The Ford Barn

fordy46 · 09-03-2011, 03:36 PM

This was at Auburn, Called a Jensen, body was made in England, motor and running gear ia 36 Ford. One of three built Very unique piece.

Fordors · 09-03-2011, 04:15 PM

Film actor Clark Gable looked at, but never purchased a Jensen Ford; who knows, might have been this very car! There is an article about those automobiles in the July/August '71 Ford Life.

W E Mack · 09-03-2011, 06:29 PM

Iterestingly, Jensen was reformed in 2010 to buy back old models and refurbish them for reale as new. Not the Jensen-Fords however. According to Wiki, Gable actually commissioned Jensen to build him a car based on the Ford chassis in 1934 and this was the start of the project.

Vic Piano · 09-03-2011, 07:40 PM

That Jensen was outstanding. Back in the early '80's I had a '71 Jensen Interceptor. My father bought it on a whim and then asked me to make it run…

It had an Italian body design, Chrysler drivetrain and Lucas (yes, the Prince of Darkness) wiring and it was assembled by the English. The happiest day of my automotive related life was when I watched the roll-back driver load that thing up and get it out of my yard

... However, I sure wouldn't mind having that '36.

Vic

V12Bill · 09-03-2011, 08:29 PM

Didn't Jenson build a few cars with Zephyr V 12s?

VeryTangled · 09-04-2011, 10:42 AM

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Hi All, This was one beautiful car. As soon as it hit the show field there was a large crowd gathered around, everyone shaking their head and going ooh and ahh. I was on the '36 judging team and had the opportunity to crawl under and all over this car. Gobsmack nice! It puzzled the judging team quite a bit. The fella who owned it had a photo album but I didn't get to see it, we were slammed with judging ten cars. I heard the car was a real basket case when he started, but when he finished, well, just very very nice. Showroom new. I really tip my hat to the owner, he made a tremendous investment, and the car is so cool he may even get it back if it ever changes hands.

It was really impressive to see the custom body. The car had been lengthened so many parts had to be made.

At the awards banquet Bobby York mentioned that the car sounded great when he heard it running at the town square. Sadly I don't remember hearing it run.

-VeryTangled/Jeff

Fordors · 09-04-2011, 11:25 AM

Comments are from July/Aug '71 Ford Life:

Hollywood businessman Percy T. Morgan initially had two Ford chassis shipped overseas at a cost of $568 each plus ocean freight. Modifications included changing the Houdailles to Andre Telecontrol shocks that were adjustable from the drivers compartment. The steering column was raked and extended and the gear shift moved almost a foot to the rear by means of special linkage. Dual exhaust was fitted for performance as well as a 3.54 gear set. Naturally, the Ford fenders were much modified to fit the custom coach work. Mr. Morgan related in the 1971 article that the vehicles cost him $2300 and they were to sell for $2900.
Clark Gable was to buy the second car, the first being painted black with tan upholstery and the second silver with a red interior. He tried to get Morgan to sell him the black one, but Morgan wanted it for himself, lending the silver one to Gable for a few days upon which it was returned and Clark wound up buying a Duesenberg roadster instead.
The third Jensen that Morgan had built (at an undisclosed later date) was bought by a Cincinnati business man and it's fate is unknown. Back in '71 the black car was owned and had been restored by a Warren Wyman and the silver car had been located and purchased by Gordon Chamberlin, co-publisher of Ford Life magazine.
Gable had put down a deposit, sight unseen,of $1000 but that's as far as it went for him.

VeryTangled · 09-04-2011, 01:07 PM

I found that I'd taken seventeen shots of the '36 Jensen.

(Used something called Batchphoto to shrink them, the trial version puts a watermark on the photo, sorry and yuck. Not ready to drop $35 for the registered version right now. Suggestions for a photo shrink-er anybody?)

In the engine compartment shots you can just barely make out part of the adjustable shock system, it's in the top left, two black canisters about the size of a coke can.

It may have also had a two-speed rear.

Owner appears to be Art Knapp from Covina, Cali. He's standing next to the car in the third shot, the gentleman with the meet badge around his neck.

-VeryTangled/Jeff

VeryTangled · 09-04-2011, 01:09 PM

The windshield folds down flat.

It's a two-door phaeton ?!? With a trunk.

The top is wider than the windshield.

It has a custom made tachometer, made in the same style as the spedo.

Suicide doors.

Fordors · 09-04-2011, 01:24 PM

Affirmative on the two-speed, the chassis were shipped overseas with them. Would they still have been changed to the 3.54's or was that written in error?

helmsville · 09-04-2011, 03:22 PM

its a Darrin. or at least it has the Darrin dip on the door.

PeteVS · 09-04-2011, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeryTangled

(Used something called Batchphoto to shrink them, the trial version puts a watermark on the photo, sorry and yuck. Not ready to drop $35 for the registered version right now. Suggestions for a photo shrink-er anybody?)
-VeryTangled/Jeff

Some years ago, we bought an HP printer. It came with software that included HP Image Edit which allows you to do exactly what I think you want it to do. You should be able to down load it.

VeryTangled · 09-04-2011, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteVS

Some years ago, we bought an HP printer. It came with software that included HP Image Edit which allows you to do exactly what I think you want it to do. You should be able to down load it.

