Yahoo Autos Listen to Leno's McLaren F1 Without Its Mufflers On
Keeping Jay Leno's highly eclectic car collection running is a never ending job, but the team of expects at his garage seems to have no problem with doing the impossible. Leno's video updates don't disappoint either, but this summer got even more exciting with the McLaren F1 being on the to do list. As Leno puts it, "it's probably the scariest car to work on, and certainly the most expensive."
Then again, they have the factory Facom toolkit, so what could go wrong?
Of course the fact that the F1s need an engine-out service every five years because of their dissolving fuel cells is just the icing on the cake. This year, the garage's projects list starts with a 1959 Chrysler Imperial that started out as a standard disc brake conversion, only to end up being a full restoration. New paint, new panels, fresh chrome all around, with a rebuilt dash and everything that turned a Chrysler into an Imperial.
Speaking of new panels, Leno's team also had to cast a radiator shell for his 1916 Revere, just before rebuilding its Rochester-Duesenberg 'walking-beam' engine and gearbox. Fellow expert Jim's personal Lotus Cortina is just about ready to become the world's nicest Lotus Cortina, while Leno's 1914 Detroit Electric will need a steering rack upgrade once its 50 horsepower motor gets connected to lithium-ion batteries. Needless to say, this horseless carriage got a new wooden body and wheels as well.
But while beating most off the line with a 1914 Detroit Electric is fun, Leno's true passion lies in pre-war aero specials, which are literally tons of fun.
There's his "ran when parked" Rabbit 11. Clocked at Brooklands at 113 miles per hour in 1921, this beast is a 1908 Mercedes chassis with a 1913 18.8-liter plane engine. Master fabricator Jimmy has been busy replacing its steel water jackets with custom brass ones for years, while this beast also received Lincoln axles with hidden disc brakes at the front. As well as a modern clutch.
Equally impressive is the Merlin V12-powered Rolls-Royce, which is a 27-liter affair built on a 1934 P2 chassis, with Weber carburetors and a six-speed Dodge truck transmission. It will shift alright. Next to the Rolls is a new acquisition, a 1922 Wills Sainte Claire. Engineered by Ford chief designer, metallurgist and father of the Blue Oval logo Childe Harold Wills, this 65 horsepower OHC aluminum block V8-powered car cost ten times as much as a Model T, and twice as much as a house in its day. No wonder why Leno hadn't seen one running yet.
Bikes! He also has bikes! And how about the best in the world from 1925? Namely, the Super Sports 100 Brough Superior, a 55 horsepower, 3-speed bike guaranteed to do 110mph when most couldn't break 55. Hand-built for speed, this two-wheeler is something else.
Then, there's the F1. Despite Gordon Murray's best effort to create the ultimate road car, McLaren's first production model has certain racing components that need regular servicing with the V12 dragged out. Like the fuel cell, which needs replacing every five years.
Now, most people would ship their F1s back to McLaren Special Operations at Woking, or to an unmarked warehouse in Philadelphia so Kevin Hines can do his magic. But to Jay Leno's crew, the $20+ million F1 is just another car. A familiar collection of bolts, wires, pipes, metal and carbon, with a glorious sound without the mufflers on. Talk about a rare treat:
Watch the video on YouTube here.
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