My 71 XJ6 is in very good condition given it’s age. The Epoxy regency red paint, professionally applied many years ago has held up extremely well. The chrome is like new. (Of course the fact that it has never seen rain, snow, or excessive sun and only 43,000 miles helps a bit.) However, one item that has not held up well is the rubber on the front and read windows. It’s dry and brittle. As a result, the chrome that should be over the rubber is almost impossible to get into place. I am afraid that it’s hopeless. Has anyone found a way to soften old rubber, or should I just buy new? You may wonder why I’m hesitating given what I assume is a minor issue. It’s because thus far, I’ve done all the work myself for the past 40 years. But I have no experience with glass and am hesitant to give it to someone else to do. Should I be concerned regarding the instillation of the rubber or is it as easy as it seems?
Its not that hard to do I have done front and back screens and was like you a bit worried about taking on this task. New rubber is the way to go you can not really restore old rubber. A helper would make the job easier. try not to bend the chrome and it will go back in just fine. take your time don’t rush and keep metal tools away from the glass.
Cut the old rubber with a knife pull out the locking strip and push out the glass then clean it all before putting on new rubber seals and locking strip you can buy a tool to help put the locking strip in. you can search You tube lots of info to help you there.
Gary: Thank you for the help. In purchasing the rubber, is there more than one size? If so, I assume I can pull out a piece of the old rubber as a sample? And, is there anything needed to coat the new rubber for installation or is it simply insured “au natural”. Regards, Lou
As David said you need to order the window seals buy part number from your supplier you need the main window seal and the locking strip. these are the part numbers for a series 2 Jag rear window seal BD 38361 Rear locking strip BD 15466/2 front windscreen seal BD 48848 front locking strip BD 15466/2
Thanks for your response. I have not done this before and have a question that may sound ridiculous to those who have done it before. But here goes.
Do I buy a piece of rubber that was made to spacifically to fit the area that I am replacing ? (For example, go to the Jaguar dealer and buy a length of rubber that was made to fit the front windscreen?) Or do i simply buy a long length of rubber from any auto supply house and cut it to fit the length necessary to fill the area in question?
You buy a seal specific for your car; for S1 and S2 cars the part number is BD38361 for rear seal, BD48848 for front seal. There are different seals for very early S1 cars, they have a different width chrome trim, so you need the correct seal for that. Part suppliers will have the details. Search on this site for details on how to fit. Series 3 cars use a bonded screen, so the procedure is totally different.
Lou, if you decide to have it done professionally, ask the guy if he has done a Jag before. most of the younger guys out there now have never done one. only allow someone who has done them before to touch your car. When my local installer found out I had done several for myself and friends, he wanted to hire me just for Jag windshields because all his guys are younger. Told him thanks, but no thanks.
If you do it yourself, PATIENCE is the solution. Use plenty of soapy water for lubrication.
And the chrome goes in AFTER you have the rubber in place.
Many thanks for the clarification. I will order the specific pieces from Jaguar based on your suggestion. I was concerned about the issue but assumed that any rubber I bought from Jaguar would slimly be an unspecified piece of rubber. I had changed some rubber on the back window some years ago and did have difficulty getting it properly filled. At the time, I assumed it was my lack of experience that made it difficult.
As they say, “When all else fails, read the instructions”