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XK Six Or V8? 1963 Jaguar Mark 2

While this 1963 Jaguar Mark 2 is being offered without an engine, I’m hoping one of you readers will choose a suitable engine, install it in the car and return it to the road. The classic kitty is listed for sale here on craigslist with an asking price of $5,000 and is located in Los Fresnos, Texas.

I’m a little puzzled by the claim of this car always being stored inside due to the obvious rust issues present. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen many Mark 2s with more corrosion, and this is probably restorable given enough time and money, but still! I’d want to take a good look underneath before shelling out any cash. I wonder what happened to the engine?

As you can see from this brochure introduction, Jaguar felt their Mark 2 was quite something — considering their competition at the time, they were correct! Improving on the already exceptional Mark 1, the Mark 2 was able to run away from most other “sporting” sedans of the time both around corners and in a straight line.

Wire wheels help make this car look sporty, but I would have a specialist check them out before I covered many miles. There’s no telling how long this car has been off the road, but the seller states that it has been owned by a friend for many years.

I admit to liking the Nardi steering wheel but am somewhat surprised to find an automatic in place given the wire wheels. Of course, since you are finding an engine anyway, would you take the opportunity to fit a manual transmission too? Or would you go the LS or other V8 route suggested by the seller? Let us know in the comments and tell us any experiences you have had with either Mark 2s or V8-swapped Jaguars!

Comments

  1. Avatar hatofpork

    5k? In this condition with no engine? Sure..

    Like 6
    • Avatar Ben Walsh

      looks like the crank is in the trunk wonder what else might be in there, I have an 59 xk150 roadster a 58 mk 1 and a 62 mk 2 and 2 28′ car trailers full of parts that will be on ebay soon as a package deal 6 spare engines 4 spare automatic transmissions and 4 manuals 3 with overdrive 6 spare sets of
      doors for the sedans and 1 spare set of doors for the roadster along with boxes and boxes of misc parts all 3 cars are projects the mk 2 was painted 15 plus years ago and that’s as far as it got While the market for these sedans seems to be on the rise 5,000.might be a stretch in the condition pictured

      Like 7
  2. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    I was thinking the same, hatofpork…

    As far as a replacement engine, why not a Nissan RB25DET inline six and trans (auto or 5-speed manual), which featured in Nissan Skylines? They’re rugged, reliable and can be made to produce some serious HP with only a few tweaks.

    One of the importers of spare parts, ex-Japan, should be able to source one at a reasonable price.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Gaspumpchas

    Yea stuff something different in there– with no eng not sure what its worth. Whatta sleeper that would make,,toastin the hides at a stoplight blowing the doors off some stoner in a rice rocket….

    Good luck to the new owner!!

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Coventrycat

    Time to clean the cat box.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Geoff A

    Rover V8 and a 5 speed got it in before someone said SBC

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Notallhere

    Cummins 12 valve with thru hood stack. Looks like a rat rod project with an English accent.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar SMS

    I don’t see one thing about this poor car that I couldn’t find better in another Mark 2. I’m okay with no motor, but it would also have to have a good interior or body to be worth that sort of coin.

    Then again these are such fine machines.

    Like 3
  8. Avatar Bradshaw from Primer

    in one of the old swap books they detailed a buick 455 into this model jag.
    must have been Incredible.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Dave brennan

    I remember a story from Walden,N.Y in the 70s , about the shop that put a big Ford in a Jag. They finished the job, rolled the car outside….started it up……popped the clutch….
    and flipped it onto its roof..

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Dave brennan

    P.S. Adirondack Nationals in Lake George,N.Y. this weekend. Hope to post some pics after!!

    Like 0
  11. Avatar UK Paul 🇬🇧

    There are a few about with modern Jag engines/gearboxes which I have always fancied doing.
    This is too much though … as another poster said if it had a decent interior maybe..

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Kenneth Carney

    Sorry folks, 350 Chevy all day any day. Dropped one into a similar
    car in ’72. What I ended up with was a really nice looking car that
    would kick butt when it needed to and corner like a rocket sled on
    rails. Finally sold it to a local doctor for $4K–a tidy profit for a young
    motorhead back then. Just follow the article in the May ’72 issue of
    Rod & Custom Magazine, and you too could have the best of English
    style and handling combimlned with American reliability. Sorry, beer
    not included.

    Like 3
  13. Avatar Palandi

    the Daimler badge-engineered version had a V8, so I’d go with a modern Jaguar V8 from an S-Type. BRG on tan or blue on red. mine with an auto box, please.

    Like 0
    • Avatar SubGothius

      That Daimler V8 was tiiiny, only 2.5 liters. I’d prolly go with a Jaguar AJ16 straight six and 5-speed.

      Like 0
  14. Avatar Wayne

    There has been one running around Reno for many years with a 302 Windsor and automatic transmission. It has been dead reliable. I like all the ideas above and there is plenty of room in the engine bay for almost anything. I think that if I could find a “good” engine I would go with a supercharged 3.8 5 speed from a Ford Super Coupe. (light, quick and economical) I had the privilege to drive a Ford R&D Super Coupe that showed up at Hot August Nights one year. Ran a 1956 Chev with a blower sticking out of the hood. I hooked up and he did not . It was a blast!

    Like 1
  15. Avatar Ross W. Lovell

    Greetings All,

    Buick V6, in a mild state of tune would be just fine, cheaper to source, leave more room in the engine bay along with making the front/rear balance better.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar JagManBill

    considering I just turned down a similar condition 62 for $2000 and less than an hour away from Denver I’d say its over priced. Didn’t say I wasn’t going to buy it, just that I turned it down…. You gotta talk yourself into these things….

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Doug

    It would cost so much to get the dash redone that this car is either a donor or parts car – unless you could find a wreck with a good dash for very little money. I wonder if this is a hurricane or flood survivor, given its overall appearance. Just because it was “indoors” doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been underwater….

    That being said, if someone wanted to do one of these cars, there is a company called Jaguars That Run ( JTR ) that published a booklet on doing American V8 swaps on these cars. I believe they also had adapter parts available. I saw a nice one of these at Hot August Nights last year – the only
    giveaway that it had a V8 conversion was the extensively louvered hood.
    I’d venture that an SBC with aluminum heads would be no heavier than the original Jaguar 3.8 inline 6. Most of these cars that were not manual transmission came with a Borg-Warner automatic. If you wanted to keep it automatic, you could go semi-old school with a 4L60 ( or an AOD if you’re a Ford guy ) behind a small block, and use one of the new EFI carburetor replacements that has all the electronics inside the throttle body. Add O2 sensors to the headers, and away you go.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Richard

    I have a MK2. This is absolutely a money pit. The parts are expensive and often difficult to find. A good driver can be had for about $12,000. Why would anyone want to buy this one for $5000?

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Herry

    Ford ecoboost 1.0 3-cyl 125hp..
    That is better than any 350.

    Like 0

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