I'm, by profession, a computer techie. I install lots of HP printer drivers. Bloatware IMHO. Not surprised that they include this type of software along with the driver. What is the model printer, if you remember?

-VeryTangled/Jeff

TomO · 09-05-2011, 10:20 AM

Jeff,

You can use the free bloatware that comes with Windows, Windows Live Photo Gallery, to shrink your photos.

VeryTangled · 09-05-2011, 10:37 AM

Hi TomO, Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. -Jeff

Vic Piano · 09-05-2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V12Bill

Didn't Jenson build a few cars with Zephyr V 12s?

I do n't know if they did or not but I'd sure like to see one if they did.

BillM · 09-05-2011, 01:24 PM

For photo editing I use a free program called Gimp.

09-03-2011, 04:15 PM	#2
Fordors Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Orland Park,IL Posts: 1,402	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Film actor Clark Gable looked at, but never purchased a Jensen Ford; who knows, might have been this very car! There is an article about those automobiles in the July/August '71 Ford Life.

09-03-2011, 06:29 PM	#3
W E Mack Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 20	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Iterestingly, Jensen was reformed in 2010 to buy back old models and refurbish them for reale as new. Not the Jensen-Fords however. According to Wiki, Gable actually commissioned Jensen to build him a car based on the Ford chassis in 1934 and this was the start of the project.

09-03-2011, 07:40 PM	#4
Vic Piano Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Odessa, FL Posts: 7,611	Re: Interesting car at Auburn That Jensen was outstanding. Back in the early '80's I had a '71 Jensen Interceptor. My father bought it on a whim and then asked me to make it run… It had an Italian body design, Chrysler drivetrain and Lucas (yes, the Prince of Darkness) wiring and it was assembled by the English. The happiest day of my automotive related life was when I watched the roll-back driver load that thing up and get it out of my yard... However, I sure wouldn't mind having that '36. Vic __________________ Imagination is more important than knowledge.

09-03-2011, 08:29 PM	#5
V12Bill Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mt. Holly,NJ Posts: 1,822	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Didn't Jenson build a few cars with Zephyr V 12s?

09-04-2011, 10:42 AM	#6
VeryTangled Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC Posts: 3,387	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Hi All, This was one beautiful car. As soon as it hit the show field there was a large crowd gathered around, everyone shaking their head and going ooh and ahh. I was on the '36 judging team and had the opportunity to crawl under and all over this car. Gobsmack nice! It puzzled the judging team quite a bit. The fella who owned it had a photo album but I didn't get to see it, we were slammed with judging ten cars. I heard the car was a real basket case when he started, but when he finished, well, just very very nice. Showroom new. I really tip my hat to the owner, he made a tremendous investment, and the car is so cool he may even get it back if it ever changes hands. It was really impressive to see the custom body. The car had been lengthened so many parts had to be made. At the awards banquet Bobby York mentioned that the car sounded great when he heard it running at the town square. Sadly I don't remember hearing it run. -VeryTangled/Jeff Last edited by VeryTangled; 09-04-2011 at 01:21 PM.

09-04-2011, 11:25 AM	#7
Fordors Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Orland Park,IL Posts: 1,402	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Comments are from July/Aug '71 Ford Life: Hollywood businessman Percy T. Morgan initially had two Ford chassis shipped overseas at a cost of $568 each plus ocean freight. Modifications included changing the Houdailles to Andre Telecontrol shocks that were adjustable from the drivers compartment. The steering column was raked and extended and the gear shift moved almost a foot to the rear by means of special linkage. Dual exhaust was fitted for performance as well as a 3.54 gear set. Naturally, the Ford fenders were much modified to fit the custom coach work. Mr. Morgan related in the 1971 article that the vehicles cost him $2300 and they were to sell for $2900. Clark Gable was to buy the second car, the first being painted black with tan upholstery and the second silver with a red interior. He tried to get Morgan to sell him the black one, but Morgan wanted it for himself, lending the silver one to Gable for a few days upon which it was returned and Clark wound up buying a Duesenberg roadster instead. The third Jensen that Morgan had built (at an undisclosed later date) was bought by a Cincinnati business man and it's fate is unknown. Back in '71 the black car was owned and had been restored by a Warren Wyman and the silver car had been located and purchased by Gordon Chamberlin, co-publisher of Ford Life magazine. Gable had put down a deposit, sight unseen,of $1000 but that's as far as it went for him. Last edited by Fordors; 09-04-2011 at 06:04 PM.

09-04-2011, 01:24 PM	#10
Fordors Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Orland Park,IL Posts: 1,402	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Affirmative on the two-speed, the chassis were shipped overseas with them. Would they still have been changed to the 3.54's or was that written in error?

09-04-2011, 03:22 PM	#11
helmsville Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: longview Posts: 13	Re: Interesting car at Auburn its a Darrin. or at least it has the Darrin dip on the door.

09-05-2011, 10:20 AM	#14
TomO Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 362	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Jeff, You can use the free bloatware that comes with Windows, Windows Live Photo Gallery, to shrink your photos. __________________ TomO

09-05-2011, 10:37 AM	#15
VeryTangled Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC Posts: 3,387	Re: Interesting car at Auburn Hi TomO, Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. -Jeff

09-05-2011, 01:24 PM	#17
BillM Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 504	Re: Interesting car at Auburn For photo editing I use a free program called Gimp. __________________ My web page: http://myplace.frontier.com/~wgmumaw/