Anyone know a Jensen specialist?

Liam D Ferguson

Contemplating the purchase of a Jensen Interceptor Series 3. But unlike some classic car owners, I have the mechanical and DIY skills of a geriatric hamster so all servicing and repairs will need to be farmed out.

(I know - why wouldn't I buy a nice reliable Eurobox of some sort? Masochism, I guess.)

Anyone know someobody in Meath or Dublin who could look after one of these? Parts are in good enough supply and can be ordered in from England, so it's just the expertise I lack.

Given that the thing is powered by a Chrysler V8, someone with experience of old US mechanicals would probably help, too.

Cheers.

mike65

Don't even think about it! Unless you fancy taking a bi-annual long weekend break in England to get it properly serviced.

http://www.martinrobey.com/home.cfm

Mike.

Liam D Ferguson

Really? *Sound of bubble bursting*

Surely there's someone out there who could do routine servicing and then I'd make an annual or bi-annual trip to the UK for a more major service?

mike65

Routine servicing is grand but what if something goes wrong?

Others may say differently, but I'd be very wary. How many people here would be familair with the inner workings of the Chrysler V8 or 30 year old TorqueFlite autobox? Not to mention the electrics which might include air-con gubbins.

Mike.

Henry Ford III

I thought they were simple cars mechanically? Brutal but simple.

p.s. Buy Statoil shares. You'll need them

Liam D Ferguson

Thanks for replies. I'm guessing ownership of a Land Rover and trailer as well for the occasional trip to the UK might also be a requirement. Maybe a re-think required.

Right then - any suggestions for an alternative luxury classic saloon or GT with better prospects for getting work done in or around Dublin/Meath?

General requirements, although any are open to negotiation: -

• V8 engine
• Leather interior
• Walnut dash
• Practicality or fuel economy not major issues as it won't be the daily driver

Henry - yes I know the Interceptor drinks more than Oliver Reed in a desert - currently drilling for oil in my back garden.

I'm avoiding a Rolls Shadow due to a certain inverted snobbery - some people assume you're trying to make a statement if running a Rolls even though you might just love the car.

mike65

I like your style and ambition Maybe a nice old Merc c107 say a 350 SL would be worth a consideration, esp as peeps on here actually have owned a few over the years.

Mike.

PaulK_CCI

Mike, I do think you're slightly overexaggerating the facts here .
The mechanics (note that I'm only talking about Mechanics!!! here) of a Jensen are in fact not more or less reliable than any other Classic Yank Tank: the Chrysler engine and Torqueflite gearbox, are very reliable and fairly straightforward to service and maintain, which can be done by anyone who knows his stuff about older (American) cars. They will however need specialist attention if something goes seriously wrong, however, this goes for any mid sixties/seventies (American) classic, wether it's a Corvette, Mustang or Mercedes... I mean, if you have a basic 65 Mustang with an Autobox, or a Merc W107 with an Autobox, if the box starts slipping, you'll also have to go on the lookout for an automatic gearbox specialist to rebuild it, because you're Mustang/Mercedes specialist will probably not going to touch it...

The problem that you run into with Jensen's is, that these simple mechancis are wrapped in a poorly designed and badly rustproofed Italian body, with British (Lucas, the Prince of Darkness) electrics and that can sometimes prove a very troublesome combination...

Main problems with the Jensen are generally bad electrics causing all sorts of unreliability problems, RUST, RUST and poor build quality.

However, if you can get your hands on well kept, well restored, and properly looked after example, they are wonderful machines that have enormous charisma and they won't let you down more than any other classic. So avoid getting a car on the cheap, without proper heritage and maintenance records...

Liam D Ferguson

mike65 wrote:

I like your style and ambition Maybe a nice old Merc c107 say a 350 SL would be worth a consideration, esp as peeps on here actually have owned a few over the years.

Mike.

My thinking is that any classic is going to require a bit more effort than a modern, so why not be hung for a sheep as a lamb? :cool:

No offense to Merc owners, but I just can't seem to get excited by them. (The cars, not the owners, that is.) A 600 Pullman maybe, but that's out of my reach.

Thought about a Rover P5B - any opinions on them?

