Open top misery: Talk to me about Jensen-Healeys

[Alexg]

With the Allegro off for some bodywork and the R5 sporting a kippered head gasket I'm contemplating filling the void with some short term drop-top summer fun*. I figure if I buy sensibly now, don't stuff or incinerate it, and sell before the leaves turn brown it'll cost little* more than running it. A trawl through the usual 60's and 70's suspects has mostly left me flaccid and short of a fair few grand. But what I do find interesting and exceptional value are these bad boys...

 

 

Rarer than floppy topped BL era stuff, 2.0 Lotus engine, snazzy looking enough, and available from £4k for a sensible* example. There's even a bit of badge kudos as well. As with all similar British finery I'm sure you'll get more oil in your socks than you will wind in your hair, but is there something catastrophically shit about these that's capping values?

 

Over to the collective shitter noggin...

 

[Skizzer]

Don't have any sensible advice, but the GT version is even more shite:

 

 

WCPGW?

[Justin Case]

One of these has been on my radar for a while, as I've always fancied a locally built car (built by men in a (large) shed in West Bromwich). They come in two flavours, Marks 1 and 2. The Mark 2 (your picture shows a Mark 1) is the better car, better trim, 5 speed gearbox and more reliable engine, that is if a Lotus 907 can ever be thought of as reliable

 

Main problems are rust around the floor, but new panels can be got from Martin Robey in Nuneaton, and of course the engine

 

Difficulty though is finding one; all the ones that i've seen adverised are either complete wrecks or totally restored with a price tag to match. There don't seem to be any middling ones around, unlike TRs for example, but good luck with your hunt (GLWYH ?)

[anonymous user]

I saw a lovely one on the M25 last week, the main downside s were always the engines and rust, so not much different to an Alfa. They never had a big following when new as it was not viewed kindly after the big Healey (bit like a TR7) or as a big Jensen

[Station]

Surely a better financial proposition would be buying a shot blaster, exchanging all the money you have in the world for 1p's, and then firing the lot onto your Allegro's bodywork, while crying endlessly?

[Uncle Jimmy]

Road & Track were impressed with em when they were new; I have an Alfa spider vs Jensen Healey road test which the Healey wins on most counts. The main issue people had with them was the Lotus engine pissing it's oil about. Lotus rather cynically used Jensen to test out a new and untried engine on. In the longer term that there 1973cc? engine turned out to be a good un. The Jensen Healey is no slouch. Later cars should* have any issues long since sorted.

Other than that the expected interior trim issues of a low volume car. Prices have risen a lot recently...

[Uncle Jimmy]

....or you could just buy an MGB (rolls eyes)

[cros]

If the MGB was as rare they would fetch 4 times as much as the Jensen. As it is they're everywhere, many owned by folks that you probably don't want to be associated with but many more still used hard. They're easy and cheap to keep in the sort of condition where you can confidently hop in and drive 1000 miles in the knowledge that it will get you home. That is rare in old cars.

The downside is mediocre performance and handling and much less accomplished weather gear than something modern; if those things are of importance the Jensen won't cut it either whatever they said in the road tests.

[Uncle Jimmy]

I wouldn't describe the Healey's performance as mediocre, not even today. Parts will be fairly available as it's Lotus plus other British chod and the running gear is simple stuff. I like em, a left field choice that gets my vote.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Back to the 907 engine. A lot has been made of it's unreliability, I suspect most of which is down to the electrics- not sure whether the Healey got Lucas (not very) constant electronic ignition or not.

The 907 and later 912 were solid, over - engineered motors, early on they were under - developed tis true. Correct spark plugs were always critical, oiling was an issue with the 912. They do need regular running and hard at that. The later Elite/Eclat rad wasn't man enough, whether the Healey's any better in that respect I don't know.

[Uncle Jimmy]

I figure if I buy sensibly now, don't stuff or incinerate it, and sell before the leaves turn brown it'll cost little* more than running it. 

