local barn find stories?

[Kenneth G.]

hello all,

one of my favorite things about the hobby is "the barnyard" find stories. i love to hear about people stumbling onto a car or even a years long quest to get that "find" (the older gentleman who wont sell). i was curious to know any "barnyard" type cars in member's local area that they know about. here is mine:

about 15 years ago my uncle rented a house that had a detached 3 car garage that the owner rented, with several cars in it (and a motorcycle or two). i was young then and not into cars or even corvettes at that point so i didnt really look at the cars. several years later i got bit by the corvette bug and found out that one of the old cars in that garage was a 50's corvette. i couldnt really see the car as the garage was locked and i couldnt see through the window into the dark garage, but i could tell it was a vette. my uncle had moved out of the house at that point but i tracked down the owner and inquired if he'd be interested in selling the car. i got a terse (nasty) NO and that was the end of that. just tonight i decided to drive by that house and, over 10 years later, the car is still in there!! it looks to be in rough shape, needing a full resto but it is garaged. i still am not quite sure what year it is (i am a c3 guy) because the only angle i can see it is through a window that only shows the rear clip. it looks like the tail lights are for a 58-60 and the rest of the car is covered/unviewable. i am guessing a 59-60 because i didnt notice the chrome spears from the 58's on the trunk. anyone suggest anything else to differentiate it? btw its white with a white hard top and what looks like a red interior. maybe i should track down the owners again.............

kenny #31871 69 fathom green convertible 350/350hp 4 speed w/ ac

[Rich G.]

Re: local barn find stories?

The 68 L71 that I now have was found in a garage in around 1990 where it had been since 1973. The original owner lived like a hermit. His neighbor asked if he could trim the vegetation around the hermit's house as the neighbor was trying to sell his house and wanted the neighborhood to look better. While cutting the bushes around the garage, he saw the vette through the window. It turns out the owner had taken off the rear carb for rebuild in 1973 and that's where it sat. There was a fender cover on the right front and all sorts of dust on the car and mold in the interior. The owner would only sell to his neighbor,who was not into cars, but fortunately had a friend who was. That guy ended up with it. It had 30K miles on the odometer.

I was not there, but they documented everything with pictures and a statement from the owner. The car was cleaned in and out. Too bad they did not think about Bow Tie judging. The tank was rusted out, so it was replaced and that was documented in photos. The engine and accessories were solid rust. The motor was rebuilt. What's left of the build sheet is still on the tank. The original red line spare in in the car.

They saved the carpets and seat belts, so the interior is still original. The paint is mostly original although it looks like this car may have had a mishap when it was very young. Hard to tell though. The paint under where the fender cover was is damaged, but I can't bring myself to have it repainted. I'm worried it will look worse over all. The car was always in this area and I know the guys who found it. It was in the same town where it was purchased and the dealer is still there, but they have no records going back that far.

Rich 38594

[Rich G.]

Re: local barn find stories?

The 68 L71 that I now have was found in a garage in around 1990 where it had been since 1973. The original owner lived like a hermit. His neighbor asked if he could trim the vegetation around the hermit's house as the neighbor was trying to sell his house and wanted the neighborhood to look better. While cutting the bushes around the garage, he saw the vette through the window. It turns out the owner had taken off the rear carb for rebuild in 1973 and that's where it sat. There was a fender cover on the right front and all sorts of dust on the car and mold in the interior. The owner would only sell to his neighbor,who was not into cars, but fortunately had a friend who was. That guy ended up with it. It had 30K miles on the odometer.

I was not there, but they documented everything with pictures and a statement from the owner. The car was cleaned in and out. Too bad they did not think about Bow Tie judging. The tank was rusted out, so it was replaced and that was documented in photos. The engine and accessories were solid rust. The motor was rebuilt. What's left of the build sheet is still on the tank. The original red line spare in in the car.

They saved the carpets and seat belts, so the interior is still original. The paint is mostly original although it looks like this car may have had a mishap when it was very young. Hard to tell though. The paint under where the fender cover was is damaged, but I can't bring myself to have it repainted. I'm worried it will look worse over all. The car was always in this area and I know the guys who found it. It was in the same town where it was purchased and the dealer is still there, but they have no records going back that far.

Rich 38594

[Grant M.]

Re: local barn find stories?

Kenny,

I don't have a barn find story to share, but would like to suggest that you re-visit the 'nasty' owner of the car on a recurrent basis. I've heard of more than a few cases where what isn't for sale today (or 'never') turns out to be for sale the day you stop by just after the owner's 'significant other' has laid down an ultimatum about cleaning the garage out or selling the 'junk' in it, or the owner suddenly needs the money for something or perhaps even dies.

