Hitchcocks Forum

Hi, me again,been a while, back with a question. Last week a new neighbor moved in to the crt I live in. Not sure of the odds on this but he came over a couple of days ago and told me he had an Interceptor. 14 houses in this crt and 2 Interceptors, bit hard to believe. Anyway to my questions, both his and mine are listed as 1965 and his engine number is 558 before mine, I have no idea how many the factory were producing per month at that stage, so his could have been built early in the year and mine obviously later? His motor and gearbox have matching numbers so that is the first thing I looke at. The first thing I saw was that it has removable cam caps which I didn't think the Inters had, I thought that was a Connie thing. The toolbox is missing and with the twin carbs on it can anybody explain what they did with the air filters on these, mine being single carby it is easy, same as the Super Meteors, filter into the left toolbox. I have never seen up close a Series 1 twin carby Inter. I have done a lot of work on a Series 1A twin carb but that is a different animal without the toolbox. Any info appreciated Cheers Norm

Hi Norm, putting pictures on here is beyond me, but I worked on a MK1 not long ago and it had a 389 and a 689 pair of Monoblocs fitted. The toolbox had a concave dent running across the front section to give room for the open bellmouths on the carbs and the toolbox lids had 'ears' protruding forwards, past the bellmouths to shroud them and no provision anywhere for an air filter. I have pictures, if you have some means of me sending them to you? Regards, Paul.

Just to add, the machine I worked on also had detachable cam covers on the left side of the engine. It also lacked any sidelights in the casquette.

Norm, hi again. If your neighbour sends his numbers (engine frame and gearbox and confirm if gearbox is matching?) to Graham Scarth of the REOC at [email protected] he will look up the Factory Register and tell him what the book says, dispatch date etc. Early Inters had an engine similar to the Connie with detachable cam caps, from late 1965 onwards the caps were omitted. In order to fit the twin 689/389 Monobloc carbs a different toolbox was fitted, smaller than the Connie but the same as fitted to the 250cc Turbo Twin. I have a Mk1 Inter like this and could help your friend if he needs pictures. Bullet Whisperer has seen this bike but it's not the one he worked on!

REgards, Mark

Thanks BW and Mark, looks like that toolbox will be an impossible task to find, I now recall seeing the covers with ears. Mark, the gearbox numbers match the right front case numbers. Thanks for the info.
Cheers Norm

Welcome back, Norm! A.