Elite #1312 was restored in California in 1993. It was owned by Richard Griott at the time. Jess bought it in 1999 and did a lot of debugging of the car since it had literally sat for 6 years without a shake down process. It was a very stock Stage 1 car with a single SU carburetor and a cast single pipe exhaust system. It ran very well, although the primitive accommodations were a surprise: it had no heater and was very noisy.

After driving it in the Copperstate 1000 in 2000, Jess decided it could use a little more performance. At 75 hp it was a little stressful trying to keep up with the big boys, and it really didn't inspire confidence in the handling. It was sort of wallowing and did not demonstrate the legendary nimbleness of Elite fame.

So, some major upgrading was done. The Elite in Stage 2 tune has twin SUs and a header (4 branch) exhaust system. Jess couldn't find a twin SU manifold and since dual Weber carburetors were apparently another option when new, a set of Webers was installed on the car. Jess also had a set of headers made and installed a complete new exhaust system. To help the handling, he upgraded the rear springs to 100 lb and installed adjustable spring perches. New Borrani wheels and 155x15 Michelins replaced the Dunlop wheels and 135x15 Continental tires. The result of the changes was sensational. Now the car is much more responsive and handles as it is supposed to.

The 2001 Copperstate was much more enjoyable. The trajectory ranged from snow in the eastern mountains to 92 degrees. The car never missed a beat. For those who may be concerned about the changes Jess made, he explains,"I have everything to convert it back to 100% original out-of-the-box stock. Nothing has been modified, it has all been replaced."