1973 Other Makes Interceptor

U/K

7.2L 7211CC 440Cu. In. V8 GAS OHV Naturally Aspira

Automatic

1335646

Clear

Gasoline

Having watched the last twenty or so Interceptors sold on eBay or featured on Bring-a-Trailer.com, I’m confident this is one of the better Interceptor saloons offered in some time. It features a recent high-quality original color respray over a rust-free California body, a lovely original leather interior and sorted mechanicals. It’s a strong driver/local or regional show contender with some minor detailing. There's a Photobucket page with more photos here: http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/sassum/library/?view=recent&page=1 HISTORY I believe that I am the fourth owner of the car. The original owner was a Northern California doctor who took delivery of the car from Kjell Qvale’s British Motorcars. It was originally registered with the blue California tag “683 SKB” which it wore until 1995. The doctor owned the car for about ten years and sold it in fairly tired mechanical condition to owner #2 who lived in Southern California. Owner number two spent thousands (mainly at Jensen Service in Reseda, CA) over the course of about ten years bringing the car back to top mechanical condition before selling it to owner number three in Minneapolis in the mid-1990s. Owner number three showed it occasionally throughout the Midwest and put about 1,000 miles on it before storing it for ten years. I bought it about 1.5 years ago and spent over $10,000 bringing it back to its former glory. It’s my second Interceptor and I intended to keep it for some time but the purchase of a Ferrari 308 has made that not possible. MECHANICALS Owner number two had attended to the major systems including an engine and transmission rebuild (neither of which have more than 20,000 miles on them). The engine was rebuilt by Wilson Brothers in Ontario, California. It was bored and stroked to 505 cubic inches with Ross 10.5:1 forged pistons, a double roller timing chain, a high performance Mellings oil pump and a Mopar high performance cam shaft. Rods were shot-peened and polished. It has Joe Ellis 2” headers. Nothing looks modified (other than the headers) but the car runs incredibly strong and is now likely quite a bit more powerful than a 383 equipped Interceptor MKI. The torque converter and limited slip were also rebuilt. It has Bosch electric fans and a re-cored radiator. As a result of long-term storage, the brakes were soft when I got the car. It now has new lines and a rebuilt booster and master cylinder from White Post Restorations. Electricals were sorted out at the same time. The A/C system amazingly was still charged when I got it. I elected not to convert it to R134a but simply serviced the compressor and topped it up with R12. It blows 35 degrees F (1.7 degrees C) at the vents. I added an upgraded blower motor from K&D Engineering. It has five new Goodyear tires in the correct 215/70/15 size mounted on perfect factory GKN alloy wheels. BODY This car has most certainly NEVER turned a wheel in either Minnesota or Michigan salt. It was a California car from new until the mid-1990s and of the two California Interceptors that I’ve owned and the numerous others that I’ve looked at, it is the most solid. There is no evidence that I can see of any rust or rust repair ever. When I got the car, it was fresh from long-term storage still wearing its early 1980s vintage respray. There was not so much as a bubble on the car anywhere. The floors, sills and frame are totally sound and solid. The first respray had actually held up pretty well, but unfortunately, the car had suffered numerous dings, scrapes and scratches in storage and the only real solution seemed to be a complete respray. The car was disassembled (including the difficult to remove cowl vent and squirters that most people leave in place or worse, spray over) and resprayed in its original Cerise maroon, wet sanded and buffed and given new rubber seals where old ones were worn out. Panel gaps are excellent, and it presents beautifully although not to national concours standards (there’s a tiny fish-eye or two and some very minor material shrinkage around the louvers, none are obvious or detract from what is a gorgeous car and most people either “A” wouldn’t notice or “B” bother to mention them). The bright work on the car is original and holding up very nicely, particularly the stainless and the window frames, although the bumpers could stand replating to be as nice as the paintwork. INTERIOR The interior was represented to me as totally original. I’m on the fence about the front seats. They simply seem too nice but they certainly are correct black Connolly leather complete with the corduroy velcro headrest pillows. In any event, it all shows evidence of garaging and regular Hide Food applications. Everything else from door panels, to rear seats is also gorgeous black leather. Headliner and sun visors are white leather and beautiful and original. The burl walnut wood console is correct and original and the veneer and varnish are in good shape. No incorrect grain wood replacement here. The dash is very nice with just a pair of a tiny cracks by the little triangular vents in the very corners of the dash only. You can only see it from outside the car if you’re looking for it. The glovebox is not warped as so many are and fits nicely. The power windows are Mopar and therefore work fast and reliably. The clock is however non-working. The original Lear Jet 8-track stereo is working and comes with a collection of 8-track tapes for your listening pleasure. The boot is complete with fire extinguisher, tool kit and a full, untouched British Bradex emergency kit with the finest quality British bandages and whatnot. A thick file of receipts going back to the early 1980s, period photos, owner’s manual, Lear Jet stereo manual, wiring diagram and issues of the Jensen Owner’s Club magazine come with the car. Immediate needs are few: The front seat belts are getting frayed. The two options are after market belts (which will work better but won’t fit with the distinctive Jensen catches necessitating their replacement) or re-webbing the originals. I decided to leave it to the next owner to decide. The brand new power antenna just crapped out but the radio tunes just fine with the antenna in the down position. I never managed to get the two-tone horns to work (only the “country” setting works). The exhaust system is sound but aftermarket. It sounds amazing but if you prefer the look of the stock system, they’re available from D&K for about $700. You’d have to go back to the stock Mopar exhaust manifolds (which I don’t have). The engine compartment is tidy but largely original. Some minor detailing here might be in order if you’re so inclined. The temp gauge occasionally goes whacko from pole to pole (thank you Smiths). It’s likely the sender. I’ve had the car checked with an infrared temp gauge, all is well and the Bosch fans cycle on and off properly. The oil filter has been relocated because of the headers. It doesn’t sit as low as it appears in the photos but the obvious thing here is to avoid off-roading in your Jensen or hitting massive road debris. If it makes you nervous, the solution is to fashion a guard or go back to the stock exhaust and relocate it to the original position. The market for real hybrid cars (European coachwork with American engines) has been extremely strong of late if you’ve priced Iso Rivoltas, Iso Leles and Intermeccanica Italias to say nothing of Facel Vegas, you’ll get it. Interceptors while far less rare that any of the above are nevertheless about 50% more expensive than they were five years ago. Prices in Europe are even stronger. An Interceptor probably represents your last chance to buy an affordable car with styling by Touring and Vignale of Italy, English craftsmanship and American muscle. Wait until next spring and you may be priced out of the market and if you didn’t want an Interceptor bad enough already, watch this video from “Top Gear.” It's hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLp4FhDAfQk I’m happy to work with European buyers but shipping is your responsibility. The car is in climate controlled storage now and I’m happy to pick up the first month if it takes a while to get a shipper here. Thereafter, you’re responsible at $125 per month. 0-10 feedback and non-US buyers must contact me first or risk bid cancellation. Any inspections must take place during the pendency of the auction. You’re buying the car, not an option to buy the car. Sale is as-is, where-is. On Nov-25-14 at 08:34:39 PST, seller added the following information: Several people have asked about the German plate on the front of the car. That was done for a magazine photo shoot, the other Interceptor had a front plate (a UK plate I believe) and the photographer wanted a similar plate on my car. The car has never been to Germany. On Nov-27-14 at 12:33:10 PST, seller added the following information: I was asked about the hood fit in the professional photos that were taken for a magazine: Someone at the photo shoot opened the hood to look at the engine and didn't shut it properly. It fits fine.