V8 cars : Reference, restoration and maintenance
There is a great deal of material in print to help you restore or maintain a V8-engined Jensen. I'm often asked what's available in this area so here's a quick guide to the literature.
Factory data (all
cars)
My Jensen Genome lists the the basic data for each of the V8 cars from 1962 to 2005. For a given VIN you can look up the engine number, first registration number, original paint colour, roof colour and trim colour, fitted options, date of despatch and country of first sale, as far as these things were known in 2019 when the book was printed. This is all useful stuff if you are contemplating restoration to original spec or if you are looking for something "period" in terms of a colour change or other options. The originality guide gives you a reference to the original features found throughout production of Interceptors and FFs from 1966 to 1992.
Factory data (specific car)
You can order a Heritage Certificate or a photocopy of the Service Department file for your Interceptor or FF from Martin Robey. The Certificate gives you the same basic data as you'll find in the Genome plus some other serial numbers of interest. The Service Department files are a great resource for detailed information about a car and usually show more for the Home Market cars than for those which were exported. The factory files for the C-V8s are held by the Jensen Owners Club. You can also purchase a letter of authenticity from me which gives a personalized readout on your car.
Handbooks
Jensen Motors published owner handbooks for its V8 models. Those for the Interceptor III (late variants) are still available new. Those for the C-V8, Interceptor, Interceptor II, FF, SP, early Interceptor III and Convertible are only available on the second-hand market. There are many editions of these handbooks.
Parts catalogues
Jensen issued a parts catalogue (without illustrations) for the C-V8 in 1965. More substantial illustrated catalogues followed for Interceptors and FFs.
There is a parts catalogue for the Interceptor I and FF I.
There is another one for the Interceptor II and FF II. It exists in two basic versions (an early and a revised edition) and there are reprints of the revised version.
For the Interceptor III, FF III and SP, there are several editions of the parts catalogue. The last edition has been reprinted over the years in different bindings.
For the Interceptor III Convertible, a parts catalogue supplement was issued in 1974.
For the Coupé, there is a loose-leaf collection of 28 pages detailing parts specific to this model.
Jensen workshop manuals
There is a workshop manual for the Interceptor I and FF I which was updated over time.
For the Interceptor II and FF II, there are two factory versions of the manual. The second version was updated by Jensen and there are later reprints of this version.
For the Interceptor III, FF III and SP, there are several versions of the factory manual (which is essentially an updated version of the Interceptor II & FF II manual) as well as several packages of update pages, including pages dealing with the Convertible. There are later reprints of the final fully updated version of the factory manual.
Chrysler workshop manuals
Jensen issued workshop manuals for the Chrysler components of the Interceptor III. These consisted of photocopied pages from the relevant Chrysler service manuals. Generic reprints for the 383 and 440ci engines are available.
An alternative and more detailed source for the same information is Year One, a US company which has the licence to reproduce the entire range of historical Mopar service manuals. These are big books covering every aspect of Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth cars rather than just the engine and transmission pages reproduced by Jensen. Either the Plymouth or Dodge series would be suitable for Jensen purposes and copies can be obtained to suit each model year (based on the engine designation). Alternatively, the same books can be purchased as CDs.
For Jensens, the relevant manuals are 1962 (S-series), 1964 (V-series), 1965 (A-series), 1966 (B-series), 1967 (C-series), 1968 (D-series), 1969 (E-series), 1970 (F-series), 1971 (G-series), 1972 (H-series), 1973 (J or 3-series), 1974 (K or 4-series), 1975 (L or 5-series). These manuals cover all engines and gearboxes used in each model year so it is not necessary to specify an engine size or gearbox type when ordering.
Jensen service bulletins
Jensen Motors provided hundreds of technical updates to its dealer network via service bulletins. The UK (Home) series was collated and reprinted in 2004 and is available from me as a bound volume. These bulletins are also applicable to the USA and other export cars.
Tech tips
In 1992, Hugh Milligan produced a book of tech tips compiled from many sources including the JIOC magazine Gentleman's Express. The Tech Tips book is no longer available except on the second-hand market. Look for ISBN 0-9635225-0-7, Selkirk Press, Sandpoint ID.
Where to buy stuff
For original or reprinted factory parts manuals, workshop manuals and owner handbooks, try the Jensen Owners Club, Cropredy Bridge Garage and Martin Robey.
Other stuff
My books are available direct from me or from select clubs and resellers worldwide.
If you know of other published sources for technical or restoration matters, please contact me at tfmuch@bigpond.com.