I'm sitting in the lunch room at Williams International right now. The blue anodize cards on the air cleaner were done by me and a coworker. It's a small contribution but I'm proud that the Williams team was able to resurrect Jays car, it was very cool to see it back on the road.
I’m imagining that it’s a lot different from when I worked there in the late 70s through the 80s. Do they still have the “A” and “B” wing test cells? I worked Quality Assurance in Production and R&O before they took on commercial aviation. I worked with Greg also when he was going through college. We had a lot of fun together there. Great guy! Awesome company!
True, but I'm hoping he did something for all of those volunteers. As great as the story is, there's no reason I can think why he wouldn't pay for all the work that was done.
@@HariSeldon913uhh……I bet if you asked those volunteers, they umm……volunteered for the roles. You see, to some folks, specially ones likely a lot older than you, the opportunity to do something and experience something is reward enough. It doesn’t always have to be about money.
@@DownEastSaw yeah, but could you imagine if, upon receiving that hood ornament, Jay said, "That's so cool! Could I order enough to make sure every volunteer got one?" Yes it's a dust collector but I'm certain the volunteers would treasure it.
I recognized the Williams Logo on your shirt instantly! I worked there in the late 70s thru the 1980s. Affectionatly known as Willie’s Rocket Shop by the employees it was the best place I had ever worked during my entire career. Back in the day the founder Sam Williams knew all of his employees by name. He was an inspiration to all he worked with and a legend in small turbine technology. I worked with his sons Greg and Scott in Repair & Overhaul. Greg runs the company now. I worked primarily with the Tomahawk and Air Launched Cruise missile programs and the WR27-1 Auxiliary Power Unit for the Navy S-3A program. I was the first person Williams hired that actually worked on their WR27-1 Auxiliary Power unit in the Navy. I also worked with the production and testing of target drone propulsion systems. Great video!
I have a thing in my heart with the way Jay Leno has converted his celebrity wealth into a productive and valuable historic preservation project that is also a labor of love for him. If only more wealthy celebs could be as gifted as he. That Steve Lehto has a speaking relationship with Leno, what can I say? My esteem for Lehto is enhanced. I am now primed to find out how this car works.
People outside the US don't understand why us Americans hang on to automotive heritage so tight. Things like the Turbine car are the reason. The last 100 years of automotive innovation in America alone is a staggering accomplishment. We should be proud.
Sadly it seems innovation in energy production, be it by combustion, or other means suddenly stopped once they passed that Patent law in 1951. Which I guess in part forced automakers to innovate around the fuels sources they were allowed to use.
Well I really don't like the electronics part. Can you imagine how far the mechanical part could have progressed if they'd have kept the electronic chips out.
I worked for the UK Admiralty Materials Research establishment. One of the projects I was involved in was the development of a high-temperature wind tunnel to look at corrosion on Gas turbine blades. Two blades were of interest front and rear. The pressures around the front blade came out perfect. The back blade took a year to get correct. When both blades' pressures in the high-temperature wind tunnel were correct, they announced it to the customer another Admiralty department. They replied we are only interested in the front blade. It took £1 million to get the back blade correct. The blades were made out of NIMONIC of various grades. The admiralty metaligist would have different grades of NIMONIC block cast and the tool room would machine them to turbine blade shape. Then they were tested in the high-temperature wind tunnel. And corrosion was measured. Gas turbines did not like sea water and the admiralty used them to power their ships hence the interest.
I wonder why they were only interested in the front blade? I would think all of the blades being subject to airflow pressure and corrosion and spin, needing to remain in balance, would be equally important!
I love the sound of a turbine starting up. Monitoring the rpm, introducing fuel at the right time, and being able to identify a hung start or hot start is essential to not melting the blades in the engine, so to have automatic starting if this was to be operated by the masses would have been a key to making the project work. It's impressive they were able to get automatic starting working in the 60's, while aviation had to wait several more decades for it to be common, though it is still not on most small turbine engines.
They did have autmatic turbine starting in the early 60s....the B727 APU, for example. Just move the toggle switch to "On", then to "Start"....hold for three seconds, then let it go.....all done.
I'm wondering if the car can detect hung and hot starts or not. After all, this car wasn't intended for sale, and the examples given to the public were only meant to be driven for a few thousand miles. Perhaps Chrysler skimped out on that part of the technology and just bet on the fact that the hung and hot starts on that engine would be so rare as to not effect the trial. Perhaps this is why Jay's car stopped running. Maybe he had a hot start, or multiple hot starts and wasn't even aware of it until the engine was too damaged to run anymore.
@@jimwells4240 while technically correct, the 727 APU startup procedure has plenty of manual switches and checks before you engage the "automatic start" and will damage it if done wrong. This car has the entire process automated instead of just the last few steps.
@@operator0 with how fast they get to idle during startup, my guess is the starter motor is overbuilt since they didn't have the weight constraints that aviation has, which would reduce the risk of hung or hot starts. The documentary mentions they also added more electronic automation to prevent hot starts after several engines got roasted by misoperation.
