I think one thing that may be missed here is Jay Leno's depth of knowledge and appreciation of this particular car. There is no doubt Mr. Leno is a "real" car guy. But he can't be an expert on every make and model in his extensive collection. This little Firebird is a nice, cute very inexpensive little addition to that extensive multi-million dollar collection. Probably, one or two steps above some of his pedal cars and other little trinkets. His collection is worth millions of dollars and this is nice little Firebird that we love, myself included, doesn't even put a blip on the radar screen. When you look at it through that filter, I think the modifications/restoration made the car the driver he wanted from the start. If that car loses originality or is worth 10-20K more or less one way or the other, he couldn't care a less. Overall, I think it is tasteful and much less modified than many cars in his collection. Being an engine guy, The horrible Edelbrock carburetor would be the first part I would toss in the aluminum recycling can.
|