What's wrong with Jay Leno?!?

masraum · 08-05-2003, 01:20 PM

Some really cool interviews with Jay Leno, he sounds like a real car guy....

http://popularmechanics.com/automotive/sub_coll_leno/2000/12/jl_10_fave_cars/index.phtml
http://ri.clickability.com/ri?action=viewRelatedItem&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpopularmechanics.com%2Fautomotive %2Fsub_coll_leno%2F1999%2F7%2Fjl_muscle_cars%2Find ex.phtml&title=Cars+That+Require+Muscle&fromUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpopularmechanics.com%2Fautomo tive%2Fsub_coll_leno%2F2000%2F12%2Fjl_10_fave_cars %2Findex.phtml
http://ri.clickability.com/ri?action=viewRelatedItem&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpopularmechanics.com%2Fautomotive %2Fsub_coll_leno%2F2000%2F10%2Fjl_real_thing%2Find ex.phtml&title=Nothin%27+Like+The+Real+Thing&fromUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpopularmechanics.com%2Fautomo tive%2Fsub_coll_leno%2F2000%2F12%2Fjl_10_fave_cars %2Findex.phtml

except he doesn't have any German cars, not even Porsches!!!

We should abduct him and force him to drive several models of Porsche. I think he needs to be educated.

Jim Richards · 08-05-2003, 01:25 PM

Professional courtesy to Seinfeld?

Tinton · 08-05-2003, 01:38 PM

He was talking with a female celeb on his show. She mentioned how she and her husband raced Jay on the streets. Jay dismissed it live on the show, saying that their "little porsche" didn't stand a chance. Something to that effect.

pohsche · 08-05-2003, 02:52 PM

Had the chance to meet and talk to Jay at a Vintage Mustang show in N. Hollywood a couple years back. He is a real car guy with no pretensions of stardom. He came to the show in coveralls and spent as much time under the cars as he did standing up. I know from our conversation that he is all about vintage and collects American. More power to him, because what he does collect is top notch.

Alan Poh
'77 Carrera 3.0

1fastredsc · 08-05-2003, 02:55 PM

Yeah, besides there are plenty of porsche type celebs. Justin timberlake only drives 996's as his sports cars and the cast of friends (not sure if all of them) are into porsches.

Schuey · 08-05-2003, 03:00 PM

um , he's JAY LENO...

Mr9146 · 08-05-2003, 03:03 PM

Actually, Letterman drives a Bertone-bodied Volv8. A Bertone Volvo - the one with the chopped top - stuffed with a wicked 5.0 Mustang motor ... his has a huge blower and makes 700 hp. He's gotten a butt-load of tickets in NY for driving at insane speeds, and they've since revoked his license - a couple of times, I hear. But he's either stupid or doesn't give a rat's a$$ and keeps on driving without a license ... it's not like he can't afford the fines. And they won't throw him in jail because he's Letterman ... go figure.

jhugh · 08-05-2003, 03:12 PM

I was also not into Porsches when I was younger. Ferraris were it. It is true that the reason I have a Porsche now is because I've never had the money for the Ferrari that I would want (Daytona, GTO, 355). Now it's all over - I love Porsches and would always have them, no matter how rich I got.

But I do understand the no-Porsches-in-my-collection mindset. For someone with unlimited means, why go for the "reliable" car? Do we want Hondas? Those Italian cars say something altogether different. They're more extreme, more exclusive and emblematic. They're more decadent, dedicated to pleasure and sensuality. That point of view might be all fashion and nothing about the racetrack, but think for a moment what differentiates street cars for someone with that kind of money. Seinfield probably always loved Porsches.

I truly do not understand anyone with money being into American cars. I also can't believe the collector prices they command. Whatever. I guess that's a "fashion" thing I don't get.

Adam · Adam's Garage

Letterman also has a Volvo 940 (or 960) Wagon, which also has a V8 conversion...