Steve, this is so cool little did my wife and I realize back in the early 90's while returning home I saw the turbine car in front of the armory on 8 mi. and Ryan rd.. I was driving and in the left lane to turn down our street (Lefever) I whipped across all lanes to turn right into the armory and get a look at the car. At the front door stood Jay scoping out the car from a distance I approached Jay at my wifes request for his autograph he was so cool and obliged looking back it must have been the day he purchased it, history being made and we didnt know it Wow.
My dad was a backyard mechanic (as was my brother,) and re-built /raced stock-cars in the 60's. I grew up around car culture, and have also been known to turn a wrench every now and again. Love seeing a classic come back to life! What a wonderful story!
I have goosebumps! As a UW-Madison in '61, I touched one on display there. Something you just do not forget. Pop was a Chrysler car lover, buyer, and seller. I repaired them. Tom TGP
The American Spirit at work. Cooperation makes things happen regardless of the situation. As a kid in the 60s I had a classmate whose father worked at Chrysler Airtemp in Ohio. His father got to use one of the Turbine Cars for a short time. I'll never forget seeing it sit in their driveway, walking around it, admiring the design. The eerie whoosh as it went by on the street. I had seen the car at the 1964 World's Fair in New York but to see it up close was a gearhead's dream. I begged for a ride but it didn't happen. Glad to see another classic car driving instead of sitting as a display. Congratulations to all who got it running again.
Steve, I worked at Williams in the 70s and 80s and they had an American Motors (I think it was a Spirit) that they were working on putting a turbine in. I remember seeing it covered in a tarp in the dead storage warehouse. You might want to ask your brother about it. We put turbine engines in just about everything from snowmobiles to lawn tractors, jeeps and boats. Williams is definitely an American legacy company. It doesn’t get the credit it really deserves for innovation.
TH-camr AgentJayZ is a Canadian jet engine tech who made hundreds of videos explaining gas turbine technology as he rebuilt them. He describes in minute detail each component of a gas turbine as it is being zero timed. The rebuild process yields an engine that will run for years...but...the process is very finicky and technical. The Chrysler turbine rebuild needed people with rare skills. A very cool story...thanks!
I saw one of those Turbine Cars drive by in the 60's in NE Portland, Oregon, I was a kid playing outside. I'll never forget the cool sound of the engine and that it wasn't loud like you'd think it would be.
I'm very happy that Jay got to thank the volunteers personally as this was a huge undertaking with a lot more difficulties than most folk could imagine. Even with the huge team and vast pool of knowledge they assembled there were no guarantees and I'm very impressed that they pulled it off. Oh and Metaltech are great, if you ever need rare alloys and steels they are the ones who will have it and usually on the shelf.
Just saw you on a youtube short about this, not 20 minutes after watching this. You were talking about it running on anything that burns. You were the expert they turned to. Good job, my friend.
Speaking of "it'll run on anything that'll burn", I had an instructor in A&P school who was an aviplaneation contractor/pilot for the CIA. They were stuck somewhere unfriendly in Africa with no fuel. What they DID have, though, was a 24ft bobtail truck FULL of Bacardi 151. Put all of it in the plane, started it up and left. BONKERS ! ! !
This whole story, from the documentary, to this "conclusion", was SOOOO intriguing and fun. Jay Leno is an amazing person, I can only imagine how much fun he would be to hang out with. The contribution he makes to the automotive... well we should really broaden it to vehicular history is priceless. Many kudos to him, and to the tireless and often gratis efforts of all of the countless people that gave to this project. This is the kind of stuff that renews my sense of awe and pride in what can be done by individuals with a passion. Many, many, many thanks to everyone that brought us this story!!!!
@@lb9gta307The govt shut it down to stop research. There are 6,000 "secret patens" being held hostage by the feds. They might disrupt established monopolies and let us out of their control.
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@@lb9gta307 To be fair, ICE should go away too because they're killing us and the planet. EV are the future, but they're still missing a brand with class and character.
When I was a kid (I'm 74) just a few blocks away was Kennedy Plymouth of Milwaukee where I walked over to one evening to see this amazing car. Yes it was right in front of me and they had started it up right there in the showroom!! One of the men presenting the car, balanced a nickle coin on the engine while it was running. I'll never forget that day
That was probably your best episode ever Steve, loved it. I also have to mention how remarkable of a man Mr. Jay Leno is, too much to mention, but just a great human being! Again, nice job!
50 years on a hand built car that might be driven 50 miles a year. Bit different than a mass produced car that drives 100k a year. I will say back then those that hand built it were proud of their work and gave it their all but it still lived a pampered life.
@@user-neo71665 While true, you also have to play devil's advocate, and figure that this concept vehicle was never extensively tested before being ordered destroyed. It was new tech during that time too, new stuff usually sucks at first, proven by history of new stuff lol. Some people do baby modern cars and drive them a couple miles a year and they still break down. Not all, but some. And this turbine car is if Im not mistaken, the only one still existing.
But how many miles had been put on that car? It probably had two years or so in Chrysler's loan program rotation, then in storage or museums. So I would hazard a guess of not more than 30,000 miles. I don't remember where Leno got his, but it was surely from a museum or collection. Not to belittle the accomplishment, just noting that those aren't normal years for a car.
@@montegomadness This may be true. But I love playing devil's advocate. This means I already thought of everything that would go against my opinion, such as what you said, before I spoke it. Someone's gotta speak it.
