France/Switzerland 2019

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hmcnd
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Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:25 pm

France/Switzerland 2019

Post by hmcnd »

As some may know our plans to join the Dutch/Swiss trips last year were thwarted by DFDS leading to two broken exhaust manifolds. We were very disappointed. So, I have now taken the FF alone to Mulhouse and then on to Switzerland , based in Meiringen. I made the 840 mile return journey in one day; has anyone driven their Jensen further in a day recently?.How impressive these cars must have been in 1970 !...they are still now.
My thanks to my local mechanic ,Alex, who takes such pride in looking after the car, and to Steve Payne for his advice , and for telling me about , and letting me borrow,his thingymijig which opens French motorway peage automatically without having to stop.
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Chris_R
JOC General Secretary
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Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by Chris_R »

The most I've done in a day in the Interceptor is about 530 miles. They are very capable long distance GT cars in the truest sense of GT - Grand Tourer.
I love this definition:
The grand touring designation generally means "motoring at speed, in style, in safety, and in comfort", not just adding fancy wheels and go-faster stripes on the side of an otherwise mundane family car.
The ideal is of a car with the ability to cross a continent at speed and in comfort yet provide driving thrills when demanded and it should exhibit the following:
  • The engines should be able to cope with cruising comfortably at the upper limits on all continental roads without drawbacks or loss of usable power.
    Ideally, the GT car should have been devised by its originators as a Grand Tourer, with all associated considerations in mind.
    It should be able to transport at least two in comfort with their luggage and have room to spare — probably in the form of a 2+2 seating arrangement.
    The design, both inside and out, should be geared toward complete control by the driver.
    Its chassis and suspension provide suitable handling and roadholding on all routes during travels.
A perfect summing up for both the Interceptor and the FF. Also of the 541 range and the C-V8 too.
Chris
JOC Member 6116
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colin7673
now normal...
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Location: Spalding Lincolnshire
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Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by colin7673 »

Most we have done is Spalding to Luxembourg.. can't remember the town, but it was just under 500 miles, apart from the train and fuel stops it was running all the time.
Coming home we stopped at Gent, filled tank first thing in the morning at Gent, and got back to spalding with quarter of tank left. I was happy with that.
Only working half a day now.
http://www.jensensontour.co.uk
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dmgress
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Location: UK

Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by dmgress »

752 miles from Juan-les-Pins to Calais on 02 June. We could still walk at the end of it...
1969 Mk1 manual Interceptor
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Joerg
JOC Early Cars Registrar
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Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:38 pm
Location: Germany

Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by Joerg »

897 Miles im 16 hours from St. Malo to DRESDEN in my CV8!
I own some of the odd Jensen 8)
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kees
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Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 9:35 pm
Location: Heerjansdam NL

Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by kees »

Some years ago we had to drive home from Cernobbio (Lake Como) to Heerjansdam (near Rotterdam) in one day in the Jensen-Healey. Over a 1000km or 625mls of open motoring. We took the St. Gotthardt pass instead of the tunnel. This was much faster as there was quite a waiting queue for the tunnel. Down the motorway to Basel and then the Routes Nationales and D-roads in France to Mons, Belgium and from there the motorways to Heerjansdam. It took about 14hrs incl. stops for fuel, food etc. It was very tiring because of the noise of the exhaust and especially from the open K&N filters on the DellOrto´s. We had to use earplugs. It was the main reason that I reverted to the original air filter set up to be modified later to the present Lotus spec.We still use the earplugs on long trips though.
Kees Oudesluijs
J-H MkII, 1974
owner of a J-H since 1977
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Jens
Dr. Umlaut & Area Rep for Germany
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Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by Jens »

Second longest trip in one go with a Jensen:

2007 from Deauville to Munich, 1.100 km (688 mls) in 12 hrs.

I bought my 541S in Deauville, flew from Munich to Paris (my luggage consisted of a bag of tools), rental car to Deauville and than back home in the 541 from 2 pm until 2 am.

First thing I did was to buy 5 new tyres, the ones on the car were nearly 20 years old and hard as stones. In retrospective I shuld have changed them before the trip, the risk of a failure with these old tyres is immense.

Longest trip:

2016 Belfast to Dresden in a C-V8, 925 mls on the road plus two ferry crossings (Belfast - Liverpool and Dover - Dunkerque) in 36 hrs (incl. 6 hrs sleep on the continent), without any car related issues. I was on the Liverpool ferry the night the attacks in Paris (Bataclan) took place, an eerie silence in the late evening even in the otherwise loud and joyful restaurants and casinos.
In order of appearance:

(sold) C-V8 Mk III 112/2432
541 S 102/1035
(sold) FF MkII 127/243 (sold)
Healey Mk II 1140/14406
(sold)Jensen GT 1610/30257(sold)
Scimitar GTE SE5
Gordon Keeble #21
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felixkk
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Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by felixkk »

Did Zurich-UK and back a few times to attend the International and the 541 60th, with the Interceptor and the C-V8, leaving on Friday at 5am and arriving 12 or 13 hours later, and returning on Sunday usually leaving around 3pm. Love that drive.
Felix Kistler
C-V8 112/2454, 541DL 2223849
JOC 9465
Secretary/VP JCC Jensen Car Club of Switzerland

www.jcc.ch / office@jcc.ch
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felixkk
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Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by felixkk »

Super fun was on the deutsche Autobahn to Chemnitz in 2017: C-V8 Mk3 vs FF Mk1 vs Int Mk2 vs late Int Mk3. Very few passed us. Such great cars, the Jensens!!!
Felix Kistler
C-V8 112/2454, 541DL 2223849
JOC 9465
Secretary/VP JCC Jensen Car Club of Switzerland

www.jcc.ch / office@jcc.ch
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Joerg
JOC Early Cars Registrar
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Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by Joerg »

Same fun on Suisse Motorway, but more outlaw :lol:
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I own some of the odd Jensen 8)
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felixkk
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Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by felixkk »

Two C-V8s at the gas station... with two FFs behind them. Probably a singular incident in Swiss automotive history :D Are you doing sign language with Andi? The speeding ticket I got shortly afterwards, chasing you- 2kmh faster and I would have had to appear before the judge. Excellent day that was (on the way to Turin 2016)!
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Felix Kistler
C-V8 112/2454, 541DL 2223849
JOC 9465
Secretary/VP JCC Jensen Car Club of Switzerland

www.jcc.ch / office@jcc.ch
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Han Kamp
Posts: 2012
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:28 pm
Location: Netherlands

Re: France/Switzerland 2019

Post by Han Kamp »

Drove 1150 KMS. From Rotterdam to the Swiss Jensen meet in my Jensen GT in about 13 hours. The return trip in only 12 hours.
Han Kamp The Netherlands
Formerly owned Jensens: 1974 JH, 1976 GT, 1952 4 litre Interceptor, 1954 4 litre Interceptor Left Hand Drive, 1957 541.

clubwebsite: http://www.JensenHolland.nl
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