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I went back and forth on the sway bar issue but I didn't really have the time or the budget to do a lot of parts-on/parts-off testing with the suspension until we got it to optimum levels. I needed to sort of pick one approach and execute that, so I picked what I hope is the best available approach out of many I studied. I found most feedback on the rear sway bar to be positive, especially if paired with a specific-size front bar.
Theres an interview with a Jag engineer where he?states rear sway bar tends to lift the rear end off on hard cornering on the track and thats why they dropped it after the initial parts order was used up.
CCW Twisted Classic in Gunmetal Gloss finish. 17x8.
They have custom offsets (fronts are 20mm, rears are 28mm) in accordance with the build done here: Rim and Tire upgrade Decision
I basically stole and copied his setup for rims and tires. Hoping everything else clears well once we get everything put back together. As everyone knows, these cars are such individual machines that it wouldn't surprise me to have to fiddle a bit with things, especially rear ride height.
So, I know you guys probably thought I'd never get done with this thing. It's taken 12-16 months (honestly, I forget) but we just got it back tonight.
There are still a few wrinkles to iron out. The high-beam switch doesn't register every time you pull back the stalk. The reverse lights stay on sometimes, other times not. Most importantly, we still don't have the custom wood surround installed around the shifter. That's coming in a month or two, it's a total bespoke piece made by a local woodworker.
I've made much out of the shifter issue, but the big change was definitely the wheels, tires and new suspension parts. I used 17x8 custom wheels, Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires, Bilsteins up front and KYB grays in the back, a Sport Pack rear sway bar, new springs from Jagbits, an ADDCO front sway bar, and new poly bushings in most places. This car now handles like a modern GT, much more like my XF than my XJ6.
And I do want to share some pictures, and this piece of news ... on a 60-mile mixed drive tonight, which included 5 minutes in a fast-food drive-thru, I averaged a whopping 27.4 MPG in this car. A steady 65 mph yields mileage of 35-38 mpg on flat ground. This is now the most fuel-efficient car we own, all 12 cylinders worth. And now, on with the show...
Here's me picking it up today. I wanted a shot of the car with the new rims. Trying to decide whether the wrap the car in 3M Black Rose, or keep it this color.
This is in the garage afterward. Note that we still don't have the custom wood surround. But that's a Kilduff Lightning Rod shifter (mated to a 700R4), with SpeedDawg carbon fiber shift knobs that match the interior color, and a Grant Fibertech wheel, interior color, with a custom Jag horn button (more on that later). Forgive my cell phone, which can't separate colors well, and just trust me that all this matches more than it initially looks.
Steering wheel logo. This is a gearshift emblem from a Jaguar XF transmission knob affixed to a standard Grant horn button to create ... voila! ... a Jaguar horn button that matches the interior.
Close-up of the button. It looks off-center in this photo, for some reason, but it isn't.
Another wheel shot. That's my '87 XJ6 (wrapped in 3M Ice Blue) that I'm leaning on to shoot this. The two cats seemed to enjoy having each other for company for the first time in over a year.
Last shot of the wheels. I'm very happy with the stance this car has now. Those wheels really did the lines of the car justice.
If you want to see factory Jag wheel width (XJ6, on the right) compared with what an eight-inch wheel looks like (XJS, on the left), here you go. Much more aggressive.
I tend not to think about the XJS as having such a sports "stance" until I see it next to one of the sedans, and especially with those wider wheels.
And last but not least, the shot you have to see to believe. It was difficult for me to fashion a setup where I could take this picture safely while driving, but I did it. Note where the speedo is (60 mph) and where the MPG is (38). All of that from a transmission swap, leaving the factory rear end in place.
When I get the new shifter surround in the car, I'll put up some more pictures. I love this setup so far, and while it's a bit much for a purist, please know that had this car been all original and in restored condition when I got it, I wouldn't have done this conversion. But now I have a fairly modern-feeling Jaguar XJS, that gets great mileage, and most importantly for me, retained the V12 powerplant.
I say that if it works for you, great! I like he gunmetal paint, too. How does that shifter actually work?
Scroll up to post #11 and there's a video there of one mounted in a Pontiac GTO/Holden Monaro. I'm going to try to shoot a video of mine once all the pieces are finally buttoned up. If you mean how well does it function right now, very well. It's about as fast through the gears as a manual. It does take some time getting used to.
