[Healeys] Jensen-Healey Question

Sat Aug 4 09:02:05 MDT 2018

A good J-H is very enjoyable to drive. It is relatively fast, rather 
comfortable if the seat and shocks are as they should be and it holds 
the road far better than any A-H. It does lean a bit in corners but that 
does not affect the roadholding. Fitting an A-R bar spoils the handling. 
The brakes, although excellent for the period, could be improved upon by 
fitting 4-pot callipers and grooved discs. I did.

Expect it will rain as much inside or outside with the soft top up or 
down with an after-market one. Have one tailor made. Good J-H´s are 
relatively cheap. $10.000 should get you an excellent car.

Before you start driving it, replace the cam belt first thing, around 
$25 a piece and an easy job.

Parts supply is very good in EU as the underpinnings, brakes and 
steering are Vauxhall Viva/Firenza/magnum HC. Most of the J-H ended up 
in the USA and used parts are fairly easy to get at in the USA.

Exclusivity guaranteed as nobody will recognise the car in EU, USA or 
anywhere else in the world.

Kees Oudesluijs

Op 4-8-2018 om 15:24 schreef Bob Spidell:
> Thanks for the replies, Kees and Patrick; I picked up some useful 
> info. If I ever do come across a well-sorted J-H, I might have a look 
> at it.
>
> Bob
>
>
> On 8/4/2018 3:02 AM, Kees Oudesluijs wrote:
>> The J-H gearbox was a Sunbeam 4-speed close ratio gearbox which was 
>> changed to a Getrag 5-speed gearbox in late ´74 or in ´75. The 
>> Sunbeam box is the better shifting and quieter box. Both boxes were 
>> non-O-D. The J-H 4-speed is considerably quicker than the J-H5 on 
>> 0-100km/h. The final drive ratio was slightly taller on the J-H 5
>>
>> Many J-H´s are coverted to a Sunbeam 4-speed with O-D.
>>
>> A Vauxhall gearbox was never used.
>>
>>
>> Kees Oudesluijs
>>
>>
>>
>> Op 4-8-2018 om 10:08 schreef Patrick & Caroline Quinn:
>>> Hello
>>>
>>> Lotus did indeed design and built the engine that went into the 
>>> Jensen-Healey. Initially the gearbox came from Vauxhall while later 
>>> cars were fitted with a ZF five-speed. It was the first modern DOHC 
>>> four-valve engine built on a production line.
>>>
>>> There were a few problems with the engine as Jensen pushed Lotus to 
>>> supply the engine before it had sufficient testing. There were 
>>> faults that came out in the hands of owners and subsequent expensive 
>>> service claims. It was the costs to repair the engines that sent 
>>> Jensen into the red.
>>>
>>> However to drive a well sorted Jensen-Healey is a delight, 
>>> especially one fitted with the ZF gearbox.
>>>
>>> As to the Renault engine, I think you might be thinking of the S1 
>>> and S2 Lotus Europa that was fitted with a Renault 16 engine and 
>>> gearbox that was turned around the other way than what it was in the 
>>> Renault. Later Europas had the DOHC Lotus engine, but still with a 
>>> Renault box.
>>>
>>> Hoo Roo
>>>
>>> Patrick Quinn
>>> Blue Mountains, Australia
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of 
>>> Bob Spidell
>>> Sent: Saturday, 4 August 2018 12:15 AM
>>> To: Healeys
>>> Subject: [Healeys] Jensen-Healey Question
>>>
>>> Reading an issue of 'Old Cars Weekly,' I came across an article about
>>> the Lotus Elite.  It stated:
>>>
>>> "... the new rear-drive 1974 Elite offered a front-mounted Lotus
>>> 907-series 1973cc twin-cam four-cylinder engine.  In fact, it was the
>>> first Lotus to offer this potent mill.  This was essentially the same
>>> engine that the company supplied to Jensen Motors for its Jensen-Healey
>>> sports car."
>>>
>>> I don't know much about the J-H, but I'd always heard it had an engine
>>> from Renault.  I doubt a small company like Lotus could design and 
>>> build
>>> its own engine, was the short block supplied by Renault or did Lotus
>>> actually design and build an engine, and did it power the J-H?
>>>
>>> Bob
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>
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