^^^ Wow! Some nice cars listed in those ads.
Interesting discussion here: https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/6800/1-piece-versus-2-piece-drive-shaft Not sure which vehicle this goes to. But it's a good example. Image Unavailable, Please Login
https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/09/19/european-roadsters-that-should-have-succeeded
Wade, That picture reminded me that the rear section of the JH driveshaft also telescoped via a splined shaft. And the whole thing weighed a ton. In JH circles (admittedly a small one!), the biggest discussion always revolved around the bumpers. The early version had smaller bumpers with a chrome strip on top. The later version had much larger rubber bumpers. They caused as much division and argument as fender shields on a Ferrari do today! The only other visual difference was a small fender shield with a British flag and “JH-5” denoting the five-speed transmission. On the inside, they added a clock and small dedication plate to the glove box door.
As for the TR8 cited in the article, I believe it was the wedge shape design that made the vehicle look stubby and like a "cutesy" car, not to mention 13" wheels (versus 15" on the TR6) amplifying the stubby impression along with 3" less wheelbase. The wedge shape was probably too far ahead of its time to be received by the public.
The current issue of Hagerty's (sp?) has a Jensen-Healey within. I don't know the context as I have not read the article yet. Just an fyi.
'74 is a pretty early production car, and these are cars I worked on as a young mechanic at an unattached European dealership that same period. I can honestly say that they came factory fresh with so many defective parts, that after doing dealer prep and service on them for six months I quit. The Lotus lump came with any number of designed in flaws; the previously mentioned cam cover, fragile exhaust studs, and dubious main seals to name a few. There were other issues with transmissions and assembly as well but you get the drift. About the only positive I can think of is that if the car is still extant, most of those things have been repaired,...once,...at least! good luck!
That’s the thing. Original owner, brought the car in 1975 for his wife. Now retired architect, has done own work for years, 150k miles, car run every week, owner selling because he is in his ‘70s and needs garage space What’s scaring me is the image of a hand grenade with the pin pulled. Plus, I can’t find anybody in Houston that knows anything about these cars. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
https://gasheadmotorworks.com/ He works on the newer Lotus cars. Can't hurt to ask about Jensen Healey.
On second thought, Clint and I had a run in a few years ago. He insisted on charging me storage, but only after the fact. I always pay my bills, but I like to know when I'm being charged before being charged.
As far as maintenance and repair, the JH engine is really no different than the average British 4-banger. The main difference is the belts. But if you’re on this site, belts are no surprise either. I even changed a cylinder liner in my garage. The only “specialized” tool needed was an engine hoist.... Most any shop that can work on British cars can work on a JH. Oh, the car is largely metric if that’s an issue. By now, given the age and miles, most everything on that car has been fixed or replaced. As long as you keep the oil fresh and don’t overheat it, it should be any OK weekend runabout. I’d say your biggest challenge will be with cosmetics.
Cosmetics I can deal with. Rust I can't. BTW, here's the car, notice he doesn't say anything about rust. I'm gonna call him tomorrow. https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/jensen-healey/unspecified/2170481.html#&gid=1&pid=10
That car looks amazingly original. From the speaker grills to the hardtop, belt shrouds to the shift knob !! There’s very few non-original or missing bits. Not sure I’d call the wheels “optional” they were the standard as far as I know. Only Dunlop wires were optional. The hardtop and stereo were indeed options, the hardtop being quite rare. The only rust area to be concerned with is the floor pans. They are dished like an E-type Jag and neither top was very water tight. The car originally came with fitted rubber mats. If they got wet underneath, it took a long time to dry out if not removed. You’d want to check for sure, but from the pictures, it doesn’t look like the car spent much time in inclement weather. It does look sun worn though, as evidenced by the steering wheel and cracked wood dash. The floor pans are easily replaced BTW. The 5-speed gearbox is a big plus. The car must have been close to the switch to the later version, often called mid-year or 74 1/2 cars. You can always spot a respray by the headlight cowls, they were originally pained flat black on the inside. The asking price is definitely above current market and SCM estimates, but not by much. You could make a case for it with its originallity. When compared to Triumphs and MGs of the same period, it seems like a decent price for a very original car.
Well... I did it. $8,250 for the car, and I’ll going to share in the expense of having a local Brit mechanic do some work in getting the car in tip top running shape. Oh Lord, what have I done? Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
May I remind you of your own signature line: "If you see it coming, duck." You didn't duck! Best wishes for a fun ownership experience! I'm sure it'll have its ups and downs, but hopefully many more ups. Looking forward to the stories.
I've been watching this thread - didn't want to hex it by saying a word . . . Oh, ****! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Congrats !! I think you’ll really enjoy the car and the ownership experience. I know I’ll enjoy hearing about the adventure.
It’s funny. I’ve spent more than that on one Ferrari repair bill. But old habits die hard. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Bring a Trailer makes me feel good and bad. Here's the feel good: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-yamaha-ct1/ $8,250 for a 175cc Yamaha CT1. Great bike. I had one in high school. But damn, $8,250? Here's the feel bad: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-porsche-boxster-2-7-9/?utm_source=transactionalemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bat_watched_listing_ended Yeah, it's $15,000. But by the time I get going, I'll have $15,000 in my car given my past track record. Oh well.
I come up with similar comparisons, but a different calculation: The Boxster is a very nice car (the wife's had 3 of them) but it has never made me want to go out just for a drive. Remember the investment in memories. Good or bad, or maybe I should good AND bad, you'll have some memories with the car. I remember leaving Stanford and driving down PCH, reaching Orange County in just a hair over 7 hours. I remember getting chased by some redneck in a pickup truck along Hwy 10 in Pensacola because he didn't like my CA plates. And I remember limping back from Beeville with a ruptured radiator hose. Starting the car, racing up to 75mph, then shutting off the car and coasting a mile or so. Repeating that all the way to NAS Corpus. Wouldn't want to do any of that again, but damn, I wouldn't trade those memories for the full $15K.
BTW, I tracked down the guy who had the JH in the Hargerty article. When I get my car here, they'll be two running JHs in Houston. We might have to start a JH gang. Banditos watch out! Ps. I have a rule against going backwards. It's bad luck. Because I have already owned a Boxster S, I can't buy another one.
??? I thought you bought the car 2 weeks ago. Or are you traveling to pick it up and have a road trip?
