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I wish Matra V-12 engines were a dime a dozen


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Not exactly in the Matra V-12 class, but if you have a powerful hankering to build a V-12 powered street car for reasonable bucks, a ratty old Jag XJS can still be had for chump change. The SOHC engine has a whole lot of potential, especially considering the production version was seriously de-tuned for emissions.

EDIT: And there are engines out there for as little as $500.

Jaguar Xjs Engine Bay

Jim Riley's 1932 Ford Roadster - Hot Rod Network

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Not exactly in the Matra V-12 class, but if you have a powerful hankering to build a V-12 powered street car for reasonable bucks, a ratty old Jag XJS can still be had for chump change. The SOHC engine has a whole lot of potential, especially considering the production version was seriously de-tuned for emissions.

EDIT: And there are engines out there for as little as $500.

Jaguar Xjs Engine Bay

Jim Riley's 1932 Ford Roadster - Hot Rod Network

Those look nice. I’ve read of people going nuts with that engine; things like spacers between the block and heads for long stroke/insane displacement. What I have read is only rumors of it. 

 

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1 hour ago, LDO said:

Those look nice. I’ve read of people going nuts with that engine; things like spacers between the block and heads for long stroke/insane displacement. What I have read is only rumors of it. 

I'm not familiar with that mod, but the Walkinshaw-built engines were eventually punched out to 7.4 liters, making around 750 HP in endurance racing trim...which means nowhere near the engine's maximum power potential.

The production 5.0 or 5.3 should be able to make 500 HP relatively easily with compression, cam, exhaust, and induction upgrades.

There's a lot of possibilities for induction, from 4, 3-barrel Porsche 911 Webers to 6 downdraft 2-barrel Webers, I believe there's a cross-ram sidedraft Weber setup, and a few flavors of direct-port fuel-injection.

They all look exotic, and perhaps best of all, sound like a V-12. Redline is respectable, and with a lightened flywheel and a manual gearbox, you can get the peaky "ripping-canvas" exhaust note Ferrari made famous.

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                                                         Thema anzeigen - DD6 XJ12 auf Webervergaser umbauen wer ...

 

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Just an FYI...the Porsche 914 gearbox kinda looks the part too (for a fraction of the cost of a big Hewland, ZF, or later-stronger Porsche box) aside from the mounting ears on the back end...which can be removed and a cooler mounting means devised. The ring of studs around the side cover affords a fairly convenient attachment point for a fabricated structure that could support inboard brake calipers and suspension pickup points as in your drawing too.

There are many supposedly reliable reports of 914-Chevy V8 conversions running for years with in excess of 300 rear-wheel HP, and being abused regularly.

Naturally, the gearbox would hold 500 HP and commensurate torque if clutch-dumping starts and power shifting were avoided.

Porsche 914 Transmission 5 Speed HA26063 1976 side shift ...

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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