1998 Jaguar XJ8 headliner installation guide

The car in this headliner tutorial is a 1998 Jaguar XJ8 with sunroof. The headliner wasn't in too bad of shape, with the exception of a big sag in the rear of the car. The XJ8 Jaguar car headliner isn't really all that hard to replace; the most difficult part is removing the headliner board from the car. Unfortunately we didn't get a shot of the board being removed from the Jaguar XJ8, but it comes out through the rear drivers side door (with the drivers seat let all the way forward and the back of the seat let up as far as it will go). The headliner board will have to be bowed to remove it, at times you may think you will break it, but the Jaguar headliner boards are very resilient and will recover quite nicely when reinstalled. This headliner kit will fit the Jaguar XJ8. The color of this headliner is 2037 Light Neutral.

You can see the sag in this pic at the rear of the headliner behind the sun roof opening. This Jaguar had a bad case of it !

Remove the visor screws and this support on the opposite end of the visor. It has a phillips head screw holding it on (can be removed through the hole in the support as see here).

To remove the overhead console in the headliner, flip the sunglass holder down and use a screwdriver to twist the plug you see in this picture.

There is only one electrical plug that needs to be disconnected in this Jaguar XJ8. Other Jaguar models may have more, but this one had only one.

To remove the pull handles (handles you grab when you get out of the car), pry the metal trim up and out at the end of the handle. It pops right out. The screw can be removed once the cap is taken off - it is a torx screw.

To remove the sun visors, take the 3 phillips head screws out, pull the visor down to expose the electrical plug - then unsnap it.

The headliner side trim in the Jaguar xj8 is attached with small plastic plugs. You can see the black plastic plugs in this picture. To remove them, give them a tug and they should come loose once you've removed the pull handles. It is only necessary to remove one of the rear panels, the other side of the headliner board can be slid from under the panel.

Remove the pinch welt (trim for the sun roof opening) around the sun rood opening. This trims off the material around the sun roof opening of the Jaguar and helps to support the headliner board around the sun roof as well.

This is a shot of the plastic pieces at the rear of the headliner board on the Jaguar XJ8, don't know exactly what they are for unless they help to support the headliner board at the rear; they have to be removed. A phillips head screw can be seen once the small plastic cover is pulled up.

When all the thing that attach through the board are removed; and everything that holds it in place is removed or loosened. Drop the board down and take it out through the rear driver side door. It has to be bowed somewhat (unless you remove the drivers seat) to get it out, but it will come out. Be careful not to break the spot between the sun roof opening and the console opening. When it's out, clean it and you are ready to recover it.

Once the Jaguar XJ8 headliner board is cleaned, you can recover it. Place the material on the headliner board, and fold it back about half way the board - recover it about 1/4 at a time if possible. Take care to work the material into any indentions on the board that it should be flat in.

When you get it recovered, put the headliner back into the car, and reattach everything just like it came out. Cut the excess off from around the sunroof opening leaving just enough the catch with the pinch welt, and then put the pinch welt back into place.

When everything is back in place where it should be - it should look like it did when it was new. We used 3/16 standard headliner material on this Jaguar - worked great with the sunroof !