By Jim Brennan
This weekend, I thought I would share some of the cars that have been discussed around Hooniverse HQ. Our man in Finland sent an email about this particular car offered for sale. It was once a Jensen Interceptor that has been treated to a full rebuild using modern upgrades. There is a YouTube Channel dedicated to this vehicle, and Piston Heads have already covered this car on the web, but now it’s on the market. What do you think about it?
According to the Classic and Sports Car site listing:
State of the Art Custom Jensen Interceptor – An iconic car from the 1970’s rebuilt from the ground up using 21st century engineering and upgrades, the Jensen Interceptor GT V10 is an incredible and bespoke feat of engineering. The car is in pristine condition and has covered minimal mileage since completion of the build.
Of course, there was an engine upgrade in the form of an 8.3 Litre SRT Viper V10, only with a twist:
The power train for the car is a third generation 8.3 litre Dodge SRT10 V10 engine, utilising an OE management system. The induction kit is bespoke and the 3-inch stainless-steel exhaust system has been custom-made, with custom tail pipes, Borla exhaust boxes, balance pipe and tubular manifold. The 630bhp produced by the engine is delivered through a four-speed automatic gear box that is found in the SRT10 Dodge, featuring a limited-slip differential.
Yes, this would be the same automatic that was used in the Dodge Ram SRT-10 Double Cab PICKUP TRUCK. When Chrysler made these trucks, only the Double Cab had the slush box, while the single cab was equipped with a proper stick. When Antti brought this creation to our attention, he posed this question: “Cool, terrible, awesome, awful?” Reaction here was mixed at best.
Asking price for this modernized Jensen is £109,995, or around $170,000 at today’s exchange rate. So what do you think of this Viperized Jensen? Remember, this is in the same vein as the “Restomods” you see on our side of the Atlantic all the time, and we here at the Hooniverse find most of them perverse. Take a look at the advertisement here: 1974 Jensen Segrave 8.3L V10.
Jeff Glucker
I remember a local garage had an Interceptor for sale when I was in my early teens – I loved the look & spec of it then but after seeing this, I have come over all faint! AWESOME!
The thing is, one of the best things about the Jensen Interceptor is that it looks like a Jensen Interceptor. This doesn't. This kind of reminds me of those late Avantis from the unhappy period where that car was desperately clinging onto life.
Mechanical and technologcal improvements; Brah! Bodywork makeover, Blah!
I can only thumb up once! But that put's it most succintly.
Especially the flared guards and other excrescences that have spread like warts around the body. On a more minor note -(only)4 speed auto? or bring it up to date properly -or even better 6 Speed manual.
And those taillights.. Whisky. Tango. Foxtrot.
Now if we could get these wheels on it all would be right with the world.
http://youtu.be/kb3THwZjnHY
I agree that the exterior mods should have been more subtle, but also apply that sentiment under the hood. There was no need to go to a V10 engine, when a stroker kit could have gotten the same 500 cubes out of the 440 that was already there. Add better breathing, modern engine management electronics, and some skilled tuning, and 630 HP is still do-able on pump gas, probably for less than the cost of the truck motor.
With enough electronics knowledge, I'd think a modern hemi would be a good swap as well. Actually, if you could stuff LX components underneath, I'd think it'd be a nice update.
As for the exterior, it looks ridiculous. Jensens are supposed to be suave, mature gentleman tourers, not brash and bold muscle cars. There's nothing wrong with brash and bold of course, it just looks misapplied in this case.
a stroker kit on the 440… or they could've stuck to the spirit of the beast and put in a 392 or 426ci Hemi/SRT Crate motor with the NVG heavy duty 5-speed automatic. Add a centrifugal blower and you're comfortably at that 630bhp figure without stressing the motor, throwing hte weight balance forwards, etc. That, and fuel injection! and OBD2!
The 300 headlights work, but I don't like the lower grill/foglight area at all. I'm indecisive about the rear end work, except it probably would have been better to leave room for the number plate between the lights.
