An article in the September/October 2006 edition of ECS ended with a heck of a prediction.

The soothsayer was Jim Schneck, subject of the article “Put It in Reverse,” which detailed the plight of a group of metalcasters looking to recreate the engine cylinder head of the rare and expensive Duesenberg Model J. (No need to dig up your back issues—see a full, printable PDF here.)

“Jay Leno called,” Schneck told an ECS reporter at the time. “He’s interested in this project.”

Boy was he ever. Now, after having bought the first head successfully produced by Schneck and his team, Leno has written an article for Popular Mechanics heralding the efforts of metalcasters and other craftsmen in keeping classic cars on the road and in the showrooms.

Leno’s discussion of the metalcasting process is cursory, and he gets a touch mushy with nostalgia for the old days, but his ability to put the Duesenberg in automotive context makes the article worth reading. In case you don’t have time to get through the whole piece, here’s the last paragraph.

“Thanks to Jim Schneck, you can make that Duesenberg run again. To anyone who plans to re-create a much-needed part for other vintage automobiles, I say: Thank you. You will be revered by those of us who cherish them.”

That’s another prediction that is likely to come true.