3tks

A good one from cold old Germany at the moment

Markus

 

Hi HSK-XJS (Markus)--
I've attached a couple photos of my '94 (4.0L six) with the new top. I think it was a Haartz; I went for the original style tan cloth, but it definitely was a step down from the ultra-premium brands, as I figured I would feel a little less awful if I screwed it up. :-) I believe I got the top and headliner from an online shop called Convertible Top Guys (I probably shouldn't put that in print without checking first, but too late now!). If I'd known then what I know now, things would've gone a lot smoother, but ain't that so often the case? The rear window does look a little higher than it should be, and note the not-quite-right retainer cable placement around the rear. Still, it came out looking pretty nice, and we're so often our own worst critics.
Immediately after the install, the top pump began leaking fluid and it took me awhile to track the culprit down to the seal between the pump and the motor. Later today I'm hitting up a couple local hydraulic supply places, as I'm told I might be able to find a replacement seal. $5 bucks worth of rubber would be infinitely preferable to replacing the entire assembly. Hope that answers some questions... I myself can't wait to take that long trip. The ol' cat sure drives like a dream! 1994 Jaguar XJS 2+2 replacement top, May 2018
1994 Jaguar XJS 2+2 replacement top, May 2018

 

Any help here? I searched the posts but could not find anything that describes how to just replace the headliner on my 1990 XJS V12. Can anyone point me to a post? Thanks !!

 

I believe up to the 1993 - 4 model year the top must come to replace the headlining.