Can't share your positivity to quite this degree though....working through the problems inherent in a relatively highly strung, low volume car this age is going to cost.

[warren t claim]

If I lived at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville and wanted to butcher my entire family while they slept then this is the car I'd drive.

[garethj]

I would have thought it will be a difficult thing to sell, so you might need to start advertising it in June to get a paying punter by September.  But it's really the reliability and chance of big repair bills that puts me off.  And for a convertible, it's not exactly a looker.

 

To get most of your money back and drive something pretty I'd look at a mint Mk1 MX5

 

Or for a more Autoshite sports car I think an early TVR S is a looker, even the wheels are pretty

[michael1703]

There's a Jensen Healey GT in my local scrapyard, very obscure thing to see in there, someone's had the back axle but I'm wondering if they know they've gone up a lot in value.

[skattrd]

Not much help from me, but I've nearly bought one several times. The handling isn't fantastic and the ones I drove had shit brakes as well. Didn't they use the brakes and suspension components from Vauxhall (Viva?) which would explain mediocre handling.

[richardmorris]

There was a very nice one in beige at goodwood on Sunday.

[purplebargeken]

You know you have to get an MGF. 

[dollywobbler]

TVR S is a very good call. They're ace. 

[Asimo]

 

 

I like the Jensen, the cloth-cap brigade are always rude about them, which makes me like them more. As a keeper a Jensen Healey would make sense, but not for a few months only.

 

An MX5 or MGF with a few months mot if you just want summer fun on the cheap.

[Taff]

sub £300 MGF for true carefree summer motoring.

 

spend the rest of Coke & hookers

 

You can't buy memories like that, mate

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I drove a couple of these once. With the Viva underpinnings and the old 907 Lotus engine they're not that great. Absolutely abysmal for rust.

 

A Kamm tail Alfa Romeo Spider is a much, much better idea.

 

Even better is one of the millions of sub 1000 quid E36 Convertibles around now. Mine was 300 quid and I've spent another 400 quid on bodywork, part worn tyres etc.

[Vince70]

Or how about a cheap BMW z3 these can be had for under the grand mark now for an early high miler with a bit of test.. But then I'm biased as I bought a really nice one myself before the summer price hike with 60000 on the clock and full history for £1300 but I had been looking for awhile and did a few little jobs on it too get it up to scratch again.

 

 

 

 

Or a cheap MG TF.. I saw a nice late one with around 40/50000 on the clock the other day and it didn't even get sold at £850 buy it now on eBay.

[cros]

I wouldn't describe the Healey's performance as mediocre, not even today. Parts will be fairly available as it's Lotus plus other British chod and the running gear is simple stuff. I like em, a left field choice that gets my vote.

Sorry about that, had just taken my rose tinted spectacles off.

[Fabergé Greggs]

I always fancied a Scimitar SS1 Ti. 

 

So absolutely gopping that they will never go up in value, but they don't half shift with the Nissan turbo engine. 

[jonny69]

Where's the spirit of Autoshite?

 

Reliabilty: it's a points and carbs engine.

 

Get the fucking Healey bought man.

[inconsistant]

[cort16]

Suggesting an mx-5 in instead of the Healey is like proposing to go on a 3 month knife fighting/bear knuckle grizzly bear training course at the top of a mountain deep in China then deciding to go for a weeks all inclusive in Lanzarote instead.

[garethj]

Fair point, but as this is a short term purchase I reckon the Healey will be a pain to sell on, the MX5 should be easy.

 

One more vote for the Reliant SS1, you could spend £4k and end up with 3 minters

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Jensen Healey - crap, but not cheap either.

 

The open air smells so much better when the car cost you 600 quid.

[garethj]

Or if you like rust but want more of a looker, I wonder if a 504 cabrio is in that price range?http://autocognito.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/1974-peugeot-504-v6-cabriolet.jpg