Hey Ron how's it going?

I was wondering if you could direct me to the chap making those custom
cylinderheads for the v12?

Blake

(BTW- If someone wants to mount a chevy in a Jag then they just dont
get "it" in the first place do they?)

With apologies to the Ron & Blake superiority club, rather than a smug "
because " response, I was rather hoping for some input from someone who had
actual first hand experience with the swap rather than the " I've heard" or
"someone a mate of mine knew" brigade!

With apologies to the Ron & Blake superiority club, rather than a smug
"because" response, I was rather hoping for some input from someone who had
actual first hand experience with the swap rather than the " I've heard" or
"someone a mate of mine knew" brigade!

Well, your 1886 is the oldest Jaguar in existence, and so is
priceless....uh, assuming you made a typo, it's a 1986...then:

A V8 conversion is not "Butchery" when properly done, because no
structural alteration is needed and the vehicle may be returned to
stock. However, many if not most of these conversions are not terribly
well done, and that is one reason for their poor reputation. The
howling of purists, who have some legit objections but who on the whole
are blowing horseshit up your hindquarters on purpose to scare you, is
of course another.

Is it economic...? ONLY if you do it all (or substantially all)
yourself and do not count your own labor as a cost, but as a benefit.
Working on cars, and especially doing modifications that require
planning, metalwork, design, fabrication as opposed to stock repair, is
far more fun than watching TV or even chasing bimbos-IF you are of the
right mindset to do this work. If it isn't, you aren't.

If you do the job all the way, you will have a car that is better than
any stock Jaguar OR Chevy. Do a halfway decent job and you will have a
car with some quirks but will provide reasonable, safe service. Do the
job half-a.s and you have a deathmobile.

I bought a "Lump" at estate auction and drove it 85,000 miles with
nothing but gas, tires, oil and front brakes, and parted it out when
the tin worm had well and truly killed it. The rear end went in a
street rod, the engine and trans into a friend's pickup, and are still
running today-another 100K plus miles-with only a valve job and a
cam/lifter/pushrod kit (very cheap for Chevy). I consider that to have
been some of the best driving I've ever had, except toward the very end
when the A/C quit and the power windows did too. "Been There Done
That".

If I were to do one I would look at a Ford or Mopar engine/trans just
to be different, or maybe even a diesel. But the fact is given time or
money these hybrid cars can be excellent. People who say otherwise are
liars or emotionally disturbed agitators in my opinion.

So what I'm saying is, unless it's

I'd rebuild one myself just for the experience. The EFI can be gotten
rid of for better EFI using the existing manifolding, or Webers or SUs
fitted. The worthless piece of sh.t Borg Warner is easily replaced with
a 700R4 or you could convert to a 5 speed.