1966 Lotus Cortina - Jay Leno's Garage
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2018
- Jim Hall's incredibly detailed and fastidious restoration of his Lotus Cortina is complete!
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1966 Lotus Cortina - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1966 Lotus Cortina - J...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Oh my goodness this is amazing, Jay has found one again,the marvelous Lotus Cortina. As a London Policeman in the 60s I remember them well, like a ' bat outa hell '. And what a terrific restoration job has been by Jim, right back to bare metal. What a great job Jim.
On or about 12/15/68, two days after I got orders to deploy to Vietnam in February of '69, I was hitch-hiking from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco to the Presidio of SF, where I was stationed. It was late at night and there was no traffic. A white Lotus/Ford Cortina came flying down Oak street to Masonic, downshifting and squealing tires. It turned in my direction and stopped to pick me up. Long story short, it was Gerry Garcia! He could tell I was a soldier because of my short hair. Asked me if I had been to Vietnam. I told him I was departing in about 60 days. He said, don't sweat it, the "grass" is the best and the girls are "like sand at the beach." He said, "one of his band members" had been there and had a great time. I asked what band he was in, and he said, "You probably never heard of us. The Grateful Dead." I replied, "Your band's name is on the marquis at the Avalon Ballroom for next weekend!" "You saw that?" "This afternoon," I said. He then proceeded to drive me all the way to my barracks, and we talked, and smoked and I was grateful to be alive and have had my one and only ride in a Ford Cortina!
Bruce .... great story
@@bruceseibert6979 Now, that’s a great story. Thanks for sharing it, Bruce.
@@bruceseibert6979 👍fantastic, thank you for sharing that with us!
@@bruceseibert6979 That is such a great story. The Grateful Dead were and are my favorite band. Thank you for serving in that awful war. I'm glad you made it back.
That was one of the nicest Leno episodes ever.
Because Jay clearly appreciates his friend ,Jim, and all the hard work ,Jim put into the car.
And Jay actually got Jim out of his car finished - car exhaustion so he could really appreciate his own work.
That's what friends are for.
Beautiful Lotus Cortina and great episode.
Really nice to see projects finished from the Restoration Vlog, really satisfying! Thank you!!!
One of the reasons Jay Leno is one of my heroes, he has never forgotten what it was like to be a senior in High School.
He has just as much fun now, as he must have then.
Guy is a legend
This car seems to reflects the owner, modest on the outside, substantial on the inside.
Good comment👍🏻
Right? 17:08 wow!
That's a stupid thing to say.
Jim Hall is such a low profile Man, so humble. With a calm, soft voice. A genius in mechanical engineering. So knowlageable.
This man deserves our highest respect. And I think Jay just does that. Kudos, Jim !
Bringing a Lotus Cortina back to life is a very honorable thing to do. I salute you both!
My best friend, an electrical engineer, bought one of these in Vancouver, B.C., new in 1966. We were young men at the time and raced it all over Vancouver. The car would eat Mustangs at a stop light and would out corner anything we came up against. It was fast and fun.
Jay, If you have never read the report (which was printed in a 60's edition of Sports Car Magazine) regarding the duo that drove a Ford Cortina from London to Capetown in an attempt to beat the (then) record, you have missed one of the greatest automotive stories in racing history! I read this story originally and was captivated. Then fast forward to a few years ago, I was in a (speaking proficiency group - Toastmasters) and gave a talk regarding this attempt at one of the Toastmasters meetings. I drew a map that was 6 feel long featuring England and all the countries all the way down to South Africa. I had a model ( I found on EBAY) of the Cortina and gave the talk. During this attempt the two drivers ran into all sorts of difficulties - weather in France, restrictions when trying to cross the country with the gold mines in it - so the co-driver folded down the seat and lay down pretending to be very ill - which got them through the checkpoint! Running out of gas in the middle of nowhere only to crest a rise to see a brand new gas station which had opened only just a week earlier...flat tire in a notorious area where bandits are known to try and abduct motorists and on and on. I won't spoil what happened when they got into Capetown and if they broke the record or not - but your staff or you spending the time to read the story or purchasing the issue of Sports Car Graphic with this story in it - WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU!! Check it out!!
Did Britain 🇬🇧 proud with that restoration 👌🏻 🇺🇸
Yes Scott a great job.
