HAVE YOUR SAY
Did you spend more on your classic in 2011 than the previous year?
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| Jaguar Mk VII, VIII & IX |
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Having one of the all-time British sporting greats under the bonnet gave the MkVII, VIII and IX serious race and rally success back in the Fifties, but what’s the appropriate treatment nowadays? Paul Roach of Paul Roach Jaguar in Sudbury, Suffolk, reckons that the extra cubic capacity you gain by installing a 4.2-litre version of the XK instead of the 3.4 (3.8 in Mk IX) is very worthwhile. “The short-stud XK engine as found in the E-type and 420 has a stronger block and so is suited to high-powered builds for track use, but the long-stud engines from later Jaguars are every bit as good in most applications,” he says. “You gain a massive amount from head porting, but consider it as part of a full rebuild unless you’re sure the bottom end is nearly new. A good set of slipper pistons makes for another big gain.” Use the standard camshafts – some racers do, after all – and don’t be tempted by bigger 2” SU carbs, as they’ll only work well at high revs, slurping extra fuel the rest of the time. Twin-choke Webers or throttle-body fuel injection will release the most power, but require modification to the inner wing to fit.
PRODUCED: 1950-61 (all variants) ENGINES: 3442cc or 3781cc DOHC 6-cyl PRICES: £3000 (sad MkVII) to £23,000 (spanking MkIX) UPSIDE: Space, pace and Duchess-like grace DOWNSIDE: Shares in BP required WHY YOU WANT ONE: The comfort and sense of occasion is compounded with unlikely sporting flair– they’re a hoot. CLUBS: SPECIALISTS:
Read the full article in the April 2011 issue of Classic Car Mart. Back issues available here. |
They might look about as nimble as Ann Widdecombe in a ball gown, but with a few tweaks these big Jags can really hitch up their skirts, says Nigel Boothman...Add comment
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