Classic Jensens...
Discussion
CV8
541R
Im "considering", note the use of the word considering, i.e. still speculating on the concept, possibly replacing the 'Grale with one of the above.
How monumentally stupid would this be? Given that Im prone to making monumentally stupid decisions with cars strictly dictated by the 7yr old in me, and well, I look at them and think "Ooooo!". If I was truely prepared to risk divorce Id splurge £35k on an F456, but Im not, so at c. £12-15k and c. £25k respectively, I think I would just be in sleeping in the spare room for a few nights territory and I can live with that!
Do we have any marque gurus amongst us?
541R
Im "considering", note the use of the word considering, i.e. still speculating on the concept, possibly replacing the 'Grale with one of the above.
How monumentally stupid would this be? Given that Im prone to making monumentally stupid decisions with cars strictly dictated by the 7yr old in me, and well, I look at them and think "Ooooo!". If I was truely prepared to risk divorce Id splurge £35k on an F456, but Im not, so at c. £12-15k and c. £25k respectively, I think I would just be in sleeping in the spare room for a few nights territory and I can live with that!
Do we have any marque gurus amongst us?
DJC said:
CV8
541R
Im "considering", note the use of the word considering, i.e. still speculating on the concept, possibly replacing the 'Grale with one of the above.
How monumentally stupid would this be? Given that Im prone to making monumentally stupid decisions with cars strictly dictated by the 7yr old in me, and well, I look at them and think "Ooooo!". If I was truely prepared to risk divorce Id splurge £35k on an F456, but Im not, so at c. £12-15k and c. £25k respectively, I think I would just be in sleeping in the spare room for a few nights territory and I can live with that!
Do we have any marque gurus amongst us?
I love CV8s, much prefer the their look over the Interceptor. I've no real knowledge of them but I've seen article in the classic car press about them, must have been either Classic and Sports Car or Octane in the last couple of years. I think. The engine is supposed to be easy, it's a great big Chrysler lump. 541R
Im "considering", note the use of the word considering, i.e. still speculating on the concept, possibly replacing the 'Grale with one of the above.
How monumentally stupid would this be? Given that Im prone to making monumentally stupid decisions with cars strictly dictated by the 7yr old in me, and well, I look at them and think "Ooooo!". If I was truely prepared to risk divorce Id splurge £35k on an F456, but Im not, so at c. £12-15k and c. £25k respectively, I think I would just be in sleeping in the spare room for a few nights territory and I can live with that!
Do we have any marque gurus amongst us?
If I come across the article I'll let you know.
dads got a 541r and its a thing of beauty, if you get one make sure that its got wires, as some pov spec ones have steel wheels and can look a bit old mannish
i always thing they are a car that looks better shabby than shiney, ours is well tatty and looks better for it its more go than show.
things to watch are rusty chassis tubes and rot around the back axle - which is a b
d job. the front suspension is poor as its austin westminster based (from memory)
they are also a bit 'parts bin special' so sourcing things like discs can be a pain.
get one!
i always thing they are a car that looks better shabby than shiney, ours is well tatty and looks better for it its more go than show.
things to watch are rusty chassis tubes and rot around the back axle - which is a b
d job. the front suspension is poor as its austin westminster based (from memory) they are also a bit 'parts bin special' so sourcing things like discs can be a pain.
get one!
I am not an expert but cam very close to purchasing a CV8 last year. Both the 541 and CV8 have fibreglass body work. The 541 has a BMC 4ltr straight six and the CV8 a Chrysler V8. The vast majority of CV8's had the torqueflight auto box. There were a few manual CV8's (less than 10 iirc).
The CV8 does not have powered steering so they are quite heavy to drive at parking speeds. The two I test drove did not have rear seat belts fitted. I understand that this can easily be sorted out. Jensen was a bit of parts bin special so many of the switches etc come from other vehicles of the era. The owners club is very good on sourcing parts etc according to the members I have spoken to.
They are wonderful to drive. Put your foot down and the car seems to squat down slightly before unleashing all the power. One of the cars I drove was used as a daily driver. While needing some cosmetics the maintenance bills did not seem at all excessive (about 2k a year).
