Jay Leno’s Big Dog Garage located in California’s San Fernando Valley has a stable of over 200 cars that range from the early 1900 water powered Stanley Steamers to the new 207 mile per hour (333 kilometers per hour) Mercedes SLR McLaren.

Recently Mr. Leno’s Garage purchased a Fadal VMC 4020 to help reverse engineer and machine hard to find parts, or parts that just no longer exist. Because many of the cars in his collection were produced in very small quantities you can image how difficult it would be to find used parts for an eighty year old vehicle with a production run of thirteen.

Computer Numerical Controlled mapping of a part surface with a touch probe will allow original parts to be economically duplicated to help keep Jay’s beautiful stable of classic cars cruising the streets and highways of Southern California.

Nobody expects an Elvis sighting at a manufacturing trade show. But The Tonight Show's Jay Leno, who is being touted to host next year's Academy Awards, was seen checking out vertical machining centers at a number of booths, apparently to make parts for his extensive collection of vintage and otherwise cars and 'cycles.

A number of new machines were introduced at Westec, a good run-up to IMTS 2002. The strong regional identity of Westec with the aerospace, high-tech racing and the electronics industries is an inviting opportunity to introduce technology specifically aimed at it.

Here are a few of the highlights from Westec 2002.

Racing car enthusiasts were in for a special treat at the Fadal Machining Center booth, where two prominent race car drivers were autographing pictures--and a couple of machines that were sold at the show. Gary Densham signed a big Fadal 50-taper VMC 6535 that was going to B&B Machine in Muscatine, IA. And funny car champion John Force signed a Fadal EMC VMC that was being delivered to Stevens Precision in Newbury, CA.