Never heard of it being done but it should be wild, man, wild. I'm thinking buy a cheap 80s Jag and use the engine, trans, front suspension, rear suspension, radiator, everything but the electrics.
30 year Jag mechanic. Those 80s motors have some problems that are a SOB. If you're talking about a pre 87 motor, the head studs go through the head down into the block and end up by the mains. Unfortunately they rust and snap off down there. So, if you can figure a way to deal with that little problem you're good to go. I wouldn't even consider it, every piece you buy will cost a fortune and when it's done you best have a big ass radiator in it or more problems. And the tranny in all the SER II & III cars is also a weak piece of sheet. Expensive parts there too. I've ohauled hundreds of those trannys and nothing is cheap. When the VB dies you're double screwed. Now, if you want to build something neat get a V12. If the heads come off (same rusty stud problem but they don't break, they seize) you might get lucky. Trans was a BW model 12, later a Turbo 400. Lucas injection on all of them but improved over the years. Joe H
I have access to,but havent inspected it yet, an 86 with some body rust,running engine,good shifting trans......just hoping the front suspension isn't rusted out as I planned to use it too.I thought I'd use the whole driveline in my 52 BelAir...AJ
First read up on everything you can. My Jag tech thread got canned for being non traditional. The Jaguar XK6 is one of the most bitchin looking engines out there and is a 5 time Le Mans winner. Traditional - hell yeah - just not in the USofA. I am installing one in my 1936 Hupp along with the full pussyfoot suspension - late model (1994-96) XJS with outboard brakes. Sure there can be problems with the long stud engines, but if you can take it apart and not break the studs then you should be good. Far too many Jags got bastardized with Chevy engines because people either did not understand them or were too lazy to learn. Mine is a 3.8 but I also have a late 1985 XJ6 engine and trans complete....
RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! Build a nice 292" with some bling and live happily and travel widely with the money you'll have saved. jack vines
^^^As I said - very misunderstood.... Overall length may be your problem. The back of the block to the tip of the water pump is 32". Plenty of speed equipment available for these if you want to go retro and junk the EFI in favor of SU carbs - either double or triple SU, or triple Webers. I have done a ton of research into these engines before deciding to take this route. Yours will have the straight port head so a carburetted induction system from an XK150S, E Type, Mark X and 420 as well as early XJ6 will bolt right up. There are differences between them, but not important enough to make a difference. Hot cams are available - D Type cams are a good performance road profile for a carburetted engine - I think Isky still does them and they were the OE supplier in the D Type era 1955-57. You can build to a budget or go totally wild for $$$$$ using an aluminum racing only block and wide angle D Type/lightweight E Type 35/40 head and cam covers. There are few engines out there that beat the visual impact of a full dress polished XK 6 IMO....
I like the unusual ...and the Jaguar engine is really nice looking....I'm not afraid of mechanical things as I'm a retired mechanic.....the power from a Jag engine exceeds that of other older GM 6 cyl engines ...I have a built 261 with headers and dual carbs for my 52 BelAir that won't have the power that the Jag has...or the peak RPM...or the good looks...and I have access to an engine machine shop and parts....AJ
They replace those motors in Jags with SBCs for a reason. They are heavy, big, small displacement, low hp and expensive to repair.
This car was a driver built by Chuck who worked at Tri C Engineering, it was for sale on the HAMB not to long ago, Jag in a Chevy !!
592 lbs fully dressed is heavy? And yet you guys are all over 735lb hemis, 695lb BBCs. SBC with cast iron intake and heads 575 lbs and 235 Chevy L6 is 630lbs....
Yes...heavy for the amount of power you get out of it.But if you enjoy punishment and throwing away money...go for it!
i have been into bmw's over the years and at times have thought of taking a straight 6 bmw engine w/ trans & rear end and dropping it into something...
There, I fixed it for you. I was tinkering a bit today with the '75 XJ6 I drug home last weekend, original-owner car, one day 5 years ago it wouldn't start, been sitting in a garage ever since. Carbs and a dizzy, hoping it fires up and the engine/ trans is OK- either the '52 F1 or the '40 Ford pickup ... Anything in particular that's a common "no start" on a '75? Haven't looked into the ignition system yet, is it regular points or electronic (and can be retrofitted)? Sounds like the Jag engine suffers from the same type of BS "heavy" myth as the FE (620 lbs with the iron intake, about the same as a BoringBellyButton with an aluminum one) does
Five time Le Mans winner and DIN hp ratings not cheater SAE. 300 plus HP is relatively easy - and the XK120 132.6mph in 1949, the 1961 E Type 3.8 a 150 mph production car and the 1959 Jaguar 3.8 Mk2 a 125mph sedan. Yeah slow and underpowered....
This Jag powered T was said to be a hard rod to beat in the SF Bay area back in the day. I think that's Trad credentials. My `54 Jag sedan is getting an SBellybuttonC but I'm keeping the Jag DOHC 6 for a future project.
Hey, rottenikken, I figured out the problem. Your first post was: With that you get cautionary responses. If you'd have told us first off: You'd have gotten completely different string of responses, more like jack vines
Just some history - no solid info. My cousin bought a '48 Chev Coupe with a Jag XK-120 engine and 4-speed back in 1960. I have no idea who built it, ran decent, could chirp the tires going into 2nd (which you surely could not do with the stock 216 Chev). It had an open rear but I don't know what it was. The transmission tunnel was 6 to 8 inches higher than normal -
I'm building my boat-tailed racer around a 1960 Jag MK2 3.4. I haven't driven it yet so, I can't give a report about how it drives, but it sounds great with open pipes!
Just do it as said the trannys are weak but I am sure something else can be adapted to it. I have worked on a ton of these things mostly oil leak at front seal and some had problems with the exhaust valve buckets come loose in the head and hit the cam but thay have a fix for that.
Triumph TR8 5 speed adapts well as does Toyota Supra 5 speed, and conversions are out there for Tremec TKO 500/600 - spendy - or if you must 700R4....
Got most of the electrics on line one my XJ6, and the engine cranks over- time to check for spark. As it has early electronic ignition, I'm thinking the no-start condition might be there. Is a '75 Jag electronic dizzy basically the same as one with points, with just the guts switched, like the early Duraspark Fords?
I'll get it done after the 58 Impala conv is finished...probably next winters project,IF I go with the Jag.....thanks for all the responses...AJ
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