Hello. I have a 2000 XK8 convertible{my second XK8}. new to this site. My question is: Due to the electric,low power issues of the XK8 what do you owners of XK8s think of installing just the body,interior, on a american chassis and power plant. ie: Camaro, mustang,corvette.? wheelbase/width of these is very close to the XK8. realise it would be a project but less issues with the gremlins these Jaguars have. I have been told by every Jaguar mechanic that there is very little can be done to improve the HP of the 4.0 litre or cure electric gremlins. thank you for your thoughts and advice. love the XK8 style.

 

Sloop34, check around and you will see that others have added the American power plant and I think the LT1 was a favorite. There is a kit to make the dash and other bits work, so dio a search and you should come up with something.
The only one I remember hearing about being changed to a 5 speed was done by the factory, so must be difficult.

 

Just a couple of things
1. What are these electrical gremlins that you cant do anything about?
2. What low power issues? if you want more power go for an XKR if you need any more then this car isn't for you full stop, get something else that will satisfy your ego

 

if i understand you correctly, what is being proposed is grafting the upper monocoque onto a different platform. i have performed this work on another vehicle and can tell you that it is very involved. it is only useful when the cosmetic vehicle is so out-of-date that there is very little that can be done via modification to make it feel modern and when the user desires the modern feel of the platform donor. you are faced with modifying two vehicles as little things like trac width and wheel base matter. seldom do both match the cosmetic donor. the engineering is also quite involved. another downfall is that modification of the platform donor can ruin that which makes it desirable. add in that you do not have access to multimillion dollar engineering to test everything and it goes from there.

the xk8 is not a basket case. you could improve the rear setup with some European sourced mods and the body electronics are not that bad. i know many owners of xk8's and they only have problems when someone messes with things or from improper repairs such as collision. you can keep your vehicle largely intact and do the LS motor upgrade. the kit to do this is comprehensive and makes everything work properly including the dash lights. when i last checked, the kit provider also produces a manual trasmission conversion.

i have driven the modern camaros. nice to see that they finally got around to giving them an independent rear suspension. meh, is my impression. they are more muscle cars than GT's or sports cars although the v6 with a manual might be fun. the retro styling seems juvenile not really classic like the new mustangs achieved.

my only reservation to the LS conversion is that it is a GM engine and I have no use for the company. i wish that the kit provider had a European engine option. i like my xk8 in factory form and it has plently of power. you might want to look at an xkr as my experience is that it is very impressive. cannot see you wanting more than that.

your current engine might need some service. if it is worn, you could send it to Jasper and have a proper rebuild with some bespoke upgrades. i am wondering if all things being equal if it is possible to use the 4.2 crank, rods and pistons. this would increase drive-ability. you will spend less to rebuild than to convert, but you must be sure that you will be pleased with the finished product. try an xkr like i did and see if it is what you like. if it is not, go LS or different car.

 

Sloop, I'm not sure whose Jaguar you are talking about...? I've got a 2005 XKR Coupe that has no problems with the Cars you are talking about....I believe you mentioned Camaro, Mustang and the Corvette.....My Coupe is just as fast and I don't have any of those Electrical problems you are talking about either! If you want to cut up a Jag and mount it on a Camaro, I feel that you may have sort'a lost your mind somewhere along the way! Maybe, just Maybe, you should sell your Jaguar and get into Chevrolet ownership! Then ask the Chevvy repair guy about the Electrical problems you are having with your 2000 Camaro convertible......Bet there are more problems over there!

Don't knock what you got!

Billy Clyde in Houston

 

If you are after power, just look for an XKR instead. This late in the game, there is not necessarily a huge difference in purchase price, as compared with an XK8. Besides, this is a market of low supply and low demand, so take "blue book" type documentation with a grain of salt. An XKR has an additional 100 HP. Keep in mind the X100 platform is more a GT, not a muscle car.

FWIW, I feel the power of my XK8 is more than adequate, in spite of the overall weight. As a GT, meant for comfortable long distance driving, this car reaches a form of perfection.

