It's in your neighborhood, too....
Oh my. I need another basket case project.
Like I need another hole in my head.
In reply to stroker :
Thanks, but I intend to build a roadster with a V12 for about 1/10th of that price.
Well according to the Challenge group the parts I'm using are valued at more than that by them.
The trouble is it's just junk in my garage that I really don't have any money in. Left by themselves my heirs will call for a dumpster and that's where they'd end up.
If someone tried to put that XKE coupe together they'd likely have at least $60-75,000 in parts and machine work. Plus about 2000 hours of labor.
While that price is a little high negotiating should get it to the point where if you do a good job of assembly with proper attention to detail. You'd probably break even if you ignore all the time you invest in it.
That time isn't wasted by any stretch of imagination. You would feel confident enough to drive it wherever and whenever you felt like it.
An article by Peter Eagan years ago dissuaded me from ever wanting to turn a wrench on those even when they were relatively cheap - it took those and 911's a long time to get appreciated on the used market but boy they sure finally did. I was impressionable when I read that story and, probably wrongly, always figured they were more trouble than they were worth.
Cool looking project; till I did a double take on the price. I know they have become expensive, but still. For that much work?
Although F's parts stash does not meet the spirit of the challenge, he can use his talent and parts to put together as cool s car for a lot less.
A 401 CJ said:An article by Peter Eagan years ago dissuaded me from ever wanting to turn a wrench on those even when they were relatively cheap - it took those and 911's a long time to get appreciated on the used market but boy they sure finally did. I was impressionable when I read that story and, probably wrongly, always figured they were more trouble than they were worth.
The Jaguars are more trouble than they are worth if you have little mechanical skill and need others to do the work for you. In fact most cars are that way.
However if you love an intimate association with really great speed at a " relatively" modest cost. A Jaguar XKE is really pretty simple, and affordable to own.
Set up for vintage racing even the little six cylinder with only 238 cu inches can successfully dice with Corvettes. They can weigh in the low 2000 pound range and still reach over 150 mph. Then there is the beautiful V12. Hidden under all sorts of ugly tubing and luxury items. But unlike most American race cars. Needing little in the way of special racing parts. It's an all aluminum block with 4 & 6 bolt mains bigger than most big block engines. The heads are held on by a total of 54 studs! Originally intended to go out to over 500 cu in. The crankshaft is extremely strong, forged of high alloy steel and then hardened for durability. Same with the connecting rods.
Where the Corvette or Cobra has to slow down hard for a corner the XKE can and does corner faster and more nimble. Plus it's compact size compared to the Corvette/Camaro allows it to take holes they are simply too big to fit through.
Much of the mechanical stuff the Jaguar needs can be sourced from cheap rusty sedans. With little to no cost. Plus all of the body parts are still available new in England.
The "cost" is all the fancy originality stuff. For example most Jaguar XKE's have wire wheels which in general cost $500 each. Plus new splined hubs at around $300 each. But you can put bolt on hubs from a sedan for next to nothing and then fit Corvette or Camaro wheels on them that are often swap meets available for extremely modest cost.
Wheel bearings, U-joints, are off the shelf items at your local parts house.
I've never spent 1/4 of what the Corvette guys do, often much less yet they seldom are near me at the finish. Plus there is the wonderful reliability of Jaguars in racing. 7 times Jaguar has finished first overall in the 24 Hours of LeMans. When they do the budget used is typically a small fraction of the competitors.
The first 5 overall wins were cars that were driven to the race. Raced and then driven to the next race or back to the factory.
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