Article Comments - Sleeping Beauties -- Top 10 Great Barn Finds

17 messages, Last post on Aug 29, 2008 at 3:01 PM

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Sleeping Beauties -- Top 10 Great Barn Finds - Tantalizing tales of barn finds have been circulating for as long as people have been collecting old cars. Enthusiasts still talk about Barney Pollard, a mysterious 1950s-era Chicago collector who amassed hundreds of old crocks from the teens and '20s. He removed front bumpers, drained fluids and then stored them vertically so he could cram still more cars in his warehouses. When he died, his collection was sold and the cars dispersed. (more)

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#6 of 17 More on When I Was Very Young... by ibmindless Dec 26, 2007 (2:31 am)
In 1967, as a 16 year old, I had a chance to buy a 1961 AC Ace roadster for about $1600. All aluminum body, straight 6 cylinder with 3 Webber 2bbl. carbs and tuned headers. The interior was just a little messed up with some rips in the seats and carpet. That was a lot of money for me then, so I passed on it and bought a 1960 Corvette for $815. Oh yeah, I found the Ace just after I passed on a 1959 Alfa Romeo roadster - red. In keeping with these sad tales, here's another... My friend's father had a 1959 Jaguar sedan (3.8L or 3.6L???) sitting out back. It wasn't licensed and he was letting it go since he now had a 1966 289 Mustang convertible. The Jag needed work on the brakes and exhaust system and who knows what else. Once again, I decided to pass on the deal for $50 (this is 1967 again), so I told another friend about it and he bought it. The Jag needed a short section of brake line replaced over the left rear disc and I ended up fixing the exhaust with sections of aluminum tubing that my father had laying around for his ham radio antenna. For a few bucks, the Jag was running in all of its gray paint and gray leather glory. Oh how that car purred. It had the automatic on the dash and electronic overdrive. For more depressing tales, ask me about my baseball card collection that I let go with cards like the 1957 Mickey Mantle and others dating back to 1938.
#7 of 17 Barn Find by dvsutton Jan 17, 2008 (10:45 pm)
I was in southern Michigan about ten years a go. I went to a dealer that sold trailers. While he was doing the paperwork I went out back into a barn and sitting right behind the door was a white Plymouth Superbird. It looked pretty bad but it was all there. In spray paint across the windsheild was a sign that said Not For Sale. I went in and asked about it and the sales rep didn't even want to talk about it. I wonder if it is still there. Another one was a 68 Old Cutlass I would see coming home from our house. It sat there for almost 20 years. Even when we moved out farther I would come around and see if it was still sitting in that drive way. It was painted flat black and had a flame paint job. The house was an old farm at one time, but it didn't look like anyone lived there. About five years a go the house was torn down by the new owners, and I heard they call the junkyard to take it away. The new owners built a new house on the land. There are now two Hondas sitting in the drive. That pretty much explains everything. What a waste. Replies to this message: hymes (Jan 21, 2008 7:11 pm) isellhondas (Feb 11, 2008 4:38 pm)
#8 of 17 Re: Barn Find [dvsutton] by hymes Jan 21, 2008 (7:11 pm)
Replying to: dvsutton (Jan 17, 2008 10:45 pm) As an oldtimer, sort of, I cringe at all the cars I used to have. A 60 Olds convertible in blue. 56 Ford, 55 and 56 Chevy. A bunch of early 50's Mopar, including a 1954 Red Ram hemi. 59 Catalina. 64 Olds Starfire. a 64 Chevelle convertible and a 64 Chevelle El Camino at the same time. Once passed on a 63 split window vette for 2300 bucks. I'm getting depressed just thinking about them. My favorites? Hands down, the Oldsmobiles. I still have a 59. Replies to this message: isellhondas (Feb 11, 2008 4:38 pm)
#9 of 17 Re: Barn Find [hymes] by isellhondas Feb 11, 2008 (4:38 pm)
Replying to: hymes (Jan 21, 2008 7:11 pm) Did you ever change an oil filter on that 54 dodge with the hemi? When I was a kid working in a gas station, this old guy had one of these and every 2000 miles he would have us change the oil and filter. Oh, what a nasty b***h that oil filter was! It was in a canister and wedged between the frame and the exhaust manifold which, of course was HOT. It had a long bolt that went through the middle and about four O rings and gaskets that had to he aligned perfectly or it would leak like hell! It would take three or four tries to finally get it right along with an hour of frustration and obcenites galore!
#10 of 17 Old Barn Finds by packard50 May 15, 2008 (10:09 am)
In the mid 1980s I came apun a 1951 packard convertable in an old body shop which had been left for work and the owner never returned after 17 years. The shop owner had the title and would let me have the car for 1,200.00. I put 500,00 down to think about it . Later I returned and took my 500.00 back . The car and the owner I later learned both died when the shop burned to the ground. Replies to this message: fezo (Jun 10, 2008 4:37 pm)
#11 of 17 Re: Old Barn Finds [packard50] by fezo Jun 10, 2008 (4:37 pm)
Replying to: packard50 (May 15, 2008 10:09 am) When I was a kid the playground (parking lot) at my elementary school backed up against the back of a little downtown Pontiac dealer - the type that doesn't exist anymore. He had a couple of Oaklands back there.
#12 of 17 although posted on 'obscure' by explorerx4 Jun 16, 2008 (4:35 pm)
a couple of weeks ago, i worked helping on a project our town does to help out the elderly and other needy. i worked at the home of a lady who was 96 years old. in the garage was a '75 or so corvette. it was brown(yuck), but looked in good shape. she said it hadn't moved in 25 years. overall nothing special. some of these other posts reminded me, that when i was in high school, or maybe even early college, a different town, riding my bike over to one of my friends, passed an average house on an average street. i had passed it a million times before. one day the barn style garage doors were open. inside was a silver mercedes gullwing! it was quite a shock to see as i would have expected a plymouth or something like that! Replies to this message: fintail (Jun 16, 2008 4:40 pm) explorerx4 (Aug 29, 2008 3:01 pm)
#13 of 17 Re: although posted on 'obscure' [explorerx4] by fintail Jun 16, 2008 (4:40 pm)
Replying to: explorerx4 (Jun 16, 2008 4:35 pm) What's the address? Replies to this message: explorerx4 (Aug 29, 2008 3:01 pm)
#14 of 17 Special barnfinds (Dovaz collection and Malmerspach collection) by arnoudodw Aug 26, 2008 (2:38 am)
Dear all, For the people who are interested in special barnfinds like the Dovaz collection (Sleeping Beauties) and the reserve collection of Arlette Schlumpf the following site is maybe interesting: www.extraordinarycarcollections.com I hope it can interest you! Best regards Replies to this message: fintail (Aug 26, 2008 8:24 am) arnoudodw (Aug 26, 2008 10:47 am)
#15 of 17 Re: Special barnfinds (Dovaz collection and Malmerspach collection) [arnoudodw] by fintail Aug 26, 2008 (8:24 am)
Replying to: arnoudodw (Aug 26, 2008 2:38 am) The Dovaz collection...that must have been the one featured in "Automobile Quarterly" in the 80s, I remember reading that when I was a boy, as my school library actually received occasional issues (donated maybe) of that hardbound magazine. I remember many Bugatti Type 57s along with some Cords, covered in dirt and bird droppings, sleeping in an old building. Replies to this message: arnoudodw (Aug 26, 2008 10:47 am)