These guys built it for him... Interesting website, lots of 500bhp sleepers out there...

fdemar · 08-05-2003, 03:23 PM

Went to see Leno at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach more than a few years ago. Long story short, I sat in the front row and was the friendly butt of a few of Jay's jokes. After the show, my wife and I were driving up the road that leads away from the beach area when a car pulls alongside and toots the horn - it was Leno, in a Maserati Ghibli, slowing to give me a wave and thumbs up, sort of a "no hard feelings" gesture. We waved back, and he gunned it and was out of there. Nice guy.

Mr9146 · 08-05-2003, 03:36 PM

I'm a Letterman guy myself. The stupid or doesn't care comment is just typical Letterman.

But,the other day as I was driving through Malibu Canyon, just past the Rock Store, traffic freakin' stopped. Some moron in a Hyundai was blocking traffic, and a crow of people were swarming around something on the side of the road. I let it sit for about five minutes but then got pissed and leaned on my annoying 914 horn. Traffic cleared and I looked at the crowd as I drove by ... it was Leno in a bright red firetruck .... IN THE MIDDLE OF MALIBU CANYON. I don't understand why didn't he drive one of his sportier cars ... does he even have sporty cars?

Oh, and as far as the American collector cars go, I would rather have a Lola T-70, GT40, or an A/C Cobra than most Alphas, Triumphs, Bugatis, or anything else in that price range ... save for Porsche and Ferrari. But look at it this way, with American iron you can swap out the original (read:VERY EXPENSIVE HISTORICAL EQUIPMENT) motor and substitute for a dime-a-dozen big or small block. I would rather blow up one of those motors than I would a 908, 910, 962, or 917 motor. Face it, American Iron means more fun per dollar ... but I'd still own a Porsche before a vette.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 08-05-2003, 03:43 PM

Letterman is into 914's. I think beach Boys racing has done a couple for him in the past. Or so Ive heard.

Mr9146 · 08-05-2003, 03:51 PM

Just one more reason to like Letterman ... besides, Leno's not even funny.

burton73us · 08-05-2003, 03:52 PM

My cousin knows one of Jays full time mechanics. We went over to Jays collection a couple of years back ( it is by the Burbank airport) and it is very cool, but I do not remember seeing a one Porsche. He has a mixed bag of cars from old steam cars to very exotic race cars, and motorcycles. He drives a different one each day. He has 3 full time mechanics and his collection is the 3 buildings next to each other.

My cousins friend that showed us around, told us that Jay just calls on the phone and asked for one of his cars to be made ready and he comes over and trades the one he was driving for whatever he wants. I asked it he had a regular day in and day out car he likes the most. My thinking was he must have a new car that he knew would not break down. It is not so. He drives a used rebuilt car every day.

Great set up there. Nice to be rich like that I guess. No kids just the wife and the toys. I wonder if he gives any money to good causes?

Jared at Pelican Parts · 08-05-2003, 03:52 PM

I've met Leno in the past and i have to agree with the others, very nice guy, no star attitude.

Mr9146 · 08-05-2003, 03:56 PM

I met him at the Historics, and I snapped a couple of underexposed photos near the bridge ... he smiled, waved, but never broke his gait. Whatever, I don't get star struck so it doesn't really matter much to me. Enrique Iglesias did try to start a fight with me and my friend about two weeks ago, however.

TRE Cup · TRE Cup's Garage

Leno is not that crazy about Ferraris either.
He does have a Shelby GT 350, and a M+L built Cobra (not a real one, but he drives the you know what out of it, parks it anywhere- not something he would do with a real one). He loves Lamborghinis and other eceterinis out of yurup
The most fun one is the twin turbocharged bentley chassied, airplane motored, contraption with four wheel discs, coolers and radiators all over it and bicycle width tires all around: Brave, very brave!

D Hanson · 08-05-2003, 05:19 PM

Letterman had one of the first 959s to come to the US.

cegerer · cegerer's Garage

I'm not so sure there are many car collectors period, who only dabble in Porsches amongst other marques???? It seems like you've either got guys who are Porsche-only or you've got guys who collect a little bit of everything.