👌🇬🇧
@@johncarrington3951 /k 7u uucp you u uiuiuuuyyyyyyyyyuuyyyyyyyuyyyyyyuuyuyyyyyyyyuyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyuuyyyyyuuyyyyyyuyyyuyyyyyuyyyyyyyuuyyyyuyyuuyuyyyuyyyuyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyuyyuyyyyyyyyuyyy
Jay and Jim obviously have a lot of respect for each other, and friendship. Great episode. Congrats, Jim, on finishing it up!
What a great restoration! I was stationed in England in 1980-83. I had a MkII GT and a MkI Cortina. They were nothing like the Lotus but fun to drive on the little country roads. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
How many guys worth $600 million are so down to earth. Jay is one of a kind. Jay's work ethic is alive and well in his Garage. Jim is a good example of that, humble but an expert. The Cortina is amazing.
He's actually a great guy in person too. Out here in the Los Angeles area, he is known to swing by cars and coffee gatherings. He approached my son, who was 13 at the time, and comically quizzed him on old car technology: carburetors, distributors, etc. I greatly appreciated it. It made both our day.
This is why I’m subscribed to Jay Leno
I love how Jay lets his Staff work on their own projects at his garage. Must be a petrolhead's dream job.
Jay is keeping history alive in many ways .... :)
Id need a cleaner following me around all day if i worked there, to clean up all the drool! Most of which will be around the steamers mind :) So glad for the work Jay and his team do, especially sharing it all with us.
Yep, I'm sure the guys appreciate having such a cool place to work in. Always the latest tech, tools, products. Jay knowes how to make his Top Notch Team happy. A dream garage for sure ! And the pay must be good too !
but i guess only after hours or on day offs
Indeed so! The Dodge Brothers had "The Playpen" at their factory - a complete machine shop with supplies, where the men could (on their own time, of course) work out their own ideas & projects. That & the platters of huge sangwitches & steins of beer served gratis for lunch must have made a Dodge job a sought-after 'gig'.
When I was in high school in the mid 1970's, I worked in a bicycle shop during the summers. The owner of the shop was a natural mechanic who owned one of these. He took me for a ride in it that I'll never forget. What great handling! I've loved the car ever since.
I love when Jay is just driving around and it's just two guys that love the cars they're in and talking about what they love about them. More like this! And I always like Jim and his stories. Great job on the restoration
Two friends enjoying a simple drive in a very special car : )
I worked in a UK motor factors in the 1960's, the Lotus 'green' was Citroen Sherwood green.
rgadave I can remember going on a camping holiday in 1963 from Essex to Cornwall as a 14 year old in a Citroen DS that was probably the same green as Lotus used.
And the white was Ermine White, not Wimbledon (in the UK at least).
rgadave My dad had a Citroën in Sherwood Green, every car after that he asks the dealer for it in Sherwood Green - no-one did it.
Looks like a first generation Toyota Corolla.
@@guidedmeditation2396 kinda lol
Can't beat the sound of Webers and double overhead cam! Lovely restored car!!!!
Hallo. Mede nederlander
I am becoming So Addicted to Jay's car reviews, always so well narrated with his many humourous one liners :) As an English guy i can't believe how many British cars and bikes he enjoys reviewing. Such a down to earth man and such well restrained modesty. My best buddy bought his first car in the mid 70s when we were 16 and almost old enough to jump off our racey non baffled mopeds and into cars at 17 so he managed to scrape up the cash to buy a MK1 cortina because he could not afford to buy the creme due la creme of cortinas :( It was about 10 years old and needed patched floor panels etc and had squeaks coming from places we tried but could never find, but all was well, if it started after about 6 jabs of the pedal :) He always wanted to take me for a drive after 1 or 2 inches of fresh snow had landed to brush up on his sliding and handbrakw skills frightening the crap outta me (literally) and he always had a 13inch rim to buy after clipping a few kerbs ....Oooops.... lucky he worked for a ford dealership as a young mechanic. He dreamed of becoming a rally driver and a few years later was given a MK2 escort to rally. His dream of flying through the trees(literally) had come true at 100+ mph, i think he used to take his brain out, put it into a plastic bag and into the toilet bowl for safe keeping just incase he made it back. He was crazy and had me stain my undercarriage more than once sliding on gravel and ice all over the forest and asphalt trying to become swedish :)) Thank you so much Jay for bringing back such great memories of my old buddies with reviews on so many cars and bikes some of us had the young pleasure of driving and riding around the narrow country British lanes ;)
The perfect JLG video because it's a "hometown boy" story. The car is simply amazing - Jim has much to be proud of and he's far too modest to admit it. This is a real car guy - he does it for the love of the car and the hobby, not for self-promoting of a business venture.
