Christopher, I am in Sunnyvale and I am just starting the complete rebuild of my XK engine. If you want to join forces and share tips let’s meet. I work on my car every Saturday morning.
Here is where I was at this morning:
I also have a completely dismantled spare engine.
And a never used reconditioned cylinder head from Coventry West. …
Eric, I wish the water pump recess on mine looked as good as yours. PM sent.
If the numbers do not match to the car, then get a replacement head, To rebuild the motor and head, the price should be around $8,000 to $8500. To include new pistons, bearings, cam bearings, cam buckets valves, chains and guides and tensioner. springs, valve guides, gaskets, machining crank, bores, tappet bores, surface head, block. Balance rods, crank, pistons, flywheel etc etc. Price would not include carbs, starter, waterpump.
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if one can make 20K or more of pure profit…above all expense/labor/parts.instead of 3-5 K, .then you can have a lot less customers and do very well., as long as you have sufficient coming in…In marketing/price strategy of products and services…some choose to use “selective gouge” to maximize profit. Less work, less production, fewer customers, more money, Pure profit that can be maximized and drops straight to bottom line is the best kind. It works either for a short time if poor service/quality.,.but it works very well for a long time if service/quality standards or the luxury/ego factors are quite high.
Nick
I noted in a different thread…about the importance of knowing what is in the Jaguar Technical Service Bulletins…TSB, or SB, Nearly every part and assembly of parts on the car is affected, as parts changed over the years, parts superseded that must be combined with other newer parts in-order to fit/work, not do damage., From pinions, to valve guides, oil pumps, gearboxes and brakes…all have TSB updates. One cannot rely on the first Service Manual. How will you know if the valve or seat you have works with the other parts you have. Will the long bolts fit in the now revised short thread holes in the head? Only the TSBs and list of Parts and Changes made in Production will tell you. A home mech/ or a shop must have this knowledge and know where to find it,. One really should not do much but check oil level without a full set of TSBs…and guess what…oil level has several TSBs…dipsticks and marks on them changed, sumps changed and checking when cold changed to check when hot. Do you have the correct original dipstick?
Nick
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In the aircraft industry, TSBs are the Bible of repair work.
Nothing very exotic about a Jag engine. We have done several using our local automotive machine shop for the boring, crank turning etc. Our local NAPA has 2 120 engines in process now, not for us.
exotic…Ok, not exotic…but detailed …yes, different from many American engines, different from modern engines, and many supercede parts over the 60 plus years to know about, (will just any mechanic know that the cam caps have to be in same place and orientation as first factory assembly) and how they combine so that when it is done the full champagne flute can be set on the top and barely vibrate. The shop full of late model Toyotas and Hondas is not where my engine will be, Nick
True: want exotic, and far more complex to build correctly?
VW/Porker engines…
[Paul Wigton](https://forums.jag-lovers.com/u/wiggles)
Patron
September 27
restorer32:
Nothing very exotic about a Jag engine.
True: want exotic, and far more complex to build correctly?
VW/Porker engines…
And still it doesn’t end. Received an emailed invoice today for $1000 for the “estimate”. I respect the parts side of the business that was sold off to Moss Motors in its entirety, but, what remains of the “restoration” side is giving me the creeps.
Wait: they are charging you for an estimate, retroactively??
I’d tell’em to pound sand.
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You should have contacted Dick Maury at Coventry West. He did my engine and it runs better than a Singer Sewing Machine. Could NOT be happier with the cost and the results.
Len Wheeler
Tucson
Yes.
And according to our state Bureau of Automotive Repair website, they possibly CAN charge for a “tear down” estimate – which was something not disclosed to me upon dropping it off. The BAR website states that after tear down, a second, revised and more detailed estimate is to be provided itemizing the work to be done, specific parts to be replaced, cost of each item, and any work to be sourced out. Furthermore, if I decline having the work done (I mean, jeez, only stupid money would agree to a $40K rebuild), they are to reassemble the engine before invoicing me.
This supplier did none of that.
I’m not above paying a charge if I’m legally obligated to do so, but as this now strikes me as blatant extortion, someone has to stand up for the next guy. So I’m filing a letter of complaint with the above bureau and will await the outcome before doing anything else, if required.
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Len, the engine (in all of its many pieces) has been back with me for some weeks now so there’s no issue with me contacting Coventry West. I still plan on doing that. It’s just that, in the interim, this experience so far has left me a little gun shy in my willingness to trust others to do the work. I’ll get over it. No rush.
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Sorry to hear about your experience. I am glad you have come forward with your experience however. It is definitely helpful to others who are looking to have work done. Something so blatently outrageous should be talked about. Unfortunately it seems that occasionally jaguar mechanicals are portrayed as some exotic mystery that only a select few can understand in order to justify outrageous charges. Good luck with your next attempt.
Dick Maury is one of the best, reliable and reasonable. Since I now live on the East Coast I went to Abacus Racing with a 3.8 engine in unknown condition. The plan was to tear it down and see what could be salvaged. If it turned out to be junk they would only charge labor which turned out to be around $400. It was rebuildable and they sent me a complete list of parts needed. I shopped for the parts and had them shipped to Abacus. They rebuilt the block less all the bolt on externals for just a bit over $2000 labor. I went with them because they’ve rebuilt quite a few XK engines and knew what they were doing.
Pat H
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Doesn’t that mean they should have first given you an estimate for the estimate…? 
This companies dubious business practices have been going on for years… Total ripoff LLC I have refused to deal with them for ANYTHING for decades… Anyone who does will generally come out the loser. They seem to work on the basis of… there’s one born every minute… all you need to do is find them.