Elvis Presley undoubtedly had a few stops and starts throughout his lengthy career, and many music stars have had more than one comeback. Although The King’s power has touched it, it appears that his favorite airplane has ended its time in the air, yet it might make another appearance on American highways.
TheDrive.com has reported that The King’s Lockheed JetStar L-1329 is being converted into an RV (Recreational Vehicle). An RV can be broadly defined as “a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living accommodations intended for lodging” for those who are unfamiliar. Elvis, I presume, had an RV already, so even if it seems a touch disrespectful for an aircraft that was once so gorgeous, there is some symmetry in his favorite jet becoming an RV.
Priscilla Presley was present when the Jetstar was auctioned off in January, as Easy Flying had reported earlier this month. Elvis purchased the plane in 1976, a year before he passed away, and it was sold in 1977, however it was abandoned for 35 years in the Roswell, New Mexico, desert. It lost its four engines and other flight-related parts along the road, and the fuselage began to display symptoms of neglect, belying the luxurious life it formerly led as the third plane in the Presley fleet.
Similar to its last owner, the JetStar could still draw a crowd despite being a little worse for wear. The sole Elvis aircraft that was for sale was put up for auction multiple times and was sold in 2017 for $430,000. When it was offered for sale again in 2018, it did not garner as much interest from potential buyers, who were probably put off by the hefty cost of getting it back into working order.
The jet was auctioned off in January of this year, and a mysterious buyer who eventually turned out to be YouTuber James Webb of Jimmys World purchased it for $234,000. Webb intended to make the plane airworthy again and restart its flight, according to TheDrive.com.
As many private jet owners before him, Webb was astounded by the price tag associated with his goals. The inside was in reasonable condition, but the fundamental problem was that it lacked four Pratt & Whitney JT12 engines. The set would cost around $2.2 million, and the overall cost to make it airworthy would be $5.7 million, he was told, if four of these antiquated engines could be located.
While the price was one concern, there was another just below the surface. No aftermarket kits were able to quieten the P&W JT12 engines that were first installed in Presley’s plane down to levels that were acceptable under current environmental rules. It appears Webb should be grateful he discovered it before parting with the $5.7 million and thinking he held a valuable piece of history.
Webb is apparently converting the Elvis Presley Lockheed JetStar L-1329 into an RV rather than turning it into coke cans or key chains. He intends to mount the fuselage—without the wings—onto an RV chassis, together with the couch and bathroom Elvis had added.
