I also think an uncorked jag v12 challenge car would be awesome. I may be picking up a challenge priced 85 928s this weekend.... Battle of the luxury GTs??
I also think an uncorked jag v12 challenge car would be awesome. I may be picking up a challenge priced 85 928s this weekend.... Battle of the luxury GTs??
I say fix it enough to race it for the challenge, do some auto-x's with it. Drive it on the weekends, and sell it when you get tired of it.
gamby wrote:Kia_Racer wrote: Group 44 clone Challenge car!I like the cut of this one's jib, Smithers!
Did you hear that? That excellent was excellent.
The group 44 idea is the best.
Personally I think the group 44 thing is played the berkeley out, but PLEASE Challenge this. Or at least post glorious audio.
What starts with rally and ends in cross? And a broke jaguar.. rallycross!
I've always thought the big V12 Jag's were cool - long hood - V12
Smarta$$ McPoopyPants wrote: Personally I think the group 44 thing is played the berkeley out
Thank you.
Fix the Jag, maybe even build a badass hotrod out of it and then drive it.
I used to autocross with this guy:
What a wonderful ride! I know it's expensive to own and operate that V-12, but if you can afford it, GO FOR IT!!
However, should you decide the V-12 engine is too much of a hassle and too much cost, please consider the only true I6 alternative! A DOHC I6 Jaguar engine runs so well and sounds so sweet it certainly should be the only alternative you consider!! Jaguar built them and they are among the most wonderful engines in the world!
Please don't even consider the sad alternative of a sbc or a sbf crate motor! If you do that, you're just another owner stuck with just another boring crate motor hot rod!
Start shoving 20s into a mattress.
I third the group 44 challenge car. Only painted blitz black, with black bassett inertia wheels, take off nascar slicks, and some big ass wing on the back. Think mix of 70's imsa/can am/factory effort/sinister hit rod.
Im almost certain I would be willing to volunteer to build the wiring harness for you to be part of the team.
Trans_Maro wrote: I used to autocross with this guy:
That is perfect.
If the V12 is healthy, there is absolutely no reason to swap it out. That engine is the single best(and possibly only) reason to own an XJS.
Now if the engine is good, but the body is rotten, then by all means yank it out and drop it someplace cool.
I'm guessing that any engine compartment that could hold a straight 6 could also house a V12, so that means tons of American iron could potentially become Jag powered. Oh, did I mention that they use a TH400 trans? That's right, a good old common as dirt GM part.
Full disclosure : I have never owned an XJS, but I have a serious lust for them, I've come very close to pulling the trigger on one several times, and if I had garage space, I'm sure that I would have dragged one home by now. The thing that seems like a series weakness to me is the twin distributors. Apparently the advance mechanisms can stick leading to serious damage, especially if one is sticking and the other is working. I've read of people adapting a pair of Ford EDIS6 systems, and I'd be willing to bet that some of the newer megasquirt systems could probably support a more elegant ignition system solution.
I'd gut it, rewire to the bare minimum, megasquirt or carb and self contained distributor, enjoy. I think there should be a (special Jag bolt pattern) TH400 in there, so going to a manual/semi manual valve body (or does the 400 already start in 2nd in "2"?) and a ratchet shifter is pretty easy and cheap.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VAgUtv-5ybw
In reply to HappyAndy:
V12 jeep XJ?
That is a 6.0 Litre Jag V12 Frankenmotor.
IIRC, it's a jag block, bored and sleeved running two sets of Chrysler V6 pistons and SBC rods, backed by a Jericho manual gearbox.
The sound it makes is incredible.
Woody wrote:Trans_Maro wrote: I used to autocross with this guy:That is perfect.
Post pictures
Seriously...if you can get it to run and it behaves, I would leave it alone and do a summer tour of luxo-motorsports. Take it to a slalom, take it to a track day, go rallycrossing.
Who cares that it won't be fast, the only thing more fun than driving slow cars fast is driving luxury couches fast. If the AC works, so much the better.
When it breaks, scrap it and get most of your $$$ back.
Some youtube inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icv28-AiIOY
$500... good.
V12... good.
Jaguar... good.
Notice they are not in the same sentence. When all 3 go together in the same sentence, it makes... LeMons! 
And CMP is not far away; Toyman has a considerable amount of experience getting there.
I'm guessing the 500E is gone? I'd hate to try to keep feeding it AND a Jag!
I'd start by dropping the exhaust and selling the cats on eBay to somebody who has a set of bad ones in a smog state somewhere, then build a set of sweet straight pipes. Then start paring the wiring harness down to the bare minimum required for the thing to run, gut it, build a cage and get the brakes working along with some no-E36 M3 Porterfield or etc pads and cooling ducts, then (oh yes) paint it as the Group 44 car. Then go have some fun!
PM me off the board for my current contact info.
Curmudgeon wrote: ... Toyman has a considerable amount of experience getting there...
Why is it you always want to suck me into these projects???
I just think its amazing that you purchased a running XJS for $500.
On the subject of cages, IIRC one of Mguar's info nuggets was that you could saw off the roof of an XJ-S, install a standard Camaro cage (I don't know what generation), reattach the roof, and go have fun.
Nos and scare people. Call it Jeeves and were a chauffeurs hat while driving it.
Feedyurhed wrote: I just think its amazing that you purchased a running XJS for $500.
Yes, and one with the original engine I might add! 
How much is a t-bucket kit? A plastic tub attached to a Jag engine and axles sounds like as good a way as any to collect on my life insurance.
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