Harry Metcalf of EVO/Harry’s Garage has challenged Ian Callum to investigate putting a manual transmission into his Project 7 car. See about the 6 minute mark in Harry’s 2025 cost roundup.

We’ll see what happens, but this would be close to what I really want: a V8 RWD with a stick. Does this appeal to anyone else here? Out in the world there has to be dozens of us!

 

YES. This would make my life complete (and probably drain my life savings).

 

@bfrank1972 @Slappy
I also saw Harry's video and was excited to see the results.
I did try contacting Harry through the below e-mail address, as I have developed a single mass flywheel and clutch kit that fits to the AJ126 engine (and by default, the AJ133 engine?)
So I hope I can help him realize his dream.

assumed e-mail: HarrysGarage@gmail.com

Do you know of any way to contact Harry?

 

Note: Jason DeJoy @Jason DeJoy may have line of site to a V8 manual F-Type..

 

I am fascinated to hear what comes of this. I am thinking adapting and fitment of a beefier transmission to the AJ133 is possible, and the more difficult thing might be getting it to play nice with the factory computers in the car.

 

Hey Herman, thanks for your work on these cars and your YouTube videos - great stuff!

Would your Quaife differential or the standard LSD on the V6S handle the torque of the V8?

Assuming your clutch/flywheel solution is workable, that leaves the transmission as the weak point. I read somewhere that the 2nd gear synchro is the weak link in the ZF S6-45. No idea if this is true but would appreciate your thoughts. I believe this trans is used in a lot of BMWs. A beefed up version might have a lot of appeal in that market. I don’t think the stouter S6-53 transmission is a bolt in replacement.

​​​​​I don’t know how to contact Harry (or Ian Callum), maybe on his Instagram or Twitter feeds.

 

@Slappy You are welcome. I have been enjoying making content for the YT channel. As long as I take it at my own pace.

I have heard that some folks in Italy have grafted a V8 into a V6 Manual. So it has been done.
Yes, a V8 Engine Control Module has to be integrated into the car, and some serial number swapping is probably needed with the Security Module.
But the wire harness is 90% the same, with a few spark plugs and injectors added.

The rear diff could be a weak link as the V6 car doesn’t have a stellar reputation for reliable rear end grip due to LSD clutch plate failures.
The Quaiffe helical geared rear diff can handle much more torque than the V6 produces, and it would be a solid solution for a V8 equipped car.

I also have been hearing from some enthusiasts that their ZF S6-45 manual transmissions are having 1st to 2nd gear shifting issues.
So the synchros could be the issue. I may pick up a used tranny and rip into it to see what the problem is.

Happy 2026
Herman

 

I'd suspect that those experiencing 1-2 shifting issues may have a habit of "exuberant" shifting during acceleration. I haven't noticed any degradation of shifting performance, but I come from many years of driving (and rebuilding) Saab 99s and 900s, so have seen what ham-fisted drivers can do and shift accordingly. I have little interest in optimizing my 0-60 time. I'm more concerned about bearings, given the torque the S6-45 is rated for.

Prices have gone up on used 6MTs for the F-Type. It was quite fortunate for me that my Onca-updated diff was sitting in my garage when my original cam up with noisy bearings, so I may start shopping for a gearbox too.

 

Steve,
Ditto on the 0-60 mph abuse… I don’t enjoy subjecting my car to that. I’d rather do 40-80 mph runs which are more reasonable.

But I see it now.. you and me bidding up the price on used ZF S6-45’s so we can either have a spare unit, or one to dissect for rebuild potential.
… hmm.. I may focus on BMW 135/235/335 manual transmissions, as they have the same ZF S6-45 inner-bits…

Drive well,
Herman

 

Watching this thread with great interest. I got excited when I watched Harry's video and reading all the comments under that video on YouTube. Manuals are certainly making a come back.

I hope Harry gets it done. I wonder what those who brand the F-type as a "GT car that should've never been built with a manual transmission" will say. 🤔☺️
​​​​​​

 

I find the 1>2 upshift difficult to do smoothly. Feel like a grabby clutch, though something else may be going on.

No 0-60 abuse on this machine!

 

Don't worry about a bidding war. I was just thinking out loud. There are a couple on ebay right now, plus one one somewhere in New England that is "pickup only" that is way out of my neighborhood.

