Elvis Presley’s beloved private plane will be transformed into an RV after sitting in a New Mexico desert for nearly 40 years.
Jimmy’s World YouTube influencer James Webb bought the 1962 Lockheed 1329 Jetstar for $260,000 on what would have been the King of Rock and Roll’s 88th birthday on January 8.
Webb, known for flipping abandoned planes, transported the plane to his work station in Florida in an attempt to convert it into an RV for a cross-country road trip to raise money for charities.
“I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Webb told Fox News. ‘It was the largest financial purchase I’ve ever made, outside of a home, and ironically, this was more expensive than my home. How crazy is that?
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll had purchased the plane in December 1976 for $840,000, less than a year before his death in August 1977.
Elvis Presley’s beloved private plane has been transported to Florida after sitting in a New Mexico desert for nearly 40 years.
James Webb of Jimmy’s World on YouTube plans to turn Elvis Presley’s beloved 1962 Lockheed 1329 Jetstar into an RV
The cockpit, along with the rest of the aircraft, has never been restored. The interior of the jet is filled with red velvet seats and carpets.
Webb does not plan to fly the plane ever again. If he did, he would need a new engine.
While the nine-seater plane can be expensive to repair, the plane’s original cassette player, cockpit wood paneling, and 1970s charm have all been preserved.
Webb is documenting the progress of the rickety jet and has already successfully repaired the lights.
The exterior of the rusty plane is also getting a facelift, but Webb plans to keep the interior’s velor seats, shag carpeting and cabin wood paneling.
Webb’s vision for the plane is to make it Elvis’s mobile, a project that he says may or may not succeed.
“We’re going to take it to Las Vegas to Graceland maybe,” Webb told the news outlet.
For the plane’s wreckage not used for the RV, like the wings and gas tanks, Webb will turn the parts into Elvis memorabilia for profit.
This rare aircraft is one of 204 aircraft made between 1957 and 1978 in a private collaboration between Jetstar and Lockheed.
The initial bid for the 1962 Lockheed 1329 Jetstar was $100,000, but bids slowly increased.
Presley’s legacy has gained a new, younger fan base since the release of the Elvis movie starring Austin Butler in June 2022.
The film explores Elvis’ complex relationship with his former manager, Colonel Tom Parker – who is played by Tom Hanks – and the extraordinary influence the former carnival worker had on the singer’s life.
Butler, 31, won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the King of Rock n’ Roll. The actor was praised by Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla for capturing her ex-husband’s volatile “temper” so well.
He also grew closer to Elvis’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.
A cassette tape is seen hidden behind a cabinet. Webb plans to keep the wood paneling on the beloved jet.
Butler, 31, won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the King of Rock n’ Roll. The actor was praised by Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla for capturing her ex-husband’s volatile “temper” so well.
Presley’s other two planes are currently at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. He can be pictured above outside one of them with Priscilla Presley.
Austin Butler won a Golden Globe for playing Lisa Presley’s father, Elvis. Lisa Marie Presley seen with Butler in June 2022
Lisa Marie with her parents Priscilla and Elvis in 1970
Lisa Marie died at the age of 54, hours after going into cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, California.
She had been rushed to a hospital in critical condition and was said to be in a coma following “complete cardiac arrest” shortly after she complained of stomach pains, according to TMZ.
Lisa Marie’s death comes just two days after she was photographed with her mother at the Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hills Hilton, where Austin Butler won Best Actor for his portrayal of her father in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. .
Lisa Marie’s life was tumultuous, with five stints in rehab for cocaine and opiate abuse, four failed marriages, including one to Michael Jackson, as well as losing her son to suicide and a fierce custody battle for her twin girls with a ex-husband that she falsely accused of having child pornography.
