3 Tips for Maintaining a Classic Jaguar’s Burled Wood Finishes

Certain automotive marques "have the market" on particular features or themes. Every Land Rover evokes the image of an off-road vehicle splashing into a jungle river. No other vehicle will ever have the James Bond cool of an Aston Martin.

As for Jaguar, it has more than its fair share of iconic features. But, while other vehicles may have authentic wood veneer finishes adorning their interiors, none made it more a part of their brand than Jaguar did when burled walnut or burled ash was found on the dashboards of many models, well into the 21st century.

Tips for Keeping a Jaguar’s Burled Wood Looking Its Best

If you have a classic Jaguar XJ, Mark 1 or 2, or even a soon-to-be-classic XK8, you will likely be very aware of the condition of the burled walnut or ash finishes in your car.

There’s every chance that, regardless of the age of your vehicle, the veneer may still be in very good condition. If they are, you owe it to yourself and your vehicle to keep it that way. If they aren’t you owe it to yourself and your vehicle to prevent further degradation.  

Here are some tips for keeping it as good as ever.

  1. Clean the Veneer – This is a two-step process. First, you need to get into the nooks and crannies with a soft-bristled brush to lightly get the dust and dirt out of them.  Second, use a slightly damp cloth to clean away fingerprints, marks, etc..
       

  2. Polish Sparingly – Even top quality furniture polishes can be harsh on the finish of the veneer. Don’t use a polish more than a few times a year and don’t use aerosol polishes, or those that contain wax or abrasives.
     

  3. If There Are Cracks in the Finish… – Avoid cleaning or polishing with any liquids if there are even slight cracks in the finish of your dashboard. There is a chance that the liquid will get into the wood grain below the crack, which can darken the wood and make the crack look worse.

Keep Your Whole Car Running Smoothly – Now that your burled wood looks fabulous, bring your classic into Westminster for the best dealer-alternative Jaguar parts and service in Toronto!
Did you say you had an XJ? Check out our article “A Brief History of the Jaguar XJ”.