Is this the perfect electric grand tourer?
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- This original Jensen Interceptor came with a massive American 7.2L V8 engine. We've kept it American muscle and installed a Tesla large drive unit into it, bringing it into the 21st century.
Instead of the 7.2 litre Chrysler V8 440ci engine that struggled to get into double MPG figures, we've now installed a 60Kwh battery pack and an efficient electric motor, which means that the car now weighs less than when it was petrol and pollutes a whole lot less.
Now that it's electric, and lost it's V8 growl has it managed to keep it's grand tourer pedigree? Sure, it'll be smoother, more power, more reliable and so much cheaper to run now it's an EV, but what's it like on a long journey? Join us to find out in this episode.
The Jensen Intercepter is still one of the best looking cars of all time. Your conversion has gave this particular one a new lease of life, well done.
How the fcuk did it give it a new lease of life? The original 440 engine can be easily rebuilt to give 450hp and far better fuel consumption. What's the point in having "one of the best looking cars of all time" when it sounds like a milk float? Half the appeal of cars like this is the engine and exhaust noise.
Spoken like a true millennial,x,y,z know-nothing! This engine was made when Americans need only stick their spade into the beach for oil to spill out, and barrel prices were the price of sweets (even the oil embargo hiking prices up did not compare to today) ; the point is that oil was so readily available, that the yanks didn't care about wasting fuel and earth's resources. Add to that the fact that with the more conscientious we're becoming, keeping such an engine and burning it around town in England, would be the equivalent of wearing your gran's mink coat to go shopping in Iceland. The truth is that the Jensen was a British car, with Italian styling, that had an American engine...except it should never have had such an engine...it was merely a cheap option. True, I'd rather it had some sort of supercharged lump in it, but electric is a way to easily pull such a heavy car around today (modern cars are fast, not because they necessarily continue to get more powerful, but more because they continue to get lighter). Electric wasn't the only option to go here, no, but a Tesla motor guarantees instant torque to heave this metal monstrosity from inertia, to extrovert, in seconds. Sooner or later, when people get bored of their sound (or too many people get hit when they don't hear them reversing out) there's gonna be a market for imitation petrol performance engine sound add-ons...it'll be the 2000s version of 80s go-faster stripes and body kits😂
The Jensen is a much better looking car than the Maserati.
The shape is still pleasing even 50 years later.
Except for that weird rear window,
Beauty. Eye. Beholder. Maserati for me. Not that there’s anything wrong with that interceptor.
A lot of bespoke luxury cars in the 1970s had dual function horns fitted as standard - they were known as 'Town & Country' horns - the quieter 'parp, parp' Town setting was for polite 'excuse me' use in urban driving, and the louder 'Ferrari airhorn' Country setting was for a more strident 'get out of my way' use when doing open road touring on the highways.
Greatest moment in UA-cam history! When you two work out that the horn has two pitches. Thank you for taking us on the ride!
Our pleasure!
Oh, so this is an old thing? I thought it's new to the Ineos Grenadier. It has a "city horn" to be gentle to cyclists.
Mercedes did the two horn thing back in the 70’s and 80’s when I was PDIing them:
One for normal use and one for ‘alpine’ driving (in the mountains)
My dad's Citroën CX back in the 70s had a 2- tone horn, too. One for friendly greetings, and one for emergency warnings.
The Interceptor was such a beautiful car, and that colour looks fantastic.
@@spudproductions7606Why are you watching ( closet EV head)👋👋
As I understand it, the reason for having 4 'seats' is that it fell into the saloon category when imported into the USA. Sports cars with two seats were subject to higher import tax.
I don’t know about the import tariffs at the time, but I recall hearing 2 seaters were more expensive to insure, and having token back seats made a huge difference as 2seater sports cars were considered high risk. But add two seats even if fit only for children sized people and it’s a low risk ‘family car’.
Absolute rubbish!
@@byteme9718 compare the price to insure a Mazda3 vs a Miata and get back to us.
