Jerkin with my Jensen #19998 (11/6)

[slammin.e28]

Push it out into the pasture that thing is a rust farm.

Wot, le red one?

Yeah, it's turning into parts. The green one no run, PO suspects burnt valves. The red one runs, so I'll reseal the engine and pop it into the green one and drive it.

[McGyver]

...Complete interior, etc. Owner got it in 1977. Suspects burnt exhaust valves. I'll just swap the engine with the runner in my red car and be done.

You should totally chop up the CA car for parts to save the red car. Just swapping in a new engine seems a little too simple...

[QUKBMER]

You should totally chop up the CA car for parts to save the red car. Just swapping in a new engine seems a little too simple...

That's the spirit !!!!

[1990m3]

Ok -- I have to comment here. When I was 10 my dad brought home a Jensen Healey, when I was 15 I helped him do a new clutch on the garage floor and was rewarded by learning to drive stick on it come summer time (by then I was 16 and driving). I enjoyed the car, it had decent power and a fun suspension because the previous owner raced it in SCCA. The point I'm making is that the car can be fun.

Now I'll make my other point -- those cars in general are built very poorly and are huge pieces of crap. We had a nice clean rust free '73 but that car had issues non stop. The D'ellorto carbs that ours had were a nightmare. Nobody could get them running right -- not even the british specialty shops in town. My old man probably spent 10x the cars value maintaining it over the years and finally dumped it -- I think he had it for about 16 years. No matter what we did there was always a hesitation in acceleration from those carbs. The interior build quality is non existent, total shit too.

Please don't put too much money into it -- you'll never get it back. Oh yeah, first gear has no syncro in that gearbox, so only shift into it at a full stop, and hopefully yours won't pop out of gear.

In a way I understand your excitement, in another way I feel badly for you, sorry, don't take it personally. Take it from a guy who has probably logged 5000+ miles in one of those cars as a teenager, once I got a decent car of my own ('87 Saab 900 Turbo) I never drove that jensen healey again. And that Saab wasn't even that decent....

[M-technik-3]

Red one, didn't see the date how far back this had self torture had started.

[slammin.e28]

Ok -- I have to comment here. When I was 10 my dad brought home a Jensen Healey, when I was 15 I helped him do a new clutch on the garage floor and was rewarded by learning to drive stick on it come summer time (by then I was 16 and driving). I enjoyed the car, it had decent power and a fun suspension because the previous owner raced it in SCCA. The point I'm making is that the car can be fun.

Now I'll make my other point -- those cars in general are built very poorly and are huge pieces of crap. We had a nice clean rust free '73 but that car had issues non stop. The D'ellorto carbs that ours had were a nightmare. Nobody could get them running right -- not even the british specialty shops in town. My old man probably spent 10x the cars value maintaining it over the years and finally dumped it -- I think he had it for about 16 years. No matter what we did there was always a hesitation in acceleration from those carbs. The interior build quality is non existent, total shit too.

Please don't put too much money into it -- you'll never get it back. Oh yeah, first gear has no syncro in that gearbox, so only shift into it at a full stop, and hopefully yours won't pop out of gear.

In a way I understand your excitement, in another way I feel badly for you, sorry, don't take it personally. Take it from a guy who has probably logged 5000+ miles in one of those cars as a teenager, once I got a decent car of my own ('87 Saab 900 Turbo) I never drove that jensen healey again. And that Saab wasn't even that decent....

Hehe! I gotcha! I've always wanted a British roadster, but TR6s and MGBs are EVERYWHERE. I want something terrible, rare, and unique. I stumbled on the Jensen Healey, hadn't heard of them until I got the red one.

The 73, from what I read, was pretty terrible. Teething problems. 74.5-75 were pretty alright, but still not a great car. Really the only reason I bought the green one in Cali was the price and it's a G235/5 trans, plus it'a a whole car with the hardtop, interior, etc....much more than I got with the red one. Red one has new floor pans and runs, so if the green one needs parts, I've got them.

