Not going to be a cheap conversion I can add probably about $10K in my head now, but you could bring that down with mostly secondhand parts.

I like the idea of a 7.0, if I was ever going to build a 1000hp XK thats the route I would go.

I would of thought this would be the sort of thing someone would do (looking from a professional point of view) if they happened across all the parts or was building something specific.

In the old days of XJ6s and XJSs it was a no brainer particularly if you had a blown V12, but I would of thought (I know for a fact in the UK) it would be much cheaper to change a blown XK engine with one of the same, but as a project

 

Amazing. I would be so there on something like this.

 

I kept track of pricing, but mine is a manual conversion. So if you went the cheaper route costs would look something like this for parts:

engine / trans$4,000.00
engine install kit$1,532.00
misc maintenance$125.51
fluids for replacement$88.86
custom drive shaft$343.20
exhaust$455
wiring stuff + new gm dme$174.00
hangers + hose couplers$40.71
muffs + hose clamps $175.30
intake parts + catalytic converters $331.86
5/16" fuel hose + ftgs$11.25
power steering restrictor$29.59
misc bolts $9.50
radiator fans$119.00
ls1 thermostat housing $63.00
gto dipstick tube$39.00
gm body harness$79.00
oil pan and pickup tube $450.00
SUM$8,066.78

BUT that's for a 2002 LS engine with a t56 manual trans... AND NO LABOR.
If you chose a 5.3L truck engine LS and automatic, you can get parts costs even further south. I bet this swap could be done for under $7k in parts honestly.

The time was considerable my first time out. I think the swap can be done in about 75 hours... but i have about 150 hrs in this one.

I did it once.. and I will definitely do it again.

 

Also, the kit price was not that high, there are some add'l components that need to be purchased as instructed by JS kit so that was a sum of kit price and some other hosing etc.

 

Thanks for the costing, Andrezbim.

Here's another stupid question...since the throttle on the LS1 is upfront (and appears to stick up quite a bit), I'm assuming you need to alter the hood shaping for some kind of intake? Or just to make room for the throttle? Your hood is not on the car in your video.

 

Nope that was just a temporary position for startup.

 

andrezbim, would you be able to create a diy for swapping in an ls1? if you could do that than i wont consider selling my xk8 being that i hate the lack of aftermarket. an ls1 would make my jag perfect

 

Yes, but it's useless without the CAN interface to the Jag instrument cluster, which is part of the JS kit. I think the Can interface is availabe separately though.

I will probably put something together that JS feels is acceptable, without imposing on the trade secrets for the kit. That's not available just yet.

If your car's a coupe, maybe i'll just buy it

 

I know of a XJR with a Kenne Bell supercharged LS7 that claims 723 rwhp.

 

So my guess of $10K was not too far out and if you get someone else to do the work you could possibly add another 50% if not double that.....
OK I am curious now, but whats the point? OK if you are handy with the tools and you have a trashed truck and an XK with a blown engine, I would get that completely. Or you are complete lunatic, I get that also.

What is the fasinaction of sticking a lump into Jags

It has already been said it devalues the car and fitting a secondhand Jag engine would be far cheaper

 

it wouldnt necessarily devalue the car. here in the us most cars with swapped engines (ex. 240sx's with a sr or an rb, ek civic hatches with a b or a k, is300/sc300/gs300 with a 2jzgte ect) do a whole lot more money than the stock ones. with that said i would probably be able to sell my xk8 with an ls1 faster and more expensive than with the stock aj. its easier to work on, cheaper to work on, faster than our stock engines and backed by an amazing aftermarket.

as a car dealer if i were to sell my xk8 as it sits i would probably get roughly 10.5k or 11k in a flash. with an ls1 i could probably get upwards of 16 or 17k. although i would be taking a loss after swapping it i would save much more money in the long run with parts.

 

if i were to do the swap i would use a JS kit. that would probably make it easier than finding the parts on your own.

but is the JS kit available yet?

EDIT: my xk8 is a coupe btw. if you have a chance you can check out my gallery or my intro thread for pics

 

The motivation for my build was:
1) I had a car with a bad engine in it already, which put my initial expense very low... And I wanted endless horsepower potential.
2) I wanted a manual transmission

 

Wow, do I feel old. I have no idea what any if this means.


GO BEARS

 

haha... those are all common engine swapped vehicles, and the common engine that's swapped into them.
2 of the above 3, I've done.

 

Don't feel bad Glenn, I don't know what any of them are either. I guess us old gezzers aren't up on the rice burners.

 

I think that the confusion came about due to the OP being this:

"It looks to me like there are tons of issues with the Jaguar/Ford V* and that they are very pricey to repair/replace. Has anyone succeeded in intalling a more basic/cheaper V* engine and/or trans into these cars? I am supposing that moving to a Mustang type Ford V8 would be both cheaper and more reliable in the long run but of course, have no proof on this."

where the poster was looking for a "cheaper" option.

Surely, what you are after will cost more than simply replacing with a Jaguar engine and maintaining it well, but you are doing it for entirely different reasons, which are understandable.

I must say, it would be an interesting sight to see an XK8 with the sort of rumble that comes from a large American V8 and then doing burnouts. It would be sort of like seeing a supermodel get in a UFC Ring and beat someone's brains out.

 

i will admit some ppl do know how to rice the living **** out of a car but these cars deserve more respect then people give them. nissan 240sx's is the car of choice for drifters, the rb motor is a nissan skyline motor (you guys across the pond should know a thing or 2 about them) which is a twin turbo power house and civics with a k series making 250whp on naturally aspirated mods can blow the doors off of an xk8 thanks to their light weight chassis.

 

Nissan 240sx are what ricer wet dreams are made from and I have driven a 1000bhp Skyline R34, wonderful cars, the Skyline was god awful to drive under 50mph but you opened the taps and I have never experienced such acceleration!!
Loads of goodies out there for them, the skylines command good money but any of the 200sx's could be bought for pennys so appealed to the young boy racers, so was born the ricer. Honda CRX's were terrific little cars and could be tuned to death but suffered from torque steer badly...... Even considered a Delsol for fun.... But RWD is always best which discounts all Hondas unless we are talking NSX....yum

 

yes 240sx's are a ricer boys wet dream but there is no denying the fact that theyre notorious drift cars and some could should be well respected in the car community. ive never driven a skyline (united states was never blessed with something so wonderful) but it probably awful to drive under 50 mph because of the mods. 1000hp cars arent meant to be anywhere under 50. and as the honda game goes, cant leave out the s2000 theyre bottom end has forged pistons straight from the factory and if you youtube s2000 from hell the owner boosted his s2k to 750hp using stock bottom end and stock tranny