What a wonderful story. I followed this car through the years since I knew about it as a kid, followed Jay's Garage TH-cam channel where he has various videos about it, then heard about the problem he had, and now this repair. Can't wait to see more videos about the restoration and its now survival. Just amazing. Thank a lot Steve for adding your part to the story.
I was fortunate to have seen one during the 80's in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. sitting in a service bay awaiting transport. From a distance, I thought it was a 1962 Thunderbird until up close and realized it was a Chrysler Turbine car from its distinctive and beautiful tail end.
In July 1969, 55 years ago, yikes!, I attended a two week summer engineering program for high school students at Clarkson College of Technology (now Clarkson University) in Potsdam New York. Two enduring memories of that program was watching the first moon landing on TV at the college Rathskeller, while drinking mg first bar beers, and riding in a Chrysler Turbjne Csr. One of the mechanical engineering professors running the program had one, IIRC it looked just like Jays. I don’t recall why the car was still around in 1969, perhaps because there was some sort of connection between Chrysler and Clarkson.
i am so proud that jay is leaving this huge amount of knowledge to future generations it’s truly amazing and inspiring he understands the historical significance of the cars he has repaired and restored with his team and so many others the turbine car is such a huge part of our history i can’t wait to hear more of what happened and the story behind the engine repair
Mr. L, This was Fantastic to see the culmination of the story! Jay is One of a Kind Just like his car collection. You are Also in that category! "Old School" Do It Till It Gets Done. That's Why We Love Your Channel🤗 Chris and Rick From Chicago ❤
I have always loved the Chrysler Turbin cars. I was fortunated enough to see one headed North between Portland and Seattle when they were being put out for different people to drive them. Fewer people may know that Consolidated Freightways, a trucking company in Portland in the 60's and 70's had a tractor with a turbin engine installed to test the concept in over the road semi's. I never knowingly saw it, but several times when I was not far from their terminal I could hear it when the engine was started.
The documentary that Hagerty did on this was fantastic. Steve was great in the piece. The whole thing made me want to go to the Stahl's museum. Thankfully, my brother lives 10 minutes away in Chesterfield. Now I just have to plan a trip to visit him on a Tuesday.
Great story! My dad was a big fan of the turbine car, which he saw at the world's fair as well. The first new car he ever bought was a 1964 Chrysler Newport with the push-button transmission. Very high tech for its day!
❤ Jay Leno has been preserving historical machines for years now and if his collection were ever sold to the public at auction there's no telling how much money they would bring.
Hi Steve, You can also see a turbine car in the 1964 movie "The Lively Set". James Darren was the driver and Doug McClure the engineering student who helped during a car race.
This is awesome! Williams International made turbine engines for cruise missiles, target drones, and a multitude of corporate jet models. The cool aspect of Williams' engines is that the compressor and turbine blades/hubs are all machined out of one piece of metal where as every other manufactures machine hubs, and blades as separate parts.
@@MaxPower-11 Yes, They make tons of smaller turbofan engines for business/ personal jets like the Cessna Citation's(11 citation models fly FJ-44's), Pilatus PC24, Hawker 400XPR, Cirrus SF50, Diamond D-Jet, Beechcraft Premier I, Syberjet SJ30, Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, the list goes on and on.
I'm the same age as Jay, and I can remember when my dad took my brother and me down to the Chrysler dealer on Walnut Street in Boulder CO to see the car. It made quite an impression on me as well. It remember it being very quiet until they took the air cleaner off.
In the early 1960s my brother & me as kids often visited the Los Angeles Museum of technology to admire the turbine car display and a nearby display had a working 2 foot jet engine you could start with a button.
When I was a kid, one of these was apparently on loan to someone two blocks away from me, and the remarkable thing about this was that it was a distinctly lower middle class neighborhood. It is difficult to believe that the family would have had a social status greater than the neighborhood. At the time, I did not realize that this car was a "program" experimental car, and it was only there for a couple of months, but I have always been kind of curious how it showed up in a "low rent" district.
I visited the shop where his turbine bike was built, they had a Ford pickup (Turbine) in the shop, as well as two bikes in the build room being assembled, this was some 20 years ago.
That is incredible!! It's a good thing the engine quit when it did -- 10 years from now, restoring it might not have been possible. The people with the knowledge are not getting any younger. Hopefully the restoration of this engine taught some younger folks what to do, and maybe that knowledge won't die off when the older folks do. I wonder if any of the owners of the 4 remaining non-running cars will now get their cars running, now that it's been done successfully?
Don't know if you knew this Steve, but Chrysler Experimental in Windsor built a 1974 Chrysler New Yorker in white that was powered by the turbine engine. My father worked there. I rode in it and was able to look under the hood. I was 14 at the time and it was an amazing sound. Sadly cell phones didn't exist then so I didn't get a picture. It was taken around and shown off in the area. Was a centerpiece for the 1975 St. Clair College automotive open house where I saw it again. I don't know what ever happened to it after that but I assume Chrysler disassembled it after that. He also brought home a Cuda' that the built for the OPP, that was geared and tuned to catch anything on the 401 highway in Ontario.
I saw an early Turbine car in 65 I think it was. A handicapped fellow was given it by Chrysler. It was just down the street from me in Wheatridge, Colorado.. It had hand controls for throttle and brakes. It was bronze...