@@ChuckvdL As neither were in production in 1966 you've just shot yourself in both feet. Quite apart from that, these were expensive enough when new so their buyers wouldn't have considered insurance costs. If they did, they'd be better off buying one of your spam cans.
@ What does that have to do with 1966?
I'm reminded that the "glorious noise" we lose with an EV was very often far from glorious. Silence is golden! Cheers on another beautiful conversion--I'd buy that car!
The engine is what attracts me most to this car, with an electric motor it's not special anymore to me.
You come across as a very boring individual.
@@byteme9718You come across as a snowflake sheep.
He butchered a classic into a fridge freezer.
When I was 15, 44 years ago, I was one of three teenagers who worked on a local farm. The farmer used to get mot failure cars from the local scrapyard to race around one of the fields for fun. One of them was a burgundy Jensen Interceptor that didn't run for very long. I remember a Hillman Imp that just refused to die and a MK1 Escort. Hate to think what they would of been worth today.
Jensen Interceptor from 1974 for 29K Euros on Autoscout24. Not so much.
@@wolfgangpreier9160 More then the Imp, less then the Mk1 Escort. In the US, really nice examples of Interceptors go for over US$100K
@@PiDsPagePrototypes US boys are crazy.
What iconic shape for this awesomely beautiful car! Just an amazing looking car.
Citreon DS would be a great conversation.
The SM would be great too, and more in line with the grand touring ethos of the Interceptor.
Only if you put the battery in the sun visor and the motor in the tail light.
@@dimitrisnentidis797 And the motor was lousy and unreliable, so it would fix what was wrong with it.
The horn switch is for town and country horn settings. Quite a few luxury cars of the period the such as the Aston Martin Lagonda had one fitted.
When I was a kid back in 1974, a family friend had a new MK3 interceptor and we drove along beeping both horns, you brought me back some memories 😊.
How exciting. Been waiting for the Interceptor to be completed. I have an Interceptor II (1971) with the 383 and have enjoyed it for over 20 years. Well done. How about an Aston Martin from the 70's?
As a 16 year old (1972) I had a ride in the back of an Interceptor. My girlfriend's father acted as chauffer & took us up to London in his new motor for a slap up meal. Must have had the front seats well forward to get us in the back of it. Fabulous car. The only time I've ever been near one. This conversion makes a lot of sense - except for the cost to do it!!
With front seat occupants of normal height the seats allow adequate legroom on the back for two more normal height adults. This video is just two fools talking shit.
that is a gorgeous color.
I agree. Is it the original color? What is it called?
All Bentleys & Rolls Royces in period had 2 horns. One for town and one for country.
As did Citroens. But Citroen is where Rolls Royce bought their self levelling rear suspension from too.
@@TheBioniXman You mean Pierre threw a couple of freebee horns into every crate because he felt sorry for the impoverished British aristocracy?
Quite common for British cars of the '30s, '40s and early '50s.
That’s the most British thing I’ve ever heard.
@@TheBioniXman That claim of Citroen suspension is completely false so stop spreading lies.
Scimitar GTE would be nice. The William Towns Aston Martin Lagonda would be epic but good luck getting hold of one of those.
This is exactly what we need more of these conversations. Brilliant
This is a primo build and a fantastic BEV conversion. I absolutely adore your work improving old cars and wish I could afford an example for my driving pleasure.
I remember hearing that 4-seaters such as this were to get sedan insurance premiums for sports and gt cars, which would otherwise have very high premiums.
Were you home schooled? It seems like it.
Still one of the best looking cars ever made. A tragedy the Jensen Interceptor is no longer in production.
My notes:
•My dad had a 1965 MGB bought new. Sometimes the whole family would pile in for short trips like to my grandmother's house an hour away. The three boys would sit on the battery "shelf" in the back. I think I would have preferred the Jensen's luxurious cramped spaces over the carpet covered steel of the MG.
•The quietness of your conversions is breathtaking. You and Tim are speaking in normal voices with no noise apparent while motoring at 100+ kph. The noise and vibration of ICE engines is overrated and outdated.
