Purple Jaguar XJC With a Chevy V8 Swap Up For Grabs
The Coupe is the rarest of the legendary XJ line, but that hasn’t stopped inspired folks from going the restomod route.
Over it’s five-year production run, Jaguar produced just over 10,000 examples of the XJC, which includes the 2,000-odd models badged as the Daimler Sovereign Coupé, and the Double Six Coupé. That makes this one of the rarest machines in the legendary XJ line, and for years, that rarity has made it one of most collectible Jaguars of the period. But that doesn’t mean some of them haven’t been turned into “lumps.”
I’m writing, of course, about the practice of dropping American — generally Chevy, but sometimes Ford — V8s into the British bodies. While some see it as sacrilege, I think it’s pretty cool, and someday, I’d love to build one to replace my dearly departed Series II XJ6. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of the two-doors, but the swap was what drew me to this 1976 restomod I stumbled across on Bring a Trailer.
While the auction has just kicked off, the crowd there seems to be giving the seller a hard time — which makes me curious as to what this will go for. If it sells at all. And while I don’t agree with all the choices the owner made when customizing this rare Jag, there are plenty of things I like. For example, the basket wheels look great, and as someone who appreciates bombast, I think the color is killer.
Also, instead of the period Chevy small block, this big cat features an LT1 plucked from a C4 Corvette, which will provide a big boost over a stock version’s power. That said, I don’t the modern-looking seats in the cabin, the tiny wood wheel, or the JVC tape deck. Because when it comes to interiors, I’m a sucker for originality. I’d much rather have a broken factory stereo than a functional aftermarket one.
As I write this, the commentors over on BaT seem to be less concerned the drivetrain than they do the quality of the paintwork. The finish looks as ready to peel as a ripe banana, and there’s rust as well. As you can see in the pictures, the finish is cracking at the B pilar, which was a problem with the XJC from the get-go, and there’s no telling how much water got in there. What this will fetch is anyone’s guess, but I’ll be watching.
Photos: Bring a Trailer