Just when things are going good something else goes wrong. I finally had my 2000 Vanden Plas running great and then the Tranny went. No bumps bangs or clunks just all of a sudden it would rev up and barely move. Once it got going it seemed okay but it is in the tranny shop now. Probably the A drum. Is there other trannys out there I could put in, perhaps from a Mercedes? If a Ford 3.9 will bolt to the tranny will it go the opposite way and a Ford tranny will bolt to this engine? What Mercedes were these put into?

 

You could theoretically put in the XJRs Mercedes based transmission, which is a ton stronger than the ZF trans in your VDP. It'd probably be a nightmare from a wiring standpoint though. It's a similar situation with the X350 XJR's (excellent) ZF 6 speed.

And I assume the "Ford" 3.9 you're talking about is the Lincoln LS's 3.9 V8. That engine is just a different version of the Jaguar AJ V8 already in your VDP. The only transmissions that will bolt up to the AJ8 are the trans you have or the two discussed above. No Ford transmission will bolt up, or my XJR would already have a T56 6 speed manual behind it

 

W5A580 is the Mercedes box.
It came in a lot of cars, with a replacement
TCM/ wiring harness from a junk XJR it shouldn't
be too bad, but to be honest, I do not know if it
is possible.

 

Save yourself a lot of grief and just get yours fixed. It will last probably for the life of the car.

 

+1

 

It's in the shop being repaired as we speak. I just like to be aware if there are any other options available to me. Did it sound like the A drum to you?

 

It could be the A drum, but there's also a bearing and an o ring failure that produces the same symptoms. Either way the transmission needs to come out and be fixed. For myself and many others only the failed parts are replaced, not all the friction material, etc. It's a matter of choice, and budget, I suppose. Good luck with yours, as I said it will last quite a while,, and really I find it's a nice driving transmission.

 

yea if my tranny in my VDP go out again, I'm not bothering with getting it fixed. Either I WILL find a way to get the MBZ transmission into it or try to find a SuperV8. The first option seems easier out here.

 

I've got $3500 invested in the engine this summer and perhaps another $2500 for the tranny. I can't aford to get rid of this car for 10 more years I could buy a nice xj8 for $4500 right now but without the new chain tensioners and rebuilt tranny.For 6 grand I should have a car that will go for awhile. What should the next issue be?