Hello Gents,

I just acquired this 1971 series 1 and I'm looking for some advice. It has been sitting and not running since 1995. When I acquired the vehicle the previous owner said it needed engine work but what exactly it needed he didn't know. I'm wondering if I would be better off financially spending money doing a conversion with a Chevy engine, or putting the money into the original engine. I am looking for reliability and less maintenance in the long run and from what I've read the conversion may be the best way to go with these cars. If so my next question would be how difficult is it removing the original engine and tranny? I've looked for vids for tutorial but have come up with nothing.

 

No tutorial, but taking out the Jag engine and trans is not hard... getting the new engine and transmission in place and squared away takes time, skills and money.

If you have no idea how to take out the old engine, doing the rest may require you to seek pro help.

 

Thanks Roger. I definitely planned on seeking pro help with a conversion, it's way out of my league mechanically.

 

I had my original engine rebuilt 18 months ago, couldn't be happier.
We have done a lot of long trips and it is used as a daily driver, never a reliability issue.

Maintenance on the XK engine is simple, and if you have no experience with engine maintenance there are a lot of people here with the knowledge you need and happy talk you the through all the steps with any job you choose to do yourself.

With the bonnet and radiator removed, the XJ6 engine would be the easiest I have removed.

 

There are pros and cons both ways. I suggest you talk to Suncoast Conversions in Naples FL. He has a wealth of experience actually doing the conversions and he sells kits with instruction manual for the whole operation. You can get a brand new Chevrolet create engine for about $2500 and it comes with a 3 year warranty. My 1979 come with a used v8 engine and transmission and I have only had to replace the thermostat ($5). If it breaks you can get it fixed in any small town in America. And you get to pick anywhere from 200 to 600 HP.

 

Ulysses:


I did convert my 83 circa 2002 or so. But, only after a lot of research and counsel. It wasn't til 2006, that it passed CA"s tough SMOG rules test. That sir, is an important consideration.


And, basic. If you like the car, you can work with it. If not, it will "not be worth it". Plus, the base condition of the car. Body dented or rusty. Sun baked upholstery. Bad paint. All need $'s to fix.


I wrote a "White Paper" on my experience. Both electronic and paper copies lost.


Add Andrew Weinberg's Jaguar-Specialties. Advertises here and posts on occasion. Good guy and great source. Google up his site.


And Johnscars, aka Broken Kitty in Fort Worth, Texas. Buying his Premanual is worth the money


Not sure if JTR once located circa Livermore is still around. Good source as well.


I went shopping for an engine transmission combination. $2500 was the best deal at the time. Rancho Recycle circa Rancho Cordova.


And, shopped for pricing to rebuild the DOHC. And a pro install. But, what if the transmission went bonkers after the engine was installed.


I chose the Johscars package. It was the most complete. I was working at the time and shopping time for other stuff limited. But, as t turned out, some stuff still needed shopping. My son solved one. An electric dual fan with shroud. Intended for a middle aged Mustang, but fit just right. A support for the PS resevoir. I designed and fabricated it.


Oh, mufflers and cats. $800 for nice system.

And an after market harness. I erred there. Not cheap and with problems. A tech helped fix them, but not cheap. A modificaton of the existing one would have been far better. Andrew's counsel there, should have listened. I was swayed by the poor condition of the Jaguar harness.


I did like my car as powered by the DOHC. And, if I knew then, what I know now, I might have just tried to fix it. It met it's demise one hot day circa Stockton, Ca. Temperature related. It came home on a flat bed. A compression test revealed "0" in all holes. Seemed terminal.


I with a bit of help in the removal and install did it in my driveway and shop.


Twas a great day when the V8 roared to life. Down pipes only, no mufflers.


It is and has been one of my most favorite cars I've ever owned or driven.


I term it English elegance, Italian flair and American power.


Carl

 

I love Carl's English/Italian/American line. My suggestion about a new GM engine is probably the most expensive way to go and Carl's salvage yard approach is probably the cheapest. Another alternative is to buy a low mileage but rusted out and beat-up Chevrolet that is cheap and runs well. Drive it for 30 days or whatever your state allows without registering it. If it has a good engine and transmission use that as the donor car and sell the leftovers on Craigslist as a parts only car. I did this with a S-10 5-speed and I essentially got a great transmission for free.