From the side it looks quite good, and I like the wheels, although it looks like there's not a lot of clearance and it seems very low. I'm worried the suspension has been built more for looks than ride comfort, or even handling.
I'm not to bothered by the automatic, and I'm pleased the engine swap has been kept 'in the family' as it were. I acknowledge this is odd and a lot of people would rather just have a small block even though that is unspeakably boring (see: Interceptor R; commercial restomods with 5.7s).
Overall, B- or thereabouts?
Oh, and 'rare car, rather see it restored' etc. Or how rare are they, really?
The Datsun-ish front treatment and stance is odd, the steering wheel is still on the wrong side, and the slush box…mææh. But apart from that: Cool! The exterior colour is nice and the car sure is a blast to drive. Obviously, I wouldn't buy it off my hard-earned (Or was it "hardly earned"? Keep forgetting.) money. Imagine what that kind of dough can do to fill a newly erected garage.
"Updated looks" only work as a whole make over, as seen in the recent musclecars. Adding new bits to an old car is a bit like doing breast implants on a 70 year old woman. It´s obvious, it´s ugly and it just plain doesn´t work.
Are…are those Range Rover wheels? Or maybe from a Jaguar?
Look like Charger SRT8 wheels painted.
You know what you're right. The color threw me for a loop.
I knew I'd seen them on something. At least they're keeping with the Mopar theme.
I've had doing a resto-mod on an Interceptor on my "to do" list for nearly 20 years. Truth is, they're awesome as built, but Jensen's inability to properly engineer the car when new is something that I've intended to fix. Upgraded engine, cooling, transmission, electrics, suspension and seats for sure. But the outside, for me at least, just works as is. Perhaps a switch of headlamps to something using an H3, but that's about it.
Plus that Viper mill is just dumb. Put the new HellCat Hemi (6.2l, supercharged) in there and back it up with the new ZF 8-speed autobox. That, of course, brings up another thing. Truth is, almost all Interceptors came with a TF727 stock. A manual just doesn't suit this car.
I've got to agree with Rusty and Blackice.
Mechanically it's pretty-much everything a modern Interceptor should be – the biggest, baddest Mopar engine available (in response to mallthus, if you were building it today the supercharged Hemi would be an option, but this build is probably about 10 years old), some bespoke bits to (hopefully) squeeze out a little more power and meet packaging requirements, automatic transmission is OK (the Interceptor was always intended as a grand tourer rather than a sports car), wheels big enough to clear upgraded brakes and get all that grunt to the ground.
The interior looks like it would work for me almost exactly as-is (RHD being the norm in my part of the world) – the pad at the rear of the center console may be just a bit too high, but since it's a custom part, it's not that big an issue to change it if necessary.
In terms of the exterior styling, it's a bit of a dog's breakfast – it doesn't appear that there was enough respect for the original. The grille and headlight treatment works reasonably well, but it may have been better to keep the original bumper (European-spec, no over-riders) to balance out the fog-light area. It also needs the paint stripped from the window surrounds – the shiny parts give emphasis to the window shape, and are an important part of the character of the design. I'm undecided about the Aston-style trim on the fenders. The big flares and sills don't blend well with the original bodywork, and only serve to bring attention to the wheels, the styling of which I'm not in love with on this car – I'd have combined smaller flares (slightly larger than standard) with a subtle bulge to the fenders instead, and used something that looks similar to the style of the later factory wheels. The rear-end is just plain wrong, the round lights and recessed script look like something from an early-80's kit car. The taillights need to be smoother and more integrated, something that wraps into the curve of the bodywork. I can't think of a factory light that looks exactly like what I have in mind.
IMHO, a restomod, particularly one based on a car with iconic styling, should whisper 'look at me' instead of shouting it like this one does.
