[TA Forbes]

Or dump an American V8 in a Jag XJ6 or XJS. I have come close to doing this BUT I like my V-12s in the XJS cars I have owned.

When I was a kid the hot combo was an early Chrysler Hemi in the Rod of choice. One that sticks in my memory was a 58 Chevy that had a 392 in it.

I had a 66 Belvedere that I dumped a 392 in, because the 426s even back then were pricey. Believe it or not the 331 heads were better, after you had larger valves installed and did a radius and throat job on the area just under the valve. I ran it with a VERY lumpy cam and the 2X4bbl setup that was available back then that Weiand made. Compression was 11.5 to 1, and racing gas was available at Sunoco. I had 4.10 gears in an 83/4 rear and a torqueflyte 727 that I built for hard shifting, and had ladder bars and a snubber to control pinion climb. Oh yes, AND I kept the dash push button shifter!!!! (When racing I just left it in "D")

Best ever 1/4 mile time with it was a 12.70 flat, and that was with close to a 2-second 60-foot time. So I would imagine there was well over 400 hp to the rear wheels. IF I could have made it hook up better I suspect the times would have approached 12-flat. Back then street tires, even the wide ones I had, burned too easily and did not get you out of the hole well. Heating them up in the burn box just made them slick vice sticky, so the best thing was to just line up without a burn. Oh yes, I did use (ahem) VHT on them before I lined up.........

A bud back home had a Canadian 66 ______ (looked like a Chevelle) that had a 396 in it, a neat car with a funny looking grille.