Body

Based on a 1980 Triumph TR7, this car has many body mods: reworked rear roof sections, sills, flared wheel arches, bonnet bulge and colour-coded bumpers. All body mods in steel. Paint: PPG Deltron Rosso Red painted by Grinnall.

Stock seats in black leather, Wilton carpet and Safety Devices roll-cage.

Chassis

Suspension: independent front built by Grinnall with Jaguar brakes, four-pot calipers and Spax shocks, the rear is Jaguar differential with wishbones, 200lb springs and Spax shocks, and Jaguar inboard disc brakes.

Wheels/tyres: 9x16" spli-rim alloys with 245/45x16" Pirelli P700s.

Drivetrain

Engine: Jaguar V12 bored to 5.7L, Powermax pistons, large nimonic valves and ported cylinder heads. Six downdraught IDA Webers and Facet fuel pump. Standard exhaust manifolds with a one-off system.

Gearbox: Getrag 5-speed manual with AP Racing F1-type multi-plate clutch.

Max BHP: 350bhp (estimated)

Average fuel consumption: 10mpg

Test Drive

"Fitting a V8 engine into a car can produce a pretty wild machine, so imagine what a Triumph TR7 feels like when it's stuffed full of 5.7-litre Jaguar V12!"

What is it going to feel like, I pondered as I sat in the driver's seat, about to turn the ignition key. The V12 then gave a sharp bark and brought a ripping grin to my face.

Driving through Worcester's beautiful surroundings the TR7 was outrageously quick, allowing me to get away with overtaking manoeuvers that would have ended in tragedy in a slower car. I would see a gap, prepare myself, then experiment at how much throttle I could get away with before the rear tyres broke loose. With a little tail wag the TR shot past the traffic and out onto open country roads where I could use all of the available power.

To fit the lengthy Jaguar engine Mark (Grinnall) had to cut away most of the bulkhead so the front of the rocker covers didn't protude beyond the modified bonnet line. Remarkably, from inside the car there is still plenty of legroom and the gear lever falls easily to hand, not being set too far back, as you might expect.

Among the many body mods, Mark had to include a small bonnet bulge to enclose the engine and the six Weber carbs. Under the flared arches none of the TR's original suspension remains. Based on Jaguar equipment, Mark created his own idependent set-up front and rear, the results being a car with far better handling than expected.

It goes to prove that you don't have to play by the rules when it comes to hot rodding, and Mark has certainly shown that almost any engine, even a V12, will fit into whatever car turns you on.

Based on an article from the June 1992 edition of Street Machine magazine.

Date: January 15, 1998
This car was involved in an accident some years ago (No-one was hurt) and has since been dismantled. The engine is now back in a Jaguar and is used for racing.

Above information was provided by Nick Harrison (UK).