I dont remember If I like it when It was first posted(maybe) . After seeing a whole bunch of times I like a stock apearing interceptor better. I like my classic cars to look classic on the outside, and pack an unsuspecting punch on the inside.
I just… I just don't know. I'm so conflicted. I need someone to tell me what to think.
[youtube qLp4FhDAfQk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLp4FhDAfQk youtube]
This car is Amazing! Like it!! <img src="http://2.s01.flagcounter.com/count/8DD2/bg=FFFFFF/txt=FCFCFC/border=FFFFFF/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/";;;;; alt="Free counters!" width="1" height="1" border="0" /> <img src="http://2.s03.flagcounter.com/count/tcRC/bg=FFFFFF/txt=FCFCFC/border=FFFFFF/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=Visitors/labels=1/";;;;; width="1" height="1" border="0" />
check out the the viperceptor website, they are working on a lightweight version with carbon fibre panels, 2 bucket seats etc and a convertible version. http://www.jensenviperceptorse.com
So when does Fast & Furious 7 start filming? Whoever "designed" that doesn't even have taste in their mouth. And why does it have mailboxes on it's doors? Horrid. I'll take an Interceptor FF please.
What ? No "Country Squire" edition with the faux wood paneling ?
Interceptor SP for me – http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/2558381803_29…
Spending $ xxxxx on something, then trying to sell it as an 'individual' car like this is ….. !
I tried once with an 'individual' paint job, ended stripping it all off and putting standard colour on again so it would sell !
$170,000 will buy an excellent modern Aston Martin. Just sayin'.
I don't think it looks too terrible, but it kind of looks cheap, and that's not how you want a $170,000 car to look.
The problem with the original interceptor was that it was very heavy, with a very heavy engine, and the suspension and brakes couldn't really keep up. IIRC, it also was only available with a three speed automatic. It was a boulevardier and a cruiser, but not quite the grand tourer. This update seems to be an integrated package, but it's still contending with immense front end weight bias. I'll take mine in metallic steel blue with a saddle interior.
Some of the styling decisions are questionable. But I think the gearbox is in line with the original, and given the torque curve of the V-10, you probably don't need more than four gears. More gears and a massive overdrive would definitely give it better long distance legs.
Given that they've done all this, I'm a little surprised and didn't emulate the Ferguson FF version. Also, a convertible.
On second look, SAAB's new styling direction is really starting to grow on me.
Classic example of teenager inherits Dad's old commuter and vomits 'performance upgrades' (ingested from reading too many magazines) all over it. Only Daddy was a bit more successful and drove a poor man's Aston Martin, and Sonny inherited an allowance that would allow him to smack this bitch up!
('Bespoke' is used in this advertisement to imply a bit of old world craftsmanship; when what we're really talking about is at best 'one-off' or 'custom', but best described as 'irreversibly damaged and previous owner's cell phone disconnected')
Jensen Interceptor
<img src="http://chrisoncars.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/JensenInterceptor.jpg" width="500/">
A nice sort of Ford Capri meets SAAB 99 with room for the dog and brats still respectable in the right part of the car park sort of car.
But Dear Old Dad was too properly English to buy Junior anything so outrageous as a Viper, and Sonny, in the Carrol Shelby tradition of trying to make English roadsters into Mustangs, made this Business Man's Express into a Challenger.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/06/jensen-interceptor-r-lead.jpg" width="500/">
It's a pile of shit, I don't care how fast it goes around corners, I only care how fast it goes into the nearest tree.
Your first picture is of the rare, and desirable,FF Ferguson Four wheel drive model with the extra vent behind the front wheels disguising/accentuating the longer wheel base and a different grille treatment.I always liked my one
<img src="http://www.planetdiecast.com/hwdphotos/upload_tinymce/thumbnails/Dinky%20188%20-%20Jensen%20FF.jpg">
That I didn't know, but I did wonder about the twin vents.
