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Rdinstel Member
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I have an odd situation. I am trying to purchase a 1974 Jensen Healey, but the current owner can't find the key to the car. Any suggestions? Ray |
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Esprit2 Member
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Ray, Don't accept the problem as 'yours'. The seller needs to find the keys, or pay a locksmith to resolve the problem before the sale. He could also look into purchasing a lock & key set from a J-H that is being parted out. Or, buy a J-H that has keys. There's a 1974 J-H for sale near me (Minnesota), 'Tangerine', clean, equipped with Dellorto DHLA 45E carbs, metal bumpers with chrome caps... and it comes with keys. I saw it at a show last Saturday (Oct 12th), and the only 'problem' I noticed was that the bonnet's rear edge sits high when closed. Something in the hinge probably needs to be adjusted. Act soon before the snow flies (any day now), or wait until spring. Regards, Tim Engel |
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Rdinstel Member
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Thanks Tim, do you happen to have any contact for the seller? Ray |
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redracer Member
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wow--only the "bonnet's rear edge high"!! one of the easiest fixes(we did that on Jim & Marsha Benya's green J-H in St. Louis.) FIX: the front hinge bolt goes AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE and the REAR HINGE BOLT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. Forget about any "in-between points" as that will not help. Don't know the asking price but check it out good luck, bruce |
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Esprit2 Member
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Rdinstel wrote:Thanks Tim, do you happen to have any contact for the seller?Ray, I saw the car at an open house/ car show at BMCAutos in Isanti, MN. It was a customer's car, and she was not in attendance. Her son is handling the sale for her, and I 'just now' got his phone number. I'd like to get his approval before I pass it on, so I'll call him this evening after he gets home from work. Stay tuned, Tim Engel |
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Esprit2 Member
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Okay, I've got some info. The owner/ seller is an older lady who is selling out of Minnesota and heading for Arizona. The house is gone, the car has to go. It was a restoration when they bought it, and it has literally been driven sparingly by a little old lady since then. Gramma snortin' Dellortos... picture that. Her son-in-law, Tim Lynch is handling the sale of the car for her. It's late in the season to be selling a car in Minnesota (snow is around the corner). If a quick sale happens, great! But he's thinking it might, by default, be a wait until Spring deal. If you're interested, contact him PDQ, (Pretty Damned Quick) and there's still time to do a deal before it goes into Winter storage. He doesn't really have a price in mind, but as much as we talked, he's very realistic. No blue sky dreams about an ultimate high price. The car is an older restoration, rust free, nice interior, with a new top. The engine has Dellorto DHLA 45E carbs, but "I think" it is otherwise mostly stock. It has had a recent head rebuild and new timing belt. I've hand-touched the belt, and I think it's too tight, but that's probably the worst of the engine. If you're interested, don't delay, the car is on the brink of going into Winter storage. It 'might' make one appearance on eBay soon. The seller is Tim Lynch (the owner's son-in-law): LynchKJ@comcast.net I'm not associated with the car or it's sale, but I've seen it, and I know the guys at the shop that have serviced it most recently. Not Lotus or J-H specialists, but good guys. Regards, Tim Engel Last edited on 10-17-2019 06:06 pm by Esprit2 |
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Rdinstel Member
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Thanks so much Tim, I will email Tim L. Ray |
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Rdinstel Member
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My email came back to me as "not our customer." |
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Esprit2 Member
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Ray, I just PM'd you. Check your Inbox. Tim |
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Esprit2 Member
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The seller's correct email address is: LynchKJ@comcast.net y... not i Tim Lynch, the owner's son-in-law. I've edited the message above. Regards, Tim Engel |
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Rdinstel Member
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Tim, thanks so much for the lead on the car! I made a deal with the owner and am now working to get the car to Virginia. My wife is over the moon as she owned sports cars in her younger days. Not implying she is old now. I really appreciate your help. Ray |
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noomg Member
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That's the first time I've of losing out on a sale due to a lack of an ignition key. I'm just curious Ray, was he able to start it without the key or were you just expected to take the seller's word that it ran great. |
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Rdinstel Member
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Did not start it. I was not going to purchase unless they were able to find key. Ray |
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noomg Member
