Keep V12 or LS swap

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#21

04-19-2020, 11:49 AM

Mac Allan

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Mguar

Jaguar engines just don’t wear out. Yes rubber hoses leak and sensors fail. All easy stuff to replace. But the normal is no measurable wear in the bore even well over 100,000 miles.

A independent Jaguar specialist around here had a customer with a XJS that was used to commute to the state capital and it had over 400,000 miles and never had the heads off.

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#22

04-20-2020, 03:32 AM

Mguar

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Quote:

Originally Posted by icsamerica

Harness issues are common. The heat from the V12 and wire technology from the time make for crunchy wires.

When you say "I would like to get this running without spending a ton"...what's a ton? You can expect to spend 7 to 10K for a LS swap as a DIY endeavor. Is that a ton?
LS swaps are great I'm starting a turbo one soon. My advise, get the V12 running. The pigtails for the injectors and other harness part can be sourced for a few hundred dollars. Once the car is running and road worthy you can sort the suspension, steering, brakes, fuel system and other minor system. All useful details if you eventually decide to do an LS swap. Some details like a rack and pinion replacement are a bit easier with the engine out. The V12 experience is something every car guy should have even if it's brief and fleeting. Get it running and driving and have some fun then see if you love it before you do an LS swap.

Keep in mind LS swap, even the basic ones can really overwhelm the chassis. Once you get above 350 HP, issues present that need addressing. Axle tramp is a biggie. Better wheels, performance tires, stiffer suspension all may be needed to get the most out of an LS swap.

I second the motion for getting it running. As it sits you have to sell cheap if you ever need to sell but running it becomes many many times more valuable.

you don’t need to be an electrician to rewire the car. I’d take a burned out one ( someone neglected the rubber hoses to the fuel injectors too long )
No it’s not a 15 minute project but with the aide of a wiring diagram you can trace where a wire starts from and goes to. Find out that wire is the horn or A/C compressor etc. and slowly with patience rewire everything. Once you’re done you can gain thousands for your time and patience. A rewired running original engine Jaguar XJS will net a lot more than rewiring and then adapting a different engine will.

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