Steve, normally I listen to the podcast version of your show, but had to see this one for obvious reasons. Thought you might appreciate that I had to sit through a Hertz ad to get here. Enjoy those Hertz bucks, I doubt many of your loyal fans will be swayed by it though.
As a Classic car guy, I loved this video. I'm a "Purest" which means I want as many OEM parts as possible and not into modified cars.
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Agreed unless it's a '85 VW Vanagon 1.9L that was poorly engineered with a distributor that cannot be tuned properly, bad wiring (tiny, long battery positive lead), odd sized tires (basically, only trailer tires fit it), a dash cluster circuitboard that crumbled into dust, or an OE head gasket that dissolved using period American coolant.
Now that’s exactly what I want for my airstream class a RV. Nice turbine engine, going wheee! To charge my batteries in the parking lot, while running both AC’s while I’m off shopping for 2 Hours at Whole Foods. All of this made possible with an electric axle.. making it a fully electric vehicle!
I remember seeing the turbine cars running around the Oakland County area back in the 60s. Like Jay I wanted one also. Mine was only 1/24th scale, beautiful vehicle. The mechanic in me.... makes me wonder what component was the issue with the engine and how did Williams correct it. Probably a whole separate video and munch longer.
We had one in my neighborhood because of the contest Chrysler did where ordinary people could drive one for a week (or so) if your name was picked. And my neighborhood was VERY ordinary. Saw (and touched) it on his carport. Then I got lucky enough to catch him with the car at the corner gas station where I hung out and swept the floor for soda money. He got a few gallons of kerosene and fired it up. Said Chrysler told him to just drive it however he normally drove and use any fuel (including kerosene) that he wanted.
I have had this same thought. You would not even need a large turbine, you can buy small ~100 HP turbines (which is all you need for a hybrid) and they aren't large at all.
@@jeromethiel4323 50-60hp is all you should really need, And yes that can be a damn small turbine, im honestly surprised no ones done a protype yet. Maybe its just too expensive to build them?
For decades, I've been thinking it would be cool to have a turbine passenger car. I could imagine the turbine spinning to push the car down the road with a smooth jetlike effect on the transmission. I never knew one had been built.
I saw it on the news and my wife thought I was nuts for being so happy to see it. "It's just a car" she said.....
If she only knew.
Saying that's 'just a car' is like saying World War 2 was 'just a disagreement'
@@Twinspinner OOF!
When she wants the kitchen remodeled just tell her "its just a kitchen".
Tell her her wedding ring is only jewelry.
I'm sitting in the lunch room at Williams International right now. The blue anodize cards on the air cleaner were done by me and a coworker. It's a small contribution but I'm proud that the Williams team was able to resurrect Jays car, it was very cool to see it back on the road.
Are you guys working on microturbines for EREV's? Be pretty cool to see a new Chrysler EREV power assisted by a Williams microturbine!
@@lisam4503 not that I know of. We are focused on aircraft applications.
@@N.Cognito If you are interested you should check out micro turbine use in EREV's. The big problem is getting microturbine prices down.
I worked there when they first developed the FJ44. Back in the 70s and 80s.
I’m imagining that it’s a lot different from when I worked there in the late 70s through the 80s. Do they still have the “A” and “B” wing test cells? I worked Quality Assurance in Production and R&O before they took on commercial aviation. I worked with Greg also when he was going through college. We had a lot of fun together there. Great guy! Awesome company!
I have a lot of respect for Jay Leno. When doing The Tonight Show With Jay Leno he gave half of his pay to keep the entire Late Night crew employed.
True, but I'm hoping he did something for all of those volunteers. As great as the story is, there's no reason I can think why he wouldn't pay for all the work that was done.
@@HariSeldon913uhh……I bet if you asked those volunteers, they umm……volunteered for the roles. You see, to some folks, specially ones likely a lot older than you, the opportunity to do something and experience something is reward enough. It doesn’t always have to be about money.
I think that a Datsun sports car and a Citreon also had a shorter rear axle than what would be the front axle.
@@DownEastSaw yeah, but could you imagine if, upon receiving that hood ornament, Jay said, "That's so cool! Could I order enough to make sure every volunteer got one?" Yes it's a dust collector but I'm certain the volunteers would treasure it.
Yes, it's about the passion.
I recognized the Williams Logo on your shirt instantly! I worked there in the late 70s thru the 1980s. Affectionatly known as Willie’s Rocket Shop by the employees it was the best place I had ever worked during my entire career. Back in the day the founder Sam Williams knew all of his employees by name. He was an inspiration to all he worked with and a legend in small turbine technology. I worked with his sons Greg and Scott in Repair & Overhaul. Greg runs the company now. I worked primarily with the Tomahawk and Air Launched Cruise missile programs and the WR27-1 Auxiliary Power Unit for the Navy S-3A program. I was the first person Williams hired that actually worked on their WR27-1 Auxiliary Power unit in the Navy. I also worked with the production and testing of target drone propulsion systems. Great video!
Thank you for your service and expertise!
I have a thing in my heart with the way Jay Leno has converted his celebrity wealth into a productive and valuable historic preservation project that is also a labor of love for him. If only more wealthy celebs could be as gifted as he.
