Jaguar Power: 1942 Plymouth Coupe
With all the Chevy V8 powered Jaguars running around on the streets, it makes you wonder where all of those glorious inline-6s have gone? Have they all been melted down for recycling? Maybe, but at least one of them found its way into an old American car. Find this 1942 Plymouth Coupe with Jag inline-6 offered for $750 in Tumwater, WA via craigslist.
The 1942 Plymouth Deluxe (P14S) and Special Deluxe (P14C) were some of the last consumer vehicles to roll off the production line before the war effort took over. While declarations of war had been proclaimed, the US wasn’t in the thick of fighting (at least not in the European theater) until late in 1942, and production continued until a Federal Law prohibiting OEMs from producing new cars went into effect on Jan 31, 1942. Even before this occurred, various changes were required on the cars to let the military use the good stuff — stainless steel grills were replaced by grey-painted plain steel pieces, and these “black-out” cars have become collectible.
Gone is the original 95 horsepower Chrysler 217 cubic inch inline-6 and in its place is a 4.2 liter (256 cubic inch) dual overhead cam XK6 inline-6 that should produce something around 170ish horsepower, depending on how you count the horses.
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Wow upper wishbone control arms must be a race item from the Chryco speed book…!
I would assume the smooth aluminum valve covers from a 3.8 would go right on a 4.2. Gives it a much more timeless look than these. Cause it is a damn good looking engine, oh and the sound. I love at a vintage race seeing a pack of mustangs, camaros and 'vettes, and somewhere in the middle of all those pissed off V8's is just the smoothest sound emanating from a gorgeous e-type.
It would make a great book or article to find these "creative" thinkers, or close friends/relatives, and simply ask what their motivation was in creating such splendifforously odd-ball items that bring wonder, and varying degrees of fear of insanity, and or chemical issues, for said creator.
Meth or Moonshine?
So is that a Jagmouth or a Plymuar?
And I agree with Kilgore, the sound of a Jag 6 is sublime. I owned a Mark 2 sedan for a few years, and had fitted a Stebro stainless dual exhaust. When it came up on the cams, there was no sound like it.
I remember reading many years ago of a guy who had transplanted a 425 Buick into a Jaguar MkX. He said he'd done it not for power, but to get A/C which worked, and power steering which didn't blow the pump every time you parked the car. The fact that it would lay rubber in second gear was just a nice side effect.
He was left with a 4.2 litre Jaguar engine – which he transplanted into a Chevy pickup. Apparently the torque curve was almost identical at the bottom, but the Jag redline was 1000 rpm higher.