I also used a blurry, fresh out of the spray booth pic of the bodged together
Dodge ChallengerInterviper.I own an interceptor and I don't think of this as a modified old car. The owner did something different here. This is perhaps what it may have looked like in today's guise. As I know the interceptor inside out the mods done on this have been very extensive and clever. Think about it as a fully functional concept car
I don't care for it, for that price. It is interesting, to be sure, but for that money, you could buy a new Viper, a used SRT-10 pickemup AND a Intercepter.
Blech.
Wow, they didn't even bother with IRS. At least the Jensen "R" people http://www.jensen-sales.com cobbled together an Independent Rear Suspension.
And then there is the Jensen OuR. What's this? A completely modernized Jensen which retains the classic look while incorporating a new Gen 3 Chrysler Hemi, the NAG-1 five speed automatic, Art Morrison Sport IFS, Factory Five Racing IRS, FAST engine management system, Electric power brakes with Wilwood calipers and discs all around, McIntosh sound system…on and on.
And who is making the Jensen OuR? I am. (Along with a team of craftsmen.)
The Jensen OuR will be finished in about a year. Build photos are available, the car will be for sale. It will be every bit as fast, and handle a lot better, than this boy-racer doodad.
That's more like it!
<img src"http://www.jensen-sales.com/images/banner-series.jpg"width="600">
Let's try again
<img src"http://www.jensen-sales.com/gallery/big_15.jpg"width="600">
<img src"http://www.jensen-sales.com/gallery/big_13.jpg"width="600">
And again
<img src"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bk_cLBF1ZJ4/TaMlUqzf_7I/AAAAAAAAAWc/Xct056K15Yw/s1600/IMG_5813%2Bps.jpg"width="600">
<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bk_cLBF1ZJ4/TaMlUqzf_7I/AAAAAAAAAWc/Xct056K15Yw/s1600/IMG_5813%2Bps.jpg"width="600">
Hmmm, I'm surprised at all the hate at the exterior mods. This Feature obviously brought out all of the 30-40 Jenson lovers in the world.
Ok , just kidding, but for real; the Jenson Interceptor was never a "looker" in any iteration. So no tears were shed from me over the exterior mods. It's a car that in stock form is at best "interesting", and at worse awkward. I rather like the overall look. Although if
I were to be honest I'd say it only works because of the color.
Unlike most, I have no problem with the automatic, but I can no longer drive a stick due to multiple breaks in my left leg which didn't heal quite right.
Otherwise, yeah, the exterior is wrong. Just. Wrong. Personally, I'd have built the 440 to be ultra kick-ass, but that's me.
Chip Foose needs to see this…..Please Chip….study here… that said, automatics are for…
Wow..this car is awesome! I love the front end treatment. I've never cared for the backlight on these cars so I think that's the design-limiter here (a notchback would be better) but since it's on the car, it screams for a ducktail spoiler at its base, if for no other reason than to hide that ugly beltine. I think the interior is spot-on. The tailights are fine but I'd lose the little bitty one tucked up higher than the other two. I LOVE the flared fenders but they didn't go far enough; IMSA those things waaaay out there, like the "No Style Corolla!" I'd like a different (brighter) wheel but this is still a really cool car.
With an auto, I could commute in this thing, even if I'd never dare attempt it with the right-side steering wheel. (One look at the postal vehicle wrecks around here in the ATL will disabuse you of that notion.)
flippin sweet!
I like the looks of Jensen Interceptor.
I want one of these with a 519 cu. in. LS3 V12. (now made in the US of A). Properly arranged and “sorted” it should generate about 740 hp, 700 lb-ft. of torque fitted to a proper 8-speed automatic transmission. With 6-pisto custom Wilwood Disc Brakes in the fromt, 4-piston disc brakes in the rear and you should be able to achieve 240 mph with stability and comfort. This would be an “easy to service” long-lived engine, transmission and SR10 rear end with a custom 3.08-1 gear ratio.
Nothing could catch it!