Jay gave him a place and the resources in-house to do the work and even goaded his friend into getting the car to begin with.
How many of us have ever been talked into buying a basket case by our friends, eh?
Again, Jay is into this whole car thing for the right reasons - his heart is in the hobby.We all benefit because he has the wherewithal to do it bigtime and share it all with us.
The shot of the small die cast car next to real one was so cool. 👍🏻
I was just thinking that!! Super dope shot!!
I have never heard an American say Dagenham before. He did it proud!!
I live about 40 miles from the Dagenham Ford plant, and it’s so sad to see it now, compared to what it was 😢
So many people from my home town worked there, or for engineering and other companies which supported the Dagenham plant. Sad to see how it has declined. It was probably bigger than the housing estate I grew up on.
It was the biggest car plant in Europe in its heyday. I often was in Chequers Lane and it was a great busy place.
Theres no romance in industry today.
idiots striking week in and week out killed it, the workers only have themselves to blame for nearly killing ford dagenham
Does anyone know what Ford built at their plant in Cork in Ireland before it closed in ‘72 I think?
I understand, I’m in Detroit and driving past all those closed plants is terrible. My grandfather was the production control manager for a GM, (Cadillac!division), plant here that was 5M square feet under roof but was shut down in the 80’s.
I owned a Cortina GT in the 1960s. I had more fun in that car than in any of the dozens of cars I have owned since then. I just loved that car.
Jim has the right to be proud. Such workmanship. Beautiful!
The Elan he did was VERY impressive as well .....
Glad you gave him the “right” 🙄
Do you think so there still a lot he could of done to make it look better and run better and make it look original as Well
@@Pablo-sr2zx Like what for example?
Mr. Hall sir, we need you in England to do restoration shows with Ed China please. Great work Jim, great show Jay.
Your guest is the kind of guy that makes america great. What a master of sheet metal, that's an art
I briefly owned a Lotus Cortina in the late 1970s. It was pretty knackered but it was still magic to drive. I acquired it because as a teenager I was privileged enough to see Jim Clark racing at Brands Hatch, Crystal Palace and other circuits in the two years he won the Saloon Car Championship in the Cortina. Anyone who saw him drive this car will know what a total genius Jim Clark was. He won his class or the outright race in nearly every single race he entered, unless he had mechanical failures. Without the mechanical failures he easily has by far the highest ratio of wins to starts in history whether in Saloon Cars, Sports Cars, or Formula 1. He was without any doubt the most naturally gifted racing driver of all time, and an absolute gentlemen.
Jim don't ever let this beauty go. You sound sometimes unsure of your connection with the car whether that's because of the huge amount of work you did to get it back to this incredible state or because you always worked on them but never drove one. One thing is for sure your work speaks volumes. Enjoy your awesome piece of history best of luck.
As a boy I used to hang around and help out in a guys garage at Forest Hill, South London in the early 70's. The garage owner won a race as a privateer and the prize was a Lotus Cortina from a famous UK race driver named James (Jim) Clarke. Exactly the same as this one! Great to see one again. I did not know they were ever made left hand drive/exported. WOW I remember that engine/exhaust sound immediately!!
Mark Jennings It wasn't The Harris brothers,was it?
35 Davids road, off of south circular. - I've forgotten the guys name.
Just sold for £190,000 at Goodwood.
WOW!!
something is not right about this car.
My dad used to cart us around in this car back in the early 70's. Took me to my first football match Arsenal V Barcelona in it. Happy times.
Jim Hall is the most genuine guy Jay has ever made a video with - Jim is like talking to the other engineers at work. I’ve seen every one of Jay Leno’s Garage videos and this video with Jim’s Lotus Cortina is the best. I just retired after 38 years in Navy ship design (fluid systems) and appreciate the engineering detail that Jim brings to the videos - just a regular (smart) guy! Waiting for a follow-up on the 1966 Lotus Cortina, after the engine is fully broken in.
I noted the (mild) concerns Jim voiced about it not being fully broken in as Jay's toe reached for the floor. Can't be sure if Jay was deliberately twisting Jim's shorts...if so, Jim took it well. What a perfect temperament Jim has, for the work that he does. There've been times I've been hot enough to weld with my tongue. Doubt Jim ever gets there. And I truly admire that character. This was/is one of my all time favorite JL'sG or ANY car video. Still feeling good and thinking to bookmark it for anytime I need a boost.
