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Photography by Courtney Cutchen
I’m generally most attracted to sports cars, but I was spending an evening with my dear friend Rachel Furnari, an art curator and expert on all things design (and fellow admirer of otherwise-unloved Jaguars), and we were stumbling around eBay Motors waiting to meet our friends for drinks.
We noticed a Jaguar XJ in seemingly fantastic condition, a one-owner car, at about eight hundred dollars with no reserve. We thought it must be worth at least fifty percent more than that, even if it had no engine, so we bid $1,201. Checking my phone from the bar a few hours later, I learned that I was the new owner of a 1999 Jaguar X308 XJ.
From the beginning, the plan was clear: I was going to turn this XJ into the car that I believed Jaguar should have set out to build twenty years ago, and if it had asked me to design it. That meant a set of things mechanically, and a set of things aesthetically. This would not be a restoration, but rather a very, very subtle “tuner” project.
I elected to build this car the way I would…if Jaguar had asked me to design the car. That meant an open-gate six-speed shifter…and a whole lot of other nerdy stuff…
This car has a gated T56 Magnum transmission which transmits power from a Lingenfelter 6.2-litre V8, to a custom driveshaft, through a refitted rear end to the rear wheels. The engine is based on a GM LS3 block, running a Lingenfelter GT1-1 camshaft and LS9 headwork, meaning everything from the head gasket (including the head gasket) up is LS9, including the high-lift-capable springs and titanium and sodium-filled valves of that engine. The heads have been extensively machined for optimal flow at high RPM, including Lingenfelter’s three-angle valve job. The car sits on a custom suspension based on the Arden setup, but with modified lower control arm spring perches that allow it to sit lower. Tires are ADVAN A048s, a tire I fell in love with on my Exige.
Aesthetically, I wanted to make the car look sleeker, and keep its timeless “gee what model year is that?” look. Touches like the bullet mirrors are old-school, but contemporary in that they’re carbon fiber. The flush door handles and motorcycle-style gas cap update and clean up the surfaces of the design. I chose forged Fifteen52 R43 wheels both to get the custom offsets needed, and because I think they recall the mag wheels of the ’70s and ’80s.
The brightwork on the B-pillar has been blacked out to make the roofline appear even lower and the effect seems to work; some have asked me, “did you chop that?” Visual considerations continue inside, where I wanted an upmarket interior that could compete with today’s luxury cars but was not outrageous or obviously aftermarket. I repurposed a Holden engine cover and made the engine bay look as “factory” as possible. Little touches, like re-using the stock shift knob (from the automatic gear selector) and setting the dash unit into the stock walnut trim help the interior come together. The paint is Audi’s Ipanema Brown, which some mistake for a stock color.
This is one of those cars that you’d think could fly under the radar. It doesn’t. Everyone wants to talk about the car, whether at a stoplight, when valeting the car at a restaurant, or at the gas station. Everyone knows it’s a Jaguar from fifty yards away. Everyone knows it’s something special hearing its lumpy cam idle at a stoplight.
And everyone who rides in it forms a fond memory of the car—and that’s what makes me smile.
I find the car amazing specially the 6 speed transsmission it gives a very sporty look and I think that the car is a work of art and I want to congratulate for your oeuvre d’art (work of art), for automobile culture it’s the thouch that missed.
Once again congratulations to you and continue the good work. ( I am truly sorry to not have stumble in this post sonner)
That’the review on youtube by the smoking tire https://youtu.be/OTAXykiqsGs
Karl, is there a detailed write up somewhere for this? It is absolutely perfect. I’ve been fantasizing about LS power, a gated manual and wooden steering wheel in all sorts of British cars for a while. Who did the drive line install? The execution is perfect. The mix of British motoring nostalgia, brute power and attention to detail as a proper driver’s car is perfect. This is a dream daily driver.
Karl, the car looks very handsome and the modifications appear to be very well thought out and executed. It’s an inspiration to me as I am the owner of a 1993 535 that is slowly heading in the same direction. Kudos also for maintaining your civility in the face of some rather rude internet comments. Well done!
Hey man, I’m another expert coming here to tell you what you “should do” or have done. If you want this car to look even less period correct, do a projector retrofit on your lights. Lots of how to’s online. You can use Acura TSX projectors which are awesome.
I would have painted it black if it were for me because I have only owned black cars and that ain’t changing, but this copper paintjob you went with looks like it belongs in the 80’s but at the same time looks very modern. I just love it. Every single body line looks better in this color. The interior is absolutely gorgeous.
What is it you did with the dash? Is it digital? Looks like a tablet or something.
Cheers!
PS I joined just so I could comment on this car. It is THAT awesome. Couldn’t choose a better engine. Hope I have my alas powered E39/E38 some day. I can’t even afford a used E46 but that’ll change haha
Worked ar Jaguar when they were making this. The LWB version as this is was a bodge. The rear doors were much longer than the front because they could not afford to make new pressings for the body side and the doors were two cut and welded. Better to stick with a 300. The sculpted bonnet over the lights was beautiful but a nightmare to paint. On many you can see through to the primer. The bonnet assembly on the Series 3 on which this was based was made of no less than 90 parts. It took ages to built. The XJ40 cut this in half and this XJ 300 was even more efficiently designed. To be honest this looks like a car that a teenager has inherited from his father and taken to a second rate body shop. The original and unfetterd XJR and the next gen look so much better and with the Supercharger sound and perform perfectly. Jags should never look teenagered.
Absolutely beautiful. I’d have done the mirrors in body color and used rims from a later Jag (with the cat logo in the center), but still amazing work.
This is very much the same philosophy I want to apply to my Maverick, but I’m going for a period look with my mods and sticking with Ford power.
I love it, I would just lose the white writing on the tires and that’s it.
Smoking hot, congratulation for the amazing build, @Karl May Muth!
Ahhhh .. a Jaguarlet Resto – Mod .. [ the somewhat adolescent sounding term tuner car does not do the quality of the work nor the finished car justice ] …. Seriously … unless you’re a purist … whats not to love ?
I might chose a slightly different wheel style … might … but other than that …. perfect !