1988-1994 XJ6 Jaguar Body Parts Rust and Corrosion
A major step forward for Jaguar in terms of rust proofing and production simplicity was the XJ40 body shell. In the past were the days of lead loading and moisture trapping double skin, substituted with less and more simple panels together with the odd cover trim (especially the rear pillar) where a join could not be hidden.
However, these cars can still rust if not carefully kept clean beneath, frequent problem areas such as the front inner valance, screen surrounds, rear wheel arches, the boot lid lip and the front corner of the bonnet.
The area that potentially has the most substantial risk for corrosion is the forward bulkhead (firewall) which can rust directly through if the plenum drain were to become blocked, requiring a full strip out of the dashboard to repair it successfully.
The most well known unreliable feature of the body is the door handle design on pre-1989 cars which uses a sliding lever mechanism. These soon ran out of lubrication, placing a disproportionate weight on the weak pivot bracket and consistently snapping it off. The later 4.0-litre type handle is much more successful but cannot be retro-fitted. In fact, the only option for older cars is to first pay for a new assembly, noting to keep it well lubricated. In addition, water leaks into the boot are quite common, and usually can be fixed by sealing the plastic trim below the bootlid to the body, preferably with windscreen sealant.
See our Jaguar Parts Store Catalog to order parts.
Other Jaguar Technical Information Pages:
TechBits Page 1 |
TechBits Page 2 |
TechBits Page 3
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