Hello everyone, just a quick question out of curiosity. Is it possible to make an XJ8 sound like a low rumble V8? I love the sound on mine but it's barely audible even when accelerating.

 

These are quiet land yachts, not a loud speed boat

 

"How do you make your XJ8 sound like a real V8?"
Are you saying that you got a FAKE V8?
Sorry, could not resist!

 

😂 I guess I do

 

I know I know, I was just wondering if it's possible to get just a bit more sound out of her.

 

Sure, just start deleting mufflers until you like how it sounds. I wouldnt recommend it though, not really what these cars are for. I deleted the rear mufflers on my 98 XJR and it sounded OK, but quickly put the stock mufflers back on. Personally I feel like loud exhaust cheapens a Jag if that makes any sense. Unless its an old 4.0L 6-cylinder, they sound fantastic with a little extra exhaust note.

 

Hey! Didn't think anyone would respond to this anymore haha. Thanks for the tip. What do you mean by cheapens?

 

I just mean it makes it sound cheap, or like a young kid got a hold of it. Just my opinion of course, but the V8 Jags should be graceful and silent, not loud and obnoxious like a muscle car. To each their own though. I come from the world of American Muscle and still love loud cars (and still own a few), but the Jag just doesnt fit that image to me.

If you want to do this, start by deleting the rear mufflers and see what you think. If you need more you can delete the center resonator and replace it with something smaller or chambered, I've even seen glasspacks put on them. Don't get me wrong, they sound good with exhaust work, just doesnt fit the Jag image in my humble opinion.

 

Highway cruisers, with of top end.
Old mans hot rod
Not for quater mile sprints.

 

Reminds me of people who say I should put a pipe on my ZX14 Ninja motorcycle- I simply point out -Ninjas are supposed to be silent killers- same as the jag.

 

Friend i rode with for many years.
Just loved modifying his Goldwing's exhaust.
Refered to it as his, High School Harry, syndrome .
He always preferred following.
So i seldom heard his exhaust.
Rode many miles & years together.
Seldom conversed, were just too busy riding.
Do miss riding with him.

 

I like to sneak in traffic on those tuned cars suffering from terminal diarrhea and leave them in the rear view mirror. No muss, no fuss, no coconuts neither!
Koshka LOVES IT!

 

@ericnunez

quite honestly in my opinion, love your build don’t listen to anyone else’s opinion.
Most people won’t see your vision or perspective.
If you want to make it slightly louder but nothing crazy, take it to your local exhaust shop ask them to straight pipe only the rear mufflers. I would assume it should cost around 60-100$. Or just chop it off with a reciprocating saw.

Me personally, I turned my 04 xj8 na 4.2l. Into a flipping roaring outlandish monster & I know most people on the forum would most likely dislike. But I break necks all day and people love to ask about my xj8. & some more mature people probably look in disgust . Lol but it’s what makes me happy, drifting & time crunching laps.

I currently run no exhaust piping after the catalytic converter’s.
if you want to see what it looks like go to Instagram @jaguar_xj8_4.2
& if you DM me on there I will answer all your questions.

But Be Careful!!! They say once you start modifying, you won’t be able to stop… almost like joining the dark side.. that costs a lot of money

 

Just don't cut up or weld the original exhaust. Save it just as it is. When I was much younger and modifying my first Supra, I spent several thousands in a very short span of time on exhaust doing over, and over and over............ and over again. I let the shop cut up the original exhaust to use some pieces of it. Bad mistake. The first try had an unbearable drone at 30-35mph, then changed another thing to get rid of that and got an unbearable noise at another speed. An exhaust system is analogous to a brass instrument in the band but iterations in "tuning" are costly. If you can buy an aftermarket system that's already been "tuned", that's the safest bet. However, building a custom exhaust yourself is a bit of a risk whether it comes out pleasant or like fingernails on a chalkboard.

I learned the hard way that if you start cutting or welding on those stock pipes, then you can't go back. And if or when it comes time to sell it on, chances are it'll be worth a lot more if you put the original exhaust back on it. Many a perfectly restored classic car have languished for sale for a long, long time, with offers way below desired just because the brand new custom exhaust system sounded horrible. Make sure that if you don't like the outcome, that you can easily bolt the original stuff back in place so you don't have to suffer while you save up either the money or the courage to try again.

 

Love this response haha. Thank you so much. I recently saw a video of a guy doing a back box delete on his 99 XJ8 and man it sounds awesome. Guy says it's got no annoying anything. He even gave me the size for the pipe he bought! I'm probably gonna try that and see what happens from there. I'm just trying to have a car that will break necks but not because of the speed, just because of how sexy it looks and sounds.

 

hi
Its possible u can do a resonator delete.
After the flexi you have a a long single box along with 2 more silencer then 2 mufflers . By removing the resonator it will open it up just a little enough to notice the difference.

 

An old school trick my father told me about that he used to do on his early cars (true or not I can't confirm, but by all reckonings he was a bit of a lad in his youth) was to add some ping to your exhaust note was to put a short brass tail pipe extension on.
Possibly some truth to the thought seeing most of the loud wind instruments are made of brass (trumpets, trombones, tubas, horns etc.)

Should be very easy to clamp a bit of test pipe on to see if it has any effect and what length might give you the effect you are looking for.

 

Oh, Boy!
It is definetly gastrointestinal mood in this thread!
I can see it, I can hear it, I can smell it: hundreds of cars in busy city traffic and every one fixed with different brass instrument under the tail!
​​​​​​​

 

Biggest down side will be the drone. As others have posted I have also modified exhaust systems for decades and rarely got things to sound good. Sound different - yes. Sound louder - yes. Sound better - no.
So mod away but do keep ALL the stock stuff just in case!
.
.
.

 

+ 1 on the drone sound, it gets old qoick.
Especially when you put on some serious mileage.
Got my fill, of the sound with my first motorcycle.
Shorty mufflers instead of the stock mufflers.
Went back to the stock mufflers, after a few years.
Enjoy yourself & get it out of your system.