Rid, first up: my sympathy to both you & your wife about the cancer - my wife & I are both fighting that particular battle at present, so we know the full shyte of it.

Re the Jag: that sucks like an open airlock. You've put your heart and soul into that car, and it deserves to be running around amazing the populace. Don't waste time on a non-standard heart transplant - the XK is not a car, it's a squadron of small computers flying in formation, and they all interconnect and interrelate. You'd have to replace both the engine & gearbox, because the ECM and TCM are conjoined twins that are hard to separate. And a load of other systems take inputs from them, like the ABS, traction control, etc. Without the right inputs, things are not going to behave properly. Of course, anything is possible with the application of sufficient financial lubrication, but you're considering this as a money-saving approach.

But, I want to see this project succeed, so:

Suggestion

This is a mutual support group - we help each other when things go wrong. A lot of members have significant resources (check out the number of multi-vehicle sigs). So, set up a GoFundMe page and see what happens - I'm no millionaire, but I have $100 with your name on it, so that's a start. Even if you only get enough to fund a proper investigation so that you know the size & shape of the problem, at least you'll be in a better position to decide what to do next.

The rest of you boys'n'girls: let's give the man a hand...

 

I could probably throw a few bucks at you as well.

 

OP has sponsor decals on the back window, no doubt for reduced parts costs up front. Hit them up as well once you 'know' what needs done.

I do agree that an engine swap isn't the best plan. I think you might break even on cost but have several functions not working. I also believe the question was asked why you were doing an XK up front and not an XKR. You've built a show car, not a race car so show it with the hood down and enjoy it for what it is.

I have one of these kits from Sear and it's done well by me. I'd also hit up some pawn shops for one at a fraction of the cost.
Sears.com

Oh yeah, what's your financial plan for the car from here out? Percent of net towards repair or what? HELOC or personal loan in the picture to get it back running?

 

That is a great point, you should be able to get more than discounts on parts from sponsors. Let em know it can be a great advertising opportunity for them when you cruise in it and show it at car shows, etc.

 

Sponsors tend to be good for for parts and services, less so for cash assistance. He needs some funds to do a proper investigation of the problem, not just some bloke with a spanner poking around in unfamiliar stuff.

 

+1
Seems like it would be worth exploring a competent local shop that would be willing to at least donate the time to make a definitive diagnosis in exchange for some recognition down the road. It'll be a lot easier to crowdfund if it's clear what's needed and what it'll cost. The guy working for beer seems to have just thrown his hands up in the air with the engine swap suggestion.

 

It's only 14.5 hours away from me but I don't think I could sit still that long and my back would be worthless once I got there.

 

A small update. I will not be putting a NON jaguar engine in my car despite what some local people are trying to get me to do. It sounds more like a headache than anything. I plan on bringing the car to the shop later this week, they specialize in Euro motorsports (thats actually the name of the shop) and many people have referred me to them.

Thank you all so much for offering to help possibly fund something. I will start a kick starter once I find out everything that is wrong and what needs done to get this back on the road. I appreciate all the help and you guys are pretty dam awesome!

Ive talked with all the sponsors and they cannot help in any way except what they have already helped with and that was discounts on many of the parts I bought.

BTW I didn't want to make it sound like I am poor, which I am also not rich by any means, just an average working Joe. I just had to help the wife out with something really important to her and that took the rest of my funds I had saved up so it didnt leave any for unexpected situations like this with my car. Once the car is fixed I will have to pool money together to keep in savings again for future situations with the car in which I hope never happens. The only reason I was able to fund this project with my car in the first place was I sold my entire arcade/pinball collection I have put together throughout the last 15 years.

I will keep you all updated on what the shop says is wrong and what needs to be done. Thanks!

 

No suggestion of poverty intended - I just didn't want to see you being pushed into a hasty decision due to lack of funds right now to get it properly investigated. I've been in your shoes: your car sidelined because of some problem that is going to be expensive to fix.

In my case, it was first a complete engine rebuild for my Mini, done over Xmas in my parents' garage after I overheated it. A few years later, a transmission swap for my Ford Capri, done on the roadside outside my apartment (on a steep hill!) after the driveshaft seal failed and lack of oil borked the layshaft. In both cases, I wasn't in a position to throw any money at the problem, just enough to get the parts. But at least these were dumb mechanical beasts that a rookie spanner-waver like me could get to grips with. The X150 is a whole 'nother dimension of WTF...

