Jay Leno might be the world’s biggest automotive enthusiast. The comedian and former chat show host has an impressive collection of cars in his garage, which is regularly showcased on his YouTube channel, Jay Leno’s Garage. In a recent video, he took a deep dive into his 1967 Pontiac 2+2 HO muscle car, packing in incredible power thanks to its 428ci V8 engine.
This is a car that Leno says is the ultimate 1967 muscle car unicorn, and a car that regularly ‘makes him smile.’ The car is basically the same size as a Bonneville or Catalina, but it has the 428ci engine, which means it is even more special than they are, packing in nearly 400hp as a result.
Brand new, thanks to some additional options, the car cost around $4,000, which, for 1967, was a lot of money. The Pontiac 2+2 HO was designed for those who thought the Pontiac GTO was a bit too small, and more of a ‘teenager’s car’ as Leno himself puts it in the video. The car would also earn the nickname of a ‘banker’s hotrod.’
With fewer than 200 made in total, it is a real gem of a car, and one that Leno is lucky enough to have as part of his personal collection. Making it even rarer is the black convertible spec that it is in, and it is clear from watching Leno drive it that this is a muscle car that he truly loves.
Why Is the Pontiac 2+2 HO Such a Special Muscle Car?
Built in 1967, Pontiac built just 187 examples of the 2+2 HO, with it boasting a huge 376hp allowing it to blast down the quarter-mile in around 13 seconds. Leno’s has some very cool options, such as the hood tachometer, the manual transmission plus the rally wheels. This helped boost the price of this car up to $4,000 in the late 1960s. As a black convertible, Leno’s is even rarer than other versions of the 2+2 HO.
Initially, Leno’s example had a four-speed automatic transmission. But he and his team decided to give it a six-speed, modern, Tremec Magnum transmission to enhance the driving feel of the muscle car. Leno actually found the car at the Audrain Auction, which takes place at Newport, Rhode Island, having never actually seen one of the cars up close before. It instantly grabbed his attention, but it wasn’t in perfect condition.
“The previous owner had previously modified it,” said Leno. “He’d put big Police spotlights on it, and chromed the whole front-end, which made it look too pimpy for me,” he added. But the paintwork had been done well, as too was the rest of the chrome, so it had some potential. Even if they did find that the wires had been ziptied together.
Leno’s Team Restored the Car and Brought It Back to Life
Despite these issues, Leno bought the Pontiac, deciding it had a lot of potential and would be a great addition to his collection. His team, consisting of George Swift, his lead mechanic, and Jimmy Hudson, the master fabricator, was able to work their magic on this rare muscle car. “They just did a terrific job,” Leno said in the YouTube video. The video also gives us a great look at the removal of the old automatic transmission and replacement with the manual Tremec Magnum.
It took just a day to swap them over, and only a couple of extra days to get it all connected and to mesh into the chassis nicely. Leno concurs that, as a manual, it is a lot more fun to drive than it was as an automatic. It is also a comfortable car, and it has nice options such as the tachometer on the hood, and while it has no air-conditioning, it does have an FM radio.
“You get spoiled with American stuff like this, because almost all the parts are available,” Leno said of the restoration. Being a Pontiac, it was very easy for Leno’s team to find the bits required. It is a stunning-looking car, and it’s clearly a car that the comedian has a massive soft spot for. The big question, though, is what it is really like to drive.
What Is the Pontiac 2+2 Like To Drive?
With the manual transmission and original 428ci V8 under the hood, the car is a joy to drive, according to Leno. The grin on his face when he is behind the wheel really says it all, and the tachometer on the hood is a great little extra. A big 428ci with nearly 400hp is pretty good, as the comedian himself puts it. It is easy to see why this is a car he is fond of, and what a thrill it is to see it out on the road.