[Arran]

I wasn't thinking of a Chebby 400 but a Chrylser/Dodge/MoPar 400, which is a B series big block like a 383 with larger bores. It's similar to a 440, which is an RB (raised block) engine. All of those have the distributor at the front on the right side, but the oil pan sump is at the back, so it may be less of an issue then lets say stuffing a Ford BB in there. The height of the hood may be an issue in terms of fitting a 440 in a Vette, but then again G.M put 396s and 454s in coke bottle Vettes, not sure what chassis and body modifications they made to do it though. Then again it would likely be smarter just to buy a Jensen interceptor and fix it up.
Regards
Arran

[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.

[Arran]

Well the Jensens already came with an American V8 so no need to butcher anything. The earlier ones used a Chrysler 383 and the later ones used a 440 just like my Newport has, though tuned up a little. I believe that most of the drive train was Chrysler, no way a Limey manual transmission would have been able to take the torque so I think they used a 727 behind the Chrysler B.B. Not sure what they used for a rear end though, Chrysler liked using Dana 60s in their power cars for a limited slip but those were live axle affairs on leaf springs. I think that the Jensens had independent rear suspensions, I would have to do more research though.
Interceptors are not as beloved as Jags because they are kind of viewed as a mutt by English car nuts, and are just an oddball make to American car nuts. A Bristol is another British/American hybrid, they started using Chrysler V8s after the pre war BMW clone engines they were building were well past their prime, many used 318s but the later ones used 383s and got a lot more juice out of them then what MoPar did. One exception to the rule is the Morgan +8, those used a Ford 302, that they don't seem to mind, but then again the 4 cylinder models also used a Ford engine.
Speaking of early hemis, there was a French/American hybrid called a Facel Vega that used them, but I think that the biggest engine they used was a 354, many used 331s. Then you have the Italian/American hybrid called a Dual Ghia, those used one or more of the Dodge hemis which were smaller then the Chrysler ones.
Regards
Arran

[Warren]

Hmmm, Did these cars all have Philco's in them?

[Arran]

Many of the Chryslers did have Philcos, rebadged as MoPar. Some had Motorolla built radios and others used Bendix built radios. My newer Chrysler's radio was built by Matshushita.
Regards
Arran