Liam D Ferguson

The mechanics (note that I'm only talking about Mechanics!!! here) of a Jensen are in fact not more or less reliable than any other Classic Yank Tank: the Chrysler engine and Torqueflite gearbox, are very reliable and fairly straightforward to service and maintain, which can be done by anyone who knows his stuff about older (American) cars. They will however need specialist attention if something goes seriously wrong, however, this goes for any mid sixties/seventies (American) classic, wether it's a Corvette, Mustang or Mercedes... I mean, if you have a basic 65 Mustang with an Autobox, or a Merc W107 with an Autobox, if the box starts slipping, you'll also have to go on the lookout for an automatic gearbox specialist to rebuild it, because you're Mustang/Mercedes specialist will probably not going to touch it...

Thanks Paul. That's generally what I thought. If I knew of someone who could do basic service work here, I'd be prepared to trundle over to Cropredy Bridge or the like in the UK for major work.

Are there Yank specialists around my neck of the woods?

Max_Damage

My friend's father has a Rover P6 3500 V8 (with a manual tranny). Very nice car, very comfortable, & runs very well (the ex-Buick V8 was one of the finest of its day, and still is to a certain extent). Only thing though is that the models with the manual 'box are known not to go into certain gears at speed (due to the fact they can't take the torque of the V8). I'd go for an auto model (I never thought I'd hear myself saying that! )

Here is a nice one on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-3500-P6_W0QQitemZ180149281341QQihZ008QQcategoryZ29759QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Things to look out for would be obviously rust, British Leyland were never known for their excellent rust-proofing.

Alternatively, you could try a Rover SD1, the successor to the P6: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1983-ROVER-3500-VITESSE-EFI-Lowered-Sports-Exhaust_W0QQitemZ200145620042QQihZ010QQcategoryZ29759QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

PaulK_CCI

Liam D Ferguson wrote:

Thanks Paul. That's generally what I thought.

Oh, and just one word of caution, if your surname is indeed Ferguson as your user-id would suggest, I would think twice if you were to be tempted to go for your "namesake" Jensen model, the "Ferguson Four" or Jensen FF! These cars were a marvel in it's day, offering a Ferguson 4 wheel drive system AND Anti-lock braking (the first in a production model), but they aren't very easy to fix if they go wrong :rolleyes:

Better stick with the more common S111, or better still the very rare 'post production' S4's, they offer a much better reliability, but only very few are to be found for sale.

3ps

what's the budget then? I'm guessing a sorted Jenson is 20kGBP+

Liam D Ferguson

Hi Paul,

Yes it's my real name, but I'm not closely related to any of my famous namesakes. So unfortunately I can't get discounts on tractors, televisions, tickets to Man Utd games or repair work on an FF's four-wheel-drive system.

I had been browsing the Jensen Owners Club site and saw plenty of warnings about the FF alright.

Hi 3ps,

Looked at a few Jensens (e.g. this one http://www.jensen-cars.co.uk/moreArticleXtra.aspx?id=143&type=forsale) and hoped to come in at around €25,000.

3ps

is road tax a major issue?
would you consider a nice Jag XJS?

do you have a maintenance budget per year? the way I see it.... the more expensive the car the more it will cost to maintain.

Liam D Ferguson

Hoping to get something over 30 years old. €1,343 per year on tax buys a reasonable amount of servicing. I might wait a few years for an XJ-S - although they were launched in 1976 I believe they improved with age.

Dades

Liam D Ferguson wrote:

No offense to Merc owners, but I just can't seem to get excited by them. (The cars, not the owners, that is.)

The cheek! Nothing more exciting than a car that starts every time.

I do think Jensons are cool, though you'd need to look at the top end. How about a Citroen SM? There's a couple of owners hereabouts too that might be able to advise. XJS' are nice, but there's a lot of them about (and you'll pay your tax). My guess is you're looking for something a bit different.

Liam D Ferguson

Hmmm...Citroen SM? Interesting idea. Must research a bit. Thanks.

Would love to hear from Irish owners with their experiences of running one. Given Maserati engine and lots of fiddly electric and hydro-pneumatic bits, I would have thought that it would be even less practical to own in Ireland than a Jensen? Wisdom above seems to be to avoid the Jensen because I'd have to be lugging it over the water every time it needed something. Or maybe there's better Citroen support?