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Ray, Glad you were able to find a good substitute, and welcome to the "What's wrong with you people!" club. Please post progress reports, remember misery loves company. |
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Rdinstel Member
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Tim, I completed the transaction with Tim Lynch and am in the process of getting the car titled here in Virginia. There are not a lot of people who can work on a Jensen Healey here, so I was thinking of working with Brian at BMC, where the car is currently located. He is really busy, but seems very honest and helpful. The car actually needs a little more than we first thought - brakes, ignition/electrical work as the car runs rough, oil leak, and some other minor stuff. I knew all this before completing the transaction, so am not complaining at all, just need to get the items taken care of. Any thoughts on using BMC? Then comes the real pain in the neck, getting the car from MN to VA. |
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Esprit2 Member
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Rdinstel wrote:Tim, I completed the transaction with Tim Lynch and am in the process of getting the car titled here in Virginia.Ray, Congratulations on closing the deal. I hope getting the car home doesn't prove to be too much of a task. Rdinstel wrote: There are not a lot of people who can work on a Jensen Healey here, so I was thinking of working with Brian at BMC, where the car is currently located. He is really busy, but seems very honest and helpful. The car actually needs a little more than we first thought - (Snip)... Any thoughts on using BMC?Brian is honest, and he works on all the more common Britcars, including light maintenance on one other J-H. They do a lot of ground-up restorations, and GM 3.1/ 3.4 Litre V6 & 5-spd conversions in every thing from MGAs to Austin Healey 3000s. So they have good skills. However, no one there is really a J-H or 907 specialist. They recently removed/ replaced the cylinder head on your engine, but I'm curious to learn what torque they used (the JH manual is way out of date). Also, the Dellortos are DHLA 45E, for which there is NO jetting or set-up info in the J-H manual. I'm sure they can deal with the Girling or Lockheed brakes, Lucas distributor and Lucas electrics... all those bits all pretty generic stuff. But I don't think they are as familiar with the 907 as I would like. And they don't have a proper Borroughs gauge for tensioning the timing belt (I mentioned earlier that I think it's currently too tight). Nor to they have a 4-Tube Manometer for the balancing the Dellortos. IF they have a manual, it would be the JH manual, and not a later Lotus manual. But I have all that stuff. Overall, they're a good shop, just weak on the 907. I can work with them on that, if they're willing. It's about a 1.5 hr drive each way, so I wouldn't be bopping up there every day. But we should be able to make something happen, especially if the car will be there over the Winter. Plus, the car is already there, in heated/ dry storage. That solves one problem while you figure out how to get the car to Virginia. Hmmm, I might even have to do a test drive before it ships... ;-) Where in Virginia are you? I have some Lotus friends in that corner of the country, and maybe one of them will have a local shop recommendation. If that works out, you would then have the option of shipping the car now, then having the work done closer to home. Given that option (??), would you rather work now/ ship later, or ship now/ work later? Do you have the skills or the inclination to do the work yourself? I guess there is one more option. Have the work done now, then 'drive' the car home in the Spring. Just remember that Spring comes later here than it does in Virginia (earlier this year, I was starting to think Spring was never going to arrive). You would require a little extra patience. Regards, Tim Engel |
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Rdinstel Member
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Thanks Tim, I would really appreciate any help you could provide. Do you know Brian or Paul, his lead mechanic, well enough to talk to them about your advice? I live in Lynchburg Virginia, a somewhat out of the way part of the state. I have basic skills, but limited time unfortunately as I travel a lot. BMC advices brake work, a distributor rebuild, carburetor rebuild, gearbox and rear axle oil change, rubber component updates, and tires. I can forward Paul's email evaluation of the car if you are willing to read several long emails. Brian gave me a virtual facetime tour of the car and I could hear it misfiring. I know it sounds like the car has lots wrong with it, but I feel I paid a fair price for the car and the basics of the car are sound. Since the car is at BMC, I would prefer for them to do the work for which they are qualified. Based on what you mention above, it sounds like I should keep them away from the carbs? I was actually toying with keeping the car at BMC for the winter while they work on it and then coming up and driving it home - what a fun road trip - if my wife can stand waiting for her sport's car that long. From her first car until we had kids, she drove sport's cars. She is excited about having one again. We looked at lots of them and the Jensen Healey was her favorite. I have my father's TR4A, but Amy does not feel comfortable in it - the Jensen Healey was just right to her. Ray |
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Esprit2 Member
