Oddball of Oddballs: Jensen-Healey in ITS

[JeffYoung]

Ok, ok, anyone have any, and I mean ANY racing experience with the J-H? As crazy as my car choise was (TR8), I've found a guy crazier and he's intent on building one of these.

Now, before you snicker too loudly, the specs aren't too bad. Race weight is LIGHT for ITS -- 2200 or so. The Lotus 907 motor makes 140 hp stock easily made 160 in the Esprit with just a less restrictive exhaust. I'm guessin 175 at the crank in IT trim is very doable. AT 2200 lbs...this car sounds like a 240Z light.

Rear drums, but good 5-speed. Again, callng anyone with performance/race experience with this car.

The Brit attack on the back of the ITS pack continues. Make way for the Jensen-Healey and the TR8.

[joeg]

Jeff--There may be one or two around somewhere but to keep an ancient, unpopular, low volume, foreign sportscar active in IT trim in 2004 is quite the challenge from all perspectives.

Production or Vintage is another matter. Its got to be tough to find any parts for it.

Cheers.

[JeffYoung]

As a TR8 driver, thanks for telling me something I already now....lol..I'm laughing. Seriously, do appreciate the comments Joe.

I did some research last night and found out that Bruce Qvale raced one very successfully in E Prod even up to the mid-90s.

I'm thinking that yes, this will be frustrating, but I bet that J-H can be a decent ITS car primarily because of weight -- 2260! That's light, real light for a rear drive 170 hp car, and the aero is pretty good.

[gsbaker]

Originally posted by JeffYoung:
...I'm thinking that yes, this will be frustrating, but I bet that J-H can be a decent ITS car primarily because of weight -- 2260! That's light, real light for a rear drive 170 hp car, and the aero is pretty good.

Jeff,

I've driven the J-H but never raced one.

I agree. If you can keep it running, it should be quick.

Gregg

[pc]

The JH is easy to keep active. They are simple to work on and parts are readily available. In its day it dominated its class in SCCA.

The Lotus 9xx engine series had teething difficulties early on but was later developed into a solid power plant. Tuned for broad torque, the normally aspirated 911 rally engines produced 240bhp and scored a World Rally Championship for Talbot. A JH's 907 engine can be built to be reliable and powerful but doing so is not cheap. Unfortunately, most you find on the market have not been well maintained by POs and many suffered from marginal quality control at the time of manufacture.

I don't race myself but I have a friend who autocrosses his. I don't know the details about what organization/class he runs in but his car is basically stock and there isn't a lot he is allowed to do to it. The car is a daily driver; he loads his race tires into the cockpit around him on race day, drives it to the event, swaps them and races. He swaps 'em back, drives home and uses the car to call on clients during the week.

These days the JH gets grouped with modern cars that have independent suspensions, 4w disk brakes, etc so it is very difficult to be competitive.


PC.

[joeg]

Jeff--My race car is 23 years old. I'm poking fun at myself too!

[JeffYoung]

Joe, no problem -- your note made me laugh.

What car do you drive?

[racer_tim]

Jeff, yes Bruce did race the J-H in E-Prod and went back to the run-offs. He was so pissed off at all of the whining in the prod group that the next year he ran a FC and went back again. Since then, he's not run much. I think the the J-H is in Joe Huffaker's shop @ Sears Point.

That was a beautiful car, just like all of Joe's cars.

My car too is 23 years old. I bought it brand new in October 1981, and I'm the only owner. It went over 300k on the street before I treated it nice, and now park it in the garage, and only feed it race gas, and change the oil every 90 minutes of operation. Such the life.


------------------
Tim Linerud
San Francisco Region SCCA
#95 GP Wabbit
http://linerud.myvnc.com/racing/index.html

[This message has been edited by racer_tim (edited July 22, 2004).]

[joeg]

Jeff-- a 1981 Mercury Lynx.

[Ron Earp]

Sounds good! I'm the crazy fellow that wants to give this a whirl. Jeff has similar cars as I do, Loti, and I figure I already know about this motor and parts are readily available for the engine if it grenades. Now, the bits I don't know about are the transmissions, brakes, etc.

R

[JeffYoung]

After reading about this car, I think it is actually a potentially better choice than a TR8....2260 is LIGHT and the 907 makes power. Should be an interesting project.

[Ron Earp]

I'm actively looking for one of these as a project car now. So, if anyone has some leads on a JH please let me know. I've found a few that are cheap, but none in the Southeast. I'll keep on looking, sooner or later one will pop up.


