My Other Car

This here is my 1974 XJ6 Series 2 Jaguar.
I call her Onyx. She is a harsh mistress at times, and requires a lot of looking after. But she's well worth it when you take her for a spin.

The modifications include:

• Removal of Original Jaguar engine, replaced with a 327ci Chev V8. 
• Converted to run efficiently on LPG with a sprintgas LPG system, tank in boot.
• Lowered suspension and Alloys from a XJS Jag.
• Chrome wheel arches are aftermarket.

Some highly advanced features for a car from the 1970's.

• Electric windows 
• Central Locking 
• Remote alarm
• Airconditioning
• CD player.

I've driven the car quite a bit, but on my way up to the Central Coast earlier this year was a fatal voyage.

The engine cooked, and i came away with a shrunken piston, cracked head and blown head gasket.

That was when I bought the Probe, as i knew the Jag would need to heal for a while before coming out again.

 

So, at the time of this post she is at my Mechanics. 

Originally i was considering upgrading the engine to an LS1, this comes with certain bragging rights, but it's also a very expensive move to make, it means you'd have to switch to a full fuel injection system, which means a performance ignition system, all the mounts are different, it needs a specific transmission which needs electronic linkups, it needs a modified sump... in other words, it's a big pain in the butt.

2nd idea was to buy a bolt-in engine replacement. Buy a crate engine, pop in it and bobs-yer-uncle.

I was put off this idea because it costs a fair bit, but it's really only giving me back what I lost in the first place. So I thought, if I'm going to put money into this, I want to customize it so it's exactly what I want.

What do I want? Lots of Torque... Horsepower is secondary.

So I decided to go down the custom build path. The great thing about doing this now is our pwnage of the American dollar at the moment. One of the biggest disadvantages to Australians building US engines is the restrictive price... now that now longer exists. Chev parts have always been relatively cheap compared to other engine types. And now the dollar makes it even cheaper! 

This is what is going to happen:

Having the engine stroked to a 383ci. (the largest of the small block Chevs, originally banned by the government for being too powerful for road cars) she'll get a roller cam and rockers, performance heads and intake manifold. She'll have the exhaust system re done with a x-pipe, and hi-flow headers. 

The FMX transmission is going to be removed and replaced with a reconditioned Turbo 700R4 (four speed auto) with a shift kit.

And if there is extra cash left over at the end of this process there is a decent supercharger which would go nicely with the rest of the setup. It'll eat ricers for breakfast, and nibble commodore bogans for desert, all whist retaining the simple luxury feel of an English living room.

Sigh....

Then there are the smaller things like heat/sound insulation, polyurethane upgrades instead of the easily worn out rubber. and adjusting the suspension for the weight of the new engine. 

But in the end this will be the classiest beast on the road.