Jay Lenos 57 Coupe

[Clewisiii]

[Big Fins]

I'd love to be in his Will!

[Lexi]

Very nice video, good quality and an interesting story. Just wondered what that odd sound was upon accelerating. Exhaust? A vibration? Initially thought it was a harmonic sound from one of the wheel discs, but probably exhaust? Thanks for posting. Clay/Lexi

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Enjoyed the video. He seemed surprised at how well the car performed. Maybe it'll inspire Leno to add more Cadillacs of the '50s & '60s to his collection of which he had none before the '57.

I especially enjoyed his anecdotes from the past and how riding in a Cadillac brought embarrassment to his mother. I only met two people who told me the same thing- one was a lady whose father had a brown '73 Sedan deVille bought new; the other a "relative" of sorts whose mother had a 1980 Fleetwood Brougham Coupe in triple Bordeaux Red. I thought they both needed psychiatric care. 

[Clewisiii]

I knew an older woman who said her father believed that all of his daughters should be driving Cadillacs.

He also believed that no preacher should ever drive a Cadillac.

She married a preacher and he did not know what to believe.

[TJ Hopland]

Interesting what he modified and what he didn't.  I like the bit about the 400 transmission to get better mileage, I'm sure that mod is paying for itself.  I wonder if its a 700/60 or a 4L80e?   

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Would you guys believe I once had my 1957 convertible on the 500 track? (And Hoosiers NEVER bother to say which track, for as far as we're concerned, there is only "one.")

The circumstances were as follows. Our local car club had the honor of supplying pace cars for the Hoosier Sell and Swap which was always held on the infield of the track.
Tony Hulman always allowed car clubs who held meets on the infield the privilege of a couple of laps around the track. He had two rules. Have the field as clean as it was before you came, and get a million dollar liability policy for the meet.

Three of the cars were 1960s Lincoln four door convertibles and my '57 Cadillac. We had large plywood signs affixed to our trunks that said, Pace Car, Do Not Pass, Speed Limit 35 MPH. We would get a large group of entrants lined up and lead them around about 1 3/4 laps and they got off on a gate in the back stretch. And then the pace car would run around turns three and four and pick up another bunch if needed.

We did this for about two or three years, so I have possibly more miles on the track than some rookies. The fastest I ever got up to was about 80 MPH on the back stretch when I was by myself. So, when we had our "Multi-Region" meets and the 1980 GN at the Speedway, I was busy with something else at the 1980 show, and so let my daughter drive the convertible around the track.

During WWII, my Dad arranged for our family to ride around the closed track in our 1937 Dodge. An employee drove the car, but that was still quite a thrill. I would have been six or seven years old at the time. We lived on McCray Street just off Georgetown Road which paralled the track.

That was one car I wish I still had.

[David Greenburg]

I had a similar experience to Barry a couple of years ago, when participants at a show held at Sonoma Raceway (previously Sears Point).  Got to do 3 laps, although we were limited to 60 mph, and no passing. Here's a pic.

[59-in-pieces]

OK, if Jay Leno can do it and get away with it, then so can I.

What you may ask, Jay is OK to paint his 57 Ferrari Blue - Then I'm OK to have painted my first 59 EB Seminole Red.

So stop teasing me about the resale red, even though I should know better.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I noticed the "strange" color right off, and Steve, "It just don't look right." But, I also don't want you to not paint your car the color that "YOU" want it. I was going to paint my 1946 Cadillac convertible 1954 Iris Blue, so I can see where you are coming from.

(Get a quart of the Red you want and paint a fender or the trunk lid that shade. Look at it for a while and then, if you really, really, really like it, go for it.)

I just thought of something funny, with my mentioning that car. I'm pretty sure you ended up with a couple of pieces from that car a few years ago. Take care.

[jwwseville60]

Originality is long gone with this car.
Why not put on disc brakes and a dual master?

[CadillacFanBob]

Jay Leno is "The Man" in my eyes.

Thanks for posting the video really cool stuff AND Barry's story is really cool also.

When Jay Leno started out in comedy he could not afford hotels so he slept in the back seat of his 1956 Buick Roadmaster, AND he still owns that car today.

Bob