Technical What's This Engine?

I seen this picture posted online a few days ago, and now it's posted in the images that need no explanation thread by @40ragtopdown but I'm afraid I'm going to need a little explanation on this one. It looks like the pipes from the blower
(if that's what it is) are plumbed into the exhaust ports. It looks like a V8 but is it a straight 6? Is it some kind of foreign engine? What' it out of? Please explain.

 

Jag? I don't know these engines, but it's clearly a British built bucket, so that's what I'd guess he had access to. This guy was not gonna be left out of drag racing, just because he didn't have access to 1-800 Jegs!

 

Jaguar XK.

 

What gives it away as being British built?

 

Right hand drive

 

Jaguar XK engine, probably a 4.2. The blower appears to be feeding six intake ports and the distributor is in the lower front right.

 

When I saw it the other day I thought British right away but to me it looks center steer. The Jaguar engine, very spindly radius rods and the odd (by US standards) B/CA cl*** designation make it appear to be a 1960’s or early 70’s build. I’m ***uming the cl*** might have been B/Compe***ion Altered.

 

you can plainly see the steering gearbox next to the bellhousing, so yeah, it's more likely to be RHD than center steer.

 

I was wondering about the designation to, and those radius rods look downright scary.

 

That engine looks like a full-on science experiment.

 

Or maybe not. Granted, the picture shows an earlier version of the car with different wheels, tires, roll cage and blower configuration but it’s center steer.

 

I see some side-draft SU carbs like on an MG Midget I used to own.

 

Looks like it was changed. The steering wheel is in a different location, and angle, from the other picture. And a different blower setup.

It's a neat car

 

back in the olden days all European Hot Rods were odd ducks like that, now they do things right and copy the US build styles.