•This Jensen model was my favorite and clearly the best. This green color is just perfect.
Next grand tourer project for ECC? I'm going for maxium sacrilegiosity:
Lamborghini Espada. It's got the quad headlights you love Moggy!
Not only slightly less weight, but better balanced. What a beautiful car and excellent conversion.
Correction: Electrons have mass and therefore weight in Earth's gravity. 9.11 x 10^-31 Kg. However, the "fuel" weight still doesn't change on an EV.
The Interceptor was perfectly balanced as it was.
A stunning car which has timeless grace and elegant style - and, now, all electric.
The BMW E9 range would be a lovely conversion. One of my all-time favorite cars. I owned a 1972 3.0 CS.
This Jensen Interceptor is probably one of the nicest I've seen, inside and out.
We’ve converted a few E9s already. They are awesome cars to drive. ⚡️👌 ua-cam.com/video/camPOvqSoxM/v-deo.htmlsi=8oHqWc5knBRvZFUX
Oh dear! You've taken away the very thing that attracted me most to the car!
Fantastic work and this colour combination has to be one of the best available
Brilliant to see finished, looks fantastic and preserves a classic.
As for another vehicle, something like the Excalibur, either 2 door phaeton or maybe a sedan.
Maungaturoto New Zealand.
What a beautiful clean conversion. This is incredible!
Thanks 🙏
And you've see this up close, underneath and have the expertise to make that claim?
@@byteme9718 I'm not in England so can't see it up close. I've built electric motorcycles and understand what the compliance standards are in Australia, which seem to be similar to the UK, in other words quite strict. Can you send me a link to your electric conversions so I can compare them to his. I've watched a lot of Electric classic cars videos and the conversions look top quality, he is well respected in the EV conversion community. You obviously seem to have a problem with his conversions, or a personal issue, I don't know? Or is it that you don't like seeing a classic petrol car converted to electric? Or are you just an EV hater?
@@toriwatson9655 I don't have an issue with this company but conversions in general. This has nothing to do with the fact a true classic car has lost its original engine because this can be put back. My objection is that emergency services can't identify it and won't have access to information in the way they do with new EVs.
I would tell you how much I love this gorgeous car with a fantastic conversion but I'm still getting hate comments when I said I liked it on your Facebook posting about 2 months ago!
I'd like to see a V12 Jaguar. I was a driver demonstrater for Jaguar Rover in Sydney Australia. I loved driving the older V 12s Dameler especially. The H2 Jag was not at all pleasant. There was no cruising away from a stop. All the elegance of owning a Jaguar disappeared replaced with a car that was barely more drivable than the top range ford something. Both were unpleasant beastly things to drive. Any who an electric H2 would be interesting.
The styling of the giant rear window reminds me a little of the 65-66 Plymouth Barracuda.. although the low belt line of the window is also re-seen a decade later on the AMC pacer.
Beautiful Motor form the 70's, had a poster on my wall of a Jensen Interceptor. I remember a chap who lived nearby to us in a "Posh Road" had one of these, and I used to love watching him drive by with the engine's characteristic V8 rumble. I love the colour of this particular vehicle and your conversion is sublime! What a lucky person is going to take ownership of this car 😍😍😍
It will be a wealthy virtue signaller who won't use it.
I absolutely LOVE!! the styling of the Jensen Interceptor! Beautiful work in the conversion, I wish you offered a DIY kit for my classic VW Beetle.
That is absolutely gorgeous. I always wanted a Jensen Interceptor. You've given that car another 50 years of quality useable life.
Which it would have had anyway.
As a Jens, orn in 76, this is by far one of the most desired cars and as electric conversion, it’s even better. So sad that I’ll never have enough money tomboy one.
It's still so weird to not hear that V8. Superb car and I would be using mine daily.
I always have liked the interceptor, now it's more reliable 👍 loved the horn 😂
Nothing wring with reliability in original form if well sorted and looked after. What makes you think this is better?
A V8 has 1800 moving parts compared to 2 in an electric motor, so, by my reckoning less parts means more reliability, but by all means prove me wrong.
