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                 New World Engine  
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A Day With Jay (Leno, That Is!)by For years I wanted to meet and chat with Jay Leno. A couple of years ago I had a chance to spend an evening at an event with Conan O'Brien. I gave him my card to pass on to Leno stating, "Tell him you met this Italian- American guy from New England that is his age and owns a 1947 Packard Custom Super seven passenger." (I figured that would get his attention as Leno often spoke of his same model Packard with affection.) Darn! It didn't work as I did not hear from him. "He must be too busy," I thought, but I did not give up hope. Last summer while talking to one of our good customers back at our restoration shop in Maine, I learned that he knew Jay Leno! In fact, he had helped him on a fire engine project and had visited with Jay several times. After a bit of begging (okay, so I have no pride) he said he would try to arrange a meeting for me to visit his shop when I went to California for the CCCA Annual Meeting. Hooray! So that is how it happened. I arrived at the Big Dog Garage at 9:00 a.m. as instructed and was greeted by Bob who was available to give me a tour of the facilities. If I tried to describe everything I saw and the stories shared about the cars in his collection, it would fill a newspaper. However, thanks to Jay and his staff, you can make the same visit right on the internet by going to: www.jaylenosgarage.com. This wonderful website pro- vided by Leno is his attempt to share with everyone interested his fabulous collection and the incredibly interesting work they do at the garage. You will find yourself spending hours on this website and going back often to check the updates. Visit it often as it changes nearly daily. At just a little past 10:00, Bob gets a cell phone call from Jay who is coming to the garage. Bob tells me that Leno will arrive in a few minutes and that he is uncertain as to what Jay's schedule will be for the day. It is clearly his way of telling me not to get my hopes up for a prolonged meeting. There he is just driving in with his black McLaren F1! (number 15 of only 65 street versions built) He backs it into the appropriate place in his garage and pops out of the car dressed in denims with his shirt open and white t-shirt. "He looks like Jay Leno," I think to myself, and by the time I come to my senses, he stops by and says "Hi, Michael, I'll be right with you." I was instantly at ease with just those few words and his easy going mannerisms. A moment later he says to me, "Michael, have you ever had a ride in a Doble Steam Car?" I was wondering how to answer that question without sounding like a beagle that just spied a rabbit when he said, "Let's go" and we headed over to the actual garage where the big impressive Doble sits prominently.
Jay climbs aboard the big Doble and just like he said, it is ready to go within a couple of minutes. We pull out of the garage onto the street and I remind myself to close my mouth (that has been gaping open for the past several minutes in utter amazement). I am heading down the street somewhere in Los Angeles with Jay Leno in a 1925 Doble Steam car, one of only 43 Dobles ever made and probably one of only 3 known to be in operating condition! Jay tells me that his Murphy bodied Doble Series E18 was owned by a family in the Midwest who obtained the car in the 1950s by trading a shotgun for it! The widow of the owner utilized the knowledge and abilities of a noted Doble historian to get it in running condition and when the widow passed on, Jay obtained the car. Boom, boom, boom..."What's that!", I ask, not wanting to sound too alarmed. He explains that Dobles have a draft booster to blow gas into the generator. This is basically a steam turbine, almost like a supercharger, that is heating the water just as fast as it gets in there. Outside of the periodic boom, boom (which I grew fond of hearing) I cannot hear a thing except a clean whooshhh as the car accelerates. The ride is so smooth and with no vibration or hesitation. The Doble has a unique 4-cylinder compound engine that turns no more than 900 rpm at speeds of 60 or 70 mph. There is direct drive to the rear wheels. Hey, this is a blast! We are cruising effortlessly down the highway in a 5,500 pound luxurious steam car keeping up with traffic and people gawking at us from every angle.
After all, Dobles were not only mechanical marvels, they were expensive automobiles with the chassis alone selling for nearly $10,000 in 1925 and a complete bodied vehicle for as much as $25,000! The Doble spews a little heavy steam oil under the car on to the clean pavement and as we prepare to leave Jay tosses me a rag from the trunk to clean up the mess. Hey, I feel proud that I am learning so quickly the routine obligations of traveling in a steam car. (Learn more about the amazing Doble at www.steamcar.net and www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/automo.Html) We continued to drive "around town" casually chatting about anything that comes to mind from other automobiles, to our individual upbringings, our folks and families, politics, social issues, career paths, you name it...the conversation flows easily. I am developing a perspective of this man well beyond my original perceptions. As we enter the compound where the garage is located he asks me if I had ever been in a Stanley Steamer. I tell him I had a little better understanding of these cars since I have known owners of Stanleys and also had a chance to meet Raymond Stanley, the son of F.E. Stanley, back in the early 1970s. Besides, the Stanley brothers were from Kingfield, Maine, and being a Mainer allowed me some knowledge on the subject. We park the precious Doble and as I remain standing admiring the car, Jay is already running around the garage readying a 1922 Stanley Steamer sedan for a tour. "Can I help," I ask, as if there was some specific task that I might be capable of performing to ready the car and earn my stripes. Jay motions "Sure, pull that water hose over here so that we can fill the tank." I attempt to perfectly perform this task by not tripping over the hose or turning on the faucet before instructed to do so. Jay is already under the Stanley on his back with a butane torch trying to light the pilot on the car. He tells me it is important to get it very hot and that the gas I witness shooting out of the port needs to vaporize properly. Endeavors utilizing torches and gas make me a bit nervous and Jay jokes that good steam men seldom have hair