Jaguar XJS progress.

Wewe also pulled the engine.  Took about 10 minutes or so.  Erick did all the work Jeff and I just hooked the hoist up and have a few pumps. 

Looking like great progress! Planning on running it this upcoming season?

Motors, tacos and bars....Oh My!  The Wizard of Jag.  Keep it rolling.

johndej said:

Looking like great progress! Planning on running it this upcoming season?

That's the goal.  We intend to do a northern version of the Challenge if I can keep the costs below the $2000 limit.  
   Which will probably call for using the engine stock right as I pulled it out of the car.  If there is an extra $300 I'll have Isky regrind the cams which should add 100 hp. 
    Meanwhile I'll build another engine to go vintage racing with. With a loose $1000 budget I should get up to the 600 horsepower  number most guys in group 6 talk about. I've found a piston that with a little work should give me the 13-1 compression I seek and only costs $189 for 6.  

Dirtydog (Forum Supporter) said:

Motors, tacos and bars....Oh My!  The Wizard of Jag.  Keep it rolling.

You should have seen the contortions Jeff got into in order to do his perfect electric stitching.  His head was up in the footwell which because of other considerations the back end was in the air. So in effect he was standing on his head while the foot pedal for the TIG welder was in the back seat operated by his knee. 
 Yet look at the welds. Fantastic!   I asked him when he finished if he trusted them if everything went bad at 150+ mph and he said absolutely. Having watched every weld go in so do I. 

Frenchy, I admire the creativity, and the effort. That's what the Challenge is all about. 
 

I also admire your desire to attempt a Northern version. Again, more creativity. 
 

However, I will say this... I still want to see it show up at the Challenge. You will never prove your point until it runs head-to-head.

I know that's a big stretch for you, but keep an open mind. I'll be first in line to make an offering when a collection is taken to help get it to FL!

I'll go a step further...

I will take the time off from work, and personally volunteer my truck, my trailer, and my time to do the hauling 1 direction. 

SV reX said:

Frenchy, I admire the creativity, and the effort. That's what the Challenge is all about. 
 

I also admire your desire to attempt a Northern version. Again, more creativity. 
 

However, I will say this... I still want to see it show up at the Challenge. You will never prove your point until it runs head-to-head.

I know that's a big stretch for you, but keep an open mind. I'll be first in line to make an offering when a collection is taken to help get it to FL!

I'd like to show up with a V12 Jag but I think it's best if I wait until I really retire. Then I'll show up with my MGUAR. Since it will be based on a MGTD it should fit in an autocross track nicely without the cone sweepers hanging on the sides. 
ps; my secondary goal is to have the total weight of the car and it's trailer under 2000 pounds. 

In reply to frenchyd :

There are always big cars at the Challenge. They can be competitive. 

In reply to SV reX :

Thank you for that.  Yes I know I'm making a mountain out of a molehill ( hopefully in good humor)  

 I wonder if I should put a taxi cab light on the top?   

In reply to frenchyd :

This year's winner was based on a Mercury Grand Marquis, so it had a wide, fullsize car foot print.

In reply to Indy - Guy :

My highly opinionated mind is made up. Don't confuse me with facts, I might have to figure an alternative excuse.  ;-) 

In reply to frenchyd :

Just try to keep an open mind. 

One thing is for sure, you won't find a more dedicated group of enablers on the web than right here!

SV reX said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Just try to keep an open mind. 

I'm afraid If I had an open mind all my favorite prejudices would leak out. 

frenchyd said:

Let's talk money. 
I paid $500 for the car and since have sold and traded parts for way more than the original purchase price.  But I can only claim 1/2 according to Challenge rules.       Incidentally  I've recently seen a $600 &$800  XJS in similar condition. So they continue to exist.                     
$250. Cost. 
$25 HD8 carb. ( thanks TVR Scott )                           
$280 rollcage tubing & misc steel                             
$360 Kirkley seat from Jegs                                         
$38 for aluminum plugs to close off injector.         
$15 scrap aluminum to convert injectors to carbs 

$958 so far  

  I have sent 1/2 of the cost of flairs off and will pay the remaining 1/2 right after Christmas. I'm going to keep the cost of Vintage racing separate from the cost to get the car ready to race. 

OK, revised budget?   Please correct where I'm wrong.   
  I paid $500 but I can offset that up to $1000 of the $1446 I sold parts for?   So I'm minus $500 to start?  
$25 for a carb.                                                         $280 for rollbar tubing and misc metal. 
$360 for racing seat.                                        
$38 for injector plugs.                                        
$15 for aluminum to swap EFI for carbs.  

$218?  So far?  
 Plus trades for wheels and transmission?  Don't count?  The fender flairs will only "cost" what I spend on materials.  

In reply to frenchyd :

Wrong. You can't recoup any more than you paid for something, so you can only recoup $500 from selling stuff off a car you only paid $500 for in the first place. The rest of the recoup has to come from selling unused stuff from other purchases. Whatever you traded for the wheels and transmission has to show some place as a purchase or part of one. I figure you're at $718 without knowing what you traded.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Thank you.  It seemed too good to be true.  $718 is fine. Wheels are trades for trades for trades to get the 15x10's.  And the transmission swap is a GM turbo 400 for a T5 That's only in there while I use the original unmodified engine. When I go actual vintage racing with a engine I'll modify I'll buy one of those Trimec transmissions to handle the additional power. 

In reply to frenchyd :

As long as the original trade wheels were part of the car purchase price, then your current set would be free. If the T5 was something you had laying around it will need to be counted at FMV.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Fair enough. What's the fair market value of a good GM Turbo 400,  Jaguar bolt pattern.   ( rebuilt just before the Jaguar went into storage) compared to a junkyard  T5?   Which I had sitting around?  
In other words I traded my Jaguar's transmission for a spare T5 I have sitting around. 

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Robbie. It's over there do you still want those wheels.  I'll be heading your way on Monday. 

frenchyd said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Robbie. It's over there do you still want those wheels.  I'll be heading your way on Monday. 

Yes, we should talk. I'll try sending you a pm with my contact info. It should go to your email inbox.

Edit, sent at about noon CST.

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Fdampier05@yahoo.com 

nothing yet. 

In reply to frenchyd :

Ok tried again a different way just now. 

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Got it.  Answered