That Steve Lehto has a speaking relationship with Leno, what can I say? My esteem for Lehto is enhanced.
I am now primed to find out how this car works.
People outside the US don't understand why us Americans hang on to automotive heritage so tight. Things like the Turbine car are the reason. The last 100 years of automotive innovation in America alone is a staggering accomplishment. We should be proud.
Sadly it seems innovation in energy production, be it by combustion, or other means suddenly stopped once they passed that Patent law in 1951. Which I guess in part forced automakers to innovate around the fuels sources they were allowed to use.
People outside the US have automotive heritage too. What in the world are you on about
Well I really don't like the electronics part.
Can you imagine how far the mechanical part could have progressed if they'd have kept the electronic chips out.
@@Nick210 uhh, yeah……go ahead. Be offended that someone is proud of an American accomplishment. That’s so on brand.
@@Nick210 I agree! Yet Europeans can't understand why us Americans are enamored by model names (Shelby, Challenger, etc) >>> heritage.
*So, life has come full circle for Jay Leno. From a kid who got inspired by seeing a Turbine car to owning a running version later in life.*
Great men build great things. Imagination and industry. A beautiful thing to keep alive.
Well said 👏
Wheres Jay
I worked for the UK Admiralty Materials Research establishment. One of the projects I was involved in was the development of a high-temperature wind tunnel to look at corrosion on Gas turbine blades.
Two blades were of interest front and rear.
The pressures around the front blade came out perfect. The back blade took a year to get correct.
When both blades' pressures in the high-temperature wind tunnel were correct, they announced it to the customer another Admiralty department.
They replied we are only interested in the front blade. It took £1 million to get the back blade correct.
The blades were made out of NIMONIC of various grades.
The admiralty metaligist would have different grades of NIMONIC block cast and the tool room would machine them to turbine blade shape.
Then they were tested in the high-temperature wind tunnel. And corrosion was measured.
Gas turbines did not like sea water and the admiralty used them to power their ships hence the interest.
I wonder why they were only interested in the front blade? I would think all of the blades being subject to airflow pressure and corrosion and spin, needing to remain in balance, would be equally important!
I love the sound of a turbine starting up. Monitoring the rpm, introducing fuel at the right time, and being able to identify a hung start or hot start is essential to not melting the blades in the engine, so to have automatic starting if this was to be operated by the masses would have been a key to making the project work. It's impressive they were able to get automatic starting working in the 60's, while aviation had to wait several more decades for it to be common, though it is still not on most small turbine engines.
They did have autmatic turbine starting in the early 60s....the B727 APU, for example. Just move the toggle switch to "On", then to "Start"....hold for three seconds, then let it go.....all done.
I'm wondering if the car can detect hung and hot starts or not. After all, this car wasn't intended for sale, and the examples given to the public were only meant to be driven for a few thousand miles. Perhaps Chrysler skimped out on that part of the technology and just bet on the fact that the hung and hot starts on that engine would be so rare as to not effect the trial. Perhaps this is why Jay's car stopped running. Maybe he had a hot start, or multiple hot starts and wasn't even aware of it until the engine was too damaged to run anymore.
@@jimwells4240 while technically correct, the 727 APU startup procedure has plenty of manual switches and checks before you engage the "automatic start" and will damage it if done wrong. This car has the entire process automated instead of just the last few steps.
@@operator0 with how fast they get to idle during startup, my guess is the starter motor is overbuilt since they didn't have the weight constraints that aviation has, which would reduce the risk of hung or hot starts. The documentary mentions they also added more electronic automation to prevent hot starts after several engines got roasted by misoperation.
A person owned a turbo car in Kenora, Ontario! Perhaps Chrysler wanted to have someone there to drive it for cold weather testing.
Steve, this is so cool little did my wife and I realize back in the early 90's while returning home I saw the turbine car in front of the armory on 8 mi. and Ryan rd.. I was driving and in the left lane to turn down our street (Lefever) I whipped across all lanes to turn right into the armory and get a look at the car. At the front door stood Jay scoping out the car from a distance I approached Jay at my wifes request for his autograph he was so cool and obliged looking back it must have been the day he purchased it, history being made and we didnt know it Wow.
My dad was a backyard mechanic (as was my brother,) and re-built /raced stock-cars in the 60's. I grew up around car culture, and have also been known to turn a wrench every now and again. Love seeing a classic come back to life!
What a wonderful story!
I have goosebumps! As a UW-Madison in '61, I touched one on display there. Something you just do not forget. Pop was a Chrysler car lover, buyer, and seller. I repaired them. Tom TGP
The American Spirit at work. Cooperation makes things happen regardless of the situation.
As a kid in the 60s I had a classmate whose father worked at Chrysler Airtemp in Ohio. His father got to use one of the Turbine Cars for a short time.
I'll never forget seeing it sit in their driveway, walking around it, admiring the design. The eerie whoosh as it went by on the street.
I had seen the car at the 1964 World's Fair in New York but to see it up close was a gearhead's dream.
I begged for a ride but it didn't happen.
Glad to see another classic car driving instead of sitting as a display.
Congratulations to all who got it running again.