 

ah, stop it! you are making us sick over here :-)

 

No, sir. Asked and answered with options. One being accessing the condition of the DOHC and the $'s to fix it.


Not mentioned is getting a DOHC that runs.


I suspect mine lost it's coolant. The gauges failed to tell me til it was too late. And, I was watchful....


Cam seized. Sheared the vernier teeth. Many bent valves? That is the hypoithesis I reached many years later.


Would a major head job been "cheap". Not likely. Less than what I spent to "lump" it ? Probably. Less work, probably not!!!


Carl

 

Since you did not mention wanting more power I will suggest that the cheapest and most likely path to success will be staying with the XK engine. Keep your eye out for any XJ6 car/engine up to 1986. I found a rebuilt XK engine from a 1986 XJ6.

 

Absolutely. Trouble is used engines rebuilt or not vary in quality. Dave is a smart guy. Figured out one way or another that the rebuilt he found was sound.


ABC crate engines are a sound deal. But, a lot of other stuff is needed that does not come with the "long block". The transmission for example.
The starter, dstibutor carb of RI, etc.


Mine came as a "swap package". It even included a new set of ram horn exhaust manifolds. So complete, I had parts left over and still do. Some sold to recoup the "hefty" investment I made.


And, many machine shops, my son's included, just wanted no part of rebuilding a Jaguar engine. Just not profitable...


Carl

 

One thing to bear in mind. When you come to sell the car, and XK engine will be easy to sell than a SBC. You may plan on keeping the car for a long time, but when it's time to sell, originality will be worth more.
Anecdotally, I keep an eye on most of the New England Craigslists. There have been three V8 S1 XJ6s for sale for the past year or so. They're still for sale, but the three or four XK XJ6s that I've seen in that time have sold relatively quickly.

This may have no effect on your decision, and it's your car that you're free to do with as you please, but it's best to go in eyes wide open.

 

The quality of the conversion matters. And your local craigs list isn't representative of the broader market. In my market you can hardly give away an XJ with it's origional engine. Converts sell very well on bringatrailer and ebay. Also the most ​​​expensive XJ ever sold by far had an LS engine. Completley original low mileage cars don't command even 1/3 the price.

 

Blackbear,

I had to make this choice as well. I picked up a beautiful 1983 Vanden Plas for $75 with the knowledge I'd be butting a lot more into it over the next year, but it was about the same or cheaper as what I would have spent on another "cheap" used car, and MUCH cheaper than buying a new car just do drive to the Park & Ride. My XJ6 hadn't been driven since about the late 90's due to the previous owner's medical issues and had been parked in his garage since. The 4.2L engine was tired, but the rest of the car is in pretty good shape.I decided to go with a swap for the reliability and power, and bought the GM LS kit from Andrew at Jaguar specialties. The decision really comes down to how much you plan to drive it, and how long you think you will keep the car. After looking into what I would spend on doing a rebuild on the Jaguar engine and BW transmission, then the cost of doing the conversion myself and my driving habits, plus the "challenge" factor (and I like wrenching on cars) I decided the GM swap was the better long term solution for me. I also have a Dodge truck as my daily driver and a 2002 Jaguar XKR as my weekend car. I plan to get the XJ6 rebuilt this winter (swap completed, rebuild the brakes, go through the suspension and replace the headliner) then "retire" the pickup to weekend Home Depot and towing duty.

 

I agree. A whole lot depends on quality. There are a lot of hack jobs out there. Do all the gauges work? Is the speedometer accurate? Does it overheat? If everything is done right it is a thing of beauty. I bought my 79 series 3 with it already converted (305 throttle body fuel injection with 4-speed automatic). It is a magnificent car and the most fun to drive of all the cars I have owned in my life.

 

Well said. A sorted XJ suspension with the power of a modern V8 offers a level of refinement and driver involvement that is very enjoyable for a driving enthusiast.

