Tomorrow I have the pleasure of interviewing America’s Car-Dad, Jay Leno, and I’d love for you, dear Autopian readers, to provide some input on the questions you’d like to hear him answer.
The prompt for this interview came from a TV production company spokesperson, who emailed me this:
We’ve been able to carve some time with Jay Leno himself … to chat about “Jay Leno’s Garage” coming to RIG TV and I wanted to explore the idea with you, about doing a retrospective piece on cars and guests he’s had these past years of filming.
I’ve come up with some questions, but while on the phone with Jason Torchinsky just now, I had a thought: What if we asked readers for their thoughts on what I should ask?
Just try to tie in your question with Jay Leno’s Garage somehow; otherwise, let’s hear ’em! Here are some examples:
- Using past Jay Leno’s Garage episodes as examples, what is it in your eyes that gives a car soul?
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Again, referencing a car you drove on your show, what’s a car that you think is criminally underrated?
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You’ve driven the Hoffman with Autopian resident-dipshit Jason Torchinsky: Where does that car rank on your “most dangerous cars I’ve driven in this show” list?
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What’s a car you’ve driven that has been the most universally loved?
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You’ve driven plenty of vintage cars that have been converted to EV; in your eyes, when does it make sense to electrify a car? Obviously, it’s a huge undertaking and a huge compromise that fundamentally changes the car; what are some examples of vehicles that could be ruined by such a move and what are some examples of cars that would be improved?
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???? No new episode of #JayLenosGarage tonight
???? We’re back next week with @hardwick and the GROAT (Greatest Ride Of All Time) pic.twitter.com/IpBELjmVNV— Jay Leno’s Garage (@LenosGarage) June 1, 2018
Hi David, my question for Jay is maybe pointless, but I’ve always wondered how folks who have multiple cars, most of which they might drive only a few miles a year, manage to insure them. Now, I’m sure Jay doesn’t have to worry about such things, what with all his years on the Tonight Show, but maybe he (or you for that matter) can suggest/explain how to do this? I’ve had as many as 3 or 4 at time (I know that pales in comparison to your own collection, let alone Jays) and I’m back down to 2 right now, but I’d probably get a third (or 4th) if the insurance expense (for regular policies, even with very limited miles per year) weren’t so dear.
Anyway, only ask if you think it makes sense. Jay probably has some giant ‘umbrella’ policy for his collection or something, so his answer might not apply to regular folks. 😉
Usually these sorts of folks have a dealer license and plate set (or something similar). I know Tyler Hoover of Hoovie’s Garage talked about getting a dealer’s license in Kansas to handle insurance.
I think David self-insures with a full value, no-deductible equivalent made up of whatever change has fallen under the seats, or is scattered on his section of the Galpin lot for those that have no seats.
Here’s my Debbie Downer question:
What’s he going to with his collection as he ages and can’t enjoy them anymore?
I actually wondered the same thing, but that might also not be what an older gentleman wants to be asked in an interview.
Which car was Jay’s teenage dream vehicle? And does he have one now?
Does Jay have a Porsche story for Galpin’s new series….
Just for me ask him why he is an overblown pompous ass who has the literacy level of an eight year old, all he can do is bloviate!
This is a bad take.
Look, I’m jealous of Jay too. But he seems to be far from a pompous ass.
Nah, Jay is legit.
If I could downvote your comment, I would. Did you get Jay Leno mixed up with Donald Trump?
Say hello from all the Autopian fans and keep loving and collecting and sharing your passion for cars with us.
With over 100 years of history in his collection and his deep understanding of the technologies, what are his thoughts about the potential future directions for the automotive industry and personal transporation?
Also please also ask him if a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Pontiac Aztek would be an excellent addition to his collection.
On which criteria does he select the car to drive on a day ?
Late, but- What does he think is a great entry-level classic for people to buy based on his experience?
I don’t have any questions for him but if you get a chance please thank him for sharing his collection with us through his videos. There are a lot of car hoarders out there and most keep their collections in warehouses and never drive or display them. I’ve always thought it was cool that Leno not only drives his but knows the back story and history of each one.
