Immediately’s Good Value or No Cube Jensen Healey provides the British roadster expertise with a facet order of quirkiness not accessible in mainstream MGs and Triumphs. Let’s see if this one, which has misplaced its authentic Lotus motor for a V6 out of a Ford, isn’t too oddly priced.
Ought to a V-twin motorbike be within the playing cards however not a giant thumper like a Harley, one can at all times flip to Italy because the bikes from Ducati and Moto Guzzi provide strong choices. We checked out a type of yesterday, a 2009 Moto Guzzi V7 Traditional, which, at $3,900, supplied not solely the joys of a pair of pounding pistons between the knees but additionally, based on the 75 p.c of you who awarded it a Good Value win, good worth as nicely.
These days, there’s been a whole lot of speak about nepotism within the leisure business and whether or not the children of business stalwarts have an unfair benefit over those that metaphorically simply fell off the turnip truck. This appears ridiculous, as anybody raised with a household craft will most probably be inclined to hitch that craft and have an inside edge. It’s the identical for entertainers as for electricians.
That was simply the case with Geoffrey Healey, who, after serving as a mechanical engineer for the British Military throughout WWII, joined his father, Donald Healey, within the household enterprise, spending the subsequent 30 years designing and constructing among the most legendary sports activities vehicles of all time. Oh yeah, and the Jensen Healey.
The story of Jensen goes again over a century and can also be a household affair. Based in 1922 by two brothers, Alan and Richard Jensen, the corporate’s first order of enterprise was to teach craft our bodies for sports activities vehicles and business autos. Following WWII, that advanced into constructing Jensen sports activities vehicles and consignment work for different producers. By the late Nineteen Sixties, neither of these efforts was paying the payments, and Jensen wanted the next quantity mannequin to generate much-needed money.
On the similar time, Donald Healey was on the lookout for a brand new mission after leaving the just lately restructured British Leyland. Because of this, Jensen and The Donald Healey Motor Firm collaborated on a brand new small sports activities automotive known as the Jensen Healey, whereas Donald Healey took on the roll of Jensen’s director.
Launched in 1972, the Jensen Healey used a metal monocoque construction and leveraged mechanical bits from the Vauxhall Viva. For an engine, Jensen employed the then-new Lotus 2.0-liter twin-cam 4. Canted at 45°, that afforded the automotive a low bonnet line that works nicely with the remainder of the automotive’s William Towne styling. Initially, a four-speed guide sourced from Sunbeam was the transmission of alternative. The ultimate 12 months of manufacturing noticed that changed by a Getrag five-speed and a reputation change for the automotive to JH5 after Donald Healey left Jensen as a result of disagreements over how the corporate was being run.
When it debuted within the Jensen Healey, Lotus’ 907 motor was untested and underdeveloped. Lotus hadn’t even began utilizing the engine in its personal vehicles. That led to teething points that damage Jensen’s funds additional.
This 1975 Jensen Healey doesn’t undergo from points with the Lotus engine because it has apparently been given the heave-ho and changed by what the vendor says is a Ford “Cologne V6.”
What’s the displacement of that V6? The advert doesn’t say, however the most typical measurement from this Jensen’s period would have been the two.8 right here within the States. That has had a ton of labor finished, together with new head gaskets, carburetor and alternator replacements, and a bunch of fiddly upkeep work. In line with the advert, it now “Runs and drives nice!” and is “good for truthful climate drives with the highest down!”
Aesthetically, it appears strong however removed from good. The bodywork is straight, the trim seems intact (vital on a hodgepodge automotive), and the highest goes up and down because it ought to. It additionally has a clear title and is sufficiently old to not fear about passing its smog take a look at.
On the draw back, we don’t get any pictures of the inside, so anyone’s guess as to what’s occurring there. We additionally don’t know the automotive’s precise mileage because the speedo has not been linked, a lot much less calibrated for the brand new drivetrain. Are these large offers? In all probability not. One thing that may be is the $7,900 asking value. Solely about 10,000 of those vehicles had been ever constructed, and whereas a membership helps the marque, this isn’t the most probably automotive somebody out there for an outdated British roadster may select, contemplating the choices from MG and Triumph on this value vary. Add to that the shortage of originality within the Ford engine, and we’ve fairly a quandary on this automotive.
What’s your tackle this Jensen Healey with a Ford V6 and that $7,900 asking? Does that appear like a good deal, contemplating the automotive’s possible higher reliability and total situation? Or is that too dang a lot for such a mutt of a automotive?
You determine!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
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