Just purchased a low mileage 2000 XK8 convertible with a bad automatics transmission to get it home it drove in limp mode. I took it to a shop to pull the codes and diagnose the problems. They think the front drum is cracked and a bad valve body. Will completely refurbish the transmission and give it a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty for $5,000. The engine sound good but I have no records. I have read that the main this is to change the tensioners,

My original idea in buying this car was to do the Jaguar Specialties LS swap. I would pull the 4.0 and sell it with the wiring, computer, alternator, ac comp, and power steering pump. Offer the transmission for a core to someone.

I know they say you can never have to much power but I am thinking a 6.2 with a mild cam upgrade would be around 400hp would be a nice fit.

Would like to hear from someone who has done the swap.

Will I get run off the board for cannibalizing's one of these cars?

 

no you won’t. There are people who come down on both sides of turning the car into a “lump”.

Personally, I like to keep any car period correct. I even like the stock Nav unit. Likewise I don’t like putting electronic ignitions or 5 speeds in 1960’s muscle cars either. I think I’m in the minority.

But Your car, your business.

Z

 

As a member of this and also other British Leyland Forums, keeping the cars stock is in most cases much easier. Swopping parts between them, like duel and larger carbs seems to get the OK, but adding another engine can sure get a lot of negative responses.
Here is my take on it. I have kept my 1949 Triumph 2000 Roadster to as near stock as possible, but my '78 Spit6 has received many upgrades, but using mostly Triumph parts from other more powerful cars of the era. Reason, not many Roadster around, but they do get engine transplants, even in England, due to no availability of parts, I can see that.
The XK8 is never, in my life time, going to be a rare car, hard to get someone to let go of one, I see that.
If Jaguar had made them with a 5 or 6 speed manual, kind of like the M3 or M5 had a option, then we would have had a bunch of guys doing that many years ago. They had enough power and the R was no slouch to anything other than some cars that cost twice as much.
I believe you will find the price to put the LS in the car will far exceed the price to make what you have right.
Would I like to have a LS6 with a 6 speed, you bet you sweet ***, I would even envy those that have one. They are beautiful cars and stand alone, just looking at them gives most folks goose bumps. It would draw a crowd sitting in a parking lot with no engine at all.
You asked, your car and enjoy the journey.

 

If it were my money, I would love to find a way to pair a manual with the Jag engine and not have error messages on the dashboard. Somehow, an LS engine just does not tickle my fancy.

 

I vote; SWAP!

1. XK8s are under powered. (If it was the XKR version, I would say keep it OEM.)
2. This generation XK8 is still a fairly common model. (Not worth much now, probably take another 15 years for high mileage ones to be become more valuable.)
3. Not much you can do to increase the high mileage reliability and/or performance of these cars other then put in rebuilt engine/trans. (Probably cost as much as the swap.)
4. The LSX kit Andrew sells is a good value and has been proven to work, so it is a straight forward proven swap.
5. You can get a manual trans Jaguar a heck of a lot easier than trying to mate a manual to a 4.0 Jag engine. (Trying to deal with the ECM issues in that XK8s never shipped with manual trans.)
6, People who like the look of the XK8 will still like it, even though there is a Chevy growling beneath the hood.

The only reason I have kept my 98 XK8 is for the possability of putting in a LS3 or some varient, I find my XK8 only fun on nice summer days when I want a nice meandering cruise with the top down. My STR is a lot faster and corners better and drives like a Jaguar should. My XK8 feels like a slug, and only corners ok for its size. Over the past few years, I get more positive comments about my STR than my XK8.

 

As others have stated these cars are not highly valuable so as in many decisions various owners face, it comes down to how much money and effort you are willing to throw at it....

 

The transmission is a pretty common one. The ZF 5 speed in the XK8 was widely used by other manufactures, BMW for sure. I saw a website that had the rebuild ZF transmission for around $2500. I do not know how difficult it would be to pull and replace the transmission. If the car has been taken care of then with the transmission replaced you could see what the XK8 is like. I really like my 2000 xk8 and can appreciate what Jaguar produced as a GT car but I get why people would do the swap to a LS. But it seems that for the cost and time involved it would be easier to just go out and buy a used Corvette.

 

As many know, there is a different association between "Corvette drivers" and "Jaguar drivers" by the public. Most of the women I associate with comment that Corvette drivers must have some sort of "deficiency" in their personality such that they have to purchase one. OTOH, when they see the lines of a more classic Jaguar, they think more balanced thoughts about the driver. If you are seen in an Aston Martin, or Lambo, Rolls, or other higher end vehicles, they think rich or snobby. Jaguars still have the right balance.
Therefore with an engine swap, on the outside the car is Jaguar, but on the inside it is now a Chevy/Camaro/Corvette.