I feel the same. He is a preservationist and an educator about these pieces of history. Every one of these cars has such a great story, and I appreciate so much that he shares these videos with us all. The “restoration blog” videos are by far my favorite. I love seeing the hard work that all the “behind the scene” folks are working on. Please thank him for all he does to educate us about these cars and to show them being driven and enjoyed.
What’s his account number and PIN?
Spend the whole time asking uncomfortable questions where he needs to compare you and Jason.
“Having ridden in a car with Jason, which of us would you consider more virile?”
“If I gave you pictures of his wife and my fiance, can you tell me who did better at picking a spouse?”
Or, ask about whether he’s required to get his cars periodically appraised to keep insurance accurate, if you want to be boring.
“If I gave you pictures of his wife and my fiance, can you tell me who did better at picking a spouse?”
I dunno, it’s hard to tell with the dots…
What’s the deal with the Canadian tuxedo?
“Which Jeep is the BEST Jeep?”
“What’s the difference between looking for a lost golf ball and Lady Godiva?”
“I don’t see a ZJ with the manual transmission here, seems like an oversight for such a prolific collection”.
Given the size and wide-ranging spectrum of his collection – how does he organize maintenance at his garage? I know he has a team of a mechanics, but do they have a spreadsheet on each vehicle and corresponding maintenance calendar? These are really esoteric questions, but something I have thought about over the years. I have a 5 car collection, and organizing regular maintenance can be a pain. Heck, even remembering the various registration renewals, smog checks, etc. can be a pain.
Dear god I hope it’s not done on a spreadsheet. There is inventory/asset management software that could make it easier.
As an add-on: at what point did he decide it was cheaper/better to hire his own mechanic? Was it 20 cars, 50 cars?
You’ve owned or driven so many cars. Is there anything missing you hope/wish to own or drive one day?
Good question!
What is the funniest car?
Also, why’d you do that to Conan?
He’s interviewing Jay Leno, not Jeff Zucker
Some rapid fire questions:
Favorite manual transmission?
Does he prefer timing belts or timing chains? Why?
Current daily driver?
If he could only have 3 cars, what would it be and why?
How much does it cost to insure his collection?
If I win the lottery, can I rent your cars for a year? We’ll work out the details later, but are you interested?
A) If things became dire and you needed to sell all but three cars from your collection – Which three would you keep and why?
B) If fossil fuels were outlawed next week – Which of your cars would you choose to have electrified so you could continue driving them?
C) How do you take your coffee?
Ask Jay why he never answers my calls, texts, emails, casual drop-bys, or acknowledges the flowers or graffiti I leave for him. I just wanna hang out, carress some antique brass, and sniff the old leather seats. Give me a chance Jay. I’m not a creepy stalker. Really!
Have you tried just stalking him at Cars and Coffee in Malibu?
Of course it works better when you have a carrot on a stick – something rare and interesting…
…like a Jaguar XJC-V12.
…or a Blower Bentley
…or a Dodge Royal Monaco Wagon.
I’m not a stalker. Good idea.
You could become one!
:-p
I would like to know more about his 100ish year old brass – era Detroit Electric car in his collection. Did it originally come with nickel-iron batteries? Did the restomod change it to lithium cells? The original range was supposed to be 80 miles on a charge, with a top speed of 20 mph. How far and fast does the restored one go?
The restomod used Nissan LEAF cells as they didn’t require any special liquid cooling setup.
He’s widely known not to be a Ferrari guy, but why doesn’t he own or even feature any modern Lamborghinis, despite having a few vintage ones?
Some car buying tips for young people who want to get into enthusiast cars on the budget would be cool to hear.
Only hypothetically, of course, but if there was a massive fire at JLG, what one car would he save?
I first read this and wondered why he would be in charge of saving cars at the Jaguar Land Rover group facility.
Jaguar Land Rover might appreciate the fire…