Steve, I worked at Williams in the 70s and 80s and they had an American Motors (I think it was a Spirit) that they were working on putting a turbine in. I remember seeing it covered in a tarp in the dead storage warehouse. You might want to ask your brother about it. We put turbine engines in just about everything from snowmobiles to lawn tractors, jeeps and boats. Williams is definitely an American legacy company. It doesn’t get the credit it really deserves for innovation.
TH-camr AgentJayZ is a Canadian jet engine tech who made hundreds of videos explaining gas turbine technology as he rebuilt them. He describes in minute detail each component of a gas turbine as it is being zero timed. The rebuild process yields an engine that will run for years...but...the process is very finicky and technical. The Chrysler turbine rebuild needed people with rare skills. A very cool story...thanks!
I saw one of those Turbine Cars drive by in the 60's in NE Portland, Oregon, I was a kid playing outside. I'll never forget the cool sound of the engine and that it wasn't loud like you'd think it would be.
I'm very happy that Jay got to thank the volunteers personally as this was a huge undertaking with a lot more difficulties than most folk could imagine. Even with the huge team and vast pool of knowledge they assembled there were no guarantees and I'm very impressed that they pulled it off.
Oh and Metaltech are great, if you ever need rare alloys and steels they are the ones who will have it and usually on the shelf.
Just saw you on a youtube short about this, not 20 minutes after watching this. You were talking about it running on anything that burns. You were the expert they turned to. Good job, my friend.
You wouldn't happen to remember the name of that short would you?
Speaking of "it'll run on anything that'll burn", I had an instructor in A&P school who was an aviplaneation contractor/pilot for the CIA. They were stuck somewhere unfriendly in Africa with no fuel. What they DID have, though, was a 24ft bobtail truck FULL of Bacardi 151. Put all of it in the plane, started it up and left. BONKERS ! ! !
@@leothenomad5675 it was @hagertyDriversFoundation
@@arizwebfoot thanks
Cool story, glad the car is running. You getting the hood ornament is so awesome.
This whole story, from the documentary, to this "conclusion", was SOOOO intriguing and fun. Jay Leno is an amazing person, I can only imagine how much fun he would be to hang out with. The contribution he makes to the automotive... well we should really broaden it to vehicular history is priceless. Many kudos to him, and to the tireless and often gratis efforts of all of the countless people that gave to this project. This is the kind of stuff that renews my sense of awe and pride in what can be done by individuals with a passion. Many, many, many thanks to everyone that brought us this story!!!!
This is part of the future we were denied.
I'm ok with that. They were worse on fuel than a V8, worse for emissions, and cost significantly more to build.
@@lb9gta307The govt shut it down to stop research. There are 6,000 "secret patens" being held hostage by the feds. They might disrupt established monopolies and let us out of their control.
@@lb9gta307 To be fair, ICE should go away too because they're killing us and the planet. EV are the future, but they're still missing a brand with class and character.
When I was a kid (I'm 74) just a few blocks away was Kennedy Plymouth of Milwaukee where I walked over to one evening to see this amazing car. Yes it was right in front of me and they had started it up right there in the showroom!! One of the men presenting the car, balanced a nickle coin on the engine while it was running. I'll never forget that day
I love it when a plan comes together!
That was probably your best episode ever Steve, loved it. I also have to mention how remarkable of a man Mr. Jay Leno is, too much to mention, but just a great human being! Again, nice job!
Took over 50 years for an experimental engine to reach failure lol that's quality that todays cars ought to be ashamed of for lacking.
50 years on a hand built car that might be driven 50 miles a year. Bit different than a mass produced car that drives 100k a year.
I will say back then those that hand built it were proud of their work and gave it their all but it still lived a pampered life.
@@user-neo71665 While true, you also have to play devil's advocate, and figure that this concept vehicle was never extensively tested before being ordered destroyed. It was new tech during that time too, new stuff usually sucks at first, proven by history of new stuff lol. Some people do baby modern cars and drive them a couple miles a year and they still break down. Not all, but some. And this turbine car is if Im not mistaken, the only one still existing.
But how many miles had been put on that car? It probably had two years or so in Chrysler's loan program rotation, then in storage or museums. So I would hazard a guess of not more than 30,000 miles. I don't remember where Leno got his, but it was surely from a museum or collection. Not to belittle the accomplishment, just noting that those aren't normal years for a car.
@@montegomadness This may be true. But I love playing devil's advocate. This means I already thought of everything that would go against my opinion, such as what you said, before I spoke it. Someone's gotta speak it.
@@montegomadnessThose cars accumulated about 1m miles all together, meaning about 19,800 miles per car. Obviously not all cars were driven the same.
What a wonderful story. I followed this car through the years since I knew about it as a kid, followed Jay's Garage TH-cam channel where he has various videos about it, then heard about the problem he had, and now this repair. Can't wait to see more videos about the restoration and its now survival. Just amazing. Thank a lot Steve for adding your part to the story.
I like how the sound guys backed away as the engine started.
Great story about people coming together and helping on a historic project. Thanks for bringing it to us.
I was fortunate to have seen one during the 80's in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. sitting in a service bay awaiting transport. From a distance, I thought it was a 1962 Thunderbird until up close and realized it was a Chrysler Turbine car from its distinctive and beautiful tail end.
Williams always has a great display at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh WI.
