Hey y'all, I just bought my first Jaguar -- a used 2002 XKR convertible. When I put the convertible top down for long drives I'll put in the leather cover on top of the recoiled top. I was just wondering if it's okay to drive without hooking that thing in every time for 30 minutes or so (up to 70mph on a highway)? It's just a bit annoying to put it on and take it off every time.
Thanks!

 

If you want to keep the headliner clean and keep it from getting torn to shreds I would use the cover every time. Jack

 

Take it down the highway at 75 mph and then turn around and look at how the headliner is flapping around.

When I was looking at these cars to find one to buy, I saw several in which the headliner was totally ruined and hanging down when the top was up.

My best guess is that one or more of the owners was too lazy to put the cover on when driving down the highway.

 

I drive around without the cover on all the time. The headliner flaps around a little, but I haven't had a problem with it getting damaged. I used to use the cover all the time, but nowadays I find myself wanting to drop the top for short trips, and it's too much trouble to put the cover on. I've driven 80 mph with no problems.

 

Just don't drive through flocks of pigeons.

 

OK, I stand corrected, I now say that you should drive around without putting the cover on at all times.

I have to assume that all of those dirty floppy headliners that I saw in the Jags that I did not buy were caused by some sort of activities that were taking place within the vehicle when the top was up.

 

I don't know about damage however I will say that after driving around all summer with my tonneau cover on, it has picked up a fair amount of grime and is in need of a cleaning. Cleaning a leather cover is much easier than cleaning interior fabric.

 

No need to be a smartass.

My headliner isn't floppy. I'm simply saying that your headliner isn't going to get ripped out by the wind if drive with the cover off. It's not a requirement. A lot of the used ones get sold without the cover. Is it going to get dirtier without the cover? Of course. Is it going to damage the car? No.

I use the cover when I know I'm going to be driving around all day with the top down. But if I want to zip off to the grocery store, which is 5 minutes away, I'm just going to drop the top and go. If I'm driving on a day with scattered showers and I want to be able to raise the top quickly, I leave the top off. It works fine either way.

 

Wasn't being a smartass Sam. Just telling it like it is.

I drove 8 different cars around before I ended up with the one that I bought.

In some, the headliner was loose and did not look good. On the one where it looked the worst was one where the owner had lost the cover and so it was never covered at all. I assumed that that had something to do with why the headliner was in such bad shape.

You come along and say that it does not present a problem to drive with the top down, and so you have some personal experience, while I was only making an assumption. I bow down to your first hand experience. I realized that my assumption must be wrong, so I changed my answer and agreed with you.

Thanks.

 

I wasn't saying that you "you should drive around without putting the cover on at all times". I was just saying that the headliner isn't going to get ripped out. The first time I tried to drive the car without the cover I saw the headliner flapping in the wind and freaked out. I immediately pulled over and put the cover on. Since then I've learned that the headliner isn't going anywhere. It flaps around a little, which is irritating, but it's not as irritating as standing in the rain on the side of the road trying to take the cover off so you can put the top up. If I go for a long drive on a sunny day I use the cover. If the car is in my garage with the top up and I just want to dash to the grocery store, I just lower the top and go, without worrying about the cover. If I'm driving on a sunny day and it starts to look like rain, I'll take off the cover and keep driving, just in case I have to put the top up in a hurry.

But to each his own. If you want to always use your cover, then I respect that. Some people are more particular about their cars than I am. I love my car, but in the end, I drive it for my enjoyment. If I end up having to replace the headliner someday, then so be it.

 

wow, such emotion over the boot.......I for one am in the middle group of if it's just gettin droped for a grocery run I don't worry, but any highway or the whole day running and it goes on, my top s almost permanetly down so it's on virtually all the time. I can slap it on in under a minute and I just figure it's protecting my investment, i'll also second the comment about the cover being dirty, mine is really bad right now and all that would be in the head liner so............but I don't want to make anybody mad!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I put the cover on 99% of the time since I don't like the look of the car without it on. Only if I'm dropping the top and plan to put it up when I arrive and the distance is very short do I leave the cover off.

 

OK, this will be my last attempt at clarification. Below is the question that was asked in the OP.


OK, this I was just wondering if it's okay to drive without hooking that thing in every time for 30 minutes or so (up to 70mph on a highway)? It's just a bit annoying to put it on and take it off every time. will be my last attempt at clarification. Here is what the fellow asked in his OP.


As some of you may be able to note, he specifically refers to going 70 (SEVENTY) MPH down the highway.

Now, here is what I said.

Take it down the highway at 75 mph and then turn around and look at how the headliner is flapping around.

When I was looking at these cars to find one to buy, I saw several in which the headliner was totally ruined and hanging down when the top was up.

My best guess is that one or more of the owners was too lazy to put the cover on when driving down the highway.

I advised him to drive down the highway at 75 mph and then look at how the headliner was flapping around and then the implication was that he could make up his own mind.

I said that MY BEST GUESS as to why some of the cars that I had driven that had floppy headliners was because they were driven at highway speeds without the cover on. I contend that that was a reasonable assumption.

I was contradicted and corrected by Sam, who said, "I've driven 80 mph with no problems".

So, in light of Sam's experience, I decided that I must change my answer to conform with Sam's actual experience, as we are all aware of what an authority that Sam is.

So, apparently, driving at 80 mph down the highway without the top on will not cause the headliner to become "floppy".

I am glad that we have that all cleared up.

As for me, I do like Keith does. If I am going 2-3 miles to the store and back, when I won't go over 40 mph, I will sometimes not put the cover on, but anytime I am going to go for a long ride at highway speeds, I always put the cover on.

That is my recommendation, and my top is neither floppy nor dirty.

 

Thanks for the thoughts! It makes sense that the liner could get damaged at high speeds. I was particularly worried about if there was any danger to my life or anyone else's -- for example, if part of the top flies off or something and hurts someone. Although I guess if even the liner ripped off it could fly and hit somebody's windshield, but it seems unlikely for the whole thing to rip off suddenly without prior damage.

Thanks.

 

Which brings me to the best thing I've done my car, and the easiest, a simple cheap mod that will keep the cover from wanting to come up at high speed, Home Depot has "industrial strenght" velcro, about 2X4 strips with a very aggressive adhesive, if you put the hard hook side on each end of the "tuck flap" you can reach in from underneth as your putting the boot on and pat it against the back of the seat and it is rock solid, little extra piece of mind....

 

I looked at many XK's and my observation is that the majority of limp, crappy looking headliners is due to deterioration of the inner foam from time and heat effects.

 

I really need to look into that. My top stays down as much as possible, but our light Oklahoma breezes (30 kts or so) can cause the cover to inflate itself in a crosswind. Mine has never looked like it would depart, but it just ruins the composed and competent look of the car.

Mike

 

Yes, I can see that.

Now, if someone was to ask whether or not they should take the 30 seconds or so that it takes to put the cover on before they go driving 70 mph down the highway, would you advise them that they should, or that is would not matter at all? (over the years that they own the car)

 

I've left my cover off for the occassional short trip around town and noticed a very dusty rear window (inside and outside) when I put the top back up. My conclusion is that a lot of dirt gets in after a short period of time.

 

I'm guessing you're a pilot.