Return of the Fabboceptor

[Guest Breadvan72]

This car was built in West Bromwich in late 1969 and registered on 1st January 1970.   I have an entertaining file of demanding letters to the factory written by its first owner, a now deceased Colonel Brown.   The car is a very early Mark II Interceptor, which still has some Mark I features such as the tail lights.  The 6.3 litre version of  the Chrysler B383 V8 engine is more powerful than the detuned 7.2 litre version used in later cars, so the car is noisier and faster than a Mark III.  

 

The car was in almost daily use from March 2010 when I bought it until October 2011 when I took it off the road, as it was getting shaggered oot.  It went 3300 miles around Europe in 2010 year with only one minor snag, and twice to Scotland and back, with only a transmission leak (the car has a three speed Torqueflite autobox).   It is very smooth and easy to drive, goes like the clappers, and is compatible with modern traffic if you remember that it does not have anti lock brakes.  I confess to KARBON KHRYME guilt over the bonkers fuel consumption, but try to atone in other ways (mostly by being broken down in one or other of my heaps).  The car requires to be driven whist wearing shades and a watch which are big enough to be seen from space, and I found a cheesy Connolly leather car coat from the early seventies to complete the "Pimp of the Year 1970" look.  I am too oikish and common to own a Bristol, and too skint for an Aston, but the Jensen strikes just the right note of half cool-half naffness.  My wife calls the car The Fabboceptor, and loves it to bits, as do I.

 

Now it has had a bare metal respray, and various tweakage, and on Monday it is OMG MoT TEST TERROR time.  Fingers crossed for THE RETURN OF THE FABBOCEPTOR.

 

[all pic pre re-spray]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

MOAR picz:-

 

Plymouth Barracuda Mirrors (look cool, rubbish for seeing stuff in):-

 

 

"Federal" style panel:

 

 

Chyrsler V8 6.3 litre engine, not shiny clean:-

 

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[Guest Breadvan72]

Also, mindful of this:-

 

 

I did this:-

 

 

Note correct Clarkson style incorrect steering wheel holdage, speed that exceeds driver skill, gay shades, levva jacket, and multi-chins.

[dollywobbler]

Brilliant. Absolutely perfect colour. These are starting to fetch decent coin, but they were always at least a bit shite.

[garethj]

I hadn't seen the Top Gear thing - it's very good!

 

The Interceptor is a truly awesome car, seeing one on the roads makes me smile and would make an ideal running partner with a Citroen SM in terms of style, complexity and the AA Gold Card.

 

Charlie's wife drives on in Kyril Bonfiglioli's Mortdecai trilogy, there can be no higher recommendation.

[Guest Breadvan72]

I once saw The World's Coolest Man driving a Citroen SM along the M4 at approximately 947,000 Uber-Leptons.  He had the shades, the sidies, the 'tache, and was in all respects clearly the coolest dude ever to bestride the narrow firmament.  Imagine the love child of an insane coming together of Elvis, Steve McQueen, Cary Grant and Roger Moore, only cooler.    In other words, he was 'kin cool.  The car was in a bronzey colour and appeared to have a mustardy interior.  I would cut off my left nadger to have a Citroen SM, but they are well spenner, and prone to spectacular borkage, I hear, so I shall keep both me chappies intact for now. 

[red5]

I want it. Right now.

 

Damn.

 

Shame I can't stop buying Vauxhalls, which are all shit.

[Skizzer]

That's lovely.  I hope you've kept it the same colour, which is gorgeous.

[John F]

I want it. Right now.

 

Damn.

 

Shame I can't stop buying Vauxhalls, which are all shit.

 

My Calibra read that & now wants a fight with you

[drum]

One of my all time favs. As a young grouse beater in the late 70s, I remember this 'gun' from one the shires wafted up the glen in his Jensen having sent his 'man' up in the range rover. It was a 400 mile drive and he was travelling first class.

[vulgalour]

Gorgeous, gorgeous thing that Jensen.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Cheers, all.  The respray colour is the same - quartz blue metallic, as per the build sheets, which I have in the file. 

Driving my five hundred quid Range Rover on the M40 today, I was passed by an L reg Mark III Interceptor, committing hoonage.  I take this as a good omen.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Here is the build card from November 1969:-

 

 

I have the build sheets - typewritten checklists with inspectors' initials.

 

Lt Colonel Brown ordered the car at the 1969 Motor Show, to replace his Mark 1.  It was delivered to the Colonel in Norfolk in early January 1970.  The Colonel had elected not to instal air conditioning (optional at that time, standard later).  Here is an exchange of correspondence about the cabin becoming too hot:-

 

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Further letters ensued, but the upshot was:-

 

 

Here's a happier exchange.  The Colonel is pleased with the work done on the carburettor (a Carter Thermoquad four barrel device) by a tech sent to Norfolk by the factory:  "at long last the car really wants to go".

