Man who converted Elvis’ jet attempted to start another abandoned plane after 20 years
- The YouTuber who converted Elvis’ jet into an RV has taken on a new project
- He got his hands on a Beechcraft Bonanza, a six-seater aircraft from 1948
- After nearly 20 attempts and two full tanks of gas, he managed to get the plane running again
Published on Jul 19, 2024 at 7:14 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Jul 22, 2024 at 4:31 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
YouTuber Jimmys World has added yet another abandoned plane to his garage.
This time, a 1948 Beechcraft Bonanza hasn’t been used in 20 years.
In true Jimmy style, he decided to try to get it running without performing any maintenance.
Incredibly, he was successful, showing the persistence only the guy who spent months turning Elvis’ jet into an RV could.
READ MORE: Powering up Elvis Presley’s iconic BMW 507 for first time in 30 years
An aviation legend
The 1948 Beechcraft Bonanza is a six-seater that has been in continuous production for decades, making it one of the longest continuously produced aircraft.
It has a distinct V-tail and is popular amongst a load of wealthy hobby pilots around the world.
Jimmy – the man behind the aforementioned Jimmys World – bought his plane from a retired pilot who had been flying planes for 77 years and had a Wright Brothers Master Pilot award under his belt.
Jimmy has had his hands full for the past 18 months, fixing up Elvis’ old private jet and transforming it into an RV.
He finally finished the mega project and turned his gaze to the Bonanza, which hadn’t been started in at least 20 years.
Bringing an abandoned plane back to life
Jimmy started by checking the nose compartment, discovering the spark plugs were rusted, the brakes were gone, and there was no oil.
However, the propeller was in near-perfect condition, having been kept under a tarp for years.
The battery was full of ants, so Jimmy borrowed a battery from his RV to get the job done.
The YouTuber made close to 20 attempts trying to get the plane to start again.
Halfway through, he noted that the undercarriage of the plane was wet, and fuel had been soaking through the fuselage.
As we’ve seen from his work on the Elvis jet, Jimmy doesn’t give up easily and he resorted to what he calls extreme measures – skipping the gas tanks and going straight to the engine.
He connected a gas can directly to the engine and made several more attempts to turn the key in the ignition.
The propeller wanted to turn, coughing into motion every now and then.
The YouTuber pushed it to the limit, stating that the abandoned plane is essentially a parts plane anyway, so burning the propeller out would be no harm.
Eventually, two full gas cans later, the plane burst noisily into life.
After a long day of work, Jimmy is resting the only way he knows how: by turning his attention to one of the two other abandoned planes he recently bought.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
