Alpl Hillclimb 1971

The International Alpl Hillßclimb was hosted by the Styrian Automobil & Motorsports Club in the years from 1954 to 1990. A time when racing was much more colorful than today even in black and white. When you have seen recently race officials which loose hubcaps from their Mustang, big fat Commos, strange driving styles, an Alfa Romeo sponsored by SPAR or a couple which manage to drive equally elapsed times?

Die Rennleitung
courtesy of Erwin Jelinek/Technisches Museum

Opel Commodore
courtesy of Erwin Jelinek/Technisches Museum

Moto X style
courtesy of Erwin Jelinek/Technisches Museum

SPAR Alfa
courtesy of Erwin Jelinek/Technisches Museum

girl/boy racing
courtesy of Erwin Jelinek/Technisches Museum

Living dead

About 12 years ago this sad looking Interceptor was offered to me by a german car dealer. He stopped by in Vienna to deliver a classic car to one of his customers. He left the pictures but regardless the low prize of 4000 Deutsch Marks I hadnt to much emotions to look at the Jensen in real life. The original silver color was long gone and 128/4515 (new delivered to the Channel Islands) was the typical living dead Jensen which sells from one yard to another. Btw watch the MIG in the background :-)

 

Austrian Muscle

The great Franz Albert racing his Camaro at the airfield Langenlebarn in 1970 and 71. After his career as racer Albert opened an engine shop and became famous for turboed and supercharged engines powering Koenig Ferraris and Mercedes of the 80s.
The Camaro was later used in hillclimb trials and ended in the yard of my friend Michael K. The aluminum small block chevy was apart for service, the chassis suffered some rust damage. In the early 90s Michael offered me the Camaro but I couldnt afford the prize of 50k austrian schillings. The last trace of the car so far, its owned by a famous austrian rally driver and will be restored to former glory.



courtesy of Arthur Fenzlau/Technisches Museum

courtesy of Arthur Fenzlau/Technisches Museum

courtesy of Arthur Fenzlau/Technisches Museum

Deep House, Jazzy Interceptor Mk II

... is the star on the Nigel Hayes album (...But Is It Art).
It is 125/5017 a silver grey Interceptor II with black interior originaly deliverd new to Austria in February 1970. For several years it belonged to a viennese businessman and at that time the pictures for the album were taken in front of the "Sommerbad Laaerberg". The album was produced by the label Sunshine Enterprises based in Vienna and if you like electronic club music its really worth to listen.

Jensen Interceptor pop up

There was a Jensen Interceptor popping up near Vienna for sale. I had a look at this LHD MkII before end of the year. It was stored outside several years under a tonneau cover in Klosterneuburg near Vienna. Short time later my friend Ernst  took care of the Interceptor. The car was originaly delivered to Germany1970 and in early 1971 registered here in Austria by a major textil industrialist.
The original color was Reef Blue with black leather, the car was built in series with other Interceptors for the US market so it has sidemarkers and chromed Rostyle wheels.

Klosterneuburg

                

new home

                

Jensen Interceptor back to the origins

 

After 12 years of Indy headed 440 nitrous injected and stroked 500ci engines my Jensen Interceptor deserves the right to get back his original low compression hipo RB engine. Its got a fresh up to stock specs. I will try some different carb combinations, from Holley spreadbore to Carter Thermoquad and Rohester Q-Jet to figure out best power and mileage.

 

Indy engine comes out...

 

...and will find a new home in a 71 Charger

...the bluprinted stock engine near completion

The Jensen Interceptor Office

Nice vid of Jensen Interceptor promotion car in a London departement store.

JENSEN OFFICE CAR

Got Colors?

Yes the Mexxspeed Ghia paintjob is already done. After 250hrs hard work by ToxicTom and Mexx the finished result is just amazing. ToxicToms artworks and paintjobs are one of the best in whole Europe.



The finished product

Slideshow direct link

Time goes by

Whilst kids, family and work keep me off writing news, my old friend Mexx put another 2500hours work in his Ghia Racer. The hell knows who gave him the energy to move forward on the project this fast. You may say other racers are built in one year. Thats right but they are built from shopped parts. This one is built from 100% Mexx parts. Still the maxim is “how to modify dam everything…” which was overruled the last years by “how to fabricate dam everything…”

Pictorial overview ( take your time, about 400pics)

Slideshow direct link



First rollout this summer? Hopefully there is a lot of work left.

If you want to read some comments from Mexx go to http://www.cedrag.com/ and scroll down the news to March 8th and 3rd. To contact Mexx use info@mexxspeed.com

Prince Valiant

Everyone know Hal Fosters stories about Prince Valiant. Would he have used our new purchase as workhorse nowadays? Of course, nice red interior with fancy mopar mats, airconditioning, auto trans and v8.


