perkins@waltz.UUCP (02/18/85)
For the past year, I have had my heart set on buying an old Jaguar XKE. I have
done some asking around, and many of the people I talk to advise me to
replace the Jag engine with a more reliable (and cheaper) Chevy 350. I know
if I did this, I wouldn't have a true Jag, but I need reliability!
If anybody has replaced a Jag engine with the obscenity I just mentioned or
they know of somebody who has, I would appreciate you letting me know how it
went.
Thanks,
Steve Perkins
perkins%TI-CSL@CSNet-Relay
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P.S. To you true Jag people, I'm not rich, but I know true style when I see
it.hayden@pyrite.DEC (Janice M. Hayden 231-7759) (02/22/85)
Some advise from a sports car enthusiast: DON'T DO IT. If you want
to get an XKE, you should know what you are getting into and take the bad with
the good if you decide it is worth it. Jags do break down more than most cars.
Putting a Chevy 350 in it will still leave you with a Jag steering mechanism to
break, a Jag body to rust, a Jag rear end to leak, and of course, a Lucas
electrical system to burn.
The motor in an XKE is a strong one; unless really beaten they can go
for 150,000 miles. The problem is that the external parts (especially the
electrical system) are made by Lucas and they burn out quickly. A second
problem is finding one that has not been beaten but costs less than $ 10,000.
The biggest problem with XKEs is that they rust out. Finding one that
is free from rust, not just covered with Bondo and new paint, is very hard.
So by replacing the motor, you are trying to cure one problem but choosing to
ignore two larger ones. Further, with any engine change, even from a stock
Chevy to a stock Chevy, unforeseen problems and costs arise.
Perhaps the most important point is this: Once you are finished the
value of the car will be a lot LESS. You will have to spend a lot of money
and time to have the swap done, and unless you pick your shop carefully, you
may still get a shoddy job. When it is done the car will be worth a lot less
than what you originally paid for it.
I currently have a 12 cylinder XJS but I want to sell it and get a
6 cylinder XKE roadster. I love my Jag despite the fact it needs a bit
more attention than most cars. If you want a car you never have to worry
about, get a Mazda RX-7 or a Datsun 280Z, but if you want a fun, fast and
beautiful car test drive an XKE with a Jag motor. Just listen to it. If
you want the latter, you'll get an XKE with a good motor and leave it in.