Maybe you car feels down on power specifically because of unresolved issues. This platform does not really have electrical "gremlins". Most hard problems have been identified, and involve cheap module replacements or rebuilt units from known providers (e.g. ABS, ECU). It is a (then) modern design, built around a number of data bus technologies, and have very powerful diagnostics capabilities. I bet you investing in a suitable diagnostic tool would let you move forward and likely restore the power to where it needs to be. You can always start with a cheap ELM327 from eBay or Amazon, and start by having a look at the fuel trims on you phone. There is a window of poor fuel trims that are too low to trigger a code, but high enough to affect the performance of the engine. Just a thought.

If you positively have to have an American V8 in you car, you can start by visiting Jaguar Specialties. The owner of the shop has been active on this forum. He has kindly answered many questions, and been completely upfront and helpful about these type of projects.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

Ego? I think we all have a bit of ego when it comes to these Touring cars. I enjoy the XK8 as it is however a bit more power would be nice. A 5 or 6spd manual would be my choice and make this car almost perfect.

 

you have a 2005 XKR and they do perform great. I would like the same power in my XK8! The 2000 I have is almost flawless, ie: body, interior, motor trans etc. Sure I could put $ with it and buy a XKR, but the ones I checked out had been driven and did have some issues. So I bought the best XK8 I could find and will enjoy it as it is for now.

 

300HP is plenty for this car, after all its not a sports car and certainly not a track day car but in its day it could take on most other cars on sale at the time. Like I said, if you want more power , get another , modern car, not something that was designed over 20 years ago

 

yes I have spoken to Jaguar specialties and they were very helpful, and put me in touch with a shop in B.C. here in Canada. The fellow there explained the process of installing a LS1/LS3 and a 6spd manual. He is booked up and won,t look at this project until next fall. After reviewing the labour costs and cost of a engine&trans pkg. and the adapter kits. It would have me into this XK8 for more than I would like. This forum and the comments are very helpful. thank you all.

 

Thank you very helpful. Lots of great info.

 

You reacted very positively to some serious criticism here. I might not have been so relaxed.

Enjoy your XK8 whichever way you decide to go with it.

Graham

 

I have an 03 which can not be converted to the LS swap, been tempted to get an 02. I like different cars that other folks don't have and think a hot rod XK8/LS wih 6 speed would be bad ***. Maybe something around the 550 hp range, it would require suppension and brake upgrades and would no longer be a "touring GT" but rather hybrids hot rod. Just me dreaming as the project would be out of my budget.

 

I asked for advice and thoughts on a very odd conversion that some Jaguar owners would find distasteful, Truth is I really would prefer a XKR with a 5/6 spd manual. That would be a perfect touring carIMO.

 

A 550hp 6spd Xk8 done so it kept its original look. Imagine sitting beside a F type, viper. corvette, or ?

 

WhiteHat.. what about installing a XKR supercharger on my XK8 4.0 litre? Is it possible and would the engine hold up? Can,t find any info about someone doing this. Parts & Labour would be cheaper than buying a XKR at this time. My 4.0 litre is in great condition also suspension,brakes trans, are all tight. Hate to sell it and start over with another car. Best of the New Year to All.

 

more knowledgeable than me here will agree when i say do not do it. for at least two reasons which are the VVT system and the ECM tuning. you can do these things on non VVT engines but not ours.

 

you & others on this forum are why I joined, you all are very helpful and keep me from doing and spending $ on bad ideas. Happy New Year and thank you. Can,t drive the Jag due to snow ice and damn cold.

 

May the others correct me if I'm wrong, but it might be easier to swap over an XKR engine on your XK8 and the transmission as well. If you want to, you could go ahead and convert to a manual transmission, which would be amazing, but expensive. Unfortunately, modifying the NA engine to accept any forced induction requires extensive work. You need to change the cams, the pistons, the VVT system, among other things.


Truth be told, I always felt the XK8 convertible I used to have needed more power. Now I have an XKR coupe with an aftermarket exhaust, and that Jag feels infinitely better and much faster. I still would love to have a manual transmission and might consider upgrading the supercharger to a twin screw (if Avos makes the kit available again; more than 600 HP is possible).

The cheapest route you could take is to patiently search for an XKR that fits the bill and then tinkering with it. I know there are also some pulley upgrades that could get you 15-20 more ponies on the XKR.

 

you are right! The XKR would be a good upgrade from the XK8 na. But I had some very poor experience with my last XK8 [1998]. So took 1yr to locate the 2000 ihave now. Up to this point it runs looks flawless. might just keep my eyes open for a XKR that is as good.