 

@Slappy
I was also frustrated with "lazy" shifts above 5000 RPM in my F-Type, and I attributed that to the OEM Dual Mass Flywheel inertia.
This high inertia could also be a root cause for the premature synchro wear (between all gears?)
Now with my Lightweight Single Mass Flywheel, I find high RPM shifts much more rewarding.

I just sent out my last lightweight flywheel/clutch kit ... no more in stock.

 

This would interest me greatly. I don’t yet own an F-Type R, but I plan to acquire one within the next couple of years. I’m currently in the process of upgrading my XKR with an LSD and have plans for a twin-screw supercharger, but the X100 is ultimately a softer, older platform. To make it perform at the level of an F-Type would require spending an unreasonable amount of money and making the car unbearably stiff. It’s better suited as a high-speed highway and road-trip car — I just want more oomph from it.

I still want something significantly sportier than what the XKR can realistically become, and the F-Type has been a bucket-list car for me since college. A properly executed manual-swapped F-Type R would be just about perfect.

Has anyone seriously considered a transmission other than the ZF S6-45 for a manual F-Type swap?

The S6-45 is generally cited in the ~420–470 Nm range (roughly 310–350 lb-ft) for continuous input torque, depending on application. That works fine behind the supercharged V6, but the F-Type R produces between ~460 and 502 lb-ft depending on year. While ZF ratings are conservative and the gearbox may tolerate more in practice, I personally wouldn’t want to go through the effort of a manual swap only to operate at or beyond the transmission’s design envelope — especially with any plans for future power upgrades.

By comparison, the ZF S6-53 used in the 2.7L diesel S-Type is commonly quoted around 530–600 Nm (390–440 lb-ft), again depending on variant. It’s clearly a stronger unit than the S6-45 and better suited to sustained torque, but even that starts to look marginal once you consider pulley changes or more aggressive supercharger upgrades on a 5.0 V8.

In the XK8/XKR world, most documented manual swaps — whether retaining the AJ-V8 or using an LS — have used the T56 Magnum XL. The XL length is needed to place the shifter correctly in those cars, sometimes with a small extension. More recently, Swallows Racing in the UK have used the S6-53 in an XK8/XKR, but that solution already runs close to the transmission’s rated limit on a lightly modified car, and a twin-screw setup would push well past it.

If I were to consider a manual swap on an F-Type V8, I think the Tremec T56 Magnum makes the most sense. It’s still available new, is rated at 700 lb-ft of input torque, and has been proven to live at ~900 hp when torque is managed. That provides meaningful headroom, not just for reliability, but for future upgrades.

The F-Type’s shorter wheelbase may allow use of a standard-length Magnum rather than the XL, though that would obviously need to be verified. A custom bellhousing or adapter solution would likely be required, along with a custom flywheel and driveshaft. From a mechanical standpoint, none of that seems insurmountable. As with most modern Jaguars, the real challenge would be electronics integration — potentially requiring a standalone ECU or a hybrid solution to keep the rest of the car happy.

Uncharted territory, certainly — but if someone pulls it off properly, they’d essentially be building the F-Type R that Jaguar should have offered from the factory. After that, the next weak link becomes the differential.

Does anyone know what the practical upper limit is for the AJ133’s stock internals before forged components become necessary?

 

I just realized that, realistically, a manual F-type would only be possible for the rear wheel drive cars. I have no idea how you'd send power to the front wheels with a manual transmission on the AWD F-types... unless you also convert it to RWD...?

 

@giandanielxk8 Good add to the conversation.
I also think the T56 Magnum would be the best bet for the Project 7.
There are some interface issues, like the bell housing (which could be cut off a S6-45 transmission) and the output shaft to rear axle interface.
I can only contribute a AJ133 compatible flywheel with correct starter ring and timing wheel.
The splined shaft of the T56 Magnum would need to be taken into account when specifying the friction disk.

 

Yeah, even if it requires a little more custom fabrication work, it's going to be the transmission that would tolerate the most abuse. If someone is able to solve the software side of this, everything else is a surmountable challenge.

 

I know it probably isn't possible, but I'd love to swap my SVR to manual.

 

Do you think these slow high rpm shifts could be down to ECU-induced emissions-driven rev hang?

 

@Haalex The V6 F-Types with OEM Dual Mass Flywheel have significant high RPM gear shift delay.
it is certainly due to rotational inertia of the flywheel.
This was the driving factor for me to develop a lighter weight single mass flywheel.
See YouTube @OncaEngineering video channel for more details.
Either way having a lightweight flywheel has given me (an other customers) a new lease on life.

drive well,
Herman