Jay Leno's 600-hp LS7
Originally Posted by Xtremespeed
I'd like to see Leno actually work on some of his own projects. People give him parts and build his cars for him. He has so many cars, he doesn't even drive them. They're just "look what I have" cars. What a waste. Jealous I guess!
Launching!
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I personally spoke to Jay about a month ago.
He is a great individual. Extremely nice, cordial, considerate and high degree of character.
Yes, he does have a staff and musuem quality restoration/shop facilty.
Recently, Jay had his facility(garage) open to National Corvette Musuem members who (donated to charity or NCM (I cannot recollect)) each $5,000 a head to go visit for a period of time. I have not been folowing up on this, so forgive my uncertainty/ignorance.
He is a great individual. Extremely nice, cordial, considerate and high degree of character.
Yes, he does have a staff and musuem quality restoration/shop facilty.
Recently, Jay had his facility(garage) open to National Corvette Musuem members who (donated to charity or NCM (I cannot recollect)) each $5,000 a head to go visit for a period of time. I have not been folowing up on this, so forgive my uncertainty/ignorance.
Last edited by IB Jason; May 1, 2015 at 11:55 AM.
11 Second Club
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From: NE PA
Originally Posted by Somebody09
600 HP!!?!?!?! What happened to the rest of the ponies? If you're rich and you're gonna have an engine modded, do it right! And sorry, but that is the ugliest car I have ever set eyes on. Ever.
I bet there are uglier cars in your driveway.
Originally Posted by Somebody09
600 HP!!?!?!?! What happened to the rest of the ponies? If you're rich and you're gonna have an engine modded, do it right! And sorry, but that is the ugliest car I have ever set eyes on. Ever.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Reno, NV
Originally Posted by Somebody09
...the ugliest car I have ever set eyes on. Ever.
Props to Jay for driving such a fast, ugly car! I would sure like to meet him in that while driving my LS7-powered car, though, and show him what's up. Of course, mine is six months from being on the road.
By then, he'll probably have major mods... What's next, Jay, TT? LS1 Tech Stories
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From: Austin, TX
Originally Posted by Somebody09
600 HP!!?!?!?! What happened to the rest of the ponies? If you're rich and you're gonna have an engine modded, do it right! And sorry, but that is the ugliest car I have ever set eyes on. Ever.
Well somebody is smoking crack. A) its a sexy car and B) you think you need more than 600 emissions-legal, grandma-tame, tire-blazing horsepower in a car that weighs less than 2800lbs??? That's dumb.
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From: Austin, TX
Originally Posted by Xtremespeed
I'd like to see Leno actually work on some of his own projects. People give him parts and build his cars for him. He has so many cars, he doesn't even drive them. They're just "look what I have" cars. What a waste. Jealous I guess!
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Knox-Vegas
Originally Posted by Xtremespeed
I'd like to see Leno actually work on some of his own projects. People give him parts and build his cars for him. He has so many cars, he doesn't even drive them. They're just "look what I have" cars. What a waste. Jealous I guess!
The story is really, "Rich Famous Guy Buys Something Insanely Expensive and Gets More Fame and Publicity."
The excesses of modern pop culture isn't my bag, and I'm not impressed either.
I'm sure Jay is great guy, has a billion dollars and a lot of cool cars --- but what sacrifices did he have to make to build his ride, what choices did he have to make? None, he just says give me lots of everything and there they are...
I'm more interested in seeing how a guy / gal with a spouse, kids and real world job mods a daily driver into an 11 second car...
Now I don't blame the one who started the thread, nor do I fault those who love Jay's collection, but there are legitimate reasons not to swoon at Jay's feet while heaping praise upon him.
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From: Austin, TX
I see your point, but he's not buying bently's and putting 26's on them. He's restoring cars from the 1800's to the 1970's and beyond. Did you not hear/see about his 55 Chevy or his Toronado? The Chevy was the first car he bought after he moved to LA. He has money now so he built it the right way once. What's so bad about that? Same with the Toronado. Who the hell builds a BROWN Oldsmobile with stock looking wheels/tire/interior? Its sentimental, both of them. And again, he drives the **** out of them and if he and GM can have a mutual relationship with parts and testing, no one is hurt by it.
