Classic/Antique Car Repair: 78 jaguar xj12L, chevy conversion, custom restoration

Question
Hey, there.  I have a 1978 Jaguar XJ12L with a Chevrolet 383 and GM tranny. What do you think one of these is worth with custom restoration?

Answer
That would totally depend on the quality of the restoration and on finding a buyer. Most of the XJ-12s in this area have had that conversion and I have seen a large difference in price asked for them. If you are thinking of doing it as an investment, you may be disapointed. It makes a good conversion since the V-12 is far too costly to maintain and if it fails you can easily put more into the engine than the car is worth. A Chevy conversion makes the car perform well and much less costly to maintain. That is why most owners do it. I doubt many made money on it. To get a feel for their value if you are thinking of buying one, look on the net for like conversions. John's Cars in Texas sells a kit for the conversion if you have the car and are just wanting to convert one. If you are thinking of doing it as an investment I will be surprised if you make a profit. I have a friend here that use to do a lot of that conversion. Almost every customer he had told him they loved the car but got fed up with the cost to maintain the V-12 engine.
Howard