This question involves going the "other way" on a motor swap.

I'm planning to swap the V12 from a Jaguar into a widebody Mitsubishi Starion (also known as a Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Conquest) in the near future. I've owned two V12 Jags in my life already (1976 XJ12L, 1988 XJS) and I currently own a 1999 XJ8.

I'm doing it in part to prove that the Jag V12 is a good motor, and partly because I'd be the only Starion/Conquest owner with a V12. Most of the guys in the StarQuest scene swap to a Mitsubishi 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder, or go to a Ford V8 swap.

What I want to do is get either the 5.3, or preferably, the 6.0 version of the V12 and stick it in the Starion. Off the top, I'll be gaining something in performance, because a StarQuest is about 1,000 pounds lighter than a Jaguar XJ. It will also be mated to some kind of manual transmission with better gear ratios than the three- and four-speed autos most of the V12s came hooked to.

My questions are the following:

1) What are the physical dimensions of the engine?
2) Where's the best place to pick one up?
3) How much is it going to cost to get the engine/harness?

And especially...

4) Is it possible to supercharge or turbocharge this engine without it going to pieces?

There is a company called Starr Performance out of Australia that claims to sell a supercharger currently in use in at least one Jaguar V12 application.

Essentially, what I'm looking for here is advice from people who have experience in upgrading the performance of the old V12. I loved the engine when I had it in my old Jags and would love to take it to a new arena. Any help would be appreciated.

Jess

1963 XKE (sold)
1976 XJ12L (dead)
1988 XJS (sold)
1999 XJ8

Submitted by jessn@bellsouth.net on Thu, 06/15/2006 - 02:27

Thanks for the link to the supercharged article.

However, I really could have done without the "get a grip." I've put this question up on two different Jag forums and in both cases, had someone respond to me like this.

My wife and I love our current Jag immensely, and I loved my XJS while I had it. At that time in my life, though, I just wasn't able to fix the things that needed fixing, and sold it to someone who could because it was what was best for the car. Times change, though, and I'd like to do this project because (a) it's fun, and (b) I've had so many people tell me "the Jag V12 is crap" before that I'd like to do something different with the motor and perhaps change their minds.

To answer your concerns specifically, a Starion goes off at 3,300 pounds. It's small, yes, but Mitsubishi over-built this particular model structurally. It's got frame rails and structural integrity that goes far above what you're used to seeing out of Japanese products.

The engine in that car is Mitsu's G54B, a 2.6L 4-cylinder that was borne out of a diesel motor from a forklift. If you take a Mitsu G54B apart, you'll find pistons and rods that look like they've come out of a commercial hauler. It's not a small motor at all, and it's pretty beefy.

Guys in the Starion club do engine swaps a lot, and frequently use Ford 302s or Chevy 350s. A couple have used large-scale Mopar V8s, too. We haven't had an axle snap yet, and none of those guys have any problem getting the car to shine on a dyno or at a track. I don't have any plans to drag race mine; I am worried about how it's going to change the handling somewhat, but I'm going to have to relocate about 100 pounds of gear (antilock canister, battery) to the rear of the car to accommodate a V12, so perhaps I won't throw off my weight balance too badly.

I hope it's not "uncool" to love two kinds of cars so very different from one another. Part of the attraction to this is trying to find a way to mate what I love about both cars.

1963 XKE (sold)
1976 XJ12L (dead)
1988 XJS (sold)
1999 XJ8

Submitted by mfrank@westnet.com on Mon, 06/12/2006 - 18:54

The best advice I can give you is to get a grip.

In a Starion, the V12 would be a lumbering monster. Adding 3-400 lbs to such a tiny car is not a good idea. And getting all that horsepower to the ground will be a problem with such a light tail. You will have a so-so drag car, and it will handle like the Titanic. Until the axles snap.

As for supercharging a V12, it's been done. You can read about it here:

http://www.jcna.com/library/news/2002/jcna0079.html

Bradley is no longer with us, but his car is for sale. If you really want to do this, maybe the cheapest route would be to buy the car and pull the motor.