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Rdinstel wrote:Thanks Tim, I would really appreciate any help you could provide. Do you know Brian or Paul, his lead mechanic, well enough to talk to them about your advice?Ray, I know Brian's dad better than I know Brian. Senior and I were both autocrossers, and we'd both bring our teens-but too-young-to-drive sons along. That's how I met Brian. Now that he's an adult, I don't autocross any more, and he lives about 1.5 hours away. I don't see him much, or have what you might call a relationship with him. BMC Autos hosts annual Spring & Fall open house/ car shows. I attend them all, and we chat briefly then. I have met his lead mechanic at those events, we've talked, but I can't say I know him. At last month's show, we did talk briefly about the mechanical status of your JH. I get the feeling Paul would be grateful for any tech data I could hand off as I was leaving, but might not be too crazy about me sticking around to tell him how to do his job on a 907. Just a gut feel, I don't know him well enough to judge how receptive he would be. But I'd sure be comfortable enough with Brian to raise the subject of how I might be of assistance with him. Rdinstel wrote: I live in Lynchburg Virginia, a somewhat out of the way part of the state.I've put the word out to a few Lotus friends out your way, but they're all saying there aren't a lot of options for qualified shops near you. A couple of them recommended Ragtops & Roadsters, but that's in Perkasie, PA, and 6 hrs 15 Min (377 miles) from you. I'm still looking. Rdinstel wrote: BMC advices brake work, a distributor rebuild, carburetor rebuild, gearbox and rear axle oil change, rubber component updates, and tires. Brakes? I've not driven the car. But re-building the brake system is a good idea on any car that has sat idle as much as yours has. The good news is that it hasn't been used much. The bad news is that it hasn't been used much. Distributor rebuild? That could very well be part of why the engine runs rough, but I've not heard it run. IF they rebuild it, will they do the work, or send the distributor to Jeff at Advanced Distributors? All other Britcars with Lucas distributors have them installed vertically, or very nearly so. The Lotus 9XX engines are the only ones that mount it horizontally. Early prototypes leaked, oil just ran out the horizontal path... no surprise. So, Lucas added an internal lip seal... just for the Lotus engine. Jeff is convinced (vocally adamant) that no other Britcars need a seal, so the Lotus engine doesn't need a seal. He won't put them in. Talk with Delta Motorsports. They send distributors to Advanced Distributors to be rebuilt, but then, I 'believe' they add replacement lip seals themselves. I know they stock the seals. Off Topic: Both Pertronix and 123 sell distributors for Lotus & JH applications. However, none of their products have seals for horizontal applications either, and they leak. Carburetor rebuild? Really? I thought that was a more recent conversion. Well, if they have sat with old gas in them, then they need a good internal cleaning more than a 'rebuild' due to wear. Splitting hairs. Based on what you mention above, it sounds like I should keep them away from the carbs?I wouldn't go that far. I know they have worked on Weber DCOEs, Dellortos are just far less common. My concern about the Dellortos was that JH used 40s, and the Lotus-sized 45s are installed on your engine. Even if BMC has the JH Workshop Manual, it contains NO info on the LOTUS jetting specs and set-up. If they are comfortable with Dellortos, then I can give them the Lotus specs. Gearbox and rear axle oil change? Yes, and the engine oil and filter as well... "IF" it's not already current. All that's just catching up on normal maintenance. No big deal. Rubber component updates? What rubber items? The timing belt was recently replaced. I'd be surprised if they didn't replace the V-belts while they were off. But V-belts are minor. There are lip-style main seals on the crank, front & rear (and replacing the rear seal means pulling the transmission). There are also lip seals on the front of both cam shafts, and on the auxiliary housing. The timing belt that was just recently replaced would have to be removed in order to replace all but the rear main seal. If those seals are a concern, then they SHOULD HAVE dealt with them while the head & timing belt were off. Going back in now is just repeating R&R work they've already done once. The front & rear main seals are supposed to be centered with special tools during installation. Failure to do so will most likely result in leakage. I have all the special tools to work on a 907, but they're now unobtainium/ irreplaceable We'd have to work out an understanding. I don't know... something involving a first born. Engine mounts are also rubber... how far was he proposing going? And tires. Absolutely. Old tires are not to be trusted, so at least have the date codes checked so you know the age. Especially if your first drive is going to be halfway across the country at sustained freeway speeds. Just to add to the list. The engine currently has a new, black, trapezoidal tooth timing belt. The service change interval for that belt is 24,000 miles, or 24 months... whichever comes first. "IF" the belt is going to come off again to install lip seals, then consider replacing it with a new Gates Racing BLUE belt. It's a modern, state of the art belt (ignoring the old trapezoidal tooth shape), and good for more like 8 years. If you're not going to have a qualified shop near you, how often do you want to have to replace the timing belt. Just a thought. Rdinstel wrote: I can forward Paul's email evaluation of the car if you are willing to read several long emails.Sure. PM a copy to me. Later, Tim Engel Last edited on 11-15-2019 10:21 pm by Esprit2 |
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Esprit2 Member
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Ray, Ask BMC Autos for photos of the door jams... at least this one of interest. A friend was there recently, and commented that one of the door jams has surface rust on it. It looks like it was paintd when the rest of the car was painted, but the one jam has picked up some surface rust. Not bad, so he says, but also not in character with the rest of the paint. Regards, Tim Engel |
