Barn find
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 414
From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
Barn find
Whats with the barn find ? Everythings a barn find anymore, whether it came from a barn, a shed, a garage, a leantwo, a cave, or granny's basement. Whats so great about a barn anyway ? If you ever saw a car that has sat in a barn for any length or time , you would know that a lot of damage has come to cars that were stored in a barn. The mice will find the smallest of openings to get into the car , even though you think there are no places for them to get in. They chew the wires in the dash and engine compartment, they chew the upholstery and the padding under the seats and use it to make nests in the car and in the dash, then they urinate and deficate in the nests causing a smell that is almost impossible to get out. They also build those nests in the openings of the frame rails and the smell comes up into the car from the heat under the car. And if that isn't enough, barns are usually musty and that causes mold in the car which is not only destructive , but it is a health hazard. So what is the latest selling point about a Barn Find ? Im confused ! 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 22
From: Crystal Lake IL
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
here goes. "hasn't been driven in 20 years." "owned by the sister in laws brother". "less than 20k miles." "its yours for a very low price." "original owner." "all original." did I miss anything?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,397
Likes: 1,226
From: Tampa Florida
Sounds like one of my family members describing my car.
Last edited by 71 Green 454; May 7, 2009 at 09:58 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 14,890
Likes: 3,324
From: NYC NY
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
It has been well known for many years that the best way to enhance the value of your old car is to buy a barn, park your car in the barn, then throw a few shovelfulls of manure on the car. Don't know why it works, but that is how it's done.
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Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,360
Likes: 221
From: Beecher Illinois
Here's a 40 mile 78SA. Look at all the surface rust underneath and underhood. Why did people do this?? At least maintain em!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0449&viewitem=
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0449&viewitem=
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
From: Port Clinton Ohio
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
My car was a garage find when I bought it 3 years ago. It had been parked since 1991. I would rather the owner had been driving and maintaining it all those years instead of letting it sit.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 984
Likes: 1
From: SAN FRANCISCO CA
i think it's something that we, as car guys, are every bit as responsible for propogating as shdy salespeople and the media. there has traditionally been something enticing and especially sexy about stumbling upon a BARN, in the middle of no where, supposedly, to find of all things, a pristine time capsule of a car. a diamond in the rough. we generally associate the word "barn" to describe an edifice located in the middle of freakin' nowhere where time, if possible, could potentially stand still. "garage" connotes a structure situtuated more in an urban or suburban setting where several people and other cars are likely to have been or at least seen over the years, therefore making your *find* less of a disovery and more of a simply a ressurection. i guess as human beings we like to be thought of as explorers & trail blazers, rather than simply the person who got fed up watching that 69 slowly rot over the years.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 219
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
Here's a lovely pic of the interior of the Vette I just bought for a build up, same thing, 6k miles over the past 15years, just sat the rest of the time
Bought it from family, first laid eyes on it 12yrs ago, been sitting around pretty much the whole time
I'll have a thread going to cover the rebuild/restomodifications.
Note the page green tinge to the carpet, is that a special option??
Bought it from family, first laid eyes on it 12yrs ago, been sitting around pretty much the whole time
I'll have a thread going to cover the rebuild/restomodifications.
Note the page green tinge to the carpet, is that a special option??
Last edited by mtcraigco; May 8, 2009 at 08:12 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,547
Likes: 12
From: Carbondale Pa.
Here's a 40 mile 78SA. Look at all the surface rust underneath and underhood. Why did people do this?? At least maintain em!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0449&viewitem=
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0449&viewitem=
, hence the sale. Peace,,,Moosie 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,520
Likes: 11
From: Hinckley OH
To me "barn find" means some repair was needed and the owner didn't have the money to fix it. Since they didnt have the money to fix that, then they also didn't do regular maintenance. Once they put it in the barn it was neglected, things were piled on it, animals made homes in it, and age takes its toll.
"Barn find" generally means "project" though there may be rare exceptions.
"Barn find" generally means "project" though there may be rare exceptions.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,885
Likes: 1
That brings a tear to my eyes, extremely partial to that particular model, mainly because I bought one back in '79 with 700 miles on the clock thru a dealer near Rochester N.Y. Palmyra Motors, it belonged to an exec. from Rochester Prods. who found out that he could get more woman with his Eldorado then the Vette, hence the sale. Peace,,,Moosie
, hence the sale. Peace,,,Moosie 
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Pro
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 507
Likes: 5
From: Seattle WA
Persistence pays off...
Here's my Barn-find story. In this case it was a garage, but they're still out there! 
http://www.corvettes.com/articles/?p=18
http://www.corvettes.com/articles/?p=18