Remember this about the 911: "nothing this weird has ever worked this well or with such versatility", Men's Journal

masraum · 08-05-2003, 08:43 PM

If you read some of the articles it sounds as if Leno should like a Porsche, he likes cars that are form follows function, cars with character, cars that are the underdog, cars that have idiosyncracies, cars with substance. In one of his articles are his 10 favorite cars

Duesenberg SJ 7 liter -- It's one of the few cars that I think people will still be restoring hundreds of years from now, because nothing in it is biodegradable. The steel, the block, everything is of such weight, depth and thickness that it's constantly rebuildable. You could pull a Duesenberg chassis out of a swamp it had been in since 1925, just kinda clean it up a bit, and it would be as strong as it was when it left the factory.
1937 BUGATTI TYPE 57SC 3.3 liter -- supercharged twin-cam straight Eight
McLaren F1 -- It's a perfect example of form following function
1913 Mercer Raceabout -- one of the first real American sports cars. It combined a relatively small--for the time--300-cu.-in. engine, a lightweight frame, a light body--really just a hood, two bucket seats and a gas tank. Like the McLaren, it's another car that has just what it needs. Nothing more.
Stanley Steamer -- There's really no technical reason why you would like a steamer other than the fact that any blacksmith can fix it. With most cars, you deal in millimeters, but with steam cars, you deal in inches. That's close enough. It's that kind of deal. I think you're only a real car guy if you've got steam.
Lamborghini Miura -- I like Lamborghinis, especially Miuras, more than Ferraris because of the reason the company started in the first place.
1909 Baker Electric -- it looks like a phone booth on wheels
1924 Bentley 8.0 Liter -- I'm a nut for the big old 8.0-liter Bentleys. I've got a stock 8.0-liter sedan, a 4.5 with an 8.0-liter engine and a 1924 3.0-liter chassis with a highly modified, twin-turbocharged 8.0-liter that puts out over 500 hp. That one will leave twin streaks of rubber as long as you keep your foot down.
427 COBRA -- Mine is a replica that originally had a 427 side oiler. Now it's got a SOHC 427 Ford V8. It'll dust a new Viper

People ask me why I don't have any Porsches. I've never liked the looks of their engines although my brother had a Speedster. And I never liked that tinny ching, chingsound. Why would you want that when you could get a car that sounded like varrooooom, varrooom?

"If you can afford the car, you must be a good racer." Not necessarily. People don't realize it, but guys like Dan Gurney and Stirling Moss were true athletes. It's said that Stirling Moss could read newsprint at 20 ft. And the instincts of these serious racing guys. . .they go out on the track and they come back in and they say, "Oh, I need a quarter pound of pressure on the right front tire," and I'm out there going, "What's that thumping noise?. . .Oh my gosh, I've got a flat."

I've tried racing. At the Toyota Grand Prix a few years ago, I'm sitting on the grid, killing time, and I see Parnelli Jones. He's kneeling down beside his car, shaving his tires with a hand file! I think "Uh oh, I'm in the wrong game."

I remember one day I was up at the Rock Store and all these guys show up. A guy was up there, Jay Springsteen or some famous motorcycle racing guy, and he was driving a box-stock Harley 883 Sportster. He really went up those twisties. He left the guys on modern bikes in the dust. You quickly realize, "I'm not good enough for most of these modern cars." A new F50 Ferrari: I'm sorry, I am probably not physically capable of taking this car anywhere near its limit. What fun is that? It's a bit like trying to have sex with an aerobics instructor. I'm exhausted, I'm out of breath and she's looking at her watch.

One day I'm on Mulholland Drive in my Morgan three-wheeler and it's ka-bang, ka-bang… it's like driving a machine gun. There's wind blowing, engine clattering, oil everywhere from the exposed valve springs. I come around the corner, the rear tire's hopping and there's this cop standing with a radar gun. I go, "I'm screwed. Oh jeeeeez, oh man, I'm going to have to do some fast talking." As I go by him, I realize I'm only going 35 mph and he watches me like a hawk. He couldn't miss me—he's just sitting there. And I came around like woo. . .woo.But he just waves like this, "Hey, man." I'm like the only guy on the road obeying the law and I'm scared to death. That's the great thing about this old stuff. In fact, the Morgan is the only car where I've been scared to death being passed by a lady in a Honda who's putting on her lipstick.