Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

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Denis
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Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by Denis »

http://www.theinterceptor.ru/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Here is the story:

The Interceptor.



The Lightweight Racing Interceptor (race uprated)

Introduction:

A unique roadcar; the Lightweight Racing Jensen Interceptor is the only lightweight version ever built. The original owner required an Interceptor manual which was as light as possible. To this end Jensen built the 1968 manual Interceptor with: no soundproofing, no power steering, no air conditioning, including a custom glass fibre louvred bonnet and a special manual radiator and considerable weight reduction, with no padding (that fills the normal cars), with lightweight aluminium road wheels. Only 23 right hand drive manual Interceptors were built. This car is the only original one-of-one unique, Lightweight Racing Interceptor. The car had race uprated suspension and a 440 Magnum Chrysler engine, rated at 375 hp (SAE), to make it more powerful for the original owner, to go racing in. The present owner bought the car in 1981 and has owned it ever since. At present the car has gone through an extensive restoration and been race uprated to make it the most powerful original engined, make and model, 60's roadcar. The 440 cubic inch Chrysler has been stroked to 493 cubic inches (8.06 litres) and race uprated to over 1100 hp (net), producing 1100 hp (net) and 1100 lb ft of torque; with introduction of a nitrous oxide system; like Eleanor, the 1967 Shelly GT500 in the film Gone in 60 Seconds, but instead of the Mustang's 427 cubic inch, 400 hp + nitrous, the Interceptor has 1100 hp. This makes it the unique 60's classic hypercar for power-to-weight, at 821 hp per tonne. The Bugatti Vyron is 522 hp per tonne and the Super Sport 622 hp per tonne. So the Lightweight Racing Interceptor is a unique classic hypercar, that has more power-to-weight than the Bugatti. Unique and hypercar powerful and most importantly, one-of-one, the only original Lightweight Racing manual Interceptor. Without nitrous the 800 hp engine gives the car a better than 597 bhp per ton better than the Bugatti Vyron, the 21st Century hypercar.

Investment potential:

The present owner bought the Lightweight Racing Interceptor as it was a one-of-one only car. It has the chassis number 116/2875. 116 denotes the manual cars (115 is the chassis number of the automatic cars), 2875 was the only one of the 23 RHD manual cars that had no power steering, air conditioning... with weight reduction - the Lightweight Racing Interceptor,a 440 cubic inch engine, alloy wheels and louvred glass fibre bonnet with battery in the trunk.

All European 60's classic cars, had at most 300 hp; E Types 200 hp (net) 265 (SAE); similar to the Aston Martin DB:4, 5 and 6's straight six. Only Jensens and Monteverdi 375's had Chrysler 440 375 hp engines. Only these engines can be stroked and uprated to over 1000 hp with nitrous. The Ford 427 side oiler, as found in the AC Cobra Mk2 and Ford GT40 7 litre; produced 410 hp (net); 480 hp (net) (in the race GT40 with Holman Moody heads) respectively.

The most valuable one-of-one only American/European classic car is the Carol Shelly's personal Cobra Super Snake CSX 3015. One of only 23 427 competition roadsters built, CSX was hot rodded by Shelby in 1967. Fitted with a pair of ball-drive Paxton superchargers, on a dual-quad 427, backed up with a C6 Ford auto gearbox, the other 427 Shelby was crashed after Bill Cosby sold it on. That makes the 3015 a one-of-one car. It was sold at Barret-Jackson in January 2007 at Scottsdale, Arizona for $5.5 million. The supercharged 427 made around 512 - 550 hp (net). As the C6 in standard form uses 60hp and probably has a high stall converter, the Shelby automatic gearbox probably uses 100 hp, dropping horsepower at the wheels to 412 - 450 hp. All Cobra's weigh in at 2626 lb. In giving the $5.5 million Cobra a power to weight ratio of around 350 - 384 horsepower per ton. This is the second most powerful 60's roadcar, in terms of power to weight ratio. The most powerful is the Lightweight Racing Interceptor, having a manual gearbox (that does not have an automatic gearbox using 100 hp just to work) and 1100 hp. Giving a 821 hp per tonne. As a one-of-one classic hypercar, the most powerful original engined + make, 60's roadcar, the Lightweight Racing Interceptor is a blue chip investment for the serious collector.

The car has 1100 bhp and 821 hp per ton with the race cut-outs on the exhausts opened full, 1080 bhp for the road on closed exhaust.

The other super expensive Chrysler roadcar is the one-of-one Monteverdi HAI (shark) powered by a 426 cubic inch hp Hemi. This is an early 70's car. Worth $17 million dollars plus. Two Monteverdi HAI's built from parts are in the Swiss Monteverdi museum. This is the most expensive one-of-one classic 70's roadcar. Powered by Chrysler. So one can see Chrysler engined cars have immense value if one-of-one cars. The Lightweight Racing manual Interceptor is Chrysler powered and a one-of-one only. It is all original, having the Hemi A833 4 speed Chrysler manual gearbox and a Salisbury 2.88 to one (unique to manual cars) back axle, mated to the 493 cubic inch Chrysler engine. The 440 Chrysler came out in 1967, so like the Hemi, are the true supercar engines of the 1960's. Both the Hemi and RB (raised block) 440 engine have the largest deck height of 10.725 inches; so can be stroked up to 540 cubic inches. The Ford 427 and Chevrolet 427 have a lower deck height, so cannot be stroked to the same extent as the Chryslers of the 1960's. In the 70's Ford and Chevrolet caught up with the Ford 460 and Chevy 454. Chrysler has the perfect big bore, short stroke of a race motor.

