1973 Jensen Healey Restoration
Project - Part 1
By Greg Fletcher
Costs For The Last Month: $1,195
Total Mileage: 27,033
No rest for the wicked. Lots has
happened in the last few weeks, and things are moving along much faster than
I believed possible. Fresh from the sale of my old JH, 13301, and flush with
cash, I’m now on a mission to begin on the new project. This means walking
a careful tight rope between getting the parts and services I need and staying
within my budget. My budget is a moving target at the moment, since the cost
of many items is up in the air and certain funds ear-marked for the new car
are already being diverted for non-car uses, grrr (who needs to fix the house?).
But such is life and in the end, somehow, I’m hoping everything will
get done before too much time elapses. I’m budgeting eight to twelve
months for time and I’m thinking $6,000 to get this thing on the road
(famous last words). Of course, before you can start, you need a plan. I already
have a spare engine that was going to be a 2.2 liter, so I’m moving
ahead with that project, at least until I run out of money. I do have a totally
stock motor in good shape that I’ll save, but I figure a 200hp JH is
a good thing when possible. The JH will be mostly stock looking from the outside
with with the exception of some added wood veneer on the dash and Dellorto
carbs and a few other hidden performance goodies under the bonnet .
The body, in storage now, is getting closer to moving to the paint shop. I’ve
found a place just around the corner from West Coast Cylinder Head in Reseda,
CA and although a considerable 70 miles from home it’s only 8 miles
from where it’s being stored at present in my friend Duane’s driveway
in Los Angeles (you’re a pal Duane!) whom I talked into giving me this
car.
This month’s journey begins at the California Department of Motor Vehicles,
where I get hit up for $107 (+ $45 for personalized license plates, which
I opted for, I figured the club needs some free advertising) to bring everything
current and get a legal, road worthy registration, even though it’s
a project in boxes at the moment. Is this a great country or what?
Parts are also being purchased. So far I’ve bought a set of new (tri-flow)
45mm Dellorto carburators with linkage. I’ve unearthed a Euro intake
manifold to go with that. A brand new, Jensen Healey ignition switch was found
on Ebay, a new set of wheel cylinders, and a shiny new walnut shift knob from
Delta Motorsports (whew, a new shift knob, now I can sleep peacefully at night).
I already have a set of 2.2 main bearings that my friend Duane found at a
swap meet for $5, the 2.2 liter crank shaft purchased 3 years ago from Delta
and a master cylinder. High lift 104 cams were given to me by a nice person
getting out of Jensen collecting and I promptly dropped those off with Ed
Nino at Camonics in North Hollywood. He is a meister of cams, but is semi
retired now and only likes walk-in, cash customers!
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