As the title says. I found a 305 th700r4 lumped for 1500 obo. It's a few hours away so I want to make sure it's worth the trip. Body looks pretty good, some surface rust. Interior looks worn but not cracked. Any questions you can think of would be of great help. Also there is a mobile mechanic in the area i could have check it out with me. Thanks in advance!

 

Evertything
First is the car fuel injected ? - big difference in build

So many things to ask about ..If you are an experienced mechanic you will have a lot of questions about how the swap was done. Are there any notes about the swap ,..parts number list etc.etc.
There is a lot happening when you do the swap, and only the owner (swapper) knows exactly what was done. Some folks who build conversions are auto gearheads who build the swap section by section (vacuum ,fuel supply, cooling, ECM and so on ) and then some folks just wing it with a lot of jury rigging being done to "make things work"
How organized was the person who did the swap ,..how was the work executed (are there wires all over the place and the engine bay looks like a bird's nest - or neat and clean AND everything works ..

I would be hesitant to buy any v8 converted Jaguar from anyone I did not know . What I mean say is ,..If I knew Fred was in the process of converting his Jag to v8 power and I was a good friend who popped in to see how he was doing from time to time, then I might consider buying that car. But if he was doing a great conversion that is taking a lot of his time and money,... he most likely would not want to part with it.

The price you quoted was very low and as a conversion ( if it was done right) it should fetch many times more.
To put it in perspective - you could not even purchase a good beater Toyota for 1500 much less a properly done Jaguar v8 conversion. If you buy it don't expect much but do expect to solve multiple unfinished items.
My car is an 86 xj6 with 350 TBI with 4l60 trans. I call it the "Forever Endeavor"

 

This car?

https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/d/j...562607339.html

Skip it. Lots of rust. Do you want a lump for lump sake. If you do then consider a better car to start with and do an LT1 lump. Much better performance, economy and smoothness.

 

Yeah I have a million questions floating around in my head and just trying to organize them and see what I'm missing.

And yes it is that car. How bad is the rust? Is it surface or eating through? I would like one with a well done drive train,bubt i have no problem stripping and repainting the car.

 

Really hard to answer your question without knowing what you want out the car and what your skillset is. For example I would avoid that car purely because I am totally clueless in regard to bodywork and rust repairs, you sound like that aspect is less of an issue. If the rust is that visible its highly likely on closer inspect both front and rear windowopening will have bad rust and more structural stuff around the jacking points and or footwells.

Alyn's points above on the conversion are good ones. If the engine look like it belongs in there (not supported by a wiring mess) and most gauges and fans work its probably OK or at least workable. Mine had a myriad of small issues when I got it, but (apart from the carby replacement) were just trivial replacement/reinstall tasks.

 

I'll be very blunt: the car looks like a turd to me. Lots of rust.

You're shopping at the low end of the price range as used cars go, especially used Jags. But, even so, for $1500 you could probably do better.

Keep looking, IMO

Cheers
DD

 

+1
The car is a dog, basically. Not even worth the asking price or even close.

 

Well, yes, I agree with the above but if you want to learn a lot and are viewing it as a beater ..... I have bought a lot of old cars like this, had fun working on them, learning, etc. And selling for what I had in them. Make sure all the gauges work, the speedometer is accurate, etc. Should pull smoothly, shift right, drive straight, good brakes. Then it is up to you. These cars rust from the inside out. Whatever you see is the tip of the iceberg. If you get it, fix it up, sell it for a profit and buy another nicer one. Work your way up the food chain. I'd rather drive a jaguar beater than a Toyota beater any day assuming I wast driving it to work and had AAA to tow it home.

 

The CL listing looks like $750 or less parts car to me. No engine picture, quality of swap organization already discussed above. The questionable state of the actual engine's wear and lack of pictures rings big alarm bells. Swapping a clapped out engine into a clapped out car will provide you with endless head scratching above and beyond what is already a car that needs a fair bit of TLC and understanding...'everything rebuilt' could mean anything...

 

That sure sums it up. I could not have phrased it better.


However, almost any car that can be registered and runs and drives is worth in the 750 to 1000. range. Warts and all.


That car has almost no value in CA. It will nt meet strict SMOG reg's.


As a young guy, I "played" with cars that were worse. Not o mention the 65 Fake Monza/Corsa. Lots of rust and interior water damage + a clunk on the rear quarter. lousy paint, etc. But, playing with the TRurbo flat six was a ball !!!


OK to register in ARK ?


Transport to ARK!!


Carl

 

I really appreciate everyone weighing in. Excellent advice all around and it really made me think. I get a little too excited and jump into things too fast. Instead I have decided to lump the 74 xj6 i already have. I think I was looking to skip a step and I just need to do things the right way. I've found a shop 2 hours south of where I live that has done the swap multiple times, using the John's cars kit. The shop owner and I have mutual friends that vouch for his work. I'm still debating on the drive line, and I'm sure I'll post some questions soon. And for those who were curious I'm in Arkansas in the states. No vehicle inspections or smog testing. Just don't rev your engine at a cop and you can basically drive anything you want. Thanks again.