Theme Cars? What is allowed? jJst how far afield is OK? (Page 1 of 2)

The more outlandish the theme, the better. But a "tribute" type car doesn't really count as "outlandish," which is a term that applies more to stuff like the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile or the Eyesores or the Faster Farms Thunderchicken or the BMW Speedbird. If you take an XKE and then make it look like a Group 44 race car, it's more likely to be treated (and penalized) as such, even though everybody knows that car has an over/under of 4 hours on track.

But if you take an XKE and dress up in chicken costumes and put feathers all over the outside of the car, then no laps probably.

What you have to remeber with that plan is that parts you have lying around don't count as free.  So if you are putting together several cars they can add the cost of all those cars and the materials and still add random extra amount of money.

With themes they won't look to much at the budget for it if it doesn't help the performance( a can of paint) or even better hurts the performance (building a full size train on the roof).  But if you are ripping off the body and putting on a light weight more aerodynamic body even if you built it, I'm sure they will be strict.

UM, It's not really a Jaguar XK-E, More like a tribute to the Jagaur XK-E. It's a XJ-S with fiberglas body mods to make it look like an E typre..
  Pretty easily done too! The track width is the same,   Since I have the molds already it's a simple matter of doing a hand layup. and attaching them to the XJ-S chassis. 
   Now with the XJ-S V12 considering it's size and  weight naming it the Titanic  does seem appropriate.. I'm just wondering how I can get it to sink though..
  Airbags?   Nah!  still wouldn't put it under water.. let alone a bunch of Icebergs around it! Hey maybe if Kate Winslet volenteered to ride on the bow of the car with her arms outstreched I could yell.   Top of the world like Leanardo De caprio did? 
  Hmm I wonder how good a sport she is?   I suppose worse comes to worse I could always dress up a dummy and call her Kate.. Think tech would have a problem with that? 
The E- type XJ-S I can't really come up with a solid theme yet..

not necessarily.  they bemoan lazy unimaginative race car copies.

there is a HUGE difference between painting your corolla up in gulf oil colors that have been done 734 times already, and turning your miata into a (well done) auto union type c or your MR2 into a Tyrrell P34.

edit:  although sadly we now need fenders, so that makes it tougher.

Would I also have to have knock off wire wheels?   To go with the knock off body?

Jag. Harold and Maude. Look it up...

With wide enough tires, an XJS can handle like a Miata... until the head gaskets blow.

If It's  V12 blowing head gaskets chances are it's an HE engine.. The trouble is the more powerful and fuel efficent HE engine is a stratified charge engine to get the better gas mileage..  While it's fine at Wide open throttle and idle.   At partial throttle  after full throttle for an extended period (like the autobahn or racing)  it tends to go all lean and start preignition..  That's what Blows head gaskets and burns valves and pistons..  Because the engine is batch fired, one clyinder is early, one is perfect,  and one is late  (Basically four 3 cylinder engines.. on a common crankshaft)
That or one of the lousy rubber hoses (they use on Everything British) blew, the engine over heated, and  warped the block while the driver wondered what all that steam was coming behind him was about.. (Just because you could afford the payments for one of these doesn't mean you know squat about cars).. The guy basically ruined the car and it sold and resold with every schmuck after that getting burned. Each time it sold the reputation  of Jagaur was further ruined.
  American, Japanese, German, cars wouldn't survive that sort of Abuse and the whole engine would be replaced.  The Jag is such a tolerant and forgiving car that even poorly repaired it will still run.
Don't forget Jaguar won Le Mans 5 times!(Including 2 times with a V12)

I am still trying to figure out how to turn a xj12 into a mid engine xj13

from the one in the front to the one on the left

Since we're talking themes:  I have seen a Lemons team go too far, in my opinion, with a pornographic image in the back of their car.  Some of you may consider me a prude for mentioning this but I bring my whole family to these events and that was just not necessary.

The only hard part would be finding a workable transaxle but that's not impossible..'
Here's what I would do..
1st buy a cheap XJ-S V12 or a XJ12 unbolt the front suspension. The engine (with torque converter)  and the rear end, take wiring and computer..  grab the radiator while you're at it.
Sell the rest or scrap it..
  Find a Cad Eldorado  transaxle and front end parts.  (the big one from the 70's  the Olds Tornado will also work)  Make an adaptor Jag V12 to Toronado Eldorado transmission. Simple to do even if you're not a machinest.  Ask if you don't know how.
  Next get blocks of foam.. Glue together the rough size of the car you want to replicate.. Attack foam with electric carving knife, surfoam scrapers grinders etc. and rough it into the shape you want to replicate.   once you are close give the block of foam a coating of bondo..  sand and smooth it to perfection. (If you're going to all this work it's nice to have something you're proud of) Paint it with whatever color you have on hand, it's just a mold no sense in using good paint.  Bench mix is fine tractor paint is cheap and  Gloss house paint has worked in a pinch..
Let it dry and then sand the paint to perfection! (eliminate, runs drips orange peel etc..  it should be smooth as glass.  If you sand through no big deal just repair let dry and resand once dry..
  Wax the heck out of it! minimum of 3 coats of hand rubbed paste wax.. If you can't see yourself chances are it's not waed enough.
   Now put a release agent on it and using a chopper gun or hand lay up make a mold..  Remember to put parting lines in so you won't have anything going into negative draft. (ask if you don't understand )
  let mold harden completely remove pattern  minor repairs can be effected with Bondo, if the repairs get big, use laquer thinner  to completely dewax the mold  repair.   after repairs you'll have to paint the mold. I sugesst laquer since it dries much faster than enamal and is easy to sand.  Once the inside of the mold is glass smoot  re wax the heck out of the mold..and now you're ready to make the part..
  OK weld the XJ-S/12 suspension into a frame to hold the body and V12. finish the details and you're done.