Then this TR4 popped up two blocks from my work, practically free....so I've decided I want to go deeper down the hole.

I'm a glutton.

[M-technik-3]

Stick an M20 in the TR4.

[slammin.e28]

Stick an M20 in the TR4.

Eweeee....

Was thinking M42....or a Wankel would be fun....

But I kinda wanna keep it stock. Dumb little things can be worth some money all fixed up.

[1990m3]

Hehe! I gotcha! I've always wanted a British roadster, but TR6s and MGBs are EVERYWHERE. I want something terrible, rare, and unique. I stumbled on the Jensen Healey, hadn't heard of them until I got the red one.

The 73, from what I read, was pretty terrible. Teething problems. 74.5-75 were pretty alright, but still not a great car. Really the only reason I bought the green one in Cali was the price and it's a G235/5 trans, plus it'a a whole car with the hardtop, interior, etc....much more than I got with the red one. Red one has new floor pans and runs, so if the green one needs parts, I've got them.

Then this TR4 popped up two blocks from my work, practically free....so I've decided I want to go deeper down the hole.

I'm a glutton.

Ours had the newer dogleg gearbox (cool to learn stick on a dogleg) and the motor was done up a bit. Delta Motorsports has all the J-H parts you could need, I remember seeing that catalog on the coffee table for the better part of a decade when I was a kid.

You certainly are a glutton. If you want something terrible, rare, and unique you have certainly found it.

[LateFan]

Now I'll make my other point -- those cars in general are built very poorly and are huge pieces of crap. We had a nice clean rust free '73 but that car had issues non stop. The D'ellorto carbs that ours had were a nightmare. Nobody could get them running right -- not even the british specialty shops in town. My old man probably spent 10x the cars value maintaining it over the years and finally dumped it -- I think he had it for about 16 years. No matter what we did there was always a hesitation in acceleration from those carbs. The interior build quality is non existent, total shit too.

I would agree with all of this. This is what I remember reading about them back then, soon after the new wore off. People were hoping they were the modern reincarnation of the TR6....but it wasn't.

Now a TR4...hmm..

This is actually a TR250, with the IRS and the straight 6 from the upcoming TR6, which wasn't ready yet...
(ignore the lady in the moo moo..)

[slammin.e28]

I'm def moving in on this TR4....will need a reliable car to drive when the Jensen is down.

Yes, I realize what I just said.

Just got off the phone with the Jensen's actual owner. Older gentleman. Very nice. Bought it new. So I'm the second owner. I'm so goddamn excited I can't contain it. Has the tonneau cover, paperwork, and some other bits and bobs accessories that come in it.

I'm so giddy.

Then the TR4....waiting to hear back on that one. It's not going anywhere, but my offer through a friend of mine....we'll see...

[LateFan]

[ATTACH]113085[/ATTACH]

[slammin.e28]

Jerkin with my Jensen, II

Jensen #2 was all loaded up and is en route to the east coast now....

[slammin.e28]

Floors: drivers side is pretty rust free. Passenger has some spots that can be easily patched.




Got it running as well. Carbs don't even need to be touched. Did the timing belt, tensioner, and oil. Fired right up when I got a good battery to it.




Fuel tank is spotless inside. I pulled it to clean up the trunk and paint it etc. No rust holes. Mostly surface, but a lot of that is from the carpet remnants and where some road flares blew apart.





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[slammin.e28]

Interior, a good friend steam cleans it. I pulled the carpet etc out, so ignore that.







The soft top was folded up wth towels in between the folds. It's perfect. Window is still supple and pliable, just a little dirty.





And that's about it for now. Everything else is progress. Cleaning etc. It'll be on the road in no time. Got the original pink slip from CA, I bought it from the original owner. Has the leather tool bags and a leather tonneau cover. Hardtop is perfect too.



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