pics of my XJ6 project "unghetto"
 

Okay....I've added some pics of IMO this hideously installed 355 motor that my dad has bought and that I will be updating. I have a long list of mods like serpentine conversion, T-Bird electric fan with my own 3-speed control harness, aluminum intake, Spintech exhaust system, custom dash bezel with Autometer gauge layout, etc. But...I took pics of a variety of relays and such that as far as I can tell are not being used. The previous owner was a complete buffoon and I have a lot of work to do to get this car looking nice. I've already removed the nasty "custom" sheet metal shroud BTW.

What a mess!
This sort of thing gives conversions a bad name.
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Why can't people just leave the original 4.2 in?! Sad seeing a bunch of jags being hacked up just for a little power increase. I can appreciate a well built jag with a v8, but You could regear to a lower ratio and have the same if not more torque than a sbc. I could see if the 4.2 was seized or something of the like, but that's not always the case. Rant over lol

Although it is not the highest quality showroom work, it does look functional so I wouldn't go calling it a hideous or "ghetto" installation.

Amen to that brother. IMO the previous owner was a buffoon for doing the conversion in the first place...

Oh its a piece all right. Its little things like heater hoses draped an inch over the exhaust manifolds, or non functioning gauges save for the oil pressure, pushbutton for start because the PO couldn't figure out why it wouldn't start with the key switch, terribly hacked hole in the top core support brace to make room for the aluminum radiator, compression union to tie into the rack/pinion instead of a proper flared union, (4!) mufflers, scabbed charging system wiring, and I can go on.

However, being as its rust free and straight its worth doing a V8 swap properly. Heres some pics of my kind of custom work....some of which will find its way into this Jag build....

Lump clean up thoughts.
 

Here's a few ideas.

1. Get rid of that boy racer coil and install a normal hei coil and coil cover.

2. Install a set of black ignition wires, custom length, make them yourself and use looms like this... R M Specialties 1101P Aluminum Small Block Chevy 7 9mm Billet Wire Looms | eBay 25ft of Bulk wire, plug ends, cap ends and a crimp tool can all be had for about 100$

3. No chrome under the hood, it's so cliche. Get some plain steel valve covers and and a new water neck and paint them body color.

4. Get a proper air cleaner. 82 92 Firebird Camaro Carburator TBI Air Cleaner V8 | eBay One like this will flow plenty of air for a mild 350, offer good filtration, will quiet intake noise, and will allow you to connect a proper air duct to supply fresh cool air from infront of the radiator.

5. Replace those sloppy heater hoses with these hand bendable aluminium lines. A short piece of heater hose at each end can be used to make the connections. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vt...-vbh/overview/

6. Replace the rubber fuel line with steel 3/8 tubing. The right length tubing, tube clamps and a proper bender can be found at your local Autozone, Napa, Advance, etc. Much neater and safer than rubber fuel lines. Use fuel injection hose and clamps to make the short connections where necessary. You could also get a flair adapter fitting for the carb and avoid rubber there, and a tubing beader to really hook it up safely and correctly. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-008erl

7. Serpentine system form an 86 to 91 Fbody is the ticket. There is a well known way to eliminate the air pump and reroute the belt. This serpentine system is quiet, efficient and wont toss the belt when you tickle the go peddle. You'll need it all as a set to get it right.... PS pump, Alternator, brackets, a few long bolts, RR water pump and crank pulley. It's all a bolt on except for the PS pump which is metric so you'll need a new high pressure line or have yours redone with the proper metric fitting. They pop up on Ebay as a complete set from time to time. How to Remove Your Smog Pump From Your Serpentine Belt Equipped Third Gen. - ThirdGen.org

It's painful, isn't it, to see sloppy work when you Know proper ways to do the job! Of course, I might not have known what a "proper job" was if my car hadn't been done so well.

Your work looks Very neat and tidy.
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Here's a pic showing a 140A alternator I put on my 86 K10 daily driver. I make the brackets to allow you to bolt a 1994-97 SS Impala alternator to the stock serp. bracket. I figured this would be a nice upgrade considering all the electrical stuff these Jags have. And, I build my own 4ga universal charging system upgrade kits for these types of HO alternators. I discovered while inspecting the wiring that the alternator excite IGN on lead wasn't even connected to anything from the Jag harness....! wtf? Even the stock battery junctions are goofy IMO based on where they're at. So much to do....I almost want to pull the motor and clear the car of its stock harness and build my own. I also have a 4-window Express Down kit I put together just for this car too! After looking at the sunroof wiring I think I can set it up for Express Open and Close as well.

This is the actual fan I'll be installing in the XJ6. Its an RF24 Motorcraft 2-speed fan from a 1997 T-Bird. I built a control harness using a Volvo 2-speed fan relay along with an IGN on and AC high speed override relay bank.....this will look better than the homemade sheet metal shroud....

.....for temperature control with my electric fan install I use these aluminum dual port t-stat housings. Using low and medium range temperature switches to control both fan speeds the engine won't fluctuate much off 190 degrees no matter the weather. I usually add a HD ground right at the housing to insure a good ground reference for the switches. This setup will also find its way on the car.

It looks like your up to the task. I've run those Accel coils, but I remove the gray cover and replace it with a stock cover. I've never had any luck with their plug wires. NAPA wires worked just fine, or try ICS idea.

Just replacing the shroud, air cleaner and cleaning up the hoses & wiring will make a 180° turnaround.

Oh yeah, and the leaky chrome valve covers. I prefer the stiffer aluminum style. I wonder why the PO went with taller covers? Maybe he put in a higher lift cam...still not really necessary, unless the rockers are full rollers and you're running over 6000RPM. It appears as though the party responsible for this conversion had some racing/motorsports background. IMCA or drag, perhaps?

Well, since the motor is painted black, I was thinking of using a black wrinkle finish textured style valve cover.

It seems like the Jaguars with V8 conversions devalue the car.

Depends on the market. Value is in the eye (and wallet) of the beholder.
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Right now converts sell for more than original cars if they had a V12. The V12 is very unloved from a resale point of view. But from a collectible / investment point of view...an all original car in great condition with low miles will always and forever be worth much more than a convert.

I recently purchased a similar vehicle. Seeing your pics was a reality check for me. I was tut tutting over a few small things but basically it was set out OK , fairly tidily done and everything worked re gauges and controls. I am sure you can get it sorted pretty quickly, I just hope they did the basics like engine/trans mounts and cooling properly. Are there supposed to be diagonal braces from the centre of the firewall to the fenders?

Yes. Otherwise the fenders would fall off.
Below is a link to a photo of my engine bay:
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That's the first time Iv'e seen nix lift her top. COOL

You've visited my profile page, Clarke, didn't you look at any of my albums?
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