Jensen Interceptor restoration

Jensen Interceptor restoration

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Discussion

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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Good effort! How are the engine and gearbox?

dpp

Original Poster:

221 posts

138 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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It is a nut and bolt job but I like to get things moving so I am trying to strip the car and keep ahead of Geff and Brian who are doing 1 or 2 days a week on the bodywork. In hindsight I should have given myself a months head start on the welders but it still worked out okay.
The car was just about running when I bought it and I had driven it slowly so the engine and gearbox were working but a bit rough and were an unknown quantity.

Once the sills were on and the inside plate fabricated and fitted the 2 piece front footwells could be fitted.



Then a small issue of some rot on the rear crossmember needed to be repaired before the floors could go in.








The problem with restoring (Jensen) cars is that there is always more rust that was supposed to be the seat belt anchor point on the rear arch!!




Anyway I did some work myself and pulled the engine out and degreased it.


anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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The Chrysler V8 is generally robust and long lived, so hopefully it won't give you any major horrors. The Torqueflite box is also a solid and dependable thing, although you could if you wished take this opportunity to put in a four or even five speed unit and improve the mpg, but I don't know if you are a stickler for originality.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 23 December 18:18

Jem0911

4,415 posts

200 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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My Old man had an Interceptor.
Looking forward to the thread.
Good on you OP

Total loss

2,138 posts

226 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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Breadvan72 said:
The Chrysler V8 is generally robust and long lived, so hopefully it won't give you any major horrors. The Torqueflite box is also a solid and dependable thing, although you could if you wished take this opportunity to put in a four or even five speed unit and improve the mpg, but I don't know if you are a sticker for originality.
The later Chrysler 4 speed auto box would go in with only minor tweeks if any looking at the pics

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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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.

Total loss

2,138 posts

226 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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dpp said:
Anyway I did some work myself and pulled the engine out and degreased it.

Original engine ? , only the intake manifold and the rest of the engine didn't start life together (under the black paint it should be light blue IIRC and not the orange as on the block)
The carb adapter on the intake manifold, is it running a Thermoquad now over the original Carter ?

SV8Predator

2,102 posts

164 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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Total loss said:
Original engine ? , only the intake manifold and the rest of the engine didn't start life together (under the black paint it should be light blue IIRC and not the orange as on the block)
The carb adapter on the intake manifold, is it running a Thermoquad now over the original Carter ?
It would have a Holley originally, being a G-Series. But the Carter Thermoquad was the next one used and the most common fitment on the Mk III.

Stelvio1

1,153 posts

226 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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As a schoolboy in 1967 I recall seeing an Interceptor in Scarboro' reg was XPK1F - it was love at first sight! - best of luck with the restoration. Much rather have an Interceptor than a DB6 smile

dpp

Original Poster:

221 posts

138 months

Tuesday 24th December 2013
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The plan for the car is to keep it as original as possible although there may be some small deviations from this and I am not planning any upgrades to start with.

This car was nearly 40 years old when I bought it and running an original setup which was one of the things I liked as though in need of some TLC it had not be messed about. So until it is finished and I have driven it for a while it will remain as it left the factory. I am sure upgrades could make it much better but I want an old car with an old car feel, I am fed up of computers controlling my life and constant flashing lights on the dash because a sensor missed a pulse.

SV8Predator you are correct the car is a G series running a Holley carb, this will be rebuilt and tried on the car but I have been reliably informed they will never run right but for the cost of a rebuild kit and a bit of my time I will give it a go.

So lets continue with the first of the outer panels which when fitted brought a big smile to my face as the beautiful Interceptor shape emerged.

Offside outer wheelarch



The nearside rear arch with just a minor piece requiring fabricating and the horrible looking rust on the original photos is repaired with a minimum of work



The entire inner wheelarches were replaced these started with Jensen panels which were only the first couple of inches and then the rest was made and fitted to suit



The car is being stripped to bare metal the hard way as I didn't fancy dipping and was thinking of having it blasted but by the time we had cut the rotten bits out it was easier to do it with a DA and blasting would not have removed the underseal anyway.

