Hello everyone. I own a custom car shop and have recently started on what one many may call a foolhardy adventure. I recently was given a 1997 XK8 convertible with no drive train and some missing wiring (it had blown the engine due to tensioner failure [I'm guessing] and then was in a small fire. The owner sold the transmission and then wanted it gone, so I just had to pick it up. I also hauled off the shell of an XKR coupe and I've just bought a XJS V12 to use as a donor.

Now for the crazy part. The Convertible will receive the V12 from the XJS then a 5 speed behind that. Custom guages that I hope to look relatively factory, and some nightmare of wiring. I also plan to use part of the coupe bodywork grafted onto the convertible to create a sort of targa top reminiscent of the XJ41 concept.

I've heard it a million times, but I just might be crazy All this for a car that is probably going to be, at best, around a stock XKR for power, but we do it because we can and because no one else (to my knowledge) has

I will get pictures of the donor cars up soon and plan to chronicle my build here. Don't expect too fast of progress as this will be quite an undertaking and its not exactly a priority of the shop. That being said, I've got a Jag aficionado with a nice custom XJC that has taken an interest, and he may just throw some money at us to make it his. If that happens, obviously progress will go much faster.

 

Do the Chevy LSx conversion.

 

Curiously looking forward to either something very interesting or a very slow train wreck. Either way, I've got my lawn chair and some popcorn out for the duration!

 

Hope you have a basic understanding of the CANetwork system as implemented by Jaguar. You may not get the car to start unless the the ECM can talk to the driver door module or the instrument module/security control module/etc. to talk to your ECM implementation. If you can deal with the CAN issues the rest is easy.

The folks that made the LSx conversion work are genius's in my opinion. I just finished a '00 302 Ford PCM/TCM to an '82 Volvo conversion and that stretched the limits of my imagination.

Best wishes and keep us informed.

 

I say, do what you want. I've never been one to do things that other people have already done, that's the cheese way out.
You'll have a lot of work in front of you, but when done you will have a truly One Of A Kind to be proud of.

 

I suppose you could include as much of the XJS as it takes to make things happy. Sounds like an interesting, but monumental project. The targa top sounds cool to me too (I am a sucker for a targa)

 

Now this should be fun.

 

I am afraid that the title is apropos.

 

 

Holy crap, I'll pray for you.

 

Grafting the XK8 body onto the XJS could achieve the result with a lot less grief!

Graham

 

This is a post I'll follow with interest. Good luck!!!

 

I love it!!!

I have my own Franken6 project. Convertible GT6, with Toyo 5sp tranny and "everything" else modified somehow. At last count, 12 cars have given their lives to make this project possible. If Mary Shelly ever built a car - THIS WOULD BE IT!.

Yeh - DO IT!!!

 

Sounds like a real hoot of a show!

Make room for my lawn chair and pass the popcorn please.

 

interesting project, I always loved the V12 and thought it would cool in the XK8

Lawn chair ready and beer chilling.

 

You know you can buy XKE flood cars cheap and were you to update one of those you might actually have something worth much of the value of your work. A new car with an old car's engine is a tough sell but a classic car with a new car engine is called a Resto Mod and they have been selling really well of late. Likely be about the same work.


I found this one for sale in Europe awhile back: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...e-body-136373/


In this case they basically put an type III XKE (the least valuable) body onto an XKR and then use BMW seats for some strange reason.




Anyway just a thought.