Thanks...this is all very enlightening.

3ps

browse classiccarsforsale.co.uk to stimulate your brain

Oshbosh

V8 engine
Leather interior
Walnut dash
Practicality or fuel economy not major issues as it won't be the daily driver

Has to be a MERC !!

PaulK_CCI

Oshbosh wrote:

V8 engine
Leather interior
Walnut dash
Practicality or fuel economy not major issues as it won't be the daily driver

Has to be a MERC !!

ehhmm, over 30 years old :eek: not quite there yet... however, if you go back in time a little bit further, how about something like this:
1971 Mercedes Benz 280SE Coupe (W111) 3.5:
V8,
Walnut Dash,
Leather,
Electric windows, central locking, power steering, etc etc...
Superb reliability,
Excellent specialist and parts backup in Ireland...

Henry Ford III

Porsche 928? Production began in 1977 I believe.

No walnut dash mind you.

Liam D Ferguson

Hmmm...seem to be a few Merc-heads around here.

Spotted a Porsche 928 on the UK website recommended above... http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-page.php/carno/13603

Well under budget too...must search harder for an early 928.

Any ideas on Porsche servicing over here?

PaulK_CCI

Liam D Ferguson wrote:

Hmmm...seem to be a few Merc-heads around here.

Spotted a Porsche 928 on the UK website recommended above... http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-page.php/carno/13603

Well under budget too...must search harder for an early 928.

Any ideas on Porsche servicing over here?

Porsche servicing is adequate in Ireland. Plenty of specialist around BUT, and that is a bug BUT , the V8''s that's we find in the 928's are a hugely complex machine, in a different league from the relatively 'uncomplicated' aircooled flat sixes in the 911's.

There are a large amount of 928;s on the market, pushing the price down, but be very, very carefull not to be tempted by low prices, because a lot of these cars have trawled from forecourt to forecourt, being picked up by yet another new owner, that drives the bejaysus out of it, does NO maintenance and then moves it on to the next unsuspecting buyer!!!

ONLY insist on an 928 with an absolute flawless and immaculate service history!!!! If you need a full engine rebuild, you're looking at well in excess of 10k ...

3ps

i investigate that 928 somewhat and got the impression it would have needed work!

Kevin_Herron

Timing kit is a tricky job on a 928.

I would have no hesitation in recommending a well sorted series 3 Interceptor.
The best piece of advice is buy the best one you can afford.

Very little to go wrong- they are strong cars.
Fast, comfortable and reliable like most American cars.
I feel they are good value for money.

They would be no problem finding somebody to look after it in Dublin.

Liam D Ferguson

Okay - shortlist is narrowing down to Interceptor S3 or early Porsche 928. I can see from the sticky thread in this forum that there's a Porsche specialist in Kells, which is easy reach for me. Point taken re service history - will insist on full history, even if it means paying a bit more.

Porsche is ahead on points due to availability of known specialist.

Thanks for all the interest.

Oshbosh

Here's a nice 928, 1988 so shoot me for being 1 year away from 30

http://www.the80semporium.co.uk/forsale/view_pd.php?id=135

I thought there was a discussion here recently about classics being over 20, not 30, or is that for VRT purposes ? Anyway, the SECs started in 81 i think so not far off although this one, my one !, is a long way off being a 90.

The 280SE is next, it looks incredible !

Oshbosh

er that would be 11 years !

Liam D Ferguson

I thought there was a discussion here recently about classics being over 20, not 30, or is that for VRT purposes ?

I could be wrong but I think that at 20 years you can classic car rates on insurance but it needs to be 30 for tax and VRT.

PaulK_CCI

Liam D Ferguson wrote:

I could be wrong but I think that at 20 years you can classic car rates on insurance but it needs to be 30 for tax and VRT.

Correct

bushy...

If you're going for a 928 get a look at the relay/fuse setup under the passenger footwell for bodging . A good few special relays in there , may not be the cheapest things. Don't jumpstart anything off it either , stresses/can blow all the ecus.