My '75 XJ5.3C wrecked it's engine a few days ago. (I was driving gently along with just a few miles to go before putting it into storage waiting for the time to rebuild the engine .....) It made some very expensive noises, I laid a smoke screen, and a big puddle of oil soon collected beneath as it sat on the hard shoulder 
Something inside clearly made a knocking sound and wanted out. I would prefer to replace with a pre-HE engine to keep it as close to original as possible, the car has a number of concours prizes (incl JDC seconds) in the past and at 65.000 miles still looks exceptionally good. However, living in Norway engines are thin on the ground and lately I haven't noticed many rusty series II saloons for sale in the UK. Are they all gone or am I looking in the wrong places? The donor must be able to drive on the open road for a hundred miles or so even if it has failed it's MOT due to rust or whatever. I will have it transported to the nearest harbour but practicalities demand a minimum of "self-mobility".

almcl wrote on 19.09.2011 at 08:09:05:


No but will do. An alternative is to rebuild using a Series III block that I can get fairly cheaply. Are they interchangable meaning it can use heads and acilliarys from the original engine? And do I have to replace the gearbox? (Not necessarily a hardship, the BW65 is not all that good.) Originality will suffer but as the block is no longer the original that may be acceptable. Yet another altaernative is of course to use a complete series III drivetrain. Apart from engine, gearbox and electronics: What else do I need to replace or modify? I am thinking of propshaft, cooling system etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-V12-HEAD-REMOVER-TOOL-/380370595169?pt=AU_Car_P...