Welcome back! We’re up to the letter J in our alphabetic celebration of crappy cars, and today, the British are coming. Only this time, it’s two by land. Or, unfortunately, two by tow truck, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Wow, you all really hated that lifted Amigo yesterday. That’s the most lopsided vote we’ve had in a while. It actually did worse than that poor Bitter SC we looked at back at the beginning of the alphabet. Guess you’d all rather play GI Joe with that Canadian military truck.
Fine by me; I’ll take the big Tonka truck, and you can’t play. I’ll be doing donuts in a field while listening to the appropriate soundtrack for this vehicle. Correct grammar be damned; sometimes you really don’t need nothin’ but a good time.
Now, you might think, this site’s editor-in-chief being who he is and all, that I would have a mandate to feature two Jeeps when I got to the letter J. But I do what I want. Therefore, I am subjecting you to two very cool, very derelict old British cars. They’re priced a little higher than some other non-runners we’ve looked at, but shitboxes are shitboxes still, no matter the price.
1961 Jaguar Mark II 3.8 – $7,000
Engine/drivetrain: 3.8 liter dual overhead cam inline 6, four-speed manual w/overdrive, RWD
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Odometer reading: 70,000 miles
Operational status: “It used to run great but we haven’t driven it in years”
“Grace, Space, Pace” was the tagline used by Jaguar for its sedans (or rather, saloons) in the 1950s and 60s. These cars were stylish, comfortable, and legitimately fast – 0-60 in eight and a half seconds, and a top speed of 125 miles an hour, with leather and wood all over the interior, and a smooth ride thanks to a fully independent suspension. Jaguars may be something of a punchline these days, with their pink concept cars and weird advertising, but back in 1961 they were a force to be reckoned with.
That performance comes courtesy of Jaguar’s XK inline six, the same engine found under the E-Type’s long bonnet. Here it puts out 220 horsepower, and drives the rear wheels through a four-speed manual with electric overdrive. The seller has owned this example for thirty years, but they haven’t driven this car in ages. It ran great when they parked it, so they claim, but now it will need some work to get it going again.
And that’s not the only work it needs. The wood in the interior is in rough shape. The leather seats look all right, but they’ll need gallons of that reconditioner stuff. The carpet is MIA, but that just means you don’t have to remove it before you get to work on patching up the rusty floors.
Actually, the seller says the rust “isn’t bad,” and I agree, at least based on the photos. The floors need some work, and the ad mentions the battery tray, but the rest of the body looks good. It was originally maroon, the seller says, but it came to them in this green and tan combination. I like it, personally, and I bet it would shine up well.
1972 Jensen Interceptor MkIII – $13,750
Engine/drivetrain: 440 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Beverly Hills, CA
Odometer reading: 55,000 miles
Operational status: Not running – I think it has been sitting for years
European automakers in the 1960s had a love affair with American V8 power. Italian maker Iso used Chevrolet V8s in their grand tourers, DeTomaso chose Ford power for its Mangusta and Pantera mid-engine sports cars, and AC in Britain, after the success of the Cobra, chose Ford power for its short-lived Frua 428. Jensen chose the smallest of the Big Three, Chrysler, to provide power for this car, the Interceptor.
This ’72 Interceptor is powered by a Chrysler 440 cubic inch V8, with a four-barrel carb and a Torqueflite automatic. This standard Interceptor is rear-wheel-drive, but Jensen made an all-wheel-drive version called the FF, years before Subaru or Audi added AWD systems to regular passenger cars. You won’t find one of those for sale, though; only about three hundred were built. This Interceptor is for sale at a dealership in Beverly Hills, and all they say about its mechanical condition is that it is “not currently running.” But that’s the nice thing about a common American V8 drivetrain – parts to get it going again are available anywhere.
It doesn’t look too bad inside, except for the carpet and some cracks in the vinyl. The front seats look nice, and the back is all right except for a popped seam. The wood on the center console could use a little help as well. But I certainly wouldn’t call it trashed. It has air conditioning, but there’s no way to know if it works until you get it running again.
It needs some help outside. The paint on the roof is trashed, and the hood appears to actually have holes in it. But what’s weird is that it looks like it rusted from the inside out. I’m not sure how that could happen in the middle of the hood. Honestly, I’d be tempted to just leave it; call them “speed holes” and make the folks at car shows deal with them.