Jensens in general are valuable, but not spectacularly so. But the one-of-one only Lightweight Racing Interceptor is vastly valuable, as it is the unique classic roadcar, hypercar, of the 1960's. The most powerful 60's classic roadster. As any investor will tell you the unique, most powerful, original, hypercar of the 60's is a blue-chip investment. That is why the present owner bought it 30 years ago. Now due to emigrating from Britain to retire, the owner is offering this unique investment opportunity to the serious collector. The one-of-one Lightweight Racing Interceptor, most powerful classic hypercar will make the perfect centre piece of the serious collector's car collection: making it the most prestigious collection in the world by having the most powerful one-of-one 60's roadcar with 1080 hp. Closed exhaust 1100 hp + with open race exhausts.

There are a number of companies restoring American and European muscle-cars and classic cars respectively. Prices for Mustangs, Cudas and Cameros can be as high as $350,000; for restored, super powerful clones of muscle-cars. Mustangs generally have 427 aluminium after market engines that make up to 725 hp with twin Paxton super-chargers. Cudas generally have the Indy Hemi that in 528 cubic inch trim is 591 hp 641 lb ft of torque. Cameros have the 572 cubic inch after market Chevy engine rated at 620 hp and 650 lb ft of torque. These are all aftermarket non-original engines. The Eagle E Type uses the 4.2 straight six engine stroked to 4.7 litres and producing 300 hp. This is using the original E-Type Jaguar engine. Cost of these cars is £250,000 to £500,000. The Mk 3 automatic Jensen Interceptor is also sold as the Interceptor R with a Chevy 6.2 litre Corvette engine, auto box and uprated suspension for £117,000. Thousands of Interceptors were built with Mk 3 auto transmission, so the non-unique cars benchmark the price of Interceptors with 429 hp after market Chevy engines. Special resto-rods can be up to $1000,000 in the states; built as unique cars for the rich and famous. So the cost spread for non-original common 60's cars, is from $350,000 - $1000,000, for fully built, US muscle car clones with high horsepower.

The one-of-one Lightweight Racing Interceptor is unique and has a 800 hp 800 lb/ft torque 493 Chrysler engine, using the original Interceptor 440 block+rocker covers. An original unique one-of-one car with an original Interceptor engine. Hemi Cudas have sold at auction recently for $400,000, a convertible for over $1 million dollars. No one-of-one car has appeared on the market recently. This one-of-one hypercar is an investor's dream car for it is original, has cachet and has been out of the loop for 30 years. Like the Shelby Cobra Super Snake CSX 3015 the Lightweight Racing Interceptor has been factory race uprated, some of the extensive race uprated features are:-

Ram air induction in a special unique fibreglass hood adds 40 hp

Raised port racing cylinder heads, fully ported.

Race Blueprinting of the 493 Chrysler engine by top British funny car engine builder.

Roller camshaft so the engine can spin to 8000 rpm.

Raised RB block in as original Interceptor, strengthened with a stud girdle.

Raised capacity from 440 cubic inches to 493 cubic inches.

Race rods, H beam, 7.1 inches in length for maximum rod/stroke ratio.

Race carb, 1000 HP Holley custom tuned by the engine builder.

Race engine internals, all forged to take 1100 hp.

Race cooling system with custom aluminium radiator to take 1100 hp.

Race oiling system, Hemi pickup and high volume pump and pan.

Race suspension, special double lever front shocks, coil over shocks at rear.

Race brake calipers to uprate original Dunlop disc breaks.

Race fuel system, two Holley G rotor high volume 150 gallon pumps, and original fuel tank modified for racing with internal baffles.

Race nitrous system, controllable power upration from 100 - 300 hp. Set on 300 hp.

Race wheels, original 60's Wolfrace 7in x 15 in dish-mags.

Race ignition MSD 7AL and MSD retard box for Nitrous Oxide sytem.

Race uprated Hemi A833 original Chrysler manual box.

Race exhaust, custom 3 inch large bore stainless steel twin exhaust.

Race exhaust cut-outs electronically controlled for open partial or closed exhaust system.

Race exhaust crossover to add 25 hp to engine output.

Race carbspacer to add 20 hp to engine output.

Race dual plane, max wedge port manifold, to boost low end end torque, and high rpm horsepower.

Race profiled standard port heads to enable the engine to idle at 800 rpm, and have power and torque from fast velocity in ports at low rpm.

