[Spridgets] Jag Inline 6

[Matt Hagopian]

Jag inline 6's are very reliable especially if you have a reputable  
builder build your motor weather it's stock or high performance. My  
grandfather is known in the jag community to be one of the only  
builders to make a jaguar engine not spil any oil. Jags are notorious  
for oil leaks and burning oil. His past customer put his engine in his  
xke roadster and drove 4000 miles around the country never having an  
oil leak and not burning one quart of oil! There are 3 motors  
available for the xke. Series 1 had a 3.8L shared with the mark 2, the  
series 1.5 and 2 had the 4.2L which shares the same head as the 3.8,  
and the series 3 v-12. The series 1 is my personal favorite, the v-12  
is a beast if built correctly, I'm located in MA and we have a friend  
that has a 600whp v-12 and the car is called the beast, it is  
completely uncontrollable with 335/30/18 tires on the rear!! It's  
never been on the strip but at 100mph on a straightaway it will spin  
if u floor it! I know because it happened right in front of me at the  
track
As for which is faster. The weight of the v12 is significant, it  
effects both handling and accel as you know, my only comment on it is  
that i have never seen a v12 on the track other than "the beast" and  
he won't race it, only track days. However I see many xke 4.2L at the  
track including myself and grandfather racing. We have a friend that  
has a 4.2L and runs with hsr and the only cars that beat him were a  
lotus 23b and a chevron with a chevy 350 motor in it, and he actually  
passed him and the chevron wrecked him because he was mad at Sebring a  
month ago. He beat Porsche 356, 911, 914-6, corvettes! He is an  
excellent driver and his car is setup perfectly. He finished 2nd in  
the feature race, ifinished I believe 21st and it was my first time  
driving that particular car :). There were 40 cars on the track.

Sincerely,

Matt Hagopian

On Apr 10, 2010, at 9:41 PM, Frank <spritenut at comcast.net> wrote:

> Kirk Hargreaves wrote:
>> Matt,
>>
>>
>> I have been told by Jag mechanics, and have also read, that the  
>> inline 6's
>> are very strong engines - as reliable as a small block V8?
>>
>> If they are maintained and taken care of they will last as long as  
>> a small
>> block?
>>
>>
> I think they would last LONGER than a small block chevy engine.
> I had an XJ6 with 180,000 miles on it when I sold it.
> All I did to it was replace the cam cover gaskets when I bought it  
> with 125,000 miles on it.
> Sure the car had some Lucas issues but they were all just minor bad  
> grounds or dirty fuses that a wad of steel wool fixed.
> The engine was the 2nd best part of that car right behind it's  
> styling.
>
>
> -- 
> Frank Clarici
> Toms River, NJ
> My own Fleet of Sprites