FF 255 at CCA Auction

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Peter Rothery
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FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Peter Rothery »

Finally we get to know where FF 255 has been hiding for the last 15 years. It used to have a modified 383, massive headers and an independent rear end. John Wild gets a mention in the auction description. It is anyone's guess where the Market might see this one. Estimated at £20k-£25k.

https://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk/1970-jensen-ff" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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cannonball
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by cannonball »

crikey and hiding it has been. the body looks very clean yet it looks like its lived outside, why would someone bugger about putting it on coils ???
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Peter Rothery
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Peter Rothery »

Why would anyone leave it outside? The rear end was an independent arrangement as I recall...long before Cropredy/V-Eight did the same thing. When JW comes on-line, he can probably shed some more light on it as I think he rescued it from Medway Interceptors around 2000.
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johnw
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by johnw »

Peter Rothery wrote:Why would anyone leave it outside? The rear end was an independent arrangement as I recall...long before Cropredy/V-Eight did the same thing. When JW comes on-line, he can probably shed some more light on it as I think he rescued it from Medway Interceptors around 2000.
The rear axle was redone to take really large power, by the looks, so it wasn't independent. It was a beefed up solid rear axle, bigger diff housing than the Interceptor/FF, with double coilovers each side instead of the leaf springs. I seem to recall it having two substantial trailing arms, I might be wrong about that. Interestingly it still has one of the plastic green boxes for spare parts there that I used to keep in the boot! Even the gaffa tape on the rear window is still there. That gaffa tape was put on by an owner prior to me!
Have you seen our stolen Jensen FF 119/011 https://twitter.com/jensenffdotcom
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Grant
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Grant »

So who did you sell it to then John?.. do you think it was this owner?.. It looks a nice car I thought... It's a early Mk2 and so I think someone has probably added the later light clusters in the back panel?.. Was you driving this car around John?
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Frankoid
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Frankoid »

Grant wrote: It's a early Mk2 and so I think someone has probably added the later light clusters in the back panel?..
Both my FFs, 127/218 and 127/245 have these MkIII style rear lights so I think 127/255 has the correct lights. Originally with a beluga (charcoal colour) roof. It still has the 2 vent dash. Earlier style steering wheel :wink: . I have a NOS Voxson 8 track that would go in this car, and a lot of the other missing parts...very interesting, mmm, yum yum….
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johnw
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by johnw »

Grant wrote:So who did you sell it to then John?.. do you think it was this owner?.. It looks a nice car I thought... It's a early Mk2 and so I think someone has probably added the later light clusters in the back panel?.. Was you driving this car around John?
It also still has Mk4 doors & handles I would imagine. Those were fitted and already sprayed this silver when I had it. Yes I think that the current seller is basically who I sold it to. 14/15 years ago now.
Have you seen our stolen Jensen FF 119/011 https://twitter.com/jensenffdotcom
Peter Rothery
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Peter Rothery »

johnw wrote:The rear axle was redone to take really large power, by the looks, so it wasn't independent. It was a beefed up solid rear axle, bigger diff housing than the Interceptor/FF, with double coilovers each side instead of the leaf springs.
Thanks John...it is all coming back to me now. I think there was a long debate on here several years ago about the wisdom or otherwise of removing the cart springs and pushing the weight of the whole car through bodyshell areas like the shock towers that were not designed to take such loads. One enthusiast in a shed perhaps is not as bright as a qualified engineering designer. Jensen themselves welded in thick strengthening plates into the inner rear wheel arches to compensate for the flex created by the removal of the roof on the convertible that was most affected by this weakness. I would therefore budget for correcting some of these "improvements".

There seems to be debate about what is missing from this car...one member has the original transfer case from this car and another seems to have bought other parts allegedly from it. Viewing recommended obviously.
cannonball
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by cannonball »

But if that was once a parts car at medway how does the body still look so good and straight, remember that blue FF a few yrs ago was in a weird auction not a dedicated car auction house it did 75k but was hanging due to sitting outside, and this has sat longer ???
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Peter Rothery
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Peter Rothery »

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Peter Rothery
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Peter Rothery »

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johnw
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by johnw »

Those pictures from Peter of the suspension were taken by me around 2000 (the fiance was out of the country at the time! Make hay while the sun shines, or stock up on FFs :D ). That is 255 on the trailer when I took delivery of the car from Medway Interceptors. The Interior shots were taken a few years later when I was about to sell the car.

Interestingly the auction house list the car as worst condition, one star for everything. Hopefully the photos in the prospectus are recent ones, and not taken when the car was delivered! It doesn't look like it spent 15 years under a tarp, but I would have to defer to Kenny38 on tarps. I remember that blue plastic box I left in the boot with the torque convertor in it, and the vacuum pipes to the left of it. Spooky :D.
Have you seen our stolen Jensen FF 119/011 https://twitter.com/jensenffdotcom
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johnw
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by johnw »

cannonball wrote:But if that was once a parts car at medway how does the body still look so good and straight, remember that blue FF a few yrs ago was in a weird auction not a dedicated car auction house it did 75k but was hanging due to sitting outside, and this has sat longer ???
This car still has no engine and transmission in it by the looks of the front suspension height in those pictures. Hopefully those are in the house.

The car was never a parts car at Medway. Medway sold lots of nice cars actually, through Andrew Edwards at Cropredy who would market the finer stuff, but some of it was still owned by Medway. If you wanted a specific type of car Chris could pull it back from Cropredy and sell it direct, if it was his car still. This was when Norman Long was working at the Cropredy parts counter. A great time to be into FFs. Medway was really ace, uneconomic restorations in the general market place would get bought by Chris, he would add in the missing parts, and sell them on as viable projects, genuinely adding value, and not just flipping them. Medway at that point had so many parts racked up, they didn't need parts cars, they needed people to be restoring cars & needing spares. I don't remember them actually breaking an FF, only a brand new FF chassis made by an enthusiast, which I turned down for £350, but did a deal on all the stainless fittings and suspension, rebuilt rear axle, hubs etc. A rusty shell likely from a Vignale car was cut up there, but any FF more or less complete was sold as is. What Medway once did do, is one time cut the wing vents out of an FF with an angle grinder, sell the FF bonnet, Maxaret, brake Servo, but they would keep the car otherwise intact, still essentially a project for a brave soul.
Have you seen our stolen Jensen FF 119/011 https://twitter.com/jensenffdotcom
Frankoid
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by Frankoid »

Ditto it was a great time to be into FFs. I used Chris Harbour a lot. Medway Interceptors, that's what I call an real Aladdin's cave. When I first got 127/218 Chris was an invaluable source of parts. For example I got a complete new carpet set for the FF at £100 :D . I think he once won best FF at a JOC international, but it may have been a different event. I once saw a manual 541S 100/1080 at his place but it was too far gone for me to take on.
kenny38
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Re: FF 255 at CCA Auction

Post by kenny38 »

Hey!! that's my tarp in the background. It's only been used a couple of times. That said....here we go again. We wonder why our cars even in pristine state are undervalued. I will defer to John W. but this is a truely parts car (if that) and good luck with the approx price hoped for. Why the present owner bought this bloody heap 15 years ago and then obviously tarped it beats me. Jonn boy must be a great salesman. Get ready for more previously advertised and unsold shite heaps to reappear dragging us down further. Grant..Jesus loves you but appears everyone else thinks you are a ........ Matin R will not approve. Bless yous all kenny38 8)
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