Man fixing Elvis Presley’s private jet to drive on road fires it up for first time
- He bought Elvis Presley’s private jet for $234,000 at an auction in Roswell, New Mexico, US
- It would have cost him an estimated $5.7 million to make it road worthy so he gave up and came up with a different plan
- But his reaction when he turns the key in the ignition is simply priceless
Published on Mar 05, 2024 at 8:40 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Mar 13, 2024 at 1:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
The man fixing the private jet that once belonged to Elvis Presley is finally firing it up.
The 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar owned by one of history’s greatest rock stars spent four decades rotting away in the desert.
This, as you can imagine, took a heavy toll on the private jet.
READ MORE! The individual tales of every aircraft in Elvis Presley’s private jet fleet
He bought the private jet of the late and great Elvis Presley for $234,000 at an auction in Roswell, New Mexico, US.
But after the 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar spent four decades rotting away in the desert, it turned out that it would never fly again.
Even with a six-figure investment, he still wouldn’t be able to fly the jet due to safety regulations.
With that in mind he came up with a new plan – to transform it into a luxury RV.
However, even this won’t come cheap.
In fact, Jimmy of Jimmy’s World YouTube channel is spending a massive $5.7 million on renovations to get it on the road.
Jimmy has been documenting progress through his YouTube channel to his 452K followers.
Including turning the power on for the first time in 40 years.
He expresses concerns that the cost exceeds the value of his house.
While he’s faced challenges during the process, including removing the steering column and brake pedals.
However, he has been able to make progress on the complex and archaic wiring and electrical system.
Then came the moment of truth.
“If I did my math correct this thing should turn on when I turn the key,” he says, hopefully.
And as relays, beeping and clicking start, he realizes the gas gauge is in working order.
As he turns the key the engine roars and he whoops and throws his arms in the air.
“RPMs are working, oil’s working…nothing else is working,” he says.
But as he presses on the pas pedal the engine revs reassuringly in response.
“Super duper gang!” he says as he embarks on a brief victory dance.
We can’t wait to see it in action.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
