Jensen Interceptor restoration
Discussion
Breadvan72 said:
Yes, and a few people have done that. I was quoted a big sum to get mine done, and figured I would have to drive a lot of miles to get the money back in fuel savings, so declined.
My car has an upgraded starter, alternator, rad fans and front brakes (from an XJS), but is otherwise boggo, apart from the naff but cool Plymouth Barracuda door mirrors.
Pics?My car has an upgraded starter, alternator, rad fans and front brakes (from an XJS), but is otherwise boggo, apart from the naff but cool Plymouth Barracuda door mirrors.
Fantastic work and dedication, we had a series 2 for a while that we found in a shed at Reading and was in really good condition for age - I think it still around semi locally.
It was not difficult to get roadworthy, easily got MoT and due to difficult circumstances was sold as "goer" for modest money - sure the new owner thought he had a very reasonable car for around £8k.
It was not difficult to get roadworthy, easily got MoT and due to difficult circumstances was sold as "goer" for modest money - sure the new owner thought he had a very reasonable car for around £8k.
VinceFox said:
Breadvan72 said:
Yes, and a few people have done that. I was quoted a big sum to get mine done, and figured I would have to drive a lot of miles to get the money back in fuel savings, so declined.
My car has an upgraded starter, alternator, rad fans and front brakes (from an XJS), but is otherwise boggo, apart from the naff but cool Plymouth Barracuda door mirrors.
Pics?My car has an upgraded starter, alternator, rad fans and front brakes (from an XJS), but is otherwise boggo, apart from the naff but cool Plymouth Barracuda door mirrors.
I don't suppose that you really wanted a picture of the alternator etc, but if you did, they're in here somewhere
Breadvan72 said:
Bling mirrors (a bit rubbish for seeing stuff in, but hey):-
I don't suppose that you really wanted a picture of the alternator etc, but if you did, they're in here somewhere
Liking the mirrors actually, they go with it. What colour's that, looks like a turquoise/mallard sort of thing? I don't suppose that you really wanted a picture of the alternator etc, but if you did, they're in here somewhere
Any more body pics?
Im now 6-7 months into this project and time to get some primer on to protect the new metalwork the steel had a coat of ferrozinc to protect it from flash rusting as I cleaned it up over a few weeks and was then sprayed with zinc 182 it will later be seam sealed and the sprayed again with zinc 182 before schultz is applied.
Meanwhile Geff and Brian cut the front lower wings and front off the car
This gave me great access to clean and paint this area
A few small repairs were carried out around the windscreen frame and a strange hole in the wing top section
Meanwhile Geff and Brian cut the front lower wings and front off the car
This gave me great access to clean and paint this area
A few small repairs were carried out around the windscreen frame and a strange hole in the wing top section
Breadvan72 said:
No, Spanish waiters were not allowed to drive these cars, not even in Barcelona.
There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Mustang type box i suppose? There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Seriously, seriously love the shape of these. When my brother was about 21 (a long time ago) he was going to buy a very clean black one with cream interior and it was dead cheap, was at a time when they weren't quite as desirable. The insurance company wouldnt go anywhere near him.
The Mustang came in manual, or with a Ford autobox, presumably sourced from some truck or other. The Torqueflite was (and indeed in later versions and with a new name still is) the classic autobox used across the Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth ranges. It also appears in Bristols of the 60s and 70s, which use the same engine type as the Interceptor.
VinceFox said:
Breadvan72 said:
No, Spanish waiters were not allowed to drive these cars, not even in Barcelona.
There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Mustang type box i suppose? There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Jensen used Chrysler engines and gearboxes.
aeropilot said:
VinceFox said:
Breadvan72 said:
No, Spanish waiters were not allowed to drive these cars, not even in Barcelona.
There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Mustang type box i suppose? There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Jensen used Chrysler engines and gearboxes.
Would be very interesting to see how one drove. Bit like the xjs, would have liked to have seen more of them with manual box too.
VinceFox said:
aeropilot said:
VinceFox said:
Breadvan72 said:
No, Spanish waiters were not allowed to drive these cars, not even in Barcelona.
There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Mustang type box i suppose? There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
Jensen used Chrysler engines and gearboxes.
Would be very interesting to see how one drove. Bit like the xjs, would have liked to have seen more of them with manual box too.
Chrysler tries the T-10 in it's big-block Max Wedge muscle cars in the early 60's, but the T-10 couldn't cope with the torque monster Max Wedges, so ultimatly Chrysler developed it's own 4-speed manual (A833) to offer bolted up behind the monster Wedges and later Hemi's.
VinceFox said:
As a moderniser (shudder) i bet someone has tried the t5 box in there.
Unlikely, as I don't think any of the performance tranny specialists in the USA have made an conversion adapter kit to bolt a T-5 up to a RB big block..... most likely because a RB would lunch a T-5 in short order I suspect.VinceFox said:
Would be very interesting to see how one drove.
In a word: fantastic! Really transforms the car and makes an Interceptor into the top class sporting GT that it really is. The car shrinks around you and becomes a really chuckable sports car. Of all the Interceptors I have driven, the manual-gearbox version is by far my favourite.Breadvan72 said:
No, Spanish waiters were not allowed to drive these cars, not even in Barcelona.
There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
I once read that when Bristol switched to the Chrysler engine in the 407 they ordered some manual gearboxes as well as the Torqueflights, but never built any and sold all their stock to Jensen. I don't know how true it is and don't recall where I read it. The only manual V8 Bristol I am aware of today is a 1950s development car that is a essentially a V8 405 roadster. Pics here.There were about two dozen or so Mark I Interceptors with manual gearboxes, but the Torqueflite suits the car.
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