Despite the unpleasantness of the occasional rudeness, the adages about the squeaky wheel getting the grease and persistence, sometimes pay off.

Good luck!

grant

[Grant M.]

Re: local barn find stories?

Kenny,

I don't have a barn find story to share, but would like to suggest that you re-visit the 'nasty' owner of the car on a recurrent basis. I've heard of more than a few cases where what isn't for sale today (or 'never') turns out to be for sale the day you stop by just after the owner's 'significant other' has laid down an ultimatum about cleaning the garage out or selling the 'junk' in it, or the owner suddenly needs the money for something or perhaps even dies.

Despite the unpleasantness of the occasional rudeness, the adages about the squeaky wheel getting the grease and persistence, sometimes pay off.

Good luck!

grant

[Chuck Woodruff]

Re: local barn find stories?

The website "carsinbarns.com" is an interesting place for some of these stories. It's amazing how people neglect all this stuff to the point of being unslavageable....but some of the stuff does actually get saved too. Fun site.

Chuck

[Chuck Woodruff]

Re: local barn find stories?

The website "carsinbarns.com" is an interesting place for some of these stories. It's amazing how people neglect all this stuff to the point of being unslavageable....but some of the stuff does actually get saved too. Fun site.

Chuck

[Donald Morfield]

[Donald Morfield]

[Guest]

Re: local barn find stories?

My barn find was from my uncle. He worked on mid year Corvettes as a side line business for years. In 1978 he purchased a 1966 L72 Coupe theft recovery as a personal project. The car was stored in a dry barn covered with junk so people looking it wouldn't see the car and possibly steal it. My father and I always mentioned that when he was ready sell to give us a call. One day while talking to him two years ago he mentioned a very recent failed attempt to sell the car. The prospective buyer showed up with cash and a certified check and the deal was for cash only. Bottom line, he refused to do business with the guy and that's where we came in. Bought the car for $20K and it came with a ton of parts. Sold the parts and they largely funded a complete nut and bolt restoration with all work done by my father, best friend, and I. We completed it this summer and have been driving it almost every weekend since.

[Guest]

Re: local barn find stories?

My barn find was from my uncle. He worked on mid year Corvettes as a side line business for years. In 1978 he purchased a 1966 L72 Coupe theft recovery as a personal project. The car was stored in a dry barn covered with junk so people looking it wouldn't see the car and possibly steal it. My father and I always mentioned that when he was ready sell to give us a call. One day while talking to him two years ago he mentioned a very recent failed attempt to sell the car. The prospective buyer showed up with cash and a certified check and the deal was for cash only. Bottom line, he refused to do business with the guy and that's where we came in. Bought the car for $20K and it came with a ton of parts. Sold the parts and they largely funded a complete nut and bolt restoration with all work done by my father, best friend, and I. We completed it this summer and have been driving it almost every weekend since.

[Kenneth G.]

Re: local barn find stories?

grant,

i am thinking about contacting the owner again because i too have heard numerous stories about return visits to owners that sometimes result in a sale. the owner of the house/garage/VETTE has to do something with the house as it is uninhabitable and looks to be about falling down. he is still renting the garage/driveway to other cars so i will try one of them for info.

kenny #31871

[Kenneth G.]

Re: local barn find stories?

grant,

i am thinking about contacting the owner again because i too have heard numerous stories about return visits to owners that sometimes result in a sale. the owner of the house/garage/VETTE has to do something with the house as it is uninhabitable and looks to be about falling down. he is still renting the garage/driveway to other cars so i will try one of them for info.

kenny #31871

[Kenneth G.]

Re: local barn find stories?

chuck,

that is a good site, i spent quite a bit of time on it. didnt notice all that many vette stories but many other makes. maybe i should get a pic of the car and post it. it is amazing that there are still a huge number of cars out there just sitting untouched/deteriorating in people's driveways/garages/barns for years with owners who: 1) refuse to sell and 2) are "going to restore the car...........someday".

Kenny#31871

[Kenneth G.]

Re: local barn find stories?

chuck,

that is a good site, i spent quite a bit of time on it. didnt notice all that many vette stories but many other makes. maybe i should get a pic of the car and post it. it is amazing that there are still a huge number of cars out there just sitting untouched/deteriorating in people's driveways/garages/barns for years with owners who: 1) refuse to sell and 2) are "going to restore the car...........someday".

Kenny#31871