Marketplace Find: XK8 Project has Jaguar Style and LS Power
This Jaguar XK8 might be listed as a project, but this British Racing Green baby is just about buttoned up.
It will come as a surprise to approximately zero percentage of regular Jaguar Forums readers that I spend way, way too much time browsing classified ads, looking for Jaguars for sale.
As I’ve said before, I will someday replace my beloved XJ6 lump that I had a to sell years ago — and you never know when the right opportunity might appear. So that’s why I stumbled across this XK8 with an LS swap in the Marketplace, and while it’s a little out of my price range, it seems like this complicated heart transplant has been done the right way. Here’s some relevant info from the listing:
This is a rust-free California car purchased from Andrew at JaguarSpecialties (along with his conversion kit). I had the car delivered to Florida where a rebuilt 2005 5.3 LS engine with after market cam and lifters was put in. This has been a year long project involving removal of the original engine and trans (has a blown head gasket). Some of the new stuff is upgraded torque converter, LS2 injection, new 9mm throttle body and MASF filter, modified GTO oil pan, modified driveshaft, new alternator, water pump, a/c compressor and lines.
Now, if you’re looking to drop a Chevy mill into your Jaguar, my recent research has shown that Jaguar Specialties is the place to go. And if you’re a three-pedal fan, the company even offers a conversion kit of for the XK8 and XKR. So will a little work, you’d be able to drive something that Coventry never even offered. Personally, I think that sounds like a great way to get an Aston Martin-style experience on the cheap — even if you wound up paying for the labor.
Since this car is listed as a project, you wouldn’t expect everything to be perfect, and it’s not. The roof and the trunk exhibit significant sun damage, and new volts and oil pressure gauges which talk to the Chevy motor have been purchased, but still need to be installed. That said, the car is also getting a Flomaster exhaust installed soon, and is said to be putting down 330 horsepower at the rear wheels. That’s a proper amount of poke, and sure to make this car an absolute blast to flog on a twisty road.
Of course, I realize that not everyone here shares my appreciation for Jaguars will American powerplants under the hood. But for the right buyer, this XK8 is a great opportunity to pick up a reliable daily driver, or given the tuning potential of the LS engine, the chance to build a fire-breathing sleeper that’ll surprise drivers of far-newer hardware at every stoplight. So if you’re interested, go check out the listing and inquire with BigAlBre!
Photos: Jaguar Forums