anyone know where someone is sitting on a mk2 3.8 in the tall grass near the mid
west.. dwight

 

I'm pretty sure I saw this on Craigslist in Minneapolis recently.

 

Dwl
If you are looking for a 3.8 MK2 project car hidden away in the tall grass or somebody's shed then I suspect you are a little bit late by a decade or two.
World wide these car values have accelerated many times over and you would be extremely lucky to find one at a reasonable price.
However the 2.4 MK2 models have been virtually ignored yet they are quite a good car and can be upgraded in a number of ways. Whats more they are cheap compared to the 3.8.
I am running a 2.4 engine MK 2 with a 3.4/3.8 inlet manifold and SU HD6 (13/4 inch carbies). The diff is a 3.77 and it has the later model all synchromesh gearbox with overdrive. It really gets up and wants to go. I have previously owned 3.4 and 3.8 MK2s and appreciate the extra "grunt" of the bigger engine but have a lot of fun with the improved 2.4 engine car. By the way our local Jag club did not believe it was a 2.4. In our local mountain run I was using the extra 500 RPM over redline that the 2.4 has over the 3.4/3.8
Modifications to a 2.4 car
There is no difference in the body and general suspension except the front springs on a 2.4 are not adequate for the larger engines. The speedo will need to be changed if you change the diff ratio.
The XJ6 4.2 litre engine will go into a MK2 2.4 quite easily although there is some work to be done in regards front engine pulleys. fans etc. The block is essentially the same but requires the earlier oil filter system off a MK1/2

If going manual a Toyota Supra gear box is recommended. In Australia the Dellow system has been used to convert dozens of Jags to 5 speed.
That conversion will work on a 2.4 car with a 4.29 differential but a higher ratio is recommended such as 3.77 or 3.53

This is just to encourage you and anyone else to " have a go" at a restoration without busting the bank

Bill Mac
MK1
MK2
S3 XJ6
X300
Previous 14 Jags MK5 to X308

 

Bill is correct of course but in the US a 2.4 is so very rare it would be worth saving it as a 2.4.

 

Lucky you!
It sounds like you people in the US dodged the underperforming 2.4 Jag bullet that we copped in the "colonies". We did get the 3.4 and 3.8 models but I suspect the 2.4 was considerably cheaper.
Interesting production figures for left hand drive shows only 3400 2.4s against over 21,000 3.4/3.8 cars so I can see why the 2.4 would be scarce in the US as they would also be catering to the European continent market.

I know of a number of 2.4s delivered to Australia which have been converted to 3.4/3.8 or 4.2.
Typical donor cars engines included MK8,9,10 and early S types as well as Series 1&2 XJ6s.
The S types were snapped up by hot rodders wanting the independent rear end so those engines were readily available.
Cheers
Bill Mac
MK1
MK2
XJ6 S3
X300