• 

  Feb. 9, 2010 10:07 p.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  Hey anyone know how much headroom a Jensen Healey has compared to other like cars such as an MGB, Fiat spider, Alfa spider? Also are these decent cars or endless trouble? I know about the engine updates from Dave Bean so besides that. Do they all rust everywhere no matter what?

• 

  Feb. 10, 2010 7:21 p.m. wlkelley3 HalfDork

  Always liked them and want one, especially the 5-speed later ones. Can't say for sure about headroom though but they do seem to have a touch more than those you mentioned. You probably know about this but I'd check here. http://www.jensenhealey.com/

  Link button didn't work.

• 

  Feb. 10, 2010 7:36 p.m. mtn SuperDork

  I'm working on some 30 year old second-hand information that I'm not even sure is the right car, but my dad said that he came close to buying one once. Seeing as he has trouble with headroom in a LOT of cars, and he had an MGB, I think the headroom would be okay...

  Don't know anything about anything else though.

• 

  Feb. 11, 2010 11:15 a.m. wspohn New Reader

  Comparable to the MGB (which actually has quiet decent head room).

  Try and buy one with the later 5 speed box. The engine is a beauty but had some teething troubles, now fairly easy to address. A 4 valve DOHC engine certainly isn't as cheap to work on as a pushrod, and the North American tune with Solex is a bit underpowered, although many cars have been fitted with the home market Dellortos and slightly different cams.

  I never liked the styling that much, and it is a shame in retrospect that they chose a small diameter wheel (just ask Tiger owners why), but the handling is decent in stock form and can be made very good indeed.

• 

  Feb. 12, 2010 6:10 a.m. ddavidv UltraDork

  Totally anecdotal, but a car collecting pal of mine had one and he really liked it, and he was at least as tall as me (five eleven). Never complained about fitting in it.

• 

  Feb. 14, 2010 1:09 p.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  Thanks. I am kind of on the fence between one of these and a nice MGB/GT, another car I have always thought about buying.

• 

  Feb. 18, 2010 11:54 a.m. Linuxjagnut

  I am 6' 2" and I have several Jensen-Healey cars. I fit in them just fine. They are much more interesting and fun to drive than an MGB or TR6 because of the advanced (for it's time) all alloy DOHC 4 valve per cylinder engine. For people advising you to get a later five speed car, they do not realize the Getrag five speed fitted to the later JH cars does NOT have an overdrive fifth gear. It is a close ratio five speed with fifth gear being the same 1-to-1 ration as the four speed top gear.

• 

  Feb. 19, 2010 11:07 a.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  Thanks for the info on the gearbox. How reliable can I expect one to be?

  Also are they epic rusters or is that overstated?

• 

  Feb. 22, 2010 9:33 a.m. racerdave600 Reader

  my info is a bit second hand, but a guy in our club used a Jensen GT as a daily driver for years, until he traded it for a Miata a few years back. i remember his saying it didn't require too much maintenance (of course he put something like 250k miles in a Spitfire too), and he isn't the shortest guy around. The GT was an awesome looking car, I had no idea he was going to trade it or I might have been interested.

  My only drive in a Jensen Healy was positive. I remember it being fairly spacious, much better than my TR-4 at the time, and it felt a lot more modern. I really wanted that GT though.

• 

  Feb. 22, 2010 11:25 a.m. Andy Reid Auction Editor

  Dave I am with ou on the GT. If I could find one that was done I would buy it today. They are, for some strange reason, cheaper than the roadsters are. If you see one let me know.

You'll need to log in to post.