Light at the end of the tunnel
I WON’T DWELL on why progress has been giving the Jakobshavn Glacier a run for its money, but what you need to know is that the Jensen went away in spring 2019 with a brief for it to be made ‘solid and presentable’. The job was given to Massimo Olimpi at Autostilo (www. autostilo.co.uk), who’d done beautiful – I mean glorious – work on my pal Tom Cribb’s Alfas at extremely reasonable rates.
Things began well but then Massimo started having a 2019 that knocked most people’s 2020 into a cocked hat for bad luck and trauma. It was capped off when I visited the Jensen just before Christmas, to find he had simultaneously uncovered the worst of the rot and was under threat of losing his workshop. All in all, it was a pretty demoralising day for both of us, but at least things couldn’t get any worse. Then Covid happened…
When I could finally revisit my car at the beginning of August, I didn’t have high hopes – in fact, I was half-expecting a discussion about removing my stripped car so they could get on with other projects – so I was shocked and delighted to see some real progress had been made with the Jensen. New workshop manager Andrew walked me around it and talked me through it and the whole thing was confidenceinspiring on many levels. Apart from the areas we already knew about, the car is pretty solid, and what’s notable is how good is the quality of the work they have done so far and, most of all, their determination not to bodge it (as I might have suggested, I can’t help myself ) but to do it properly.
The downside of that is that they sent me away with another lengthy shopping list. Having previously invested in rear arch outer repair sections and front and rear lower valances, I am now also in for inner arches, inner sills, inner rear skirt and a few other
bits and pieces. It hurts like hell financially, but I know they are right. When Leah Guilliard-Watts, HR/operations director at Cropredy Bridge Cars and editor of the Jensen Owners’ Club magazine, saw my post about it on instagram, she offered to help. With further assistance of Laura Holloway and Steve Preest I have now bought the necessary metal so works can get going pronto. Another big pause could be fatal.
How do I feel now? Sure I was getting frustrated, but it is amazing how quickly that dissipates when you start to see some progress and feel like a project might have turned the corner. It’s the same sense of anticipation and relief as when the seatbelt warning light comes on and your jumbo starts its descent after a long-haul flight. Personally, I suspect they just want rid of it now so they can have the space back, but if that means it is prioritised then it works for me!