The CV8 does not have powered steering so they are quite heavy to drive at parking speeds. The two I test drove did not have rear seat belts fitted. I understand that this can easily be sorted out. Jensen was a bit of parts bin special so many of the switches etc come from other vehicles of the era. The owners club is very good on sourcing parts etc according to the members I have spoken to.
They are wonderful to drive. Put your foot down and the car seems to squat down slightly before unleashing all the power. One of the cars I drove was used as a daily driver. While needing some cosmetics the maintenance bills did not seem at all excessive (about 2k a year).
Edited by plasticpig on Tuesday 27th May 17:50
I owned a CV8 for a while. The steering is a bit heavy at parking speeds as they never had power assistance. I found the auto box a drawback as it's only three speed. If I were to run one now I would seriously consider a gearbox conversion to a four speed auto as it would transform the car. Mechanically they are very robust and the main drawback is the high fuel consumption.
The Jensen owners club website is quite good.
The Jensen owners club website is quite good.
a8hex said:
I love CV8s, much prefer the their look over the Interceptor
me too, the shape of th CV8 is wonderful IMOnowt wrong with an Interceptor of course, but the CV8 is just that bit more special IMO!
aren't the 541R's quite rare BTW?
heres a few gratuitous snaps i have!,
good luck with the search!
I'm currently restoring a CV8 from the proverbial 'box of abandoned bits' for a client.
Much of what's been said regarding the mechanics is quite right, they are very unstressed & extremely strong.
HOWEVER just because they have GRP bodies, don't under any circumstances believe that rust isn't an issue.
They have a very hidden, very complicated & VERY rust prone steel sub-structure, the work I'm doing will far exceed the value of the completed car.
The bottom line is to get any car you are interested in thoroughly inspected by someone who knows that specific model, the cost of a few hundred pounds to have this done could easily save you thousands.
Poor examples of these cars can be made to look immaculate at little (relative) expenditure.
Good luck
Much of what's been said regarding the mechanics is quite right, they are very unstressed & extremely strong.
HOWEVER just because they have GRP bodies, don't under any circumstances believe that rust isn't an issue.
They have a very hidden, very complicated & VERY rust prone steel sub-structure, the work I'm doing will far exceed the value of the completed car.
The bottom line is to get any car you are interested in thoroughly inspected by someone who knows that specific model, the cost of a few hundred pounds to have this done could easily save you thousands.
Poor examples of these cars can be made to look immaculate at little (relative) expenditure.
Good luck
I think I would talk to Cropredy Bridge Garage about your idea. They are the Jensen specialists and very helpful
http://www.jensen-cars.co.uk/
Edit:
Oh how I remember seeing my first CV8 in the 60's on my way to Southend on a bank holiday in my Midget. I had no idea what it was and tried to have a little race with it. Natuarlly, he left me for dust!
http://www.jensen-cars.co.uk/
Edit:
Oh how I remember seeing my first CV8 in the 60's on my way to Southend on a bank holiday in my Midget. I had no idea what it was and tried to have a little race with it. Natuarlly, he left me for dust!
Edited by lowdrag on Wednesday 28th May 08:06
Hello,
541 is a different prospect to the CV8, get one (but get the best you can as has been mentioned above)
They are great cars with a comprehensive club / spares back up...
Few pics of my Interceptor and CV8 to whet your appetite
;
They made only 500 odd CV8's of all the derivatives so good ones rarely come up for sale. You'll need to budget upto £20k for a really good one. If you need any pointers, drop me a line...
Cheers,
Steve
541 is a different prospect to the CV8, get one (but get the best you can as has been mentioned above)
They are great cars with a comprehensive club / spares back up...
Few pics of my Interceptor and CV8 to whet your appetite
;They made only 500 odd CV8's of all the derivatives so good ones rarely come up for sale. You'll need to budget upto £20k for a really good one. If you need any pointers, drop me a line...
Cheers,
Steve
Edited by Shed_Jensen on Wednesday 28th May 11:24
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