Barn find 69 Jensen FF

[Scott Liggett]

Since it's four wheel drive, it needs to be lifted way, way up.

[BKBridges]

Since it's four wheel drive, it needs to be lifted way, way up.

AWD, like the Audi Quattro that copied the system = no lift.
The FF that Audi bought from Jensen in 1967 is in the Audi museum.
no lift.. no sir
BKB

[Bob Holmes]

Then you're gonna love this from Top Gear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifByHpz1oMQ

NICE....

This car is absolutely cool.

[BKBridges]

Excellent top Gear clip... Dont know how I missed that one! Theres another great Jensen sequence from the 3rd season of the Venture bros (the Family that slays together) but the Adult swim website is too difficult to deal with these days...Im thinking the FF would be a Goodguys autocross spoiler with the right driver and good tires...hopefully going to fire it up (for the first time in 2+ decades) tommorrow!
BKB

[BKBridges]

69 Jensen FF update

I was hoping to have some nice AWD burnout pics to post, but I dont. Instead Ive got a 383 motor with no oil pressure due to bad cam bearings. Missed that when we put the new timing chain in. Soo... we are going to pull it apart again and probably pull the motor out to fix it up. We cleaned up a lot of stuff and found a few leaky seals as well as the reason for the oil slick on the bottom of the car... The nice chrome dipstick tube was about 1/16" too small for the hole in the block, spewing rust preventative engine oil all over everything. The good and the bad...
Bruce

[DanStokes]

Bruce - VERY cool car. I don't recall the 4WD version when we certified the Interceptor but EPA lacked a four wheel dyno at that time so they may have had Jensen send them a 2wd and we just added load to the dyno to make up for it. I started there in June of '72 and I clearly remember the Interceptor coming in for Cert. My friend Mike was the driver and he was IN LOVE. A bit out of our price range back then......

Dan

[BKBridges]

Bruce - VERY cool car. I don't recall the 4WD version when we certified the Interceptor but EPA lacked a four wheel dyno at that time so they may have had Jensen send them a 2wd and we just added load to the dyno to make up for it. I started there in June of '72 and I clearly remember the Interceptor coming in for Cert. My friend Mike was the driver and he was IN LOVE. A bit out of our price range back then......

Dan

Dan,
The FF AWD model was never imported to the USA, hence your recall is correct! Jensen wouldnt even export them into other countries in Europe for the first few years they were so nervous about the things breaking down...The SP wasnt imorted either, although they did make 15 LHD versions for export within Europe (SP= Six pack 440 V8 powered). No LHD versions of the FF AWD were ever produced.
Working on the FF has got me thinking... With the current slew of AWD vehicles out there these days itd be fairly easy to convert an older muscle car into AWD like the FF... FF Barracuda?
BKB

[CTX-SLPR]

Dan,
The FF AWD model was never imported to the USA, hence your recall is correct! Jensen wouldnt even export them into other countries in Europe for the first few years they were so nervous about the things breaking down...The SP wasnt imorted either, although they did make 15 LHD versions for export within Europe (SP= Six pack 440 V8 powered). No LHD versions of the FF AWD were ever produced.
Working on the FF has got me thinking... With the current slew of AWD vehicles out there these days itd be fairly easy to convert an older muscle car into AWD like the FF... FF Barracuda?
BKB

I've thought about taking the FWD 79-85 Riviera and making it AWD using parts available in 1985.

I know Eagle wants to build an AMX with Eagle parts to make a WRX hunter and personally I want to take the entire drivetrain and suspension out of a WRX and put it under a 2nd Gen Corvair.

[Bob Holmes]

I want to take the entire drivetrain and suspension out of a WRX and put it under a 2nd Gen Corvair.

We must be related!!

[Mater]

after i get the Lebaron done i plan on adapting AWD. the a413 auto has a PTO that can bolt to it thanks to the AWD caravans

just need to figure out a rear axle (the van axle is a viscus set up not good for perfomance driving)

[BKBridges]

Big block Mopars and pushrods Last week we delved back into the Where's the FF's oil pressure? mystery. We decided the easiest thing to do was to pull the intake manifold off and take a look... easier than the valve covers even. When we pulled the valley pan gasket, the reason for the pressure loss was clear... S bent push rod and a lifter sitting in the cam valley web. Ive never seen a lifter jump out of the bore before... Must have been revving high, and it wasnt me. The lifter and cam were fine as was the valve, so we put a new pushrod in and buttoned it back up. We cranked it over and it had plenty of oil pressure... Now oil now poured out from the oil pump. It looked like a loose Jensen remote oil filter pump cover fitting... One small turn of the wrench and...hosed for another week while I pull one from the parts car. BKB

[storm king]

Muscle Motors. 383/400 block stroker, 491". Here, Cobra, Cobra!!!...

[SuperBuickGuy]

I've thought about taking the FWD 79-85 Riviera and making it AWD using parts available in 1985.

I know Eagle wants to build an AMX with Eagle parts to make a WRX hunter and personally I want to take the entire drivetrain and suspension out of a WRX and put it under a 2nd Gen Corvair.

I'd start with an AWD Porsche running gear - but I love the idea. (boxer, rear motor... hmmm)

[BKBridges]

Muscle Motors. 383/400 block stroker, 491". Here, Cobra, Cobra!!!...

A good idea! Im hoping I get to drive it tommorrow once I put the new oil pump cover on. Im sure we will find a whole new raft of issues to deal with then...(lucas electrical from 69) Ive been told the transfer case assembly is good to 600hp...I know the rear diff gives it up at around 450...but the awd might even things out a bit.
BKB

[BKBridges]

The Ff hits the road

Barnfinds...
We replaced the oil pump cover and installed a new fuel pump and the car wouldnt stay running. We decided to remove the top of the Carter AVS carb and see what was clogging things up. Looked like the last tank of gas run through the carb had solidified into a tar like substance, clogging up everything... Pulled an Edelbrock 650 off of the shelf and installed it and Viola! Starts and idles out fine...with a miss. We couldnt wait though, so we backed it out of the shop and down the dirt road to the street. Power was down due to the miss, but everything seemed to be working great with the driveline. The brakes were a bit hard, but they stopped it, so we went for it. A very different driving experience. Very similar to the feel of a modern AWD Audi!. Too bad it bent another pushrod as the electric fan circuit failed and the engine overheated a bit. We are beginning to see a pattern here. New heads go on this week.
Bruce