And I'm pretty sure a lot of the other forum members have had their share of being working joes without much spare cash. But, as many of those on the X150 part of the forum have achieved a certain level of net wealth, I figured some can spare a bit to help a fellow XK addict.

So, my offer still stands, whenever you are ready.

 

Ah, cool story time. I drove my then dream car, a nice Calypso Corral '93 Mustang with a blown 5.0 back and forth to DC for three months. Soon after buying it I realized the PO never, ever put 93 octane fuel in it and had managed to break the ring lands out of several pistons. The 60 mile trip to work would puke about a quart of oil out the breather. I ended up plumbing it into a washer bottle out of my then '69 fastback mustang project and would drain the blown out oil back into the sump before heading home. It took three attempts to get the engine rebuilt. First go was pistons and rods reconned over Christmas. Used a file on the valves in a drill press to clean up the seal edges. 2nd pass was an Autozone crank, that was bent. Used the engine block and spacers under the middle main to 'bend' it back true (went 100k like that). Third go was AFR heads, mild RV cam, ignition to support it. I also had the trans out every other year for a rebuild. Trac-lok would last about two years as well. Tough duty running it as a daily but it was / is so much fun to roll into the throttle in 2nd and break the rear loose at 2k, third at 3k, fourth a 4k was getting exciting. Ran a best of 11.70 at 119 in the quarter.

 

I'm amazed you salvaged a bent crank and made it work! Was that just for **** sake or were you desperate for a daily at the time?

 

I needed the car and was out of options so I pressed it back straight. This was before Youtube so I just did what needed done to make it work. With just the end bearings in the middle journal would hit the seat without a bearing in so @ 1/8" out of true. Figured I'd try to tweak it in place before ordering another and it came in. Crank was encased in foam when I got it so no idea how it got bent.

 

Not much of an update. I load the car up tomorrow at noon to bring it to the shop. I also made a little video of my car, I was bored at work today. lol


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erby...ature=youtu.be

 

Looks awsome but I would tint the rear lights as the front!:-)
Hope you get the engine sorted soon and can enjoy the car.

 

Cool but as I watch the video I noticed that when you drove the car up on the trailer there was no smoke. Then on the last few seconds you had the rough running smoking machine. So I guess the question is what happened between when you loaded it on the trailer to the time you started it back home. Did the dealer do anything that would cause this or did the block freeze. Sounds strange to me on what happened. For the guys who have played with the ECM could the dealer have screwed something up while making new key fobs.

 

I'm confused too. When did the smoke and rough running occur? The vid shows your finished car being driven from your garage onto a trailer which had to be after the new keys were made. Is it possible that running it both then and at the dealer it was out of coolant, and thus overheated? Although I know editing can missrepresent video sequence, that should rule out ECM.

 

I didnt have a key to start my car to even attempt to drive it out of the garage. I had to use a flat head screw driver and manually put the car in neutral and push it out hoping the brakes would work (its a steep slope down the driveway and alley). Watch this video and that will explain everything. Also sorry for the crazy sounds in the video, the car hasnt moved in all those months so the brakes and rotors sounded terrible! I havent put the new ones on yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJF...ature=youtu.be

 

My bad.....I can see that it was not running at that point.

 

I have good news and stupid news... Lets start with the good.

I talked to the mechanic and he said all test seem fine and its just a coolant leak. He is 99% sure that's the only problem. He will have it done for me this thursday.

Now the stupid part. Apparently our cars do NOT like custom air intakes or at least they are way picky with air intakes. As soon as he popped off my aftermarket air intake the car ran fine. So.... he is going to fabricate me a new and better air intake that works 100% with the car.

He tested the oil and there was zero coolant/water in it, he said it was just really nasty oil and needs changed badly.

Now I am a little confused as my intake has been on the car for awhile and ran just fine in my garage many times with the new intake before it started the leak. So IDK.. very strange to me but he says that was the issue, literally showed me by unplugging my 3" intake hose and it ran like new, plugged it back in and it started blowing the white smoke and shut itself off.

 

Really 'out there' thought: if the coolant leak soaked the air filter, all sorts of Bad Things might happen.

P.S. Whew!