A wonderful tribute and well-deserved recognition for a hard working, talented and dedicated employee, YEARS in the making!
Way back in 1975 I found a 1969 Cortina G.T. while perusing through the local 'recycler' (remember them?). It was owned by an elderly gentleman who purchased it new from Larry Temple Ford which was an English Ford dealership in Glendale, Ca. on the corner of Garfield and Brand. The car was immaculate inside and out. Wimbledon white with black stripe with black interior and one of the most gorgeous lacquer wood full instrumentation dashboards ever fitted to a compact (or any) car. I convinced my dad it was really just an economy car and with my mother owning a '68 4 door Cortina with an Automatic a few years prior it wasn't a hard sell - he loaned me the $850 to buy it. Motor was a 1.6 liter crossflow head "kent" pushrod 4. The previous year 1968 G.T. had the 1.5 pre-crossflow kent motor. It was also fitted with tube header from the factory - I knew these cars pretty well and kept holding out for a later crossflow model and was thrilled when I finally found and bought mine. Like so many teens living in Hollywood back then, particularly young, enthusiastic, sow one's wild oats types - I found the allure of Mulholland drive too convenient. Not only for the many side roads to take dates on - only to be caught several times in an "flagrante delicto", but also for the sheer thrill of pitting myself and car against other like minded types up there. I battled BMW 1600/2002's Datsun 510's, Mazda rotaries, Opel's, Alfa's and did remarkably well, though the RX3's and V-6 Capri's pretty much set the bar in the small car category. In retrospect, how fortunate I am to have made it through those anything but halcyon years without hurting myself or others. Ah, but I digress.As durable and relatively bulletproof as the motor was, it developed a nasty rod knock after about a year. I had known for quite some time that the engine bay/drivetrain 'hardpoints' were virtually identical to the Ford Capri and this was my chance. I found a 2.6 cologne V-6 with trans from a wrecked '72 Capri and bought it for $300 and the guy even tossed in the differential. Absolutely ALL of the components were a straight bolt in, from motor, trans mounts, to differential - The only thing that required any fettling was the tachometer and that was done by North Hollywood Speedo for a song. Oh, and the exhaust. But even that was super simple as the V-6 Capri trans crossover (which bolted straight in) was already manufactured to accommodate the left and right bank pipes. When done, the car looked as if it was a factory car with no indication of it being a swap. I also added Koni's, front and rear swaybars from Dobi meant for a Capri and an autopower roll bar. Later still, an offenhauser 4 barrel manifold, isky cam, and a set of headers The car was almost unbeatable with only the big cars - i.e. Vettes, Z-28's, modded Datsun Z cars and a 911 or 2 posing a challenge. I took the car to the old Irwindale race track (where Miller Brewing is today) wondering what it would run. 14.7 @ 96.4 mph. Sure, admittedly slow by todays standards but back in '75-'76?..I watch ALL of Jay's videos but this one in particular rekindled very fond memories of a car which truly was special to me - even if not the highly revered lotus version. Thanks Jay.
Brake Mean Effective Pressure.….says it all.
That'd have been a mk 2 Cortina, worth a lot of money today, but then so would most 50 year old cars.
They did make a 1500gt mk1, one of my neighbours owns a red version, its kept locked up in his garage.
The lotus version was a different beast altogether and far more expensive than the rest of the models
Thanks from a Brit who owned a Mk2 cortina GT!
What a lovely story...
They also made a "Cortina Savage" which had a 3000cc 6cyl. engine from the Capri.
16:45, love hearing when others also have little depressions when churning through the nonsense and other parts of dealing with a big project, nice to know I'm not the only one.
That's incredible chaps. That green is exactly right. My dad had one of these from new, it was his pride and joy. They suffered a lot with electrical problems back in the day but when running they were great fun. Many happy days on the beach here in England with my parents. Thanks once again you brought back lots of happy memories for me.
Jim, whatever it took, it was worth it! The car is beautiful!
I was born in 63, but I was a book worm that loved cars, and this is one of them that I drew over and over. The three wheel turns and the taillights made this car iconic! I bet I was the only one in elementary school that knew who Colin Chapman was.
I saw Jim Clark drive a mark 1 Lotus Cortina to a win at Cadwell Park when I was 12yrs old in 1966 against much more powerful cars!
Love these long ones with extended conversations with 2 of the premier car guys in the world.
This is what I love about Jay. He loves to see other people achieve their goals and be recognized. I would've loved to work for Jay. I am now happily retired.