 

 

 

My history file shows that the Colonel, who later owned a Dolomite Sprint and some Jags, passed away some years ago, but his car soldiers on.  

 

[panhard65]

I used to have a J reg series 2 and it was a lovely car I just couldn't get over the fuel consumption they are pretty horrific but almost worth it for the noise. I still prefer the earlier jensens my first proper classic restoration was a '58 541 deluxe UYH125 hopefully still going. That colour certainly suits yours though enjoy !!

[fordperv]

very nice  i love these old barges, a friend is currently restoring a mk 1 interceptor for one of his customers, it came to him in a bit of a shit way with half the roof hanging off at the rear so there was no way the hinges would even dream of supporting that lovely tailgate

[garethj]

I still prefer the earlier jensens my first proper classic restoration was a '58 541 deluxe

The 541 is a stunner, it makes Jaguar owners look like they've got no class

[Rocket88]

Ye olde Bunsen Contraceptor, one of the finest ways of depleting the world's oil reserves known to man.........the Carter Thermoquad carbs were not renowned for their parsimony, decent Edelbrock is a good mod.

[Guest Breadvan72]

In 2003, I owned a very late Mark 3 "series 4" Interceptor, first registered in 1977, that had Bosch fuel injection.  It was still utterly shit on mpg.  Here it is:-

 

 

[red5]

My Calibra read that & now wants a fight with you

Both of my Fronterrors suggest that your Calibra gets it's Nikes on and starts running.

 

 

Still want it. And miss the old R-R desperately.

 

V8 into a Frontera you say....hmm..

[Bren]

For my fortieth last year my other half hired me a series 3 for the weekend (when I work out how to upload pics I will start a thread).

 

It was a fantastic car - even allowing for the godawful fuel consumption and willingness to boil it's arse in slow moving traffic. I enjoyed drowning in my own sweat and reeking of exhaust fumes - I know what the colonel meant when he complained about the blast of superheated air. The only car I have ever driven where even motorcyclists have given me the "nod".

 

They say you should never meet your heroes - however in no way was I disappointed by the car - without doubt the most visceral motoring experience I have had.

 

I WILL own one one day.

[Guest Breadvan72]

An Interceptor will not boil if you fit a pair of uprated electric fans.  It is also a good idea to fit a beefier alternator and starter motor, as the standard ones are a bit weedy for the jobs that they have to do.

 

Mine has all of the above,  and also Zeus brake calipers from an XJS on the front, and they are another good upgrade.  It needs a chin spoiler, as at speeds above 100 mph it starts to do wheelies, but a spoiler would spoil the looks as well as the underbody airflow.   I ran out of balls on the one occasion that I had the car up to an indicated 130 mph, the front wheels barely in contact with the road, so do not know if it will still do 140 as advertised. 

 

The handling is surprisingly reasonable for a big, heavy car with crude cart spring rear suspension.  Slow in, fast out really works in these things.    It kicks the arse of a 1970 Aston and 1970 Bristol (I say this having tried both), but lags far behind those in price. 

[TagoraSX]

Fantastic, I hope to have the balls and cash to buy one someday

[Mr_Bo11ox]

My mate Alan has an interceptor, but his has some fairly serious rot and only runs on 7

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Arse!  Starter wires smoking like Vin Diesel's tyres in a straight to video shlocker.  MoT test delayed pending teeth sucking by mech.

[Guest Breadvan72]

MoT tomorrow morning - starter rewired, fuel pump ditto, new Lucas smoke installed, exhaust manifold refitted with better gaskets, brakes bled and new pipes, let's see how it goes!

[Guest Breadvan72]

Garage overbooked, as usual.  The yarmouth has just gone onto the ramp.   Brace for wallet impact!

[garethj]

Are we having a sweepstake?

 

Not including the MoT cost I reckon £150 for work

[Formula Autos]

Love the 'ceptor. I'd be seriously tempted by one of these if i ever came into some money. Just the right blend of Italian styling, Brummie engineering and Yankee muscle for me.

 

Yours looks GR8 for ambling about in pretending you're Inspector Lynley.

 

Why they got rid of this, and gave him a Bristol for the later series I'll never know. An Interceptor seemed far more suitable for how Nat Parker portrayed the character.

 

Yours is also GR8 for pretending to be The Saint in (though almost no-one would know, as the late '80s revival of the series is almost forgotten now).

[Guest Breadvan72]

My previous one was more Sainty because it was sort of a Series 4.

 

The Bristol is best for Inspector Poshbloke because he is a toff.  I am not allowed to own a Bristol because I am a chippy little suburban oik who has bought my own furniture, so the Interceptor is just dodgy geezerish enough.  It conveys the correct impression of a self made bloke who does not have as much cash as he wants women to think he has. 

[Rocket88]

.  It conveys the correct impression of a self made bloke who does not have as much cash as he wants women to think he has. 

 

Which pretty much applies to all Autoshitists..........................how could anyone with a beige Talbot Horizon not be seriously minted?