The engine bay is looking a bit empty now



Lastly to cheer me up the first parts came back from powder coating


gforceg

3,524 posts

178 months

Tuesday 24th December 2013
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Fantastic to see this coming back to life. Judging by the date stamps on some pictures you might be quite far along with the project by now. I'm looking forward to watching this develop.

dpp

Original Poster:

221 posts

138 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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With the back end coming together it was time to sort out the front inner wings which had been repaired in the past and were still losing the fight against rust.







It was decided to completely replace them with the replacement parts being made by Geff rather than new panels so after a bit more cutting and grinding the first side was removed



A new box section was made



It was then fitted along with other repair sections around the footwell



I decided to make my own new battery tray ready for Geff to fit



This was fitted along with the new inner wings



Then the same was done on the other side along with some extra repairs to the channel where the inner and outer wings meet and the bonnet fixing points were replaced on both sides



Now the car was really starting to take shape and I could begin the task of prepping and priming some of the steel that had been replaced

2slo

1,998 posts

166 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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Excellent thread. It's a pity PH doesn't have a view count, threads like these would have thousands of hits and show the OP how many people appreciate seeing detailed restorations.

P5Nij

675 posts

171 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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Only two pages in and already it's starting to resemble the great Maserati Ghibli restoration thread elsewhere!

Best of luck OP, this is definitely one to watch. Always had a deep affection for Interceptors and FFs, on occasions I've found myself taking a detour en route to Banbury in the works van via Cropredy Bridge Garage just to have a look at what's parked outside their workshop.... even the tired /awaiting resto cars look fabulous in the flesh...


Ubendum

105 posts

136 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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Re the posts regarding engine/transmission.

To replace the original 3 speed A727 auto with a 4 speed is a big job. It (the A518) was only fitted to small blocks, and as such has the wrong bellhousing bolt pattern to fit a B/RB engine. The bellhousing is not removeable, which complicates things. It can be done, and in fact I have done it several times, but just not worth it.

As regards engine colours. Simply put, "High output" B/RB's were one of two different shades of orange, depending on the year, and cooking engines were turquoise or blue, again, depending on the year.

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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Epic work on that shell so far, reminds me why I need to learn to weld & fabricate.

triple5

751 posts

144 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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Following with interest, my dream car when I was a lad.

SV8Predator

2,102 posts

164 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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Ubendum said:
As regards engine colours. Simply put, "High output" B/RB's were one of two different shades of orange, depending on the year, and cooking engines were turquoise or blue, again, depending on the year.
Perhaps, but Jensen engines were painted black.



aeropilot

34,298 posts

226 months

Friday 27th December 2013
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Ubendum said:
Re the posts regarding engine/transmission.

To replace the original 3 speed A727 auto with a 4 speed is a big job. It (the A518) was only fitted to small blocks, and as such has the wrong bellhousing bolt pattern to fit a B/RB engine. The bellhousing is not removeable, which complicates things. It can be done, and in fact I have done it several times, but just not worth it.
Did you use an Ultra Bell conversion bellhousing to convert the A518 to the 440 big block?

Ultra Bell also make a conversion bell housing to bolt a GM auto up to a 440 big block as well, so you could fit an overdrive GM 200R4 or 700R4 overdrive auto onto the back of a Mopar big block.




dpp

Original Poster:

221 posts

138 months

Saturday 28th December 2013
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P5Nij said:
Only two pages in and already it's starting to resemble the great Maserati Ghibli restoration thread elsewhere!
This guy is in a different league to me not only has he carried out his own bodywork and paint he even fabricated his own door skins.
I on the other hand have paid for professional fabrication and welding to be carried out as although I can make 2 pieces of steel stick together I do not have the skills to try to do this kind of work to even a simple car never mind the extra complexities a Jensen adds.

I will try to do everything I can myself as long as I can make as good a job as leaving it to the pros. A lot of things are just labour intensive so stripping cleaning and painting parts to go back on is not too difficult and my advantage over a garage is that it costs me nothing for every hour I put in so I can take as long as I want to achieve the best job.