Excellent t shirt! This is one of the most epic things you've ever been involved in, Steve
In July 1969, 55 years ago, yikes!, I attended a two week summer engineering program for high school students at Clarkson College of Technology (now Clarkson University) in Potsdam New York. Two enduring memories of that program was watching the first moon landing on TV at the college Rathskeller, while drinking mg first bar beers, and riding in a Chrysler Turbjne Csr. One of the mechanical engineering professors running the program had one, IIRC it looked just like Jays. I don’t recall why the car was still around in 1969, perhaps because there was some sort of connection between Chrysler and Clarkson.
Without a doubt, this is probably my favorite video of all time.
When I was a little kid in western New York, there was one in town. I love those things.
Wow what a great story, I drive by Jays often. I used to work next door he actually bought the building I worked in.
i am so proud that jay is leaving this huge amount of knowledge to future generations it’s truly amazing and inspiring he understands the historical significance of the cars he has repaired and restored with his team and so many others the turbine car is such a huge part of our history i can’t wait to hear more of what happened and the story behind the engine repair
This is a great story, thank you Steve. I have been interested in this project for many years and found an original brochure about this car.
Mr. L, This was Fantastic to see the culmination of the story! Jay is One of a Kind Just like his car collection. You are Also in that category! "Old School" Do It Till It Gets Done. That's Why We Love Your Channel🤗 Chris and Rick From Chicago ❤
I have always loved the Chrysler Turbin cars. I was fortunated enough to see one headed North between Portland and Seattle when they were being put out for different people to drive them. Fewer people may know that Consolidated Freightways, a trucking company in Portland in the 60's and 70's had a tractor with a turbin engine installed to test the concept in over the road semi's. I never knowingly saw it, but several times when I was not far from their terminal I could hear it when the engine was started.
The documentary that Hagerty did on this was fantastic. Steve was great in the piece. The whole thing made me want to go to the Stahl's museum. Thankfully, my brother lives 10 minutes away in Chesterfield. Now I just have to plan a trip to visit him on a Tuesday.
Great story! My dad was a big fan of the turbine car, which he saw at the world's fair as well. The first new car he ever bought was a 1964 Chrysler Newport with the push-button transmission. Very high tech for its day!
❤ Jay Leno has been preserving historical machines for years now and if his collection were ever sold to the public at auction there's no telling how much money they would bring.
Take note: Rover was first with a turbine car in 1949. They developed them into the '60s and had a turbine model slated for production.
That's cool you know Jay Leno and share a love of cars. You both seem like nice genuine people.
My Grandmothers brother, Arthur Baum, Drove one a cross Country and wrote articles for the Saturday Evening Post! He loved the car!
Great story about an amazing car. Thanks
Thanks, Steve, for sharing this. Jay Leno is the real deal and really loves the cars and keeping them going.
Beautiful car. Looks like a sweet ride.
One of the few feel-good stories we get to hear these days!
Got a ride in one of those when a student at MIT in the mid-60's. I do recall the strange engine noise.
Love Jay Leno's Garage!!!!
Hi Steve,
You can also see a turbine car in the 1964 movie "The Lively Set". James Darren was the driver and Doug McClure the engineering student who helped during a car race.
Very cool! Kudos the the volunteers at Williams International!!
What a rare and beautiful piece of automotive history.
What a great show,thank you much it's nice to see one running.
Even after all these years, it still seems futuristic
Mark: Minister of Motors, performing marvellous marriages of machines and motors.
I saw one on Lakeshore Blvd In GP being filmed in 1964-ish., a few blocks from the HF-II estate. Too cool!
This is awesome! Williams International made turbine engines for cruise missiles, target drones, and a multitude of corporate jet models. The cool aspect of Williams' engines is that the compressor and turbine blades/hubs are all machined out of one piece of metal where as every other manufactures machine hubs, and blades as separate parts.
They still make jet engines!
@@MaxPower-11 Yes, They make tons of smaller turbofan engines for business/ personal jets like the Cessna Citation's(11 citation models fly FJ-44's), Pilatus PC24, Hawker 400XPR, Cirrus SF50, Diamond D-Jet, Beechcraft Premier I, Syberjet SJ30, Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, the list goes on and on.
I'm the same age as Jay, and I can remember when my dad took my brother and me down to the Chrysler dealer on Walnut Street in Boulder CO to see the car. It made quite an impression on me as well. It remember it being very quiet until they took the air cleaner off.
In the early 1960s my brother & me as kids often visited the Los Angeles Museum of technology to admire the turbine car display and a nearby display had a working 2 foot jet engine you could start with a button.
Very cool. Thanks for being in the right place at the right time.
One of your best stories and that hood ornament is awesome. So great he had one for you.
I always thought certain cars were kool, but this story takes the cake! Thanks for posting
When I was a kid, one of these was apparently on loan to someone two blocks away from me, and the remarkable thing about this was that it was a distinctly lower middle class neighborhood. It is difficult to believe that the family would have had a social status greater than the neighborhood. At the time, I did not realize that this car was a "program" experimental car, and it was only there for a couple of months, but I have always been kind of curious how it showed up in a "low rent" district.
Thank god for guys like J Leno who can afford spend stupid amounts of money to keep cars like these on the road. Will blow my grandkids minds ❤️
The best story you have had Steve.