When they mentioned Jimmy Clark it really brought back fine memories!
LOL! cornering on 2 wheels!
This car was the standard by which all UK cars were measured back in the 60s and and 70s. Those rims were sort after as much as Minilites as they were extra wide compared to the normal Cortinas. Machine shops used to take the stock wheels and cut them on a lathe and add in 2-3 inches to get them to look like this or a little wider. The gearbox had special ratios, and you could always identify the Lotus by its taller gear stick. The diff also had a shorter ratio too. The engine could take a high level of tuning and punishment. Cams available from tuning companies like Burton Power Products made full race cams over 320 degree duration with lift as high as 13.5 mm. Add that to a 14:1 CR piston and this thing is going fly. The bottom end was quite strong too and forged crank shaft and steel main caps were available too which held up very well. A wonderful Collector's item which is still very sought after in the Cortina and Ford circles all over the World. You did a great job Jim.
5 and a half J x 13 steel wheels with 165x13 radial tyres
Caribbean GTR
And don’t forget the rear suspension set-up, nothing like the shopping car version... 👍🏻🇷🇴🇬🇧
Didn't the original have quarter bumpers at the front in UK?
@@mikemorley2797 Yes, jim hadnt put them on yet.
Did you mean SOUGHT after . And surely you meant the wheels as the rims are not separate parts that can be attached to them .
55 years - and these body lineš are still beautiful
Finally, I had been waiting for this Cortina to be finish for... quite a few years
RDS Alphard me to do me a favor as I've been commenting asking Jay to show us his 1955 Roadmaster the car that started the collection. Thank you
You can tell these two are good friends :) great vibes between them. This is what cars are all about.
I had a thing going on with a woman that owned one of these. We would drive to quiet places in it, no reclining seats back then. She was 38 and I was 19. Being driven in a lotus cortina and having my brain melted. That was 44 years ago!!
I'd suggest it's hard to quantify which of the two concurrent experiences topped the other......if you know what I mean....
I watched Jim Clark drive this car on an airfield circuit in the Scottish borders. That black and white photo is exactly how I remember him taking the corners. He was just so.much faster than everyone else.
A world champion to be.
These cars were iconic in the Commonwealth countries like Australia, NZ etc etc, guys lusted after these and were driven by the period hero's. Well done guys, always a delight to see passion and so glad you share it honestly. A huge achievement and thank you very much for the memory.
Yes, the name Lotus had a very special cache and the standard Ford Cortinas were very common, I mean, you used to see them everywhere in New Zealand. Actually, back-in-the-day just about every car was British made, apart from the Aussie GM Holdens and the Aussie Ford Falcons - in NZ.
Weren't NZ's import-duty rates exorbitant back then, & biased towards protecting British & Commonwealth products? I believe they were even higher than duties to import stuff here to Australia!
Biased to protect both the tax paradigm and the importers. There were huge tariffs on imports so much so that when I was there in 1985 I saw old Austin A10's as daily drivers. However when you go there now, NZ frugal costs, ingenuity and skill has developed a huge vintage machinery culture of trucks (Bill Richardson Museum!), planes, motorbikes and cars. Some of the restoration skills there are world class including some Lotus cars.
I was pretty young at the time, but you are probably right about the import duties. I do remember people saying that you had to put your name down on a list to buy a car - and wait. If you had overseas funds it was easier, but not many people them - what you might call a stitched-up economy.
C M; Did you mean the pre-war Austin 10? When I worked in Grey Lynn, Auckland, for several mths back in 1982, I walked past a small 2nd hand car dealer on The Northern Rd nearby, & they were selling one for about $1000NZ!
Wow. It is so heartening to see one of these brought back from dead, and to such a level of detail.
Well done!
I saw Jim Clark racing in one at the 1964 Aintree 200 meeting. I was ten years old and my adopted uncle Ken was one of the track marshalls for the BARC. He used to 'lend' me and my brothers his paddock pass. Those were the days eh !
I remember our British racing green 1965 model... Wow life passes so quickly.
I had one too. C reg!
Congratulations Jim, followed you through the whole process, was rooting for you all the way.
Me too! So cool to see the conclusion of his restoration project. Good onya Jay for supporting your team-members' passions. Well done!
Mee too great job Jim
Best car show on CZcams.
That's Incredible!
Absolutely, my favorite channel bar none!
Jay's reference to Jim Clark shows just how impressive his car knowledge is.
you are joking? That's irony, right? ... I fear not.
