frenchyd wrote:
1988RedT2 wrote:
Knew a doc back in the day that bought one of these new. He loved it when it wasn't in the shop. No major issues with the driveline, IIRC, but the "little" things that make a luxury GT car a luxury GT car were always breaking.
From your story I wonder why he owned it? Do you think he ever drove it at 10/10ths? Threw it into a corner knowing he'd need every last inch of pavement and his skill to catch it? Let that big torquey V12 pull him up to the car's top speed?
Any car can have soft leather and other luxury stuff. Yawn, been there done that.. A Jaguar really isn't about that.. It's about winning the 24 hours of LeMans 7 times. It's about diving into a corner and having those brakes let you get deeper then your competitor. And doing it with style and class.
Enzo Ferrari once said the Jaguar XK-E was the most beautiful car ever. I believe it was Brock Yates who called it the worlds greatest crumpet collector.. Those aren't things anybody has ever said about the normal transportation module. OK so during the labor troubles some of the factory workers failed to properly tighten all the ground wires and there were issues of reliability. But that's like complaining that a beautiful woman burnt the toast.
Well, to answer your question, he drove Caddys before the Jag, and Lincolns afterwards. So it was totally about the soft leather and the ability to pass people on the Garden State Parkway.
And I get what you're saying, but let's be honest, the XJ-S was always perceived as more of a status symbol than an enthusiasts car.
In reply to Chadeux:
It's not about having the fastest track car in the world, I'd build a C5 if I wanted that. It's about style and grace, and sound too, and I think partially the feeling that I'd be maintaining a rare car these days.
It's like buying an MGB or a Spitfire, the Miata does it better, more comfortably, and more reliably. But it doesn't(to me) have the charm of a Spitfire.
At any rate, thanks everyone for the information. It's just what I needed to know.
Chadeux
HalfDork
10/23/16 4:24 p.m.
I will concede that the XJS definitely out-cools most of the "sensible" options.
just a (I wonder if) Question, Is there A Trans Axel Rear That will bolt to a Jaguar V12,Not something that needs adapter plates and Da Da Da Da, Something simple,or availalible,
with out getting all Gushy,and professing My love of Jaguar V-12's,what could be used as a transaxel,I know a GM turbo 400 is a trans they use But is it a GM bolt pattern?
In reply to GTXVette:
I'm just guessing here, but I bet a C5 transaxel and torque tube could be adapted with a plate at the engine. Wheel bases are sort of close.
C5 104.5"
XJS 102"
This is why I keep lusting for an XJS.
Stop it, just stop it people!
In reply to GTXVette:
The XJ-S was originally intended to be mid-engined, but they changed their mind after it was styled.
No idea on what transaxle solution they were going to use, but considering the XJ-220, various GTP and LeMans racers along with the still-born XJ-13, Jaguar has had success and experience with mid-engined cars.
Mid engine Is what I had In Mind, The Vette housing Came to Mind. But K I S S Is My middle name,(that'd be 'tupid)
In reply to GTXVette:
So if you're wanting to put the V12 in the back seat, an Audi style transaxel is what you would be looking for. That surely won't be simple.
My thought of the C5 stuff wouldn't have been easy either, but it might yield a 50/50 F/R balance, or close enough.
I thought we were about to conjecture about jag-powered vettes.
GTXVette wrote:
Mid engine Is what I had In Mind, The Vette housing Came to Mind. But K I S S Is My middle name,(that'd be 'tupid)
I'm just going to leave this here,
Oddly enough I'm A bit of a purist, I would put a v-12 in my Cobra Frame W/Jag rear.... but the Vette Is All Chebby. Body for said Frame May Be a cj5 or An itty bitty Pick up. I Know I just Said I wouldn't do that but no cash for Cobra stuff. And was thinking Mid-engine/trans axel with another 'ol frame I have. PS sorry for the Blatant HiJack.
GTXVette wrote:
Mid engine Is what I had In Mind, The Vette housing Came to Mind. But K I S S Is My middle name,(that'd be 'tupid)
well the v12 jags do use a th400 GM trans but doesnt share the same bolt pattern as the GM engines. So a jag th400 wont bolt to a 350 and the v12 wont bolt to a typical GM th400.
But it looks like there is a company called Johns Cars that makes an adapter plate for v8 swaps to use the jag th400. That would make me think the adapter plate could be used with the reverse effort and attach a jag v12 to a th425 from the GM big block front wheel drive's of old
That XJ13 replica uses either a ZF or a exotics only Graziano with an adaptor plate so to my knowledge, no, not really anything that bolts in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95MhCNKf7CA
That link is actually very similar to what I want to do with my project. Slightly less insane, though.
Wow What A ride,That Was Singing. ZF was always my first thought,not a lot made of obtainium, but knowing what fits what or not is a step in the right direction.
With enough work I'm sure a C6/C5 transaxle would work.
In reply to 1988RedT2:
You'd think that with the racing success Jaguar enjoyed with the XJ-S of Group 44 that would debase you of that notion. Over in England they had a whole series just for Jaguar XJ-S, sort of like our S.C.C.A "production" class. In fact cars from that group still occasionally race in various events.
Yes some think of a Ferrari as a status symbol and buy it for that reason, just like any other real high performance car.. However real gearheads look to things like all aluminum V12, full independent suspension and other markers for a cars true heritage..I'm just glad of those who buy Cars of that nature, tire of them and take the depreciation hit so real enthusiasts can afford to play with such wonderful toys on a tiny budget..
I once built a XJ-S to go Chump car racing.. ($500 buy-in limit) I paid $300 for a rough but more or less solid XJ-S and put two turbo chargers on it from used SAAB's The Turbo 400 transmission they use is plenty stout enough for racing and easy to convert to manual shift.
Then they explained penalty laps, and combined with the amount of fuel it would use (between 3-5 MPG at best) I gave up. Still it would have made a fun track day car or gone autocrossing with it..
In reply to justthatguy: Real hard, The Corvette is a torque tube assembly......
Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote:
Jag V12 + Audi transaxle
I love some of the ideas presented there.. In the past I've always worked with aluminum plate to make my adaptors.. How brilliant is it to use Plywood as a pattern and then cut it in aluminum once everything is sorted! That would also eliminate the need for locating dowels. Just cut off the threads of bolts , leaving them slightly proud and bang on the plywood to transfer the mark where the hole is..
I don't think he's thought through his clutch very well though.. The torque of that V12 is in the Big Block Chevy territory (can you say 454 truck?) No way a VW V6 will last
In reply to frenchyd: I myself was hoping with your Knowledge of the Jaguar you would know of a trans axel,but you didn't say, I can Figure it out just looking for an Easy Button.