Saw one at the worlds fair. I was eight, already a car nut. (Thanks Dad!). They had a schedule when they'd start it. Sounded like nothing I'd heard
I visited the shop where his turbine bike was built, they had a Ford pickup (Turbine) in the shop, as well as two bikes in the build room being assembled, this was some 20 years ago.
Williams has some pretty good engineers. They make good stuff, a bit expensive, but it works.
That is incredible!! It's a good thing the engine quit when it did -- 10 years from now, restoring it might not have been possible. The people with the knowledge are not getting any younger. Hopefully the restoration of this engine taught some younger folks what to do, and maybe that knowledge won't die off when the older folks do.
I wonder if any of the owners of the 4 remaining non-running cars will now get their cars running, now that it's been done successfully?
Morning Steve - was just watching the 1st hour of yesterdayts Live . I was an hour late. Great Live!
Awesome! Thanks for the story, Steve. There's one at the Gilmore museum in Hickory Corners. I have filmed it inside and out. It's on my channel.
Don't know if you knew this Steve, but Chrysler Experimental in Windsor built a 1974 Chrysler New Yorker in white that was powered by the turbine engine. My father worked there. I rode in it and was able to look under the hood. I was 14 at the time and it was an amazing sound.
Sadly cell phones didn't exist then so I didn't get a picture.
It was taken around and shown off in the area. Was a centerpiece for the 1975 St. Clair College automotive open house where I saw it again.
I don't know what ever happened to it after that but I assume Chrysler disassembled it after that.
He also brought home a Cuda' that the built for the OPP, that was geared and tuned to catch anything on the 401 highway in Ontario.
Cool I’ve always enjoyed watching Jays adventures in the automotive industry 🤓
The chrysler turbine car was styled by Elwood Engel..from Ford
That's sweet, I couldn't make it this year, but my sister and brother in law where there and saw all 3 days.
I saw an early Turbine car in 65 I think it was. A handicapped fellow was given it by Chrysler. It was just down the street from me in Wheatridge, Colorado.. It had hand controls for throttle and brakes. It was bronze...
Steve, normally I listen to the podcast version of your show, but had to see this one for obvious reasons. Thought you might appreciate that I had to sit through a Hertz ad to get here. Enjoy those Hertz bucks, I doubt many of your loyal fans will be swayed by it though.
This completed story just makes me smile 👍.😊
The great thing about Jay's collection, they are not trailer queens for the most part, they are driven occasionally. Even his $20 million F1 McLaren.
As a Classic car guy, I loved this video. I'm a "Purest" which means I want as many OEM parts as possible and not into modified cars.
Agreed unless it's a '85 VW Vanagon 1.9L that was poorly engineered with a distributor that cannot be tuned properly, bad wiring (tiny, long battery positive lead), odd sized tires (basically, only trailer tires fit it), a dash cluster circuitboard that crumbled into dust, or an OE head gasket that dissolved using period American coolant.
Very nice video and I enjoyed it more then all your other TH-cam video's, I watch your TH-cam channel all the time and also Jay's Garage, Thank You
That wiki was the first time I was introduced to you Steve.. great video..
Pretty cool 😎
I wish more companies would buy the tooling to older car models and sell them as kit cars with modern powertrains/amenities...
I hope there is a documentary on the rebuilding process, I’d love to see how it’s put together inside!
sooo awesome! Thank you Williams Int'l!!!
Now that’s exactly what I want for my airstream class a RV. Nice turbine engine, going wheee! To charge my batteries in the parking lot, while running both AC’s while
I’m off shopping for 2
Hours at Whole Foods. All of this made possible with an electric axle.. making it a fully electric vehicle!
This was awesome Steve!! Thanks for the video sir!!
I thought that building looked familiar.. I've been in there.. worked in there when it was GM maybe 20 yrs ago..lol
I used to work at the Ogden, Utah Williams Research production company years ago.
Thank you for sharing this awesome story.
I remember seeing the turbine cars running around the Oakland County area back in the 60s. Like Jay I wanted one also. Mine was only 1/24th scale, beautiful vehicle. The mechanic in me.... makes me wonder what component was the issue with the engine and how did Williams correct it. Probably a whole separate video and munch longer.
We had one in my neighborhood because of the contest Chrysler did where ordinary people could drive one for a week (or so) if your name was picked. And my neighborhood was VERY ordinary. Saw (and touched) it on his carport. Then I got lucky enough to catch him with the car at the corner gas station where I hung out and swept the floor for soda money. He got a few gallons of kerosene and fired it up. Said Chrysler told him to just drive it however he normally drove and use any fuel (including kerosene) that he wanted.
Love a good story like this.
There is one at the Detroit historical museum. I doubt if it runs but you can get close and check it out👍
Great episode!
I always thought having a turbine charged, electrically driven hybrid is the way to go
I have had this same thought. You would not even need a large turbine, you can buy small ~100 HP turbines (which is all you need for a hybrid) and they aren't large at all.
@@jeromethiel4323 50-60hp is all you should really need, And yes that can be a damn small turbine, im honestly surprised no ones done a protype yet. Maybe its just too expensive to build them?
For decades, I've been thinking it would be cool to have a turbine passenger car. I could imagine the turbine spinning to push the car down the road with a smooth jetlike effect on the transmission. I never knew one had been built.