Bottom line, I'm more impressed by someone building something nobody has or can have ( A. because there's a sentimental thing behind the car, or B. because he/she is an innovator). I'm also impressed that ALL of his cars are drivers. Plus he's saving these classic Bugot's and Packards, and steam-powered cars so others can see them. While working on them himself, by the way. Any Joe Blow like you me can buy an F-body used, bolt on some off the shelf parts and go 11's. That's easy. Creating a 32 Chevy/Ford hybrid with C6 suspension and a modified LS7 is special. Hell, there's a 1000 11-sec heads and cam F-body's with varying degree's of unique-ness, but only Jay has a ****-stain brown Olds Toronado with an LS7-derivative, twin turbo's, 17" look-a-likes, and stock manners.
I don't worship him, but its the kind of thing I'd do with that kind of dough.
Bottom line, I'm more impressed by someone building something nobody has or can have ( A. because there's a sentimental thing behind the car, or B. because he/she is an innovator). I'm also impressed that ALL of his cars are drivers. Plus he's saving these classic Bugot's and Packards, and steam-powered cars so others can see them. While working on them himself, by the way. Any Joe Blow like you me can buy an F-body used, bolt on some off the shelf parts and go 11's. That's easy. Creating a 32 Chevy/Ford hybrid with C6 suspension and a modified LS7 is special. Hell, there's a 1000 11-sec heads and cam F-body's with varying degree's of unique-ness, but only Jay has a ****-stain brown Olds Toronado with an LS7-derivative, twin turbo's, 17" look-a-likes, and stock manners.
I don't worship him, but its the kind of thing I'd do with that kind of dough.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Reno, NV
Originally Posted by Z-Vert
...I'm sure Jay is great guy, has a billion dollars and a lot of cool cars --- but what sacrifices did he have to make to build his ride, what choices did he have to make? None, he just says give me lots of everything and there they are...
I'm more interested in seeing how a guy / gal with a spouse, kids and real world job mods a daily driver into an 11 second car...
Now I don't blame the one who started the thread, nor do I fault those who love Jay's collection, but there are legitimate reasons not to swoon at Jay's feet while heaping praise upon him.
I'm more interested in seeing how a guy / gal with a spouse, kids and real world job mods a daily driver into an 11 second car...
Now I don't blame the one who started the thread, nor do I fault those who love Jay's collection, but there are legitimate reasons not to swoon at Jay's feet while heaping praise upon him.
It really comes down to perspective... If I could drive anything I wanted (and I mean anything) and could afford to buy it, and do so while jetting around the country entertaining millions, and spending my work life hosting the premier late-night TV show with the cream-of-the-crop from Hollywood (if you can say that), pro sports, politics, etc., would I? HELL YEAH.
It's probably more appropriate to compare Jay's level of car-crazyness to the rest of the TV talk-show hosts.
What does Conan drive and when was the last time you saw his car in Popular Hotrod or GM High Tech?Point is, he could spend his gazillions on anything...not cars. C'mon! He drives a steam-powered car, a tank-engine car, a fire-breathing turbin car, and the list goes on and on. He's definitely a car-guy's car-guy. Did he build them all himself? No, but some of those cars wouldn't exist if not for his creativity, desire for unique autos, and lots of cash.
Originally Posted by Builder
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Props to Jay for driving such a fast, ugly car!
I would sure like to meet him in that while driving my LS7-powered car, though, and show him what's up. Of course, mine is six months from being on the road. By then, he'll probably have major mods... What's next, Jay, TT?
Props to Jay for driving such a fast, ugly car! I would sure like to meet him in that while driving my LS7-powered car, though, and show him what's up. Of course, mine is six months from being on the road.
By then, he'll probably have major mods... What's next, Jay, TT?wow LS7 streetrod
maybe they'll have that on rides Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Knox-Vegas
Ryan J writes:
"Any Joe Blow like you me can buy an F-body used, bolt on some off the shelf parts and go 11's. That's easy."
================================================== ========
That's the best news I've had in years, especially if the car is a Vert and can be my daily driver.
Of course you guys / gals are right, what Jay does is undoubtably cool, and I know he is a true car loving freak, it's just that he is so far beyond my realm, that while I wish him the best, nothing he does will impact me...
Then again, I like my kids drawings more than the Rembrandt paintings some famous collector has, I'm just wired weird that way.
"Any Joe Blow like you me can buy an F-body used, bolt on some off the shelf parts and go 11's. That's easy."
================================================== ========
That's the best news I've had in years, especially if the car is a Vert and can be my daily driver.
Of course you guys / gals are right, what Jay does is undoubtably cool, and I know he is a true car loving freak, it's just that he is so far beyond my realm, that while I wish him the best, nothing he does will impact me...
Then again, I like my kids drawings more than the Rembrandt paintings some famous collector has, I'm just wired weird that way.