Roadcar designed engine for 680 lb ft of torque from low rpm, off idle to >800 lb ft at 5200 rpm, to give a flat plateau-like torque curve for acceleration, all facilitated by the special methanol/water injection system.
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by VFK44 »

Bear in mind that this is from the same guy that wants to sell you:
The Money Jewelry Psychotronic Generator® turns all your jewellery into money batteries that feed you with money energy to make you rich.
and runs a website called Real Vampires.

He is convinced the "men in black" are brainwashing him and published pictures of every white van in the area as they are apparently involved in a conspiracy to project brainwashing rays into his bathroom.

I think an exaggerated description of his Jensen is the least of his worries.
"Now that chassis number is particularly interesting ‘cos it’s the one after the one before, which is the one after mine, not many people know that"
Stephen, Epping, Essex
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by Steve Prince »

And of course it was also built using lightweight lead loading to correct the poor body pressings too.
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by taximan »

This has been discussed time and again Denis, I'm sure you have better,more productive things you could be doing than reading his drivel.
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by Chris_R »

Leaving aside the drivel on the website, the only thing of note in the Chassis Data book is the only option code against the car is TM for "Trim Modifications" and a note that it was fitted with a 2.88:1 rear axle.
Now that Richard Calver is on the forum it would be interesting to know if he has any other information about the claims although I suspect he would have put such information in the notes if there was anything of interest.
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by RAP72 »

116/2875

Blurb and Photos from oct 2011

http://www.joc.org.uk/Interceptor_Mk_1/116_2875.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by taximan »

See the air con that was never there has saved 100lb in weight!
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by MikeWilliams »

By putting this rubbish on a JOC web site (Interceptor MK1) are you not adding authenticity to this car?

It was a bog standard MK1 when it left the factory. Many years later it was modified for racing and some of that work was done by JP&S. Other than that it the modifications have no Jensen provenance at all.

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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by VFK44 »

Interesting point. Most of the information about the Mk1 cars is collated from adverts and I'm not sure all the owners had their hands resting on a bible when they made their sales pitch. Maybe an all purpose disclaimer above the "comments" section is required?
"Now that chassis number is particularly interesting ‘cos it’s the one after the one before, which is the one after mine, not many people know that"
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by Martin R »

If you rub snake oil on any Jensen, it will go 195MPH, minimum.
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by RAP72 »

MikeWilliams wrote:By putting this rubbish on a JOC web site (Interceptor MK1) are you not adding authenticity to this car?

Mike
Mike
The mk1 survivors site started out as just that a quest to identify the survivors. You may have noted I have a couple of caveats on the site:

1. Over time, as cars are bought and sold, we should be able to record the sales data on the car and build up a history of what has happened and why.

2. Please note that the information given for each car is the work of the owner/seller and as such cannot be verified.

All I am trying to do is note every mk1 that I, or others see, and then track it's progress. At the same time I hope that interest is generated in Jensen cars and the jensen club. So far the site has had 9300+ hits.

Oscar Wilde:

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.


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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by Richard Calver »

2875 would have been a rare, valuable, interesting and desirable car if it hadn't been bastardized. The manuals generally have 2.88 axles, so nothing unusual there. JP&S carried out performance work on various cars, including another manual, 2856 (see pics in All The Models, pp288-9). I don't know what happened to 2875 after it left the factory but it was nothing like the vendor makes out now. Anyone can hotrod an old car, and all too often they do.
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by Denis »

That`s always interesting where customizing ends and bastardizing starts?

For example, tuned exhaust headers and manifold - is this bastardizing of customizing:)?

Another example - I stripped all flat RAF dark green paint from the wooden boards of my 1942 Dodge WC, dismantled it, polished and covered with 4 layers of boat laquer - looks nice, but not original.

Or period aircraft clock in the engine turned finish selfmade panel under dash of 1955 Buick Century.

Or natural leather and wilton carpets for car which originally had an cheap vinyl all around, would it passion killer or just nice addition?

Or Wopac reading light in the Interceptor interior?
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by MikeWilliams »

Steve,

I didn't mean to slur your excellent work and website in any way, but am concerned about this folklore being handed down as fact. If building up a public-access record on each car maybe some of the correspondence on here would help set the record straight? or a note to indicate that some of the provenance is disputed? The last thing I want is to cause you so much work that you throw in the towel, but .... well, I don't know what's best. What do you think?

Mike
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Still own 1938 Jensen HL1 drophead
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Re: Lightweight Interceptor - is this truth?

Post by MikeWilliams »

And thanks to Ricardo for so politely suggesting that I might well have confused two manual cars and the one for sale may not be the one I remember at the factory ... which means the Jensen provenance may be even more dubious! Must admit the reg number didn't look familiar.

Customize? Bastardise? Modernise? I like everything as Jensen intended, but then I have Halogen bulbs and an electric fan in my V12, so I'm not true to my own convictions! If you replace too much with safer, better, modern parts, you're not experiencing motoring of the era and may be better off with a kit car. As for removing original paint - you can do whatever you want with your own car, but please record the exact shade, type and finish of the original, or ensure it is already well documented, otherwise history has been lost forever.

I think the difference is that unlike this vendor, you are not claiming that your Dodge is extremely valuable and worth as much as a Bugatti because it has factory finished ultra rare varnished floor boards!

Mike
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