 

Gentlemen thank you all for your input and support. I do believe after reading everyone's information, I'm leaning towards a conversion. I would like a lil more power and reliability, along with some less expensive trips to the mechanic down the road if need be.

My my next question is, who makes the best conversion kits? I've read some people have made the swap without a conversion kit, but the reliability of that scares me.

 

Depends on what engine you wish to convert to. Personally, I decided that if I was going to go to the trouble of any swap, it would be to the most recent engine and transmission technology I could afford, which is the Chevy LSx series engines. I went with Jaguar Specialties as Andrew has always given me more than my share of time answering questions and John's Cars (which makes excellent kits for older chevy engines like the LT1) doesn't currently offer one for the LSx. Andrew also had all the electronic conversion modules needed to get the gauges working with the minimum amount of splicing, which from experience with several Jeep swaps, makes for a much cleaner "professional" finished project.

 

Ditto on the later model engine and trans and for sure Jaguar Specialties and Andrew.. but the Series 1 has it's own special problems and idiosyncrasies. Tach needs to be converted by a gauge specialist. A lot of the other stuff is different... this was the first model Jaguar had with the AC system inside the cabin.

I had another S1 with LT1/700R with Johns conversion.. would not do that again. To convert to fuel injection there are no return lines on the gas tanks on a S1. so replacing the tanks with later S2 tanks or S3 tanks and their fuel filler caps or a fuel sump under the hood are the answer. I chose to replace the tanks and all the fuel lines...

The normal Jaguar rear trans mount is Mickey Mouse and a custom JTR rear mount gives good access to the trans later on.The exhaust system is better converted to under the IRS with flanges or later idea V clamps for ease of removal... I have done both ways... using a GM radiator, AC condenser and converting the AC to R134 is a must... GM heater/AC fans will work and add more air flow to your face.. adding dual vents in the center parcel tray area helps 200%.

I have had many different trans, 350,400, 700R and 200R.. my preference is a 200R for the better ratios from 1-2 and the lower RPMS in OD with my older SBC. So a later engine LS and their trans would be the best choice today so you have Jaguar Specialties as your only choice...

But the costs are high as the car is 46 years old.. it is a BIG problem finding some parts and major conversion things need to be done... AC is a problem area with the S1 (any older Jaguar for that matter up to S3)... have had four Jags so I know from where I speak.. all with Chevrolet conversions.

All this costs a lot of money --- especially since you will not be doing the work. Finding someone qualified to do the conversion that has Jaguar experience is hard to find.

 

I've done many conversions. I used The Jaguar Specialties kit on 2 and John's on 1. I also have made my own everything on my last 2 projects. The Jaguar Specialties kits are the way to go. If you follow Andrews well laid out instructions you will have a great driving car, save money and be very successful. His kits and the instruction books almost make the project fun. They also have a OE level of quality and serviceability. Almost everything is well covered.

My 2 latest converts were done at a higher level and many custom parts were and are being made for them. Improved motor and trans mounts were the least among them. I used OE XJR fluid mounts for vibration attenuation and GM's much respected high performance LS transmission mount for it's strength and steel limiter for safety. Both required completely different adapter designs.


... a few suggestions.

The motor mounts andrew uses are for a C3 corvette. Quality amongst what brands remain varies greatly. I had to buy multiples brands and examine them closely to find a set that looked good and safe. This is very important as a motor mount failure can cause the engine to rest on the steering shaft causing a major loss of control.

The Jag Specialties kit specify a new 1 piece drive shaft. I strongly disagree with this. Every convert I've done or have driven has a high speed vibration (over 65 mph) which the as built cars don't have. I know from 20 years of automotive experience its the low hum of a drive shaft wobble. It costs nothing additional to retain the OE two piece shaft. Instead of getting a completely new shaft you can simply have the front half of your existing shaft modified to the proper length and the U joint replaced. The center support and center bushing are still available and very low cost. So a modified OE shaft could be cheaper and is better over all. This one is a no brainer to me now but it took me 4 converts to figure it out.