Automotive American – Classic Vintage & Modern
Category: Barn Find
Welcome to Coffee Walk Ep. 153! This week I loaded up the truck and trailer with my son, Connor, to head down south to Mount Pleasant, Texas to buy a 1940’s Armored Dodge Truck that is so ugly… it’s actually beautiful!! Special thanks to our #1 finder in the Nation, Mike Tabbi, for the lead and to “Mount Pleasant Burgers & Fries” for getting us fed- that sure was a dang good burger!
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In recent years, you can’t go far in the world of collector cars without coming across a seemingly unending litany of “barn find” examples. Covered in dust, dirt, grime, chicken droppings or perhaps used as an impromptu shelf, a place to stack wooden pallets—whatever the case, the more inglorious a special car was treated, it seems, the better the story.
Articles and videos abound of people uncovering and rescuing these cars, whether found in an actual barn or some other structure. Perhaps we’ve become bored of stories of incredibly restorations (say it ain’t so!) or one-owner cars kept pristine for years.There’s no denying the allure of the barn find.
A couple of years back during the Scottsdale auctions, a barn-find Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing outpaced several restored examples sold that year, including some by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Years ago, these sort of cars might have been found and restored before anyone knew anything about them.
Yes, believe it or not, legitimate barn finds are still out there. Whether it’s tired old junk that was left somewhere and forgotten decades ago or a beloved and preserved family heirloom that no one knows what to do with, automotive gems can be found everywhere—especially in someone’s backyard. Mike Finnegan has never seen a real one himself, but he’s always heard of them through friends, connections from his time as an automotive journalist, and the exploits and adventures of automotive archeologist Ryan Brutt. But now, his day has come!
While filming the social-distance budget-build grudge-match against Tony Angelo (Roadkill Episode 111), Brett from Paradise Dragstrip, “The guy who pretty much runs the place,” asked if Mike had seen the junkyard yet. Finnegan has been to Paradise a couple times this year, for the second episode of Faster With Finnegan and the previously mentioned episode of Roadkill, and was curious about what the small, private junkyard had to offer. The forest around Paradise had plenty of cool old junk sitting around, but the barn was the piece de resistance. Inside was something Mike Finnegan was not expecting—a Pro Streetstyle 1967 Pontiac Firebird big-tire drag car. So, of course, he had to buy it.
A massive 100+ car barn find collection in Chicago, IL that I photographed for Mecum Auctions. Inside the building was dozens of amazing finds. So many Shelby Mustangs, Z28 Camaros, even a couple Rolls Royce cars were stashed inside and forgotten about. This video shows a good majority of the cars that were present but from what I was told there were additional cars elsewhere that I didn’t get to see.
See Jeremy’s JEREMY CLIFF AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY page for more great shots!
Hi Gang…
Tom Cotter sure gets around the country in his ultra cool Woody Wagon and uncovers the most amazing finds. As an author, Tom has continued to pen books on his travels and we’ve been honored to be in several of these over the years (thanks Tom). And as we shared last year with you, Tom has partnered with Hagerty and has nearly 100 YouTube episodes that you can view on his travels and “finds” throughout the country. Go get ’em Tom
What’s the one thing that unites all gearheads? The one pilgrimage that we all dream about? That one singular experience that separates us from mere mortals…or, at least, the smarter guy on the block? The fabled junkyard run, of course!
Related – This muscle car dealer is selling a dream barn find collection
Bruce Johnson @Barnfinds.com
454-Powered 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air
This solid 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air was pulled out of a barn last week after a 25 year nap. At one time, this was one hot machine, with a serious surprise under that hood. It is for sale here on eBay for $8,500 in Diamond, Ohio.
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454-Powered 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air
Related – Watch this Chevrolet Knee’s in Action – The Old Motor
Think about your ideal car collection—how many vehicles could you reasonably live with? It’s probably fewer than this automotive armada of some 200 collector cars in rural Minnesota. Blessed with plentiful acreage and productive crops, a farmer by the name of James Graham amassed a huge number of cars and trucks over his lifetime. Graham has passed on to the great highway in the sky, and now VanDerBrink Auctions is taking on the task of liquidating his estate. Could your dream car be one of the classics in this epic barn find?
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As you will be be able to see here John’s marvellous barn find Fordor is still in the collection, and has had some overheating issues due to a cracked cylinder head.
Replacement head ready to go, hopefully it’ll do the trick!
Of all the musicians in the world, of all eras, the name Elvis Presley is instantly recognizable for his music. Elvis also had a penchant for high-end customized American cars, particularly of Lincoln and Cadillac vintages. A man has spent his life collecting cars that were owned by Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.
The man’s collection induces a 1973 Lincoln MK IV that was owned by Elvis and driven on the west coast. That car was gifted to Elvis’ close friend Pearl Schaefer and eventually made its way to the collection. Another of the rides in the collection is a 1946 Ford that was owned by Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father.
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