1966 Plymouth Valiant V100


1966 interior

1969 Shelby GT500

The first warm days of 2008 I did some tuneup work on a friend's 1969 Shelby GT500. The car was fired up after 20 years of storage and 2 years of restoration. The untouched 428 Super Cobra Jet did run well but had no idle. After some fiddling the problenm was localized, a wrong gasket did hinder the fuel flow to the idleslots. So far I remember this Shelby was in Austria from the beginning. It has a unique steel oilpan with cooling tubes and fins this style was also used on some other 428CJ cars delivered in Europe.


Austrian GT500 4speed


'69 Shelby 428CJ oilpan


'70 Mach1 428CJ oilpan

Jensens in the V8garage

2002 was the year of Jensens. Beside my yellow '73 MkIII I already owned several years I bought a metallic blue '75 MkIII S4 and a silver '74 MkIII Convertible.

The blue Saloon was the original Frankfurt Motorshow Car of 1975, first LHD wooden dash. Originaly white color it was in very good mechanical condition but had some former accident and rust repair. It did go back to Germany in 2003.


'75 MkIII Saloon

The silver '74 MkIII Convertible was one of 83 RHD cars and came to Austria in the late 80's. It was the converted to LHD and partly restored but completely disassemled. It did go back to homeland UK in 2003.


'74 MkIII RHD Convertible

On the following pic you see a '72 MkII FF owned by my friend Martin T. whilst a visit in Vienna. Helping him out with a throttle cable to go back to Leipzig.


'72 MkII FF fourwheeldrive

Josephs silver '70 MkII awaiting service work beside my yellow MkIII. This one was originally delivered to Austria and is now completely restored.


'73 MkIII, '70 MkII Saloon

Hot Rod Hangar

Knud Tiroch and his son Dominic will run a Reality Soap called "Hot Rod Hangar" from on 7th of January 2008 on SAT1 channel. Main content will be driving not wrenching. No easy task with old cars :-) BTW " Hey dude, yes Knud I mean you, there is still a new 440engine waiting in my garage to burn rubber of your Challengers rims off. Pick it up"



Teaser

727TF transmission

Overhaulin the 70' Cuda Torqueflite transmission was an easy task. It takes some hours to inspect all the parts and change clutches, seals and some bearings. Due to low milage all of the hard parts were in pretty good shape.


Insideview


valuable scrap

67' Barracuda

67 Barracuda Formula S package, 273 Commando V8, column shift, Torqueflite tranny, this car I owned in the early 90s, selling it later to my friend Ali who restored it to high standard. It got a nice color, dogdishcaps and a healthy exhaustsound too. Watch the Vid or take a look at Alis Blog. http://schwarzlackenau.blogspot.com/

Future Jensen

Keith Anderson of the Jensen Owners Club has done a nice sketch of how a Jensen Interceptor could look in 2009.


Interceptor 2009

Interceptor S at NEC Show

Pictures Courtesy of Jensen Owners Club



Interceptor S


400hp LS2 GM engine


Luxury Interior


Shifter GM tranny

Overhaulin 70'Cuda 383

Overhaulin Austrian Style, the fish will be restored without hurry and with knowledge of the owner, no prank, no con-Foose-ion, seven months instead of seven days, it will cost hard earned money and in the end nobody will yell "Oh my god".
I have to take care of the 383ci Commando engine and the 727TF transmission. Just a basic overhaul to stock specifications with some blueprinting.


383 HiPo Fish

Superrare...

...carbon Mopar W8 intake auctioned DownUnder goes for about 1000Euros. Built for a handful of Chrysler LeMans engines used in the Dallara SP1, which competed successfully 4th place overall in the 2001 LeMans Endurance Race. There is not much known about this engines rather than they were similar to detuned USAC Silver Crown engines.

Engine
Engine Builder: JOHN CALDWELL CDI
Manufacturer: MOPAR
Type: LEMANS
Displacement: 365
Horsepower: 650+
Torque: 500+
Induction: CARBON FIBER INTAKE MANIFOLD WITH EFI
Heads: CUSTOM RAISED PORT W8 HEADS FOR LEMANS ONLY
Block: MOPAR ALUMINUM MADE FOR LEMANS
Main Caps: PROGRAMS BILLET CROSS BOLTED
Crankshaft: LA ENTERPRISES BILLET 3.37 STROKE
Connecting Rods: CARRILLO
Pistons: CP CUSTOM
Camshaft: LSM
Valves: 2.18 1.625 DELWEST TITANIUM
Valve Train: JESEL AND T&D
Races: 1


Ebay auction


Mopar Lemans engine


Dallara SP1