Back in the mid 70’s I watched a Lotus Cortina go through an auction for £80. DAMN !!
: O
More Jim, please. Really like this guy!!!
JIM , I have waited for this moment to finally see the completed car. You are a real master craftsman. My friend bought the exact car and when we went out that evening it was memorable and the show brought back all the great drives in the car, the car was such a iconic development and was typical of Ford Motor Co in the UK, IN F1 the Ford DFV was a world beater for years. Jay, Thanks for the show you always show great programmes of all types of transport, BIG THANKS TO YOU BOTH..WELL DONE JIM!
Beautiful to see such a well restored Brit Box Ford, a credit to Jim and his team.
From a certain perspective, the front end has similar lines to a 1960's Ford Thunderbird, but obviously shrunken proportions for our narrow and twisty British roads. Such a cool car!
Takes me back! In the 1960s I had one of these in London and used to rally it in England and Scotland. Beautiful car to drive, so precise and stable. To terrify friends, I used to take it around Hyde Park Corner roundabout, hanging the tail out, drifting at an angle all round the circle. Not too many times around as it could attract police attention. But the general style of the car was pretty discrete - not as though it was a red Elan or MG.
my buddy used to do similar thrills n spills with me in the mid 70s as teenagers, his first car but could not afford the lotus. He always wanted to go out with me on 1 or 2 inch of fresh snow to tune his broadside skills and hand brake slides which always cost him a rim or 2 :) He alays dreamed of becoming a rally driver and in later years did. He worked for a ford dealership in cumbria and they let him rally a MK2 Escort. He would sometimes take me through parts of kielder on a weekend and frighten the crap outta me, literally, a stained undercarriage. My father bought a new silver MK2 GT with the 4 dials on the top of the dash, his pride and joy untill i took my buddy for a nightime dark joyride and ended up doing donuts on the roof in the middle of a twisty county pitch black road. Just missed a guy walking his labrador, so he told us after we climbed out of the car rather dizzily. So lucky no one was hurt except my pride on my first drive in a car on the public roads at 16 and no papers ofcourse. We cleaned up the mess and dragged the car with a buddies tractor down a lane so the country bobby did not see it. My father made me re-build that car with my money i had to save with my new job i'd just started. Luckily my buddy worked at the ford dealership :)) What memories we made in fords and other cars as teens .)) My other buddy had L plates on. with a car full in his fathers brand new gold colour volvo estate, he also ended up spinning around on the roof in the dark as we pulled up behind him to light up the scene as he kicked the big head light out as he gf wanted to know where her purse and bag was LoL...........Ahh the memories as teens learning to drive a car, we should all have stuck to our mopeds etc and not tried to be so posh :))
Thanks Jay, it was nice to meet Jim this way, one of your best test rides.
Having owned a 1966 Cortina GT I couldn't wait to see this car on the road. Just a fabulous restoration, and no one could have done it better than Jim Hall.
@Rebecca
All those cars were light weight and fun.
OMG! My uncle had one of these - he's in Orange County. This was early 80's and I was a kid. I thought this was the coolest "mod" car to be driving. It was totally stock.
Nice to see this =)
Glad to see the way Jay supports his craftsmen. And really, it's all part of the plan - saving as many rare cars as possible. I doubt very much that Jay is in the car restoration business to make money.
After watching about 100 of Jay’s videos, I started going to local car shows, and they’re a lot of fun. If you haven’t been to one in a while, it might be worth checking out.
Jim is an amazing person and one hell of a mechanic
Lovely job Jim. Hope you have found some quarter bumpers for the front. My Dad had a Mk1 GT and 4 kids. We did a lot of miles in that family car. Was Dad’s pride and joy until someone stole it and wrote it off. He then bought a 60’s Ford Anglia with.the chisel roof and painted it in Ermine white with the Citroen green stripe. One of Dad’s friends rolled their Mk1 Lotus Cortina and he bought the wreck. The engine, gear box, back axle and seats fitted straight into the Anglia. He finally had his white Lotus with the green stripe! Yay! Dad’s now in his 80’s and quite poorly. I will remind of the Cortina and Anglia when I phone him tonight. I am sure he will remember a few stories? If he doesn’t, Mum certainly will!
Thanks for the memories Jay.