You’d have your work cut out for you with either of these, and I’m not sure either one is worth more than a mechanical restoration to get them running, and then enjoy them as-is. They’d be conversation-starters, that’s for sure. I mean, when is the last time you saw an old Jaguar saloon or a Jensen Interceptor, let alone a ratty one? Mechanical parts aren’t a problem for either one, so it’s just a matter of which one you’re more willing to work on.
I’ve wanted an Interceptor since the first time I ever saw one, which was in the opening sequence for the steaming-pile-of-awesome 70’s B-movie, Speedtrap. And, that’s the cheapest Interceptor I’ve seen for awhile so it easily won my vote, even with the hood apparently falling victim to some combination of engine-fire/battery explosion or whatever it was that created that weird swiss-cheese effect.
I just voted for the Jag, although I am a fan of the Jenson as well. Price wise, appears to be a decent deal.
A lesson I learned when I restored my Mustang (now over 20 years ago) is that a little rust is the same as a lot of rust.
Although I’d prefer to drive the Interceptor, I’m not sure it’s worth quite that much. The Jaguar is priced more attractively and could be a decent driver for the right enthusiast. Voting Jag because it’s the better deal today.
First off, Mark, you read my mind! I was totally hoping for a Jaaaaag v. Jenson today!
Second, hide your silver, cause I’m taking the Jaaaag. Save $6K and I won’t have to try to find a replacement Interceptor hood. Sorry, I can’t do the speed hole thing. That hood just gives me the heeby-jeebies. Plus, Manny>>Otto (transmission, not Torchinsky. Otto seems like a decent kid).
My understanding is that the Jag I-6 is not as challenging to keep running as the V12. And absolute worst case, an SBC/LT swap is always an option.
The answer is more rust: Rat-rod/Mad Max the interceptor
The Interceptor just because 440 and most people have no idea what they are. I am troubled by the results of yesterday’s poll. I think too many people judged the amigo by its looks. The fab work looked half decent. Most importantly the Iveco has a 45 mile top speed and terrible reliability meaning it would make a terrible over landing vehicle, it’s only real potential. The Isuzu on the other hand, I could trailer or drive to one of 3 off-road parks within 2 hours of me, give it the beans all day, put it back on the trailer, wash off the mud, and do it again next week. The Iveco would probably still be on the side of the road somewhere.
Yeah, completely agreed. That Isuzu was AWESOME. I also voted Jensen
That Jag would make such a great EV conversion.
Depends on if you want to look like a millionaire gangster, or the undercover agent posing as a millionaire playboy who takes down the gangster
Definitely a “Both” kind of day! But if it was real money, I’d go for the Jag. SOOOOOOO cool….
Of these two, definitely the Interceptor – at least the mechanicals are relatively cheap, something that has never, ever been said about a vintage Jag. And the interior is MUCH better than the mess in the Jaguar – also an extremely expensive endeavor. And at the end of the day, I just think Interceptors are one of the COOLEST gentleman’s expresses ever. Too bad it’s not an FF, but then the price would probably at least double, and good luck if any of the AWD bits are bad.
But really this is a neither situation, because unless you are absolutely ace with doing rust repair and body/paint yourself, neither car can be made good for what a good one costs. You can get a nice “driver” standard Jaguar MKII for under $30K, and the same in a Jensen for $40-50K or so. Neither of these cars will be daily drivers for the difference unless you spend 10 years doing it all yourself, and probably not even then.
Have to go Interceptor.
Whenever I see one I think of the Top Gear episode where they made their own 1970s detective show introduction (The Interceptors).
The fake mustaches were great.
Jensen because the interior is always the hardest part to fix properly on any old car. Even if the engine and transmission are trashed you won’t struggle to find replacements, and even that bizarre hood damage won’t be too tricky to resolve.
I’ll take the Jaguar Mark 2 so I can pretend to be a stoic English police detective – Inspector Morse or Thomas Nightingale depending on whether Oxford murder or London magic is involved.
Let me be the first to ask…”Do you have any Grey Poupon?”
I will go with the Jensen. Aside from the hood that looks like it was used for target practice, this thing appears to be in decent condition. I also like that it uses a common engine. This vehicle has rare car appeal without the challenges associated with owning a rare car.
The exterior of the Jaguar looks nice, but the interior looks kind of gross. The seats are decent, but the rest of the interior looks trashed. I like cars that are a bit rough, but this interior might be too rough for me. It might look nicer in person than in pictures, though.
