Mods and Consequences

Make the car Jensen should have with just a few choice mods to this high-tech roadster

Jensen-Healey

’Many owners firm things up so they can better enjoy the peach of an engine’

Colin Chapman pulled quite a trick on Jensen, getting the West Bromwich company to essentially test out his new 907 engine in the Healey before improving it and fitting it to his own cars. It’s this development with later Lotuses that shows the best path for modifying the Jensen-Healey – to be both more reliable and powerful. Of course, the easiest thing to do would be to swap the engine out for a later 912 engine, but that’s not a possibility due to external differences. However, it is possible to swap the internals of a 907 for a 2.2-litre 912, which in highcompression form produces an extra 40bhp and 38lb ft of torque over the Jensen. Given the 907 received the unfortunate nickname of the ‘torqueless wonder’, that’s no bad thing. It’s possible to go further still though, Lotus 900 engine specialist Lotusbits having increased capacity to a further 2.5 litres. This brings the torque curve right down, making the car much more tractable at low revs. What’s more, with the later 912 cam carriers fitted, it won’t leak like most Jensen-Healeys are notorious for. The Jensen, largely based on Vauxhall Viva/Firenza underpinnings, is also generally regarded a bit too softly sprung, so many owners firm things up so they can better enjoy the Jensen’s peach of an engine. Polybushes and modern dampers generally do the job, while it’s also possible to fit the anti-roll bar of largerengined Firenzas with a bit of mChoadrilfiie cCaatlidoenr.wood