Man Creates Pan Am Jet Cabin in Garage

Assignment America: Anthony Toth Spent 20 Years and $50,000 Building an Airplane

(CBS)  A couple hours outside of Los Angeles there's a huge airplane junkyard. It caters mostly to Hollywood, selling movie props -- but Anthony Toth shops there for a very different reason.

CBS News Correspondent Steve Hartman reports Toth wants to own a 747. And for the last 20 years he's been buying it, one piece at a time.

Specifically, his dream has been to build a Pan Am 747. The airline has been out of business since 1991, but Toth's dream goes back even further.

As a kid, Toth was so fascinated by the plane his family took on vacation he would snap pictures of every one of its parts.

"I think I wanted to recreate the experience of flying at home," he said.

Later, as an adult, he started purchasing those parts, in hopes that someday he could recreate the actual plane, right down to the place settings.

Impossible you say? Welcome aboard.

If you didn't know better you'd think it was 1979 and you were on board a vintage Pan Am 747 clipper jet. But if you take away the airplane sounds, and open up the main cabin door, you'll see this isn't exactly an exact replica -- it's just as much of the plane as Toth could fit in his garage.

What Toth does have is the entire first class cabin and galley, which he uses for entertaining. And just about everything is vintage - except the custom package peanuts, which he buys new.

"Because there already is a 30 year old nut in the cabin," Hartman said.

"Well said," Toth agreed.

In total, he's put well over $50,000 into the project. And he's not done.

"I'm never satisfied with the cabin," Toth said. "I always want more."

Ironically, Toth works as a sales manager for United Airlines. He's not married (go figure). So there's really no one to reign him in.

Just be glad you're not a neighbor. And be gladder still, that Toth's family didn't vacation on cruise ships.

[souvenirkeeper]

Great story! what a project!
I know I still have some PanAm stuff...will mail to you free of charge... I can't keep everything I collected. For sure I have a First Class courtesy toiletry bag with stuff and a Clipper Club card. Will check my closets for more if you are interested.
[e-mail]

[buhlsray]

I enjoyed the flash back to Pan Am as I used to fly that aierline quite a bit back and forth between the U.S. and Europe. In fact, flew on Pan Am from Brussels to New York on the 10th anniversary of the overthrow of the Shah and wa the only passenger on the plane due to perceived threats. I still have a few Pan Am souvenirs such as a passenger blanket and several of the metal model planes they sold while aloft as well as two menus from Clipper Class. If you would like to have these send me an e-mail and I will send them to you free of charge as it seems you would enjoy them more than me. Good luck!!

[Snowhare]

Hey, being a nut is not a bad thing!
However, how this is news escapes me: There are plenty of these nuts around. Reenactors of all kinds are just the same. The difference: this guy does it on his own. Something like collectors.
CBS does manage to show these types: the rubber ball guy is another example.

The story didn't catch me. But the comments here are so overdone, I had to comment.

[pizzanick2]

Wow, I was grinning ear to ear when I watched the entire video clip. This guy's awesome for following his dream and making it happen. I love flying too and this takes dedication. I am amazed!!! WAY TO GO!!!

[rf35]

So because he's not wealthy or a celeb, he's nuts for doing this? If he were rich, he'd just be called "excentric" and nobody would think twice about it.

[bradkt1]

I heard that William Shatner has a replica of the bridge of the USS Enterprise in his home.

[brianhayashi]

Thank you, Mr. Toth for the nice memories of Pan Am! I grew up and flew the world before my Dad retired and like you, I enjoyed their beautiful 747s. Pan Am once flew so high and proud by carrying our American flag around the world. Congratulations!!!

[sonofsummarex]

Yup
Some folks even dressed up for the occasion.
It's good to remember there was once a time
when flying was a classy thing to do!

[bobnjersey]

[He's not married (go figure). So there's really no one to reign him in.]

wow ... look what can happen when you're not 'reigned in'.

[nolapearl]

Great story! Good for him!

[edgy44]

$50k is about what Congress spends every minute in Iraq and Afghanistan. Chump change. Especially over 20 years.

[bubbadubba]

At last a good story on CBS.com.
Good for this guy, he wanted something and he went for it.
He is definitely a do-er not a loser.
Too bad a lot of other people don't follow their dreams.
My money pit is restoring classic sports cars and I love it.
Sure, I could buy a new car instead but those cars are for losers with no imagination or class. Anyone who has sat in a classic Jaguar XKE, Porsche 911, MGB, Porsche 356C, Ferrari Dino, and smelled the interior and seen the dash and heard the sound of that engine knows that today's cars are girlie cars driven by little girlie men.
I understand this guy and admire him.

[blackbug99]

To each his own...can't take it with you!

[longtree-2009]

50k on a pretend 747 in his garage. sounds like a nut job. what a waste of 50k but if he has it to burn, it's his money. still a nut job.

[ToolMangler1]

I have known of people that buy a 1.2 million dollar Bugatti and then drive it into a salt marsh to avoid a bird.

at least this guy still has his dream..

[sonofsummarex]

Watch your mouth.
It's called a hobby!