Hmmm. Two cool cars, one with a better interior and one with a better exterior. Going Jag, for its “Have you any grey poupon?” stateliness and the stick.
Honestly, I would get the Jag running and driving reliability, and leave most of the rest of it as-is. Apart from a good cleaning. I always prefer a classic car that’s already a bit flawed. Then if it gets a rock chip or a ding you don’t feel bad, hell, you might not even notice it.
“Jensen made an all-wheel-drive version called the FF, years before Subaru or Audi added AWD systems to regular passenger cars.”
Not only that but the FF (Ferguson Formula) was also the first production car available with ABS, all the way back in 1966, which was a variant of the Dunlop Maxaret system used on airplanes (ahem, aeroplanes) for their landing gear.
Interceptor without hesitation.
The Jensen, mainly because I have a funny story. For some years I had an FF. In order to fit the four wheel drive some compromises where made. One was the size of the fuel tank. Driving it in convoy with a group of like minded idiots to Le Mans I was the last to arrive, the thing was fast, really even today rapid and went round corners at an alarming rate. The payoff was that, driven with brio, it had a range of about 75 miles between fill ups.
Jensen for me. I like the Jag, but the cramped nature of the engine compartment and the amount of carpentry likely required to restore the interior don’t appeal.
The rust on the top surfaces of the Jensen look to me like it was under a plastic tarp or a poor-quality car cover that didn’t “breathe” to let condensation out. So moisture collected wherever the cover was firmly in contact with metal — and period British steel sheetmetal did what it does best — not just rust, but dissolve. On the good side, it probably means that anything that wasn’t in contact with a non-breathable cover is more or less OK; no major water intrusion. But it may still need plenty of cleaning and airing-out to get rid of the mustiness…
Tough one today, but had to vote Jaguar. If I’m going to have something as raucous as an Interceptor, it will need to have 3 pedals.
This is one car I would make an exception for. A big-block American V8 is just MADE to have a slushbox bolted behind it, and with that much power and torque you might as well let it shift for itself and pay attention to which way it’s pointed when you light the fuse.
Exactly. Nothing wrong with a Torqueflite in this application.
And the manual they used was by all accounts *awful*. With a clutch such to make one leg twice the size of the other, as usual for a big HP car in the ’60s.
This. So this. You get me.
I get it—absolutely.
But, I put plenty of miles on the work van each week, so my personal cars will have a manual as long as I am still physically capable of operating a clutch. I grew up with sub 50hp cars. At my age now, if I’m to own a 440, it will lay it down through a manual and a posi: I can afford tires 😉
Meh, 4/5ths of my cars are manuals, including the one that’s a proper SUV. The one that isn’t? A Mercedes E-class wagon that to be honest even if I could have gotten it with as stick I probably wouldn’t have. There are some cars that are just meant to be slushboxes.
Good luck finding one without a torqueflite.
They exist, some fairly agricultural 4spd with a brutally heavy clutch. Most of them are automatics for good reason.
The Interceptor is the only car I think you would absolutely have to call by name. No more “oh put that in the car”, once you owned it you could only say “put that in the Interceptor” or “I’m heading to work in the Interceptor” or if I’m honest it’s more likely “I’ve broken down in the Interceptor, I’m going to need a tow”.
I’d probably just be inventing dumb errands to run so I could tell my wife I need to take out the Interceptor
It would have been the Jensen if the Jag was auto. Its stick and I want a 1JZ swapped Jag Saloon.
They Make kits for the XJ, and I know they can fit one in an E-Type.
The roof rot is pretty easily explained if this car, like many Interceptors, was born with a vinyl roof. That hood is weird, though. I’m struggling to come up with a scenario that explains it. It definitely has elements of a failed respray about it. I don’t think that interior is a particularly honest presentation either, I’m betting it’s been badly repaired and recolored at some point and is now starting to fail. This thing is going to be an absolute basket case under the very expensive skin and I think someone started poking about and realized that before dumping it.
The Jag is a mess in its own way, and would be a serious restoration project as well, but parts aren’t too hard to come by and you might be able to get out with your sanity, if not your bank balance, intact.
Jag today, which kills me as I’ve always loved an Interceptor.
I vote for the Interceptor because of one of my all time favorite Top Gear bits:
D https://youtu.be/PqYCgDkC1Dw?si=ItjYm1e_NPV5VwXZ
My mind went to this immediately too.
I just watched this and burst out laughing when Hammond judo-chopped the doorman.