600HP Group 44 Tribute: 1983 Jaguar XJS

• Seller: Giordano’s Vintage Motors (Contact)
• Location: Carnation, Washington
• Mileage: 55,000 Shown
• Chassis #: SAJNV5846DC108950
• Title Status: Clean
• Engine: 7.0-Liter Chevrolet 496 V8
• Transmission: Doug Nash 5-Speed Manual

A standard Jaguar XJS is a luxurious grand tourer. This one has apparently forgotten that entirely. Inspired by Bob Tullius and the legendary Group 44 Jaguars that competed in SCCA Trans-Am racing, this 1983 Jaguar XJS has been transformed into a green-and-white Quaker State tribute with fabricated flares, racing suspension, a roll cage, three-piece Jongbloed wheels, side-exit exhaust, a Doug Nash five-speed, and nearly 600 horsepower from 496 cubic inches of Chevrolet big-block V8. Located in Carnation, Washington, the Jaguar has a clean Washington title and is offered as a Barn Finds Exclusive.

The build was completed by Giordano’s Vintage Motors as a tribute rather than a claim to genuine Group 44 history. That’s an important distinction, but it also freed the builders to create something enjoyable on the road, at track days, in vintage-style events, or simply as one of the more outrageous XJS street cars around.

The centerpiece is the 496 cubic-inch Chevrolet big-block, which the seller states was professionally built and dyno-tested at nearly 600 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. Rather than pairing that engine with an automatic, power travels through a rare Doug Nash five-speed manual transmission. The engine bay photographs show a serious installation, with the big-block surrounded by fabricated bracing and racing-oriented hardware rather than simply dropped between the Jaguar’s fenders.

Suspension modifications are described as professionally built, while the rear axle uses the less-common Jaguar arrangement with outboard disc brakes. A fabricated roll cage fills the stripped cabin, along with racing seats, harnesses, auxiliary gauges, and a competition-style steering wheel. A custom stainless exhaust exits from side pipes immediately ahead of the rear wheels, again echoing the competition-car appearance.

The all-metal body received aggressive fabricated fender flares to accommodate the three-piece Jongbloed racing wheels. Those green-centered wheels may be one of the car’s strongest visual details, filling the widened arches and tying into the famous Group 44-inspired color scheme. The white body is accented by green lower sections and Quaker State-inspired graphics. The photos leave little doubt about the inspiration, but this is not simply a vinyl-wrap exercise. Beneath the livery is a seriously modified chassis and drivetrain.

The seller describes the Jaguar as a blank canvas for its next owner, who can finish setting it up for vintage racing, track-day use, rallies, or street driving. Because the car retains its factory VIN tag, data plate, and clear Washington title, the seller notes that street licensing is possible, subject, of course, to applicable local requirements.

The real Group 44 Jaguars are historically important competition cars that deserve preservation. This tribute isn’t pretending to be one of those cars. Instead, it answers a more entertaining question: what if you could capture the appearance and spirit of one, then add a nearly 600-horsepower big-block and a five-speed? It may not be subtle, but neither was Trans-Am racing.