Back then, the Lotus Cortina was a real mean deal. The factory headers, particularly the size of that dual carburetors were awesome 😎 A piece of gem 👍🏻
Thanks guys. I had the A frame Lotus with a light yellow body colour. in Australia. I would drive to the race circuit 160 miles away. Compete at the weekend then drive home. I had German Dunlop roadspeed rubber. Did some rallys too but the A frame had 2 brackets attached to the diff that would catch on some of the dirt roads. Sold it for a Prince Skyline GT that I also raced for a while. Now race a mid engine MGF in hillclimbs.
I admire Jim Hall following through in maintaining a restoration that kept this car pure and genuine to its original manufacture. That's the most difficult restoration one can do. It's so easy to just order out of a modern generic catalog. But as a result this car drives, sounds and feels as it did when new. Purists like Jim here know that's the only way to have a genuine experience once the project has been completed. As well this car can now be viewed as a historically correct piece for a future museum stay. And thank you Jay for another great video!
9:13 now that’s how a lotus owner shuts his hood, calm collected, in control, firm yet gentle.
My uncle had one of these in Worcestershire in 1965-66, I remember going in it as a boy. He sold it and moved to a Jaguar 420G and then a Rover 3500 with an eight track cartridge deck changing to a XJ6.
I remember seeing these in the Mercury show room when I was a teenager. Boy did I want one. I remember seeing Jimmy Clark race at Laguna Seca in the early 60's beating the chaparrals against Jim Hall. Those were the days.
This is a different Jim Hall. Jay should have mentioned that in the video.
It’s 12 am in the east coast always worth staying up great videos J
ali rodriguez yup
Who remembers peeling your skin off the vinyl seats on a hot sunny day, and then burning your skin with the britex seatbelt when you sat down after being at the beach? What a beautiful car, and what a great job they have done to restore it.
I remember exactly that, used to put a towel down on the seats so not to fry yourself 🙂
The Mk1 Cortinas are still a joy to watch racing, against Minis and Capris in the UK. FYI the original Lotus engine in this model was rated at 105bhp. What a beautiful example, and worth a fortune now.
A legendary car. Word from experts is there may be more fake (not replica) Cortinas than real ones. Great piece of race history here. Fascinating cars. Thanks Jay!
Thank you need a little help w/my 57 bug. Many engines & transmissions over the years .
That Lotus is just beautiful. I think it looks great without the bumper. And that Twincam sound beyond perfection!
Awesome job Jim from a Brit, total respect 👍🇬🇧
When I was a teenager in Australia in the late 80s, my first car was a 1977 Holden Gemini. It was a four cylinder, four speed, rear wheel drive car that only weighed 850 kilograms. There is absolutely nothing like a super light rear drive vehicle. It's been decades since they made affordable, light cars like that.
I have to say my dad had a Lotus Cortina the MK1, his was stolen and used in a bank robbery in Germany and we never saw it again. We looked at several over the years but they had either been eaten by rust or the engine had been replaced with something not up to the genuine article. Jim has converted this from a pile of junk to a thing of beauty. Better than if it had just come from Chapman himself.
And it was the Anniversary of Jim Clark's death this weekend!!!
Well that's a crazy story, sorry you guys never found it
Jim Clark died April 7, 1968.
Formula 1Fan now thats a cool story..
so your car was much like the Mark 2 Jag, one hell of a bad guys getaway car then huh lol well atleast it went out in a blaze of glory giving the popo a hard time for their money lol as I bet the BMW's didnt even stand a chance against it lol hell maybe they liked it so much they kept it, and its still around with a reworked vin, new paint job and stock cortina bits on it lol
The car is cool. This video is super boring.
Great extended chat session with the humble, solid and brilliant Jim Hall. Thanks., JL's Garage.
My Lotus Cortina had diagonal stiffining bars in the boot from just under the rear window to the rear corner of the boot & 5.5 J wheels & 45DCO Webbers. Great Sports Car, used to run rings around the big Ford Galaxy in the saloon car races.
A bracket car.
Love the down to earth approach in this episode. No shouting look at me attitude, but just two guys somewhat humble and just enjoying themselves. Reminds me of the early days of jay lenos garage. Anyways, I loved this episode! Keep up the good work!
My great aunt had one and she hated it. She'd gone to the Ford dealer and asked for a nice small car. They'd started by showing her one of these and she bought it. Never revved it past 3000 rpm so the battery went flat all the time and it overheated constantly. She never understood why when she parked it it would always have a crowd of teenage boys around it when she got back. She sold it and bought a Datsun 120Y.
Going from the sublime to the ridiculous!
its funny when people can't appreciate good cars
An old lady who was a neighbour of mine bought a Sierra cosworth secondhand which had been modified.
