The Jensen Healey
The red car pictured above is a 1973 Jensen Healey. This British sports car was produced from 1972--1976 with the '76 models (all 500 of them) being a fastback/hardtop version of this car--like an MGB-GT.
This is how the car looked when we bought it, factory fiberglass hardtop attached, in "Mustard" color. Yech! The PO had put the chrome wire wheels on which added just the right amount of "classic British car" touch to it.
Amazing how different things look in Viper Red! The JH is powered by a 2 liter dual overhead cam Lotus engine--the same basic engine found in the Lotus Turbo Esprit. This car was noted for being the first production car sold in the US that produced more than 1 horsepower per cubic inch, squeezing 140 horses out of 120 cubic inches.
A couple of times a year one of the local enthusiasts hosts a "drive-in" at his little British car shop. He serves burgers and chili while we wander through his parts bins, admire one another's cars and tell lies!
Cool guys--cool cars, what can I say? The real owner of the JH is my son, on the right in this pic. He and a high school buddy were selected for the US Coast Guard Academy--quite an honor for our local high school. They'll both graduate May, 2004 as Ensigns with degrees in Engineering. What you can't see is the other Cadet's immaculate 1967 Galaxie 500 XL convertible with a beautifully prepared 390-4V.
What can I say? Cool guys--cool cars!