@@mick20102010 FFS you sheep are dumb, where in earth do you get "1800 moving parts" from?
There are numerous part inside a traction motor assembly and it only takes a failure of one to require replacement of the entire unit. The last one I did was on an iPace and the only fault was a small amount of oil passing into the connector block. That was a £14000 repair.
£14k is enough to build awesome 440 that could even begin with an aluminium block.
@ 1800? Really? Care to name them?
@@byteme9718 not really, can you?
Wonderful electric conversion of an utter classic car - wish it were mine! As regards other conversions, I'd like to see an Alvis TE21 conversion.
A Citroen SM conversion... 🙂
Yes!!!! Hear hear!!!
Asbo lutely! :-)
Oh yes pls and SM or a DS would do nicely
Thank you for the video! it seems the car has turned out really well. I would like to see an electric Citroën SM. It will suit the GT category very well with its grand design and perfect comfort.
Even being made into an E.V.it is without doubt a fantastic restoration.
I've waited for this one. What a Car!! Beautiful. Well done guys.
Have been really looking forward to this! Thank you, and a truly great swap!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Looks so neat, this is a perfect classic for EV conversion.
Great video
Thanks! 👍
Why?
Absolutely love the Jensen build. While not a GT car, I'd love to see a Bricklin SV-1 converted!
There's also a DeLorean EV conversion out there that is beautifully done!
@craigmerrow225 I'm in Madison WI and we have a EV shop that did an amazing DeLorean. Hoffman EV.
Utterly stunning! Thou, I guess many viewers would love the total conversion price..I'm guessing not much change from $50k....
I always loved these cars ever since I got one of these as a Matchbox car around 1970!!!!
I think the hands down best 70s GT car to convert would be the Aston Martin V8 vantage. Though I'd be inclined to convert the original V8 from the late 60s as I think it has a better looking body, though the later X-packs look like they were literally designed to be an EV with the way the grille is blocked out
Watch this space in regards to the Aston. 😆😉
@@ElectricClassicCars
🤦🏻 That's going to get the ICE classic car heretics out 🔥🔥🔥😉🧙🏼♂️
We are here now, waiting already!!
Feel my eye twitching ,with the Aston V8 EV swap....🫣🤣
Surely a modern blown LS (supercharged/Pro charged, think turbos would be a bit....vulgar🙄), should be the option there, probably cheaper and defo more power....🙊
Er no don’t butcher a Aston martin
Beautiful, and the twin horn sound was hilarious!
Definitely a side by side conversion of Jag XJ-C and XJ-S to find the best GT Jag platform for electrification.....
Such a beautiful looking car - always loved it’s lines 👌
Showing how young you are! Town and country horn settings were common in the 60s and 70s.
The weight of the petrol is an important factor. To get the correct difference it should be based on the petrol tank being absolutely full.
Younger people like me know the car from PS2's The Getaway. I always nicked that car. :) Love it.
wow that was a great game
Beautiful colour combo
I'm converting a Reliant Scimitar GTE in Australia, surely a great car for conversion?
Yes, I remember that old episode taking it apart. So, this episode its done and what a result! Enjoyed watching it run!
My father had the horn switch on his Mercedes, I remember. I think the purpose was „city horn“ vs. „overland horn“. Anyway - great car, the Jensen Interceptor. And regarding your question, which other car I could imagine for a conversion: The Iso Griffo, in dark blue. It was the dream car of my childhood in the late 60s, early 70s…
I once drove Sir Matt Busby's Jensen Interceptor around the car park at Old Trafford. It was a beast.
That’s good bragging rights down the pub. 👍
8:25 As many others have commented, they're what are known as "town and country horns". I think some Citroens had them, like the DS and SM?
Something about the Jensen reminds me of an Aston Martin. Maybe because they both started in the same era. They have that 40s/50s feel about them. A post-war vision of what the future of cars might be.
An Iso Grifo would be good!
I was too young to having anything very exciting, but I remember John Bolster of Autosport writing lyrically about them.