------------------
Ron
www.gt40s.com
Lotus Turbo Esprit
BMW E36 M3
RF GT40 Replica
A JH I hope!

[cherokee]

There is one in my neck of the woods...midwest. It has been there for years. I have never stopped and looked at it so I can't tell you what kind of shape it is in. I am 90% sure that is has no engine, sits very high. If you are intrested I can stop by and check it out for you. I am not even sure it is for sale, it could be one of those "I'll restore it one day" cars that the owner will not sell or is rotted to nothing, and the only thing holding it together is what is left of the paint.

[Ron Earp]

I've had three offered to me in two days with running engines and all the bits for good, under $2k, prices. JH are cool cars, but even nicely restored cars that are drivers are rarely over $5-6k. Thanks but let me see how these might pan out.

[Ron Earp]

Well, we've located a suitable Jensen and Jeff Y is going to help me pick it up tomorrow. Looking forward to working on it this winter and maybe getting it ready for next year and I also hope to get some forum help here with prep questions etc. Should be lots of fun!!

[cherokee]

Please keep us updated with the progress. I just might make the long haul to come up and see you guys run (a J-H and a TR8 at the same time toooo coool), you guys are back east right?...perhaps by then my Opel will be done, I just work slow.

[JeffYoung]

Well, step one has been taken. There is a white 74 Jensen Healey in Ron's garage. We'll keep you guys posted.

Cherokee, yes, we are in Raleigh/Cary N.C. VIR is our home track. Come on down sometime, and bring the Opel.

[Ron Earp]

Yep, it is in there, thanks for Jeff's help! I appreciate that, thanks much!

Lots of parts came with the car and I'll sort through those today and auction off bits that are not needed - against my better judgement to NEVER throw away, sell, barter, or otherwise seperate yourself from ANY bit of British car. But, it has to be done to reduce the out of pocket cost of the car to as low a figure as possible so the Minister of Domestic Affairs (wife) will approve further budgent expeditures for the remainder of the year.

Jeff and I did quite a bit of work on the car today, as did my daughter!

http://www.gt40s.com/images/jensen/100_0141.JPG

[This message has been edited by rlearp (edited August 01, 2004).]

[JeffYoung]

After spending most of the day in and under this car, I have to say I'm impressed. This car has potential. It is certainly, but for the base of racing knowledge, the baseline equivalent of a 240z. With some work, this car could be quick. Here's what we found:

1. Car came with Koni's, plus aftermarket sways. That must be $600-800 worth of parts alone on a car Ron paid barely double that for. A steal.

2. Front suspension on the car is advanced for its time. Double wishbones/a-arms in 1974! Too cool. Will have to do some work with shims and eccentric bushings to get some camber, but it is doable. On the down side, there is not much suspension travel although the bump stop is huge. Will need to work on that stop and get some more range of motion. Also, question: I assume that in this situation we will want to run fairly high rate springs to keep the car off the stops? Say 600 lbs?

3. Rear end is pretty standard three link rear trailing arms with springs and shocks. HOWEVER, much to my surprise, there are two stock arms from the body to the diff that locate it. Very nice. No panhard bar required.

4. Front brake discs are decent size, as are the pads. However, disc appears to be part of the hub -- anyone ever seen anything like this?

5. A stock oil cooler, how about that?

6. Motor is advanced for its day. Twin-cam, 4 valve in 1974, pretty neat. 140 hp stock -- with a nice exhaust and all the emissions carpola removed from teh stock Strombergs, plus some port matching the allowed bump in compression, should see 170 or 180. Car will REV -- stock redline is 7000. I bet this will be a roarty little four cylinder.

7. Weaknesses. Brakes, obviously. But weight should help. The stock radiator is tiny. Definitely will need to get an aluminimum unit.

8. Four speed in teh car now. Probably need a 5 speed to help keep the motor in its power band.

Well, hope to have this car on the track next spring. Should be a ton of fun on the track, what with that light weight and all. Did I mention that already?

[dspillrat]

Ron and Jeff

Sounds like that car has some real potential with weight and expected horsepower...figure ouot how to keep the brakes cool while racing, sounds exciting!
BTW..
Welcome to the IWTRIAOC club

david spillman
SEDIV#18 240z
[quote]Originally posted by JeffYoung:
[B]After spending most of the day in and under this car, I have to say I'm impressed.