Over 2 years ago I bought a XJ12 because it would be exempt from tax due to its age and I could get it running, add a LPG-installation and drive relatively cheap with a V12 at the front. Well, a month after I bought the car that rule was scrapped and now I have a XJ12 that will cost thousands a year and I'd have to drive on regular petrol. Not very ideal.

To bypass this expensive problem I've thought of taking the V12 out of the XJ12 and putting it in a old series 1 XJ. This way I'd have a beautiful car with my favourite engine.

The engine itself has ran, but coolant is spewing out without the cap on. The transmission doesn't respond to the lever and I can feel it's in gear so I bought another transmission. Oh, and the mileage is 250k km and the car is a LWB.

I've talked about my ideas with a few people and one said it's hard because things need to be changed. He couldn't tell me what had to be changed.

So, will the V12 with transmission front suspension unit and rear suspension unit fit a series 1 that is essentially the same car?

I don't want to put it in the xj6 I have right now because that one is special. So this isn't a project jet. It might be in a year or some years.

 

Seems like it!!!


DD aka Doug is in the midst of exactly that swap. he posts here regularly.


It may not take as much parts exchange as you describe.


Front springs for the added weight. rear differential for more favorable gear ratio.


Caveat: Don't like that bubbling coolant. Same for an errant transmission. OTH, if bad, just more to fix, but certainly doable.


"Beat the system" has no boundaries!!!!


Carl

 

Doable, of course.

Only quick thing at the moment is the fuel tanks and a fuel return line.

The S1 6cylinder will not have that under car line, or the valving, or the tank spigots to return the fuel.

There will be a myriad of items needed, and I am a tad fuzzie today to go through them all. More to come if its a more serious project.

 

What year? Series II? Series III?

The swap you mention should be entirely doable but you'll want to keep the donor car as long as possible to get every V12-specific part that you need.

The 'spewing coolant' part does not sound good at all. Before getting too deep into the proposed project...which will be labor intensive... I'd want to make sure there isn't a blown head gasket or other serious problem.

Cheers
DD

 

The car will run on LPG so a return line isnt necesserily needed but it will be a plus to get it running on petrol too after the conversion.

It's a serious project, there just isn't a set date.

 

Series 3 1982 with the original engine.

Could be a headgasket but that's not something I'm worried about. The engine will be taken out this year when I have the time and space and be checked. Crankshaft bearings, etc.

I have taken out a 4.2 a week or 2 ago and I'm in the process of restoring that engine so I'm not some guy who would like a V12 in his pretty Jag.