on their arms or eyebrows! The pilot ignites and every so often I see a flame flare-up under the car but Jay doesn't seem bothered by it. It's my turn now and I am ready. Without a hitch I turn on the faucet. I can now add "Steam Car Technician" to my resume. Ready to go? Not so fast, it will take over twenty minutes to get the Stanley up to 500 psi of steam to get the 2-cylinder engine to respond. "Jump in," he says, and then he says, "Jump out." The Stanley cylinders are stopped at dead center and the car needs a little push to get going. We head out of the garage and down the road to a gas station to fill 'er up. I attempt to pay for the gas at the pump with my credit card and Jay shakes his head amused that I do not know that the station accepts cash only. "You'll have to learn how to pay for gas in California," he says, "Do you have 39 cents?", allowing me an opportunity to pay the change portion of the tab. While I'm fumbling around for change, everybody walks by and says "Hi, Jay!" as if he is just another kid on the block that stopped at the station. He is polite to everyone who speaks to him and waves to all. Filled up, we are now ready to go but the Stanley needs a little push again and I oblige instinctively. "Now you know why I brought you with me," Jay laughs as I jump back in the car. The Stanley heads out into heavy traffic with ease and we are chugging along when a car rolls along the driver's side with people frantically pointing to the underside of the car. They believe that the water rolling out of the Stanley from the steam is a dangerous fuel leak of some sort. Jay rolls down his window and hollers, "It's a steam car, it's a steaammmm carrr..." Not convinced, he sends them a stronger signal with the steam whistle. The car's concerned people now understand, smile and wave, and fade back into the lane. A few minutes later, the episode is repeated with other people believing the antique vehicle is in some sort of jeopardy. Again, the whistle and wave and we continue on . . . at a fairly good clip, I might add. "Hey, Jay, how fast are we going?" I ask. "Take a look at the speedometer in front of you," he says. Jay uses his cars in a way that makes them seamless in modern traffic. He is in nobody's way on the highway. The only difference is that his car is a 1922 Stanley! He tells me that this Stanley was restored in England where "people love steam vehicles." The Stanley is a totally different automobile than the magnificent Doble. Jay offers many facts which distinguished the two cars and the differences which would cause discrimination amongst owners. Fortunately with only 3 or 4 Dobles in existence today that are running versus approximately 600 Stanleys, there are not too many arguments between owners! (Learn a lot more about Stanley Steam Cars at www.stanleysteamers.com and www.stanleymotorcarriage.com)
Back at the garage, he offers lunch to his staff and friends who are there. Everyone seems to be comfortable to just "dig in" so I do the same. The kitchen at the garage is fully stocked with appliances and food. Jay tells me that "Martha Stewart did a program here, at the garage" and I tell him that I will send him some Italian cookbooks that my cousin and I wrote; La Cucina Semplice Del Nord Italia for the kitchen. He jokes that he will give a copy to Martha when she stops by the garage! For a split second I imagine me and Martha doing a program together at the garage but then I see Jay digging in a baker's box in the refrigerator. So here is a little secret I will share with you. Jay loves a nice cake loaded with fresh fruit...and so do I! After lunch we take the Stanley for a good long ride to visit a bookstore in Los Angeles that he enjoys — it is primarily books on automobiles! Here he recommends to me the commemorative edition of The Stanley Steamer published by the Stanley Museum in Maine. Five minutes into it, I am hooked on steam car history! Hmmm...my thoughts turn to my Packards. "I wonder if they ever attempted to make a Packard steam car ...my collection seems lacking without at least one steam vehicle..." I shake my head and try to come to my senses while I am being lulled by the Stanley's magical repetitive boiler moan and puff puffing. (Hear the addicting sound of a steam car at www.stanleysteamers.com) Back at the ranch Jay "blows down" the Stanley to make sure the steam oil is cleared from the boiler. We talk and visit some more and Jay explains a few projects in the garage. I couldn't believe I was in store for more excitement than this, but I was. It is obvious he wants to play with his cars all day and he asks me "which Duesenberg would you like to go out in?" I glance over at his now famous all original 1927 Model X discovered in 2004 that had been in storage since 1947. Model X Duesenbergs are very rare and according to Randy Ema, the country's top Duesenberg authority, only 13 Model X's were built. They fit in between the Duesenberg Model A and the famous Models J and SJ, which were built from 1929 to 1937. Only four known X's survive and here is my chance to take a ride in one! Jay talks about the Model X and recalls the story about finding it. (You can see it on his website.) I am amazed at the beauty of the original interior and the effort that was made to preserve the car. I am absolutely mesmerized by the car and from my vantage point it is akin to having found something as ancient and rare as Tyrannosaurus Rex — alive! Jay snaps me out of my trance, "Let's take the coupe," he says.
We are on the highway somewhere in Los Angeles and it is easy to forget you are riding in a 1933 Duesenberg. Jay remarks, "You see, you can drive this car anywhere, just like a modern automobile, and keep up with the traffic." It's true. The Duesenberg cruises along smoothly and with plenty of passing power — just interview the people on that highway who said "what's that?" as a glistening blue streak thundered by them! As you might expect, at the Grand Classic the car receives plenty of attention and Jay obliges each and every question with a passion such that one would believe it was the first time he was asked it. It is getting later in the afternoon and Jay has the show to do in Las Vegas this Saturday evening. Back at the Big Dog Garage, we park the Duesenberg and as I chat with one of the staff I ask for a number to call a cab to take me back to my hotel. Jay overhears my conversation and says, "Oh, no, I'll give you a ride. I've got plenty of time." Moments later we are heading to my hotel in his beautiful black 2006 Corvette.
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