Perhaps the thing that we most look forward to at the annual LS Fest event in Bowling Green, Kentucky is seeing the many wild, one-off creations that gearheads have concocted and DIY-engineered to fit GM’s famed V8 small-block engine. From boats to mail trucks to rear-engine Deloreans and everything in between, we’ve seen it all. Kris Henderson’s 1959 Jaguar Mark I sedan, of all things, certainly fit the “wild and crazy” criteria this year, as the once-luxury British saloon car did what it was never intended to: crank off quarter-mile laps and cruise the roads with authority.

The story behind this car isn’t one of a high-end restoration or even a manifestation of a lifelong passion for British cars — for Kris it was about taking something unconventional and turning it into a street and strip warrior that would undoubtedly draw attention no matter where it went. When Kris bought the car in 1988 for $800 from a newspaper ad in Oklahoma City, he wasn’t looking for a pristine collector’s piece. “It wasn’t because I loved Jaguars,” Kris says. “I just liked the look of it. It was different from what you usually saw at the time, and the price was right.”

Different is exactly what Kris has always aimed for. Growing up in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, he was surrounded by hot rods and drag racing thanks to his father, who taught auto mechanics at the local high school. “My dad always had something cool in the garage — ’57 Nomads, Corvettes, Camaros. We were always wrenching on something,” Kris recalls. By the time he was in high school, he was already working at a car dealership, honing his skills and building a foundation for what would become a lifelong love of fast cars.

That foundation led to the creation of this one-of-a-kind Jaguar. Over the years, it’s gone through multiple transformations, but its current form is a blend of careful engineering and trial-by-fire innovation. Powering this unlikely race car is a 6.0-liter GM LS engine from a 2000 model-year vehicle, mostly stock but with key upgrades where it counts. Kris didn’t go for the exotic; instead, he focused on reliability and power. Forged Diamond pistons and H-beam rods ensure the engine can handle serious boost, while the compression ratio is kept at a manageable 8.5:1. “I did all the machine work myself. I’ve got a lathe, mill, and valve grinder in my garage. It saves me time and money, plus I trust my own work more than anyone else’s,” Kris explains.

At the heart of the engine’s power is a custom-ground camshaft from Brian Tooley Racing. With  240 degrees of duration on the intake and 245 degrees at .050 inches on the exhaust with  .560 inches of lift on the intake and .600 inch lift on the exhaust, this cam is built for top-end performance, but it’s also streetable. The heads are OEM LS3 square-port aluminum pieces, again modified by Kris in his home garage. Stock valves handle the airflow, but the port work and trunnion-upgraded rockers help maximize efficiency at high RPM

But where things get really interesting is the induction system. Kris runs twin Turbonetics 78/68 Hurricane Benita turbos, a setup that wasn’t always in the cards. “Originally, I ran nitrous oxide,” he says. “Back in the ’90s, the car had a 327 from my V8 Vega and I was spraying it with a 180-shot of nitrous. That got me into the nines, but when I started thinking about turbos, I knew that was the way forward.” Now, with 12 pounds of boost, the car makes 750 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque, all while still maintaining a streetable nature.

The engine setup isn’t flashy, but it’s brutally effective. Kris kept the stock truck intake manifold and runs 120-pound-per-hour injectors with an Aeromotive A1000 fuel system. The generic 102mm throttle body does its job, and Kris tunes the engine using MegaSquirt MS3 Pro engine management. “I had John Coleman out of Tennessee do the tuning,” Kris says. “He’s got a real knack for getting the most out of these LS engines.”

Backing up all that power is a GM Powerglide transmission. While it may not be the go-to choice for everyone with an LS swap, Kris swears by it. “The Powerglide is bulletproof … it’s simple, and I’ve never had any issues with it,” he says. The transmission, built by Andy Mayes, is paired with a PTC converter that stalls at 4,000 rpm, allowing the turbocharged LS to build boost before launching hard. A shortened NASCAR stock car driveshaft and GM 12-bolt rearend with 3.55 gears round out the drivetrain, and the whole setup is built to withstand the rigors of both street driving and quarter-mile blasts.

The suspension setup is just as custom as the rest of the car. The Jaguar now has a full custom chassis, something Kris never imagined he’d end up with when he bought the car. “A buddy of mine, Ray Nelson, was building circle track cars at the time,” Kris recalls. “He had the tubing and the bender, and we just started working on it. I learned a lot from him, and we ended up building a chassis that could handle anything.” The front suspension uses shortened 1978 Mercury Capri struts with custom control arms Kris built himself, while the rear features a four-link setup also fabricated in his garage. It’s all about function over form in this build — most of the parts were sourced from swap meets, and the only new pieces on the car are related to safety.

The Jaguar’s looks haven’t changed much since Kris bought it. It still wears its black paint from Tractor Supply, applied in a single coat. “The body was rough when I got it, and it’s still rough,” Kris says. “But I didn’t care about making it pretty. I wanted to make it fast.” The paint is cracking in places, and there’s no shortage of body filler under the surface, but none of that matters when the car is ripping down the track at 150 mph.

Inside, it’s pure race car. Used racing seats, a full roll cage, and a simple set of AutoMeter gauges dominate the interior. There’s no upholstery or creature comforts — just a cockpit built to keep Kris safe while he makes laps down the strip. “This car has never been about looks. It’s always been about going fast and doing things my way,” he says. And fast it is. The Jaguar has clocked a best quarter-mile time of 9.53 seconds at 150 mph, with a 60-foot time of 1.44 seconds. But it’s not just a drag car — Kris has also taken the car to standing-mile events, where it has hit a top speed of 203 mph, earning Kris a spot in two 200 mph clubs. “That was a wild ride,” Kris admits. “The car just kept pulling, and it felt solid the whole way through.”

Kris’s wholesomely unique Jag is proof that you don’t need a big bankroll to go fast and certainly not to turn heads — this ride was built the old-fashioned way on a shoestring budget with parts from swap meets, a lot of elbow grease, and some help from friends. “This car has had multiple engines and setups over the years, but the goal has always been the same: do it myself and make it fast,” Kris says. After decades of wrenching, tuning, and racing, the car is a perfect illustration of Kris’s drive to build something different and do it his way.