Such a beautiful car. And I love the colour.
Thats a beast of a machine! Id take that in a heartbeat. No doubts.
It's a town and country horn. The louder tone (usually the lower but here I think the higher) is for country driving (chasing cows out of the road etc) and other is for town driving.
What a beautiful machine. Thank you for sharing.
Love the EFI badge on the front, because you have injected it with electronic fuel 😂
Great car and great conversion. I have always loved that shape. As a child of the 70’s these cars made an impression. I have a Taycan Cross Turismo and it has a style that echoes this a bit as I look at it out the window. My suggestions for conversion: 1) Aston Martin Lagonda. Amazing big wedge. It would have been electric if made today. 2) Rover SD1 - big Bonney, V8 lump. Would miss the noise, but it was a great big cruiser. A friend of my dad had the Vitesse. Loved it.
Keep up the great work guys. I do wonder what you could do with a Mk1 or 2 Escort?….
I had a 1970 Cougar XR7. This reminds me a lot of it. More of a touring machine. Muscle-boat. :)
My best friend in high school has a 1070 Cougar convertible. To this day one of the prettiest cars ever, IMHO. I'd love to have the solid roof Cougar as an electric conversion. The body integrity of the convertible was definitely lacking. A roof would probably resolve a lot of that.
Beautiful motorcar of couse the old V8 was part of it's charm but having recently purchased a Mazda MX30 which is super smooth and quiet to drive I can see the appeal of an interceptor driving in a similar fashion.
Quite suprised at the curb weight being the same as my MX30 which only has a 35Kw battery.
An amazing thing about the Welsh language: we stopped to read a historical marker by some ancient ruins. It was written in Welsh, then in English. In the entire Welsh explanation every word looked like the letters had been drawn from a hat and scrambled together. Except one: the word castle! Makes sense. No idea how it’s pronounced in Welsh, but the spelling’s the same.
What a Beautiful Car! Nice work! Better than New??? I Like It ❤
Porsche 928 came in its footsteps .... They're both beautiful Tourers from the past!
And both came with very heavy drivetrain. Did you see how much we managed to take off the 928? ua-cam.com/video/_8gIEJkLFpM/v-deo.htmlsi=FxR6MwLYEnSyAaVv
@@ElectricClassicCars
Mate, you are my _ELECTRIC WHIZZARD_
( On the CYBRTRK Forum, they call me WHIZZARD OF OZ....l would love to see your products DownUnder)
Nice job guys. 👌👌
What a beauty!
Other options:
1. Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
2. Lamborghini Jarama S
3. Aston Martin V8 Vantage
4. Maserati Khamsin
5. Mercedes-Benz 450SLC 5.0
9. De Tomaso Pantera
10. Ferrari 400 GT
“Let’s get into it!”
Just one other thing, the only downside to quite a few of your conversions is the loss of boot space.
Boy, was I waiting for this one. The UK muscle car that Americans always forget. Actually, we in the UK tend to forget it too. Drop dead gorgeous looking car, made better. The two pitch horn - I'm guessing one for the annual trip to Italy, the other for the rest of the world. You asked for another muscle car. As good? Is there one? Maybe a Bristol 411? Try finding one though.
I'm still waiting for ECCs to do an iconic Citroen DS. I don't care which era, though you'd probably get less hue and cry if you electrify a 1970s swivelling headlights version. Perhaps a Safari Edition? That could be heaven in a car.
The rear seats are fine for short journeys as long as the front seats aren't pushed back too far.
Wow, the perfect car. How about doing a Rover P5B, or a Daimler double six.
That is beautiful
It was before the fcuked it up.
Could the extra batteries not go down the spine where the prop shaft was? Its not much of a Grand Tourer if there's nowhere for luggage.
The back seats
Exactly, that was my thoughts (central spine space) when I saw the battery occupied space in the boot.
That is one sexy looking car, that has got to be one of the best ones you have done in my opinion. I’m not a great lover of electric cars, but with Tesla motors that transforms that car into something special. I take my hat off to to the work you and your team can achieve
Had one for 22 years. Still got it. The horn thing was Town and Country ! Yes weird ...A quiet toot in town.