 

I say DO THE SWAP! But, that is because I did the swap and couldn't be happier... with the LS you have unlimited options for increased power coupled with unmatched reliability. I have LOVED the XK8/R since it debuted in the 90's and I bought mine back in 2011 (with 23K on the odometer). It now has just over 40K miles and I did the swap at 38.5K miles when the original engine threw a rod... that ZF5hp24 transmission is a ticking time bomb waiting to fail (A-Drum) so why fix something that WILL break again. I have upgraded this beauty into the 21st century and LOVE IT even more now!! I always thought I would eventually sell the Jag and get a used low-mileage Aston Martin or Maserati Gran Turismo, but now that I have a reliable powerplant in my jag I am set for life!

 

I bought a Jaguar because I wanted a Jaguar, not a Chev/Jag.....If I had wanted a Corvette, I would have bought a Corvette....The Jaguar was my choice, as it is the most Beautiful of the two!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

^^^^^. This !

when I was shopping for a new daily driver a little over 3 years ago, I had two criteria set in stone: the car had to the best vehicle I could find under $10,000, and it has to have some style as well as decent power.

I looked for over 6 months, and looked nationwide. I drove many Corvettes as well as other top of the line models from practically every auto manufacturer. The Corvettes in particular were a disappointment. The C5 and C6 Corvettes were not much of any better than the 1960’s Sting Rays in ride and handling quality. I also drove the 2 seater Cadillac XLR. Although it weighs about the same as the XK’s , it always felt like it was dragging a boat anchor behind it.

I won’t itemize every car I looked at, suffice it to say, there were none that even approached the balance of power, handling, style, and comfort that our XK’s have in spades.


Z

PS. if there’s anyone who is operating under the delusion that the GM LS engines are trouble free just go over to any Chevy dealer or independent repair shop and talk to the people who are tasked with maintaining and repairing them. A few minutes conversation will convince you that the LS power plants are far from trouble free

 

$5,000 for a transmission rebuild...? Find a new transmission shop.

 

Here's the deal; financially, unless you swap in a used unit or do the rebuild yourself, it makes more sense to sell the car. Lumping will absolutely not be cost effective; I'm not coming against the swap because ITS A JAG NOT A VETTE or whatever, but if you want some good power, just sell the car and upgrade to a low mileage 4.2L XKR and do some minor pulley swaps. It will be cheaper. IF you want to own the car long term, and want to get crazy power and possibly a manual transmission, and money saving is not the reason, then a swap is a good option.

 

Spend a fortune to devaluate your car, make its motor lumpy and narrow its market appeal. Sounds like a plan.

Your car, have at it. BUT coming from someone who has built a hybrid or two i can tell you beyond any doubt it is never ever as straightforward as it seems never ever ever ever as cheap is first budgeted for, and unfortunaly usually, never work quite as well as hoped.

That being said, when my bog standard 1999 XK8 mill dies i want to swap for a newer jag lump with a much power, flappy paddles and enough build aggravation to keep the curious entertained for a long time. LS swap , sorry yawn fest 2021, been done to death.

 

Go find another trans shop.....for real

it won’t

 

I had a transmission shop in Nashville rebuild the ZF in my 2002 XK8 convertible when I started getting the "limp mode" issues. They did a great job for $3,400.

 

How much would it cost to do the swap? (Engine, transmission, electronics, mechanic.....)

 

If you stick with a N/A engine like a LS3, probably between $10K and 30K in parts*. Labor = ? Since Jaguar Specialty sells a pretty complete installation kit, Labor could be under $5K.
*Depends on your HP goals. New engine, rebuilt, or a dropout with 50K to 60K miles. Manual trans - 5 or 6 speed, or automatic,
For all new...
A 430HP LS3 complete crate engine with stand-alone engine harness and ECM will cost about $9K. New T56 trans and associated parts will cost about $5500
The rest of the parts needed, - Fuel delivery system, installation kit, drive shaft, and other parts will cost close to $5K (Total rounds up to $20K + labor.)

A new set-up into a XK8 that also has a suspension refresh, should be be good for another 100+K miles. What other car could you get for a $40K investment that looks like the original lines of this generation car.
it would have about the same HP as a V8 supercharged F-type and costs $20+K less.

 

It’s not an investment by my standards as you will never recoup the money spent.

For $20,000 I could buy two of the early XKR’s, ones that already have had all the known issues fixed, and have money left over for 25,000 miles of gasoline and oil changes.



Z

 

430hp is $15k of late 4.2L X100 XKR and a pair of pulleys away. It's why this is such a poor "investment" to go the swap route.