This is the place marker for the build thread for what will be my next $2000ish build. Please bear with me as the project is still in it's infancy.
Recently I made a deal with the infamous L Joe Burchett for a 2005 Jaguar XJR. Sight unseen. Knowing it is missing a front clip, had a small fire in the driver's front from what may have been a cigar fire, a brake caliper removed and the battery cables cut. Rumored to run but no promise of being able to drive it made it sound like a perfect waste of $625.
But I wanted an XR4Ti.
Low and behold there is a Merkur shell that is available in the spring for the sum of $150. It's crusty, empty and probably not worth it's weight in rust.
I'm all the way up to $775 invested and haven't even touched either car yet. This is starting to sound like a typical Mofo joint.
The Jaguar will donate the front and rear suspensions, brakes, fuel pump, most cooling bits and 400hp engine. I have sources a transmission from a 3.9L AJV6 as well as a 3.54:1 locking differential from a Lincoln LS that both bolt up to the Jaguar parts. I will have to play around with CV shafts off the differential I believe as well as come up with a clutching mechanism and flywheel for the AJV8 but I have some options.
The supercharged AJV8 uses a 36-1 crank sensor integrated into the flexplate. Awesome! I want a Holley Terminator to control the engine and that makes it possible. There is no fancy VVT stuff in the engine, so it's squish/bang/blow with proper timing. Worst case saving a few hundred dollars on a Megasquirt might be the budget alternative.
The issue comes back to the flexplate. There is no cheap options. The factory Lincoln clutch uses a common 10 spline 9+ inch disc. What I am thinking is adapting to a button flywheel bolted to the flexplate and maybe trying to match up a heavy duty low cost CiViC type pressure plate (or something closer to the button flywheels diameter. Maybe even using a complete CiViC flywheel as the "button" they are small, cheap, light and available readily.
Suspension wise brewing up a non air suspension looks like a stop on eBay for a few hundred dollars will bring home a set of coilovers for the X350 body. Adapting the Merkur to accept them should be a weekend with the metal glue gun.
China flares, a sawzall, either OE Jag wheels or the 18x11s from $h!tbarge on adapters and the plan is vaguely set.
Optimistic expectations is all carsa are gathered by July and work starts after family Vacation.
