FOUND: Monocoque No. ?
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:42 am
I am extremely fortunate to be the new owner of a monocoque Manx owned by the Jensen family of Eagle Point, Oregon. I learned of the buggy on Sunday, October 13th, 2013 when a group of 30-something of us were having dinner at the Saddle Creek Grill in Little Rock, Arkansas as part of the sea-to-sea safari. Down at my end of the table, Winnie was telling Bill Loftin, LaVern Brock, and me that she had received an email from Jack Jensen's son who had questions about selling his dad's buggy. Winnie felt strongly that the car had to be a monocoque. It was amazing timing, as Bruce and I had just talked about Jack Jensen while Bruce was riding along with me for a stint on the sea-to-sea. Bruce worked for Jack at Jensen Marine designing fiberglass sailboat molds. Jack bought one of the monocoques to show his support of Bruce's new car, and also (Bruce thinks) to see how good a job he did designing the car and building the molds. Jack was impressed - he mentioned how amazed he was that Bruce thought of the tiniest details, down to the inclusion of a trough and screw hole to hold the ignition switch perfectly in the dashboard. Bruce and Winnie were very fond of the Jensens, and therefore, wanted the family to know the car had value. Knowing that I'd probably not have another chance, I paid a fair price to the Jensens for the Manx. That's OK, it will just slow down the dollars I can put towards the restoration.
The Jensens were very attached to the buggy, so much so it seemed like they had a change of heart at one point. I think that's because this isn't the first time they sold it . . .back in 1971 they sold the buggy to long-time family friends in San Clemente, California. After that family had driven it for many years, they offered to sell it back to Mrs. Jensen in the mid-nineties. Thankfully, she did buy it back! In this sale, it was Thanksgiving before I knew that I'd end up owning it, then another month before we could work out a time to pick it up.
The Manx was last registered in 1983, and used off road since then, both by the San Clemente family, and then by the Jensens on their ranch. The car needs a bit of work. The front end must have hit something as the hood has a thick fiberglass patch, as does one of the fenders. The gelcoat may have been repainted, its hard to tell. I'll be repainting it the original color, which I believe is the same as Old Red. The original roll bar is missing, and I don't think the hood hinges are correct. All of the castings are there . . . the windshield is original, as are the folding brackets (but they've been drilled through so it won't fold forward), and the gas tank cap, the parking brake and accelerator pedal mounts. The inside of the gas tank is a mess and will need to be recoated. The last few years it's been driven off a remote gas tank inside a wooden box in the rear area. The procedure Chris Lewis posted showing his gas tank will be a big help in getting mine restored.
That's about all I have right now . . here's some pictures of how it looked when I found it, then more pics after a minor clean-up I did today:
Here's the Manx on the ranch
Here it is once I got it home and off the trailer
After a quick carwash, then removing the exhaust and the roof rack . . it's beginning to look like a monocoque again!
It had air shocks or air bags at some point
The gas tank filler is still there:
And the parking brake casting
The rear cage and front bumper are original
It's also a skid plate
Here's the same bumper on Ted Trevor's #5 purple monocoque (sadly now in the Orange County dump) CORRECTION: Nelson Sparks researched the buggy, it is NOT Ted's purple buggy after all; it is Neal Allen's Gold Buggy, number unknown
More pictures to follow as the restoration takes place . . . .
The Jensens were very attached to the buggy, so much so it seemed like they had a change of heart at one point. I think that's because this isn't the first time they sold it . . .back in 1971 they sold the buggy to long-time family friends in San Clemente, California. After that family had driven it for many years, they offered to sell it back to Mrs. Jensen in the mid-nineties. Thankfully, she did buy it back! In this sale, it was Thanksgiving before I knew that I'd end up owning it, then another month before we could work out a time to pick it up.
The Manx was last registered in 1983, and used off road since then, both by the San Clemente family, and then by the Jensens on their ranch. The car needs a bit of work. The front end must have hit something as the hood has a thick fiberglass patch, as does one of the fenders. The gelcoat may have been repainted, its hard to tell. I'll be repainting it the original color, which I believe is the same as Old Red. The original roll bar is missing, and I don't think the hood hinges are correct. All of the castings are there . . . the windshield is original, as are the folding brackets (but they've been drilled through so it won't fold forward), and the gas tank cap, the parking brake and accelerator pedal mounts. The inside of the gas tank is a mess and will need to be recoated. The last few years it's been driven off a remote gas tank inside a wooden box in the rear area. The procedure Chris Lewis posted showing his gas tank will be a big help in getting mine restored.
That's about all I have right now . . here's some pictures of how it looked when I found it, then more pics after a minor clean-up I did today:
Here's the Manx on the ranch
Here it is once I got it home and off the trailer
After a quick carwash, then removing the exhaust and the roof rack . . it's beginning to look like a monocoque again!
It had air shocks or air bags at some point
The gas tank filler is still there:
And the parking brake casting
The rear cage and front bumper are original
It's also a skid plate
Here's the same bumper on Ted Trevor's #5 purple monocoque (sadly now in the Orange County dump) CORRECTION: Nelson Sparks researched the buggy, it is NOT Ted's purple buggy after all; it is Neal Allen's Gold Buggy, number unknown
More pictures to follow as the restoration takes place . . . .