Found on the Forum: Wild Jaguar XJ6 Restomod

By John Coyle - December 31, 2022

You don’t have to be a Concours judge to notice this Jaguar looks slightly different than it did when it left Coventry.

As an admitted fan of lumps, nobody is going to accuse me of being a purist. But when it comes to Jaguar restomods, I generally prefer models where all the improvements have been made under the skin, like the Lunaz Design Electric XK120, or the E-Type Zero. So while the highly modified XJ6 Series III which recently popped up on the forum recently isn’t exactly my style, I still think it’s kind of cool, and folks here have mostly appreciated this custom.

Built by member Keltec-performance-leeds, you don’t have to be an eagle-eyed concours judge to notice the departures from stock that have been taken with this XJ6. First, there’s the aggressive suspension drop, which is height adjustable and comes courtesy of bags at all four corners. Then, there are the massive five-spoke rims, which barely fit into the wheel wheels. Hopefully, the air suspension helps smooth out the ride of this big Jag.

Other exterior mods included swapping on X308 bumpers, blacking out all the trim, removing the grille, and adding LED lighting to the four-light front fascia. As a nod to Jaguars of the period, there’s also a leaper hood ornament, though it’s been painted black to match the overall aesthetic of the car. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the leaper, as it wasn’t — at least to my knowledge — stock on XJs of this vintage, and as a result, I think it looks tacked on. That said, if you’re a fan of classic Coventry style, the little leaper is going to be the least of your issues with this big cat.

Since this car looks ready to rob a bank, it’s fitting that it has a cabin reflecting what an 80s-era XJR might have looked like. The blood-red seats, for example, have cutouts meant to suggest they’re ready for racing belts, just like the F-PACE SVR does. And while the stock stereo has been swapped for a modern head unit with a touchscreen, it’s also surrounded by trim matching the wood of the dash.

Look closely, and you’ll also notice another glaring non-stock feature of the interior — namely the stick shift. Yup, like the XJ6 and XKR I’ve covered recently, this Jaguar’s gearbox is of the row-your-own variety, and as you might expect, it’s not mated to the stock mill. Power now comes from a BMW M60 V8 engine, and the transmission is a five-speed unit from Getrag, which should make for an awesome driving experience. Aston Martin brakes, a Valvetronic exhaust, and a later-model XJS steering rack round out the rest of the mechanical changes.

Check out the video below to see a brief clip of this bad kitty in action, and head over to the thread to see what members are saying about this wild creation!

Photos: JaguarForums