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The Jeep six sounds like your best bet due to being available. The second best would be a Nissan 280Z in-line six, or as mentioned the Mercedes small in-line. I don't think the Jeep or any US made six is much smaller lengthwise than the Jaguar, but would certainly be more economical to rebuild and maintain. At least the Jags are expensive to maintain on this side of the pond, your side would naturally be less!
I'm not sure you can find a two wheel drive Jeep Cherokee (XJ, not the big ones!) over there. If you do they use an AW4 four speed auto (Toyota calls it an A340 and uses it in their trucks) or an AX-15 five speed. Early 4.0L Jeeps use a Peugeot BA10/5 five speed. Those have a bad reputation, but only in hard driven Jeeps. People who drive them on the highway and don't tow a lot rarely have problems, so should be okay for a lighter kit car even driven hard. Both five speeds shift like truck transmissions -- not very fast like the T-5, but not hard to shift either. If you can't find a 2WD Jeep, you should be able to mate the Toyota A340 to an AW4 bell housing. I haven't done it, but the trannys should interchange.
I made a totally manual controller in lieu of the computer for my AW4 (will work for the A340). It's just a rotary switch on the console that controls the gear shifting solenoids. I have a column shift that I have to use for drive, revers, park, etc. Once in drive the switch has to be used for all shifting -- no auto shift at all without the computer. If you can rig a dash mount lever for a cable shifter (like an early model Corvair) the switch might work well for you. It would be a little odd with a floor mount shifter, but would work nonetheless. You really need a console and arm rest for the switch shifter to be practical. Then you can mount the switch where your hand naturally lays when using the arm rest. That's how I have mine mounted.
I'm not sure you can find a two wheel drive Jeep Cherokee (XJ, not the big ones!) over there. If you do they use an AW4 four speed auto (Toyota calls it an A340 and uses it in their trucks) or an AX-15 five speed. Early 4.0L Jeeps use a Peugeot BA10/5 five speed. Those have a bad reputation, but only in hard driven Jeeps. People who drive them on the highway and don't tow a lot rarely have problems, so should be okay for a lighter kit car even driven hard. Both five speeds shift like truck transmissions -- not very fast like the T-5, but not hard to shift either. If you can't find a 2WD Jeep, you should be able to mate the Toyota A340 to an AW4 bell housing. I haven't done it, but the trannys should interchange.
I made a totally manual controller in lieu of the computer for my AW4 (will work for the A340). It's just a rotary switch on the console that controls the gear shifting solenoids. I have a column shift that I have to use for drive, revers, park, etc. Once in drive the switch has to be used for all shifting -- no auto shift at all without the computer. If you can rig a dash mount lever for a cable shifter (like an early model Corvair) the switch might work well for you. It would be a little odd with a floor mount shifter, but would work nonetheless. You really need a console and arm rest for the switch shifter to be practical. Then you can mount the switch where your hand naturally lays when using the arm rest. That's how I have mine mounted.