She said she liked the seats so she bought it, she also noticed that it didn’t lack any power.
Yep, however you have a better chance getting a good Cortina than good 120y now.
The Cortina is subject to rust, but the Datsun will be nothing but a little pile of rust by now.
Congratulations Jim on your (almost) completed restoration. A beautiful example of a true classic. You are the uncle I wish I had.
Absolutely love it. Well done to Jim Hall and thanks to Jay for allowing him to work on it at his fantastic facility. I'm an old 60 year old fart who was a fan of Jim Clark and his amazing history with Lotus and the Cortina. Love Jays's love of motor vehicles of all types irrespective of origin. I've been waiting for this one for years.
The Red and gold Lotus Cortina's were Alan Mann Racing.. My bother mate had one, and my Brother had a RS 2000 We used to race back to Bristol after watching a days racing at Castle Coombe.. Good old days
Jay is the coolest car guy who's ever lived. Beautiful restoration Jim! I hope that car is still in good hands a hundred years from now.
This is one of the most wonderful restoration I have ever seen - an absolutely perfect love affair. And the owner fits perfectly to the car - old school all the way, just marvellous!
Jim is such a fine mechanic and probably appreciates working for a real enthusiast with more money than sense - who allows him to work his magic without the office worrying about making money or a particular time schedule. It's a match made in heaven.
When I was in HS I saw one of these in San Clemente in the very early 70's. I did not realize what it was at the time. Nice to see one restored, would be nice if I could be restored. ;)
Love seeing these old cars driven. Nice job on this one Jim, I'm glad you brought it back to life.
Fantastic car and even better story, congrats Jim! Enjoy it thoroughly good sir!
Hi Jay Leno's Garage. Buy name is Guy, I work as a Health Care Assistant in a Dementia Ward for Older People in Southampton General Hospital in Southampton. England. The 'Bay' (room) I usually work in (which consists of 3 elderly gentlemen, Individuals who have 'cognitive impairment' / Dementia) I like to show them 'Jay Lenos Garage' on the computer and it helps our patients settle-down and they sometimes even remember the older cars you have on the show. One chap could even tell that the above car was a Lotus Cortina from the interior! When I quizzed him to guess what car it was. I know he used to own ALL sorts of classic cars... I appreciate the way you gently inform (with great knowledge) the specifications of the car/motorcycle, I think we appreciate the fact you don't TRY to be funny (although you are quite funny) and it's not slapstick- spanner-throwing-across-the-workshop..You do the job with respect and dignity...One of our patients, who is blind, likes to listen to the detail you share about the 'Automobile' as he used to be an engineer...So thank you Jay Leno's Garage for helping make my working day a little more joyful, calming and interesting for our patients. By the way, I am a bit of a 'Gear-Head' / 'Metal-Head' myself (I own a 23 year old Honda 'Two-Fifty' Motorcycle) Here is my own youtube channel - my surreal tribute (?) to what I think Top Gear should be I call it 'Not Gear' : czcams.com/channels/HXnoVwm7rE35XufnZHumSg.html
By the way, I also do music, please click on the icon of my bald face on the left (I'm a fan of Pink Floyd, but some say I sound like Lou Reed...)
www.soundcloud.com/g-floyd-d
facebook.com/gfloydd
Or my band 'Loads of Vertigo' and this is the CZcams Channel - czcams.com/channels/PSqSEbsafyY0YURvOyt7_g.html
facebook.com/loadsofvertigo
Thanks again Jay!
Love these things. Classic cars that solved speed with something other than displacement are fascinating. Probably my favorite car of all time
I love this guy, and the work he does is fantastic. Thank you Jay for giving this fine gentleman an outlet for his creativity and attention to detail to manifest so beautifully.
Congrats Jim I could not be happier for you. You truly deserve it!!! That is an exquisite restoration on a very desirable car. ! ENJOY!!!!!!!!
It's great to see one driven around in the American sunshine. Having grown up with these cars on the road everywhere in the UK, it's good to see such a brilliant example. As well as a family car, they were a mainstay of the company sales-rep fleets, and the engine spec and trim level was a measure of your position in the company hierarchy.
I was a passenger in one. My van driver had one. It was his pride and joy. Someone round the corner from me had a Renault Lotus too.
You sure have a great group of guys working for you. Jim did an absolutely amazing job on this car!! Very cool. Thanks for sharing Jay! 👍👍