Man who converted Elvis’ private jet into RV found an abandoned Boeing 737 private jet and tried to start it
- The man who converted Elvis Presley’s private jet into an RV is back
- This time he’s in a 1982 Boeing 737-200
- But will the abandoned vehicle start?
Published on Sep 18, 2024 at 7:33 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 04, 2024 at 7:40 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
You might remember aviation enthusiast Jimmy Webb from the time he converted Elvis Presley’s private jet into an RV – well, now he’s back again – this time with an abandoned Boeing 737 private jet.
The 1982 Boeing 737-200 could be a new project for the famous US-based YouTuber, it would seem.
The aircraft, while technically capable of flying, requires paperwork and maintenance to be airworthy again.
Jimmy is just about the only person willing to give something like this a go.
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The abandoned 1982 Boeing 737-200
The short-range airliner model Jimmy is looking at first entered service in 1969 as the most used first generation of the B737 family.
A stretched version of its 737-100 predecessor, production ceased in 1988 after 1,144 units were built.
Parked at Orlando’s Signature Aviation, this 1982 Boeing 737-200 was converted into a private jet.
Even when idling, the aircraft burns a serious amount of fuel – around 1,100lbs per hour.
In fact, depending on the season and conditions, it costs $30,000 to $40,000 to fill the jet with fuel.
With that, it can fly across America from the east to the west coast.
The man who converted the Elvis jet tries to start it
The team takes a deep dive into various parts of the private including its auxiliary power unit (APU), laboratory drain tank, and emergency medical supplies.
They’re taken aback that some of the Boeing’s components are in decent condition, despite the jet’s age.
The asking price for the jet was $2 million, but they managed to negotiate that down to $50,000 due to sky-high maintenance costs, including transportation and repairs.
Jimmy previously revealed the eyewatering cost of converting Elvis’ private jet.
But with the project complete – after just 18 months, no less – Webb managed to stick below his budget.
He was able to give it a new lease of life all while documenting it and sharing it with tens of thousands of folks on YouTube.
Back to Boeing, and after a former Southwest Airlines pilot shares his experience of flying the same model Boeing 737-200 three decades before, the team gets down to business.
While not legal to fly, they are able to start up one of the engines.
We can’t wait to see what they get up to next.
London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
