FOUND: Monocoque No. ?

Scott-Drolet · Post by **Scott-Drolet** » 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 . . . .

Lee-Hoffer · Post by **Lee-Hoffer** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:05 am

Congratulations, Scott! I'm looking forward to following your progress.

dcamomanx · Post by **dcamomanx** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:31 am

That's awesome. Congrats Scott great find. I can't wait to see it. Will it be going to La Paz and back?

calvin · Post by **calvin** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:49 am

Great find. It is not one of the first couple, it has the straight up and down headlight pedistals, not the angled ones. Looks to be in relatively great shape.

Scott-Drolet · Post by **Scott-Drolet** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:27 am

Thank you, you guys! Jeeze Doran, no pressure there! Although I could take it "as is". The buggy hasn't run since 2001 (I think), but the engine isn't seized . . . I'll try to get it started next weekend just for fun.
Calvin, Bruce thinks it was probably in the middle of the monocoque run. It has the channel under the steering shaft, not above the trunk deck like you see on Perry's # 3 and earlier cars. Since Bruce starting numbering them based partly on when they were discovered, I think this will be number 9. Monocoque number 2 (the yellow one jumping on the cover of "Hot Rod" magazine) and numbers 10, 11 & 12 are still out there somewhere. Number 2 was last seen in Orange County, California in 2005 -2006!
It would be great if we could find all of them.

Ed-Chenal · Post by **Ed-Chenal** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:27 am

Very nice...

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:34 am

If they had any pictures that show the original black and yellow plates, the letters on the plate would be a clue to which # monocoque it is. Old Red#1 was OTV 553. #2 the yellow one was OYJ 905. The only picture I've found of Quarto's plate is blurry but looks like PII or PIT ??? The picture I've seen of Ted Trevor's at Pike's Peak was definitely PIW 107. I may be mistaken but, I don't think PCS 076 was Ted's, for one thing it doesn't have a Corvair engine. Anyway, what was yours original B&Y plate number and where does yours fall in that order?

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:13 am

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:19 am

And so if PCS 076 wasn't Ted's, whose was it? It would have been registered before Ted's. Also, in the article Bruce wrote about Quatro, he wrote then that he thought Ted's was #6.

Are there any other known monocoque black and yellow plate numbers out there?

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:31 am

I just watched the video posted by Perry Margouleff and his, which is supposed to be #3 is PLF 852. It was registered after PCS 076 and Quarto and Ted Trevors.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnztTtUw4bE[/youtube]

Post by **vincent9993** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:06 pm

What a great find Scott! A few of the Monocoques have names: Old Red(1), Quatro(4) and Hot Rod cover(2). Have you (or Bruce) thought of a name for #9 or will it be known as the "Jensen"?

I'm curious about the air filter cover on the back, any ideas if this was OEM from Bruce?

Look forward to seeing more picures and restoration progress.

Tom-Kathleen · Post by **Tom-Kathleen** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:07 pm

Fantastic find Scott. I would think you would want it to be at Big Bear this year. That would be 3 Monocoques (at least). And that dual port engine has to go of course. How about a nice '57 356 Porsche engine (yes, I have one)?. Tom

vwmanx · Post by **vwmanx** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:14 pm

Scott,

I am glad that you were able to get it. you have to bring it to Big Bear as Tom posted. We need to get as many monocoques together as possible.
Sadly, I cannot see the images in either Chrome or internet explorer.

That is killing me.

vwmanx · Post by **vwmanx** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:59 pm

Scott, Looking at the image I found on facebook, it does appear to have been repainted at least on the interior. The screws which hold the cowl in place have been painted. They would have been silver.

COOL.

the-BULLIT · Post by **the-BULLIT** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:13 pm

Scott, good fine, but it does look like a lot of work for you...I'll give you a half dollar for it and take on the burden to restore it. OK?