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Rdinstel Member
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Did your friend mention damage to the lip of the hood? The pictures I have do not show damage, but on a Facebook tour of the car, there appears to be damage to the front passenger side of the hood at the very front. Rust on the door jamb was not mentioned by the owner or Brian at BMC, I will see what I can find out. Thanks for your all of your help and the phone call last night. |
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tallyhoe Member
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I looked at the car also and saw the rust on the door jam which is an odd place to have it. The hood has had repair as is typical for people who try to close it without releasing the hood support latch. The crumpled area above the support is the tell tale sign. I did not spend as much time looking it over as I should have but it looks like something else happened to the hood that I am sure ended up with more bondo in it. I liked the color combination and if your plan for it is a fun driver it is good enough after the mechanicals are tuned up. Having just stripped to bare metal and repainted w/ new interior, brakes/clutch on 13911 I have WAY too much experience. Brakes are a no brainer and easy, as are tires. It is always better to stop than go. Don't forget the rubber hoses. As I now start on my GT 30136 I also suggest finding a good therapist. We call this fun? It's an addiction and quite fulfilling when going down the road and nobody knows what the heck you are driving when you pass. A good exhaust note is always appealing. Jay |
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Rdinstel Member
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Thanks for the input, Jay. The fact that very few people have ever heard of a Jensen Healey, makes it appealing to me. Ray |
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Esprit2 Member
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Hey, FRANK SCHWARTZ, I know you're not in Virginia, but you're a lot closer than I am, here in Minnesota. Ray is in Lynchburg, VA... do you know of a Britcar shop reasonably close to him? One that could handle a J-H (brakes & suspension bushings... total rebuild) and the 907 engine. Anyone? Regards, Tim Engel |
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Frank Schwartz Member
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Hello, Tim. Good to hear from you. I don't know of any shop in that area ...but here in the middle of Tennessee, I am not aware even of any shops in that area. Although George Phelps who does the K&D (on the Internet) over in Baltimore. and only does Interceptors, you might ask him and he may know. Or I can go on the Jensen group that post on the Internet and ask.... You can reach me off this list at mfsjr2@comcast.net Best regards, Frank |
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nrb993 Member
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Hi Ray or Tim, Please as news or pictures of this new buy. I read everything but no news and it is now May kind regards Neil from England |
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Rdinstel Member
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Neil, the car now has new tires and brakes. Tim is helping me get the engine up to snuff. Then I need to get the car to Virginia. I don’t have any recent pictures, will post when I get the car here. Ray |
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Esprit2 Member
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The car is now in my Lotus-friend, Dave's building in St Paul. Ray has not had success finding a shop near him in Virginia that was willing to, or capable of working on the 907 engine, so I had previously told him I'd bring some of the maintenance items up to date before the car went to Virginia. But that was before this Covid-19 mess, and I'm taking Minnesota's "Stay Home" order seriously. In the meantime, Dave is a Lotus guy and knows the engine. And he's kind of a 'dog with a bone' about projects. He couldn't just walk by the J-H without popping the hood and taking a look. The Dellortos were tuned by someone who didn't know what they were doing... and they're correct now. The Idle Jets might be a step or two rich, but they run well as is. Gas mileage just might not be all it could be. The ignition timing was set wrong (not enough static advance), and more importantly, the vacuum retard capsule was connected to a manifold vacuum source instead of ported vacuum on a carburetor... so 'full time' retard. Vac retard is an emissions thing you don't need or necessarily want, so the hose was removed and the ports plugged... that really woke the engine up. The black timing belt was way too tight... stupid tight! That has been corrected, however the black belts have to be replaced on a rather short time interval, considering that Ray hasn't found a shop that can do it for him. So he's agreed to replace the black belt with a Gates Racing Blue belt, which has a 'years' longer change interval. That will give him more trouble free drive time before has to find a shop to work on the car. The ordered blue belt arrived yesterday. The cams are stock, and pulleys are still installed for emissions timing. When the new belt is installed, the pulleys will be re-timed for best performance... 