The engine sound missing is a killer ..Something about a V8 burble , just needs swapping out to an LS ..Mine used to do 8 mpg around town. About 17 on a run. However I fitted a Californian under and over computer controlled device. Giving six speeds, around town 14 on a run as much as 26 mpg. 70 MPH 1800 rpm using the torque rather than 2600 rpm the standard 3 speed torque flight rubbish.
Forgot to say, I bought an air horn, wired it to the out of town setting, that sure made a difference
The RB was better than anything Chevrolet produced.
Magnifique !!!!!!!!! J'adore cette très belle voiture anglaise, j'aime cette Jensen Interceptor qui plus est, est électrique, Bravo, j'en veux une !!!!!!!! Très beau travail !
One of the most beautiful cars ever made, though behind you was the the most beautiful... the Karmann Ghia.
I love this. What a beauty!
that C-pillar back has shades of the '62 Studebaker Avanti (depicted as an EV in the 1997 movie Gattaca) which of course can now be seen on the fully electric 2025 Cadillac Lyriq.
Triumph Stag, yes I know its sacrilege but I ran one for 3 years 30,000 miles it had a Hart tuned/blue printed engine which was reliable so you could actually use the thing and with the hardtop on it was a brilliant GT car. Id loose that sound and yes it was the best for better, what a sound but better acceleration and the reliability of an EV drive unit gets my vote or Left field Rover P5B....Tesla power!
Jaguar xj 6 or xjs would be good as that would make a great comfy gt with suspension tuned for british roads! 🤤
One GT I would love to see converted would be the BMW E24. Ideally the long wheelbase version. It had a relatively big engine option, with 3.5 liter, so under that long bonnet there should be room to play.
Town and country horns. Every discerning gentleman's express should have them.
"Electrons don't weigh anything"😂 What's more - they don't fly out the tailpipe either😉. Another fab conversion and great video.
How wonderful the electricity that powers EVs has absolutely no carbon footprint then, right? How is this in any way "fab"?
You not only saved the car but improved it dramatically over the ice version.
Wow was it saved? It was in restored condition before these clowns attacked it.
@ I agree, they attacked what was wrong with the car
@ I get that you don't like cars but what was wrong with the engine it was fitted with before?
@@byteme9718 why do you think I don’t like cars?
@@noah786 Because you approve of how this one had had its character ripped out.
Oh yes, I've wanted an Interceptor since I was a little boy.
Just stunning 🔋⚡💪
Not really a supercar but I'd love a electric Triumph Stag (just to save on head gaskets 😂)
Years ago, a friend of mine had this model. He took me for drive and whilst pootling along the motorway, he said, "Watch the fuel gauge," and hit the accelerator. The car accelerated forward and the fuel gauge jerked significantly down. I thought then I wouldn't be getting one myself. Lovely car tho'...
I have had lost my hope for months to ever seeing this video, already...
Sorry!
From all classical American brands I'm fascinated the most by Studebaker while from all British - by Jensen.
Good job, gentlemen!
I've learned in the USA from a flight attendant born in Scotland that at this time his family does have ice cream but not in the UK, instead in Australia and South Africa where it is summer when winter is in the UK. Those are some real snowbirds.
If I had the money 4 wheel drive on the beautiful Jensen
Phwoar, despite there being no throaty roar.
I think you're already doing a Reliant Scimitar (or two) but that should be a good conversion, with that rather weighty (for it's meagre output) Essex V6, making way for a reasonable battery pack. Also, as it's a fibreglass body on a steel chassis, you can cut the body to drop a pack through the boot floor to join up with the fuel tank area.
Volvo 262C comes to my mind.
Has HUGE space under the bonnet so lots of room for batteries.
Jaguar XJ-S., ISO Griffo and, of course, Lamborghini Espada
I used to have a Mercedes 500 SEC that would be a fabulous conversion. I just wish you guys were in the US. Cheers
great way to ruin an amazing car