If given the option, most car enthusiasts would describe their perfect job as being one where they talk about automotive stuff with experts and then drive around in the hottest cars in the world. In other words, they want Jay Leno's awesome life. Chris Jacobs from Finale Speed dropped by Jay Leno's Garage, with a resto-mod carbon-fiber 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, which the comedian and car guru got to take out on the street.
To say that Leno was impressed with this build would be an understatement. It was more like he developed a crush on the Camaro or maybe even fell head-over-heels in love with it. Considering that Leno has seen, driven, and probably owns every vehicle made in automotive history, for him to be wowed really says a lot.
Finale Speed's Unique Resto-Mods
Before checking out Chris Jacobs' sweet carbon fiber '69 Camaro, it's important to understand what his company does. Finale Speed, from Yukon Oklahoma, does car restorations, modifications, and customizations. They even sell custom parts, but what makes them truly unique is that they are essentially a boutique vehicle manufacturer. They take classic muscle cars and build them from the frame up, with modern parts and sheath them in carbon fiber body panels.
Not only do they have a line of 1969 Camaros, but they also produce carbon fiber resto-mod 1970 Dodge Chargers. Equipped with 6.2 L Hellcrate engines, these beautiful Mopars make 707 horsepower. They also sell just the '70 Charger rolling body, in case you want to finish one yourself. Finale Speed has a licensing agreement with Dodge to make these reproductions that are engineered to OEM specifications.
The Finale Speed '69 Camaro and '70 Charger aren't one-off builds, they can make as many as the public demands. The Camaro starts at $349,000 and the Charger has a base price of $449,000. While that may seem a bit steep, these are high-end resto-mods and in line with what this kind of quality goes for. Velocity Modern Classics sells their killer resto-mod first-gen Ford Broncos in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, so these are what luxury restored classics cost.
Finale Speed Carbon Fiber 1969 Camaro
The car Chris Jacobs brought to Jay Leno's garage is a marvel of modern engineering mixed with the classic styling of golden-age American Muscle. Leno could barely contain himself as Jacobs explained the 1969 Camaro's body was made up of 32 separate pieces of carbon fiber panels. This is raw carbon fiber, so the weave can be seen, which gives it a very cool look. Replacing the steel body panels with carbon fiber shaves about 750 pounds off of the vehicle, which gives it a great power-to-weight ratio.
When Jacobs lifted the hood, he gave Leno a chance to feel how light it was. Equally as impressive was what is under that feather-weight carbon fiber hood. Finale Speed uses LT4 GM Crate Engines that make 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, which is a serious upgrade from the top-option 396 cubic-inch, 375 horsepower engines the '69 Camaro came with. Along with the lightweight carbon fiber body, the Finale Speed Camaro is equipped with a Tremec six-speed manual transmission, 1.7 Eaton Supercharger, and MagnaFlow exhaust, making this a real burner.
A mini tub in the back accommodates 18x12 FrontLine custom wheels and massive six-piston Wilwood brakes making sure the Camaro stops as well as it goes. The interior is a custom leather work of art with racing seats, four-point harnesses, and a custom roll cage. Because this beast roars like a top-fuel dragster, they included an Alpine audio system with a Mosconi five-channel amp, Focal speakers, and a subwoofer, so you can hear your jams over the thunder.
Jay Takes The Carbon Fiber '69 Camaro To The Streets
Leno was impressed with all the technology and craftsmanship that Finale Speed put into the carbon fiber Camaro, but it was evident what he really wanted to do was get that magnificent machine on the street. Leno's first impression upon hitting the gas pedal was to note how light the car feels and how much low-end torque it delivers. He also commented on how quiet things are on the inside, despite the loud engine, and Jacobs explained that they fitted it extensively with sound-deadening materials.
Several times, Leno laid praise on the Tremec gearbox, comparing shifting it to the precision of a rifle bolt. As for the gears themselves, Jay was delighted, "You can almost hit it any gear" as he wound 3rd gear all the way out. Then it occurred to Leno that he probably wouldn't be able to use all six gears on the street with the kind of power that this Camaro is packing. Leno actually drove around for a while looking for a road long enough to go through all the gears, but couldn't find one.
The Verdict: Jay Is Smitten With The Carbon Fiber Camaro
The topic of EV vs. ICE came up and Leno agreed that there's nothing like the feeling of driving something with a big gas burner. In fact, he has a preference, stating,
"I've just got so much joy for these American V-8s. You know, I like all the European stuff too, but they don't have the bottom act like these things do." - Jay Leno
Leno said the carbon fiber Camaro is tight, handles great, and most of all, is fast. He added it is an impressive build and said he wants to stop by the Finale Speed facility in Oklahoma to check out the process.
Leno had nothing but compliments for the carbon fiber Camaro, which isn't necessarily an endorsement since there's a zero percent chance a classy guy like him would bad-mouth a car in front of the builder. The real proof of how smitten Leno was with the car came at the end of the segment when he said, "I'm going to drive this some more. See you guys next week." If Leno didn't adore the Camaro, would have taken it back to the garage. It would be nice for some bonus footage to see how long it took Jacobs to get the keys back.