110 Int / 110 Exh. Last night Dave noticed the fluid level in the brake reservoir was low. Further inspection showed that it was leaking. That was about 11:00PM, and he was trying to get out of there and go home... so the rest of that tale is yet to be told. The suspension bushings are old and dried out, but all there. However, the car has aftermarket front & rear anti-roll bars. The rear is fully connected, but the rubber bushings were totally missing from the front drop-link. Almost as if someone wanted to disconnect it without fully removing it. The drop link looked like off-the-shelf Energy Suspension bits, so Dave ran to O'Reilly Auto Parts and picked up new bushings. Perfect fit. Installing them took care of a previous vague wander feeling at the front. The engine has an occassional mis-fire, stutter at low speeds/ throttle changes, and the tach needle jumps around when that happens. It's equipped with an electronic ignition system, and I suspect the amplifier inside the distributor, or the wiring to it may have a problem. But early Pertronix Ignitors had a history of such issues, and the fix was replacement. No specific diagnosis/ plan yet, just making note of something else on the list. An autocrosser owned the car in the past, and much of the tuning is for performance and handling, not low-end torque and driveability, and not for a comfortable ride. There are adjustable SPAX shocks that were set hard, the anti-roll bars, and the Dellortos. Autocrosser stuff, and it works well for what it is. Dave has adjusted the SPAX shocks for a softer ride. Firm, but softer than it was. The front end should really have an alignment. While the stock Dellortos had 40 throats and 35 chokes, and while many J-H owners swap in smaller 33 or 32 chokes, these Dellortos are 45 throats with 37 chokes. They're go-fast carbs, not cruise comfortably carbs. Dave & I would love 'em. And now that they're tuned properly, and Dave has test driven the car, he really likes how the engine pulls with them. There's no fix for 'size' other to replace them with a set of smaller "J-H" DHLA40 carbs ($$). I'm not making a judgement (actually, I'd prefer the bigger carbs), I'm just making note of what is. With the cams properly timed (not emissions timed), added ignition advance, and tuned carbs, it pulls well for a 2.0 Liter. That's where it stands for now. Fixing the brake leak is first on the list, then installing the blue timing belt/ re-timing the cams. I've suggested ordering a set of 35 Idle Jets to replace the current 38's. But jetting changes are a 'try it and see' proposition, and 35's may turn out to be too lean, and a waste of money... go back to the 38s, or something in between. All the above is Dave's work, because me and my lifetime problematic lungs are taking Covid-19 seriously, and I've not yet ventured over to the shop. Dave's effort is not bad for a guy who didn't have a horse in this race; he just couldn't stand to walk by the car without opening the bonnet. The valve clearances are tight, and one of the things I'd volunteered to do was re-shim them. Dave says I can have that job, he'd prefer not to mess with it. So, I'm sorry to say, it will probably be the end of May before Minnesota fully lifts the Covid-19 restrictions. Patience. Regards, Tim Engel PS... Dave's starting to like that car... he may not want to let it go. Last edited on 05-07-2020 03:33 am by Esprit2 |
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noomg Member
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I wonder whatever happened to the keyless Jensen-Healey, I hope somebody bought it. There are too few J-Hs on the road as it is, I'd hate to lose one to the crusher or parted out for something as simple as a missing ignition key. |
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nrb993 Member
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Ray, I bet your really looking forward to you JH now after so much care. I had all of my bushes replaced before anything done and also new shocks and new brake callipers and rear brake slave cylinders plus new master cylinder and then I found out I had massive internal rust so I did not see my JH for 2 years, but now I have a great running car which looks really bad so Covid work from home is allowing me now to restore the body. i wish you well and please share photos as this tale is really interesting Well done Tim for looking after a JH as yes we are a special group of owners. cheers Neil |
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Rdinstel Member
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I am really looking forward to the car, my wife even more. Amy loves performance sports cars and from what Tim says, we have one. I can’t thank Tim and Dave enough for their help. As for the black Jensen, I felt really bad for the widow who was trying to sell her deceased husband’s cars and bought a second Jensen Healey. It’s a five speed and has many issues, including being very hard to start. I am not sure I will keep me black car as the one Tim found is much nicer. Ray |
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noomg Member
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Ray, I'm a bit confused by your latest post. Is the black car also the key less car? And did you buy that car? |
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Rdinstel Member
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Yes, the black car is the keyless car. I got key made. Yes, I bought it, but sure I will keep it. |
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noomg Member
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Be careful Ray, these things just seem to follow you home! |
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nrb993 Member
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yes, i have jh2, jh5 and gt but no idea how it happened |
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noomg Member
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nrb993, That's a lot of Jensen-Healeys. You know they made other Brit sportscars too, right? |
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