Craig Jackson’s 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda - Jay Leno's Garage

Split window Corvette 63 and I get to 70, I mean I feel like I'm going really fast, I mean it has a lot more to it, but nowadays it's a little scary about 100 miles. I see guys on YouTube and Challengers being chased by the police at 140 150 miles an hour. I mean, it's crazy. Not the speed, it's the stop, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's good, that's what you know. All the new ones when you buy a new Challenger they have the brakes, they have the suspension, they are great unless you want to stop or turn a corner, okay? So you had some problems and this is more of a luxury cruiser, it has everything except you couldn't get air conditioning, but it has all the Creature Comforts.

Another one of my favorite cars I have is a Buick GS stage one, great too, yes they are a total sleeper yes, but it has a ton of torque, it's kind of quick for the era they used to call it. that the velvet glove and the iron fist that's what has four speeds so it's a total dream well my ad there for the h Challenger they use the word men like nine it's the most sexist for men who want a real one for men who drive. a real car for the man who knows you know, just keep hitting that thing at home, you know it's for a manly car, it's got power steering, power steering, power brakes, full power, you could get power because in the early years of Hammer I couldn't get power steering or power brakes, this car has, you know, power windows, power top, oh yeah, oh yeah.

I didn't notice the remote mirrors, I mean they checked the rubber front bumpers Rally Wheels checked every box when they ordered this car and it's still a good looking car, yeah you know, I mean it turns heads. Can we take it for a ride, let's take it for a ride, let's take it for a ride, let's see what it does, let's take it for a ride? sounds good now, this is a solid hydraulic or LIF lift car, remember the hydraulic, oh okay yeah, 727 automatic, you can turn on Super if you want, that's the eight track, oh that's fun, surreal, driving my car over here, there's your Hemi Challenger, yeah, that's the torquey engine, you can feel it.

I remember when this transmission came out in the hems, that's right, as far as I can, this is the first automatic that was faster than a manual, no one believed it in the well, how can it? it changes faster than a human could, but it really did and I mean, these things aren't cast iron, these things take so many hits, right? They are bomb proof. I don't know if they are still melted. up to this point they were in the mid 60's early 60's I think this one is K aluminum yeah probably aluminum yeah yeah just looking down the hood and a wonderful driving car it has bells and stuff like that, yeah, that's what you're paying for this. it's luxury performance, yes this is power, but it still has that analog feel, so any car, any area you look at, it seems to me that cars from the '50s seem to be going down in price now, unless they're the Resto model, right? but like the 57 Chevys for $200,000 that look like they're already finished, yeah, even the fuel cars, yeah, people want things that they can drive and you know, I've sold some muscle cars to guys that take them home and walk away and tell me the list of everything they don't like about him.

I go, the car drives exactly the same way it did. You don't remember the way you drove properly. You used to drive to get a new car, so you'll end up buying a retro. I think that's why Do you know it has a bias? We supply it with tires, it doesn't have a radio, so it's going to want to track it, boy, you've got a lot of play in that direction, yeah, yeah, it's part of that forgiveness, but this is when you're going 100 miles an hour. it was 100 miles per hour I really felt like you felt it and the spomer would be you're going to be doing this you know it's going to be 95 102 96 that we're just averaging yeah you know what surprises me is how much is what they call Radwood cars the cars from the 90s are available now because if you're a young person, that's a 30 year old car to you, you know, to me they just look like used cars, you know what my dad said about these when I bought them. buy the rare muscle cars and know why we start the future collector car show and it's a deal judged on cars from the 80's onwards, but they get extra points if they are modified with all the components in the past and anything that surprises.

You, from an auction point of view, certain cars you thought, oh my God, I can't believe it was for so much or so little. Well, we set a new record for a steel body. To the. I saw that what was it? 3 points. something 31 Hammer 34 with purchase fee and what made that a one owner car or is it a fully restored three year old restoration. The body was removed from the chassis and all components were sent to Mercedes. That was certified. It has all original components and was a beautiful job and a few hundred miles of braking and handling.

I took the car out and drove it and it ran perfect, it's a wonderful car. I mean, Al called the mura the first superc car and I love my muras, but the journey really has to be the first, yeah, I mean, it was winning races and selling basically the same type of car for production and that Mercedes quality, You know you can drive it all day, it doesn't overheat and it's just wonderful. Great rally cars, yeah, yeah, that one surprised me. I think how strong the Resto mods were. Everyone thought it was a fad, but in general, we are selling Resto mod rolls and you can restore any mod, yes, yes, except the 50's cars that are restom.

The models are offering great prices, yes I bought one not this year, a year ago, a Cadillac Series 62 41 has an artistic Morrison chassis under lt4, looks totally original, but runs, drives, stops and does everything you want . I think it's a fad. that's going to continue, yes, yes, with full force, when you're slowing down, you stab it again, it's going to kick, it hits hard, yes, but these are partial layers, aren't they? Yes, you can feel here, you go, you can see why. Insurance premiums were so high in the past, big engine, skinny tires, not good brakes, you had about a 60 40 weight distribution, it's all in the front tires, oh god, and I have the other end of this.

I have the Gurn Auda that he raced. I've seen you at Bonan, oh yeah, and you know they took this like the Gurn team called it a taxi and turned it into a race car and what engine does that have, it's a 3, well it had to be a 303, but it's a d Stroke 360 ​​right yeah exactly the same dash as my uh Challenger they're basically the same car right the wheelbase is the same or the Challenger is a little bit long. I think the chassis is the same as the Camaro Firebird, right? They changed the sheet metal.

Do you do any auctions outside the country? I used to do well in Monaco and I realized that I do big auctions as easily as I do small auctions, right? I don't have to get up in the middle of the night and argue with people just where you were yesterday it was a holiday it was a holiday last week just where you were yesterday there's a strike again but you're not on strike so technically this wasn't a Barra

cuda

bar anymore it was a Hemi Cuda, that was Cuda, they made it, you know, I always thought it was a nickname and then they gave it the name, yeah, this has F Factory GS in front and Factory drums in back, yeah, yeah, and the faux wood steering wheel , oh yes, all artificial.

It's funny, those cars of that era, the fake wood inserted by early adopters, like fiber optics in the turn signal indicators, yes, that's right. I remember reading that when little things from NASA started leaking, it takes a long time to warm up this engine, right? boy, not in Arizona, I guess not, yeah this car has never had any overheating problems, though yeah, huge radiator, yeah, it's pretty docel Cam and all that, you see why we like Craig Jackson CU, he drives his car, he uses them, they are not trailers, Queens, no. I mean that's what makes it fun, he's a real enthusiast Craig, thank you my friend, thank you for everything you do for the car business, you really brought it into the spotlight, to the forefront.

I mean, it was always a popular thing, but it really pushed it to the limit and made people appreciate the value of old cars. You know, people think collecting cars is crazy, but thanks to you people realize that you know you can make a living doing it if you know what. you're doing it yeah it's a fun hobby uh I appreciate you Jay for all the visibility you've also given to our hobby and for taking out your cars and driving them that's the fun thing let's see what this is let's see what can. See you next week