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The 2004 Buick Rainier is the vehicle the famed golfer touts in
television commercials
Spoiled by the superior look and performance of his Corvette Z06, Leno decided that his cherished Buick needed some serious attention. Beginning with the exterior, the Buick received the latest classic black and silver DuPont paint, as well as new chrome. He also had wider, stock looking wheels made to accommodate wider tires. To keep the stock appearance of the wheels, Leno even remade the vintage Buick hubcaps slightly larger in order to cover the larger wheels.
The interior of the Roadmaster also received a great deal of attention, getting a complete upholstery restoration. Underneath the vehicle, the technicians at the Big Dog Garage enhanced the performance of the Roadmaster by beefing up the suspension and brake systems with Corvette C4 and C5 components.
But what makes the Roadmaster "go" was at the heart of this project. "The look of the vehicle had to be stock, but it had to be fun to drive...and I like power," Leno said. "When I heard about the GM Performance Parts ZZ572 crate engine--and the 620 horses under the hood--I knew that's what I wanted."
Juchli, who worked on the project from start to finish, agreed that the GM Performance Parts engine really made the vehicle come alive. Since he was doing most of the work on this vehicle, he also had a stake in handling the sometimes difficult engine installation process.
"The GM Performance Parts ZZ572 crate engine was the perfect solution," said
Juchli. "The vehicle required some modification because it's a '55. But the ZZ572 made the job easier because it comes completely assembled out of the crate and it was easy to bolt in."
Leno says that his story is a lesson to anyone who owns an old GM vehicle parked somewhere "out back." Don't let it go. Don't junk it. Restore and improve it.
"If I had to rebuild the original Dynaflow transmission and the engine by going her or there for parts, I could do it - but eventually something usually goes wrong," said Leno. "With this crate engine, you just bolt it in, get great performance and its backed by General Motors - what's not to love?"
Jay says that his prized Roadmaster is not only the first in his extensive collection, but it is his favorite to drive. "You gotta love the look in the eyes of a guy driving a Porsche who sees you coming up on him, but just can't seem to shake you going up a canyon," he says, "He's thinking 'how can this old Buick do this to me?'"
He smiles as he tells the story, cranks up the 620 horses under the hood of his beloved
Roadmaster, and goes for another drive.
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