“Just what is it with people's fascination with "barn finds"?

And keep the required 14 quarts of oil topped up. Being a poor college student I ran recycled oil in mine.

My wife always wanted a Jag, now she has this one. Not a "barn find", but a junk yard find. Can't drive it either, but the lights are wired to a motion sensor and it functions as an entry lighting system.

Here's my take on the "barn find" and "original" mania. It was a relatively recent invention by dealers and auctioneers so they could get just as much money for beaters and original cars as they do for fully restored cars. The "barn find," "lovely patina," etc. slogans sound just like made-up BS.

I am 62 and I have been hearing the term "found in a barn" since I was about 11 years old, so I know for certain that it's not a new term conjured up. I will go along with the fact that in the past few years the term has been misused, exaggerated and twisted to mean what you are saying.

Having been herein recognized as a resident expert on the matter, complete with a memorable phrase, I should share the story of my first barn find. I was sixteen and flush with paper route money, or that portion I hadn't spent on licorice and engineer boots (it was a transitional period in my life).

A buddy and co-worker at my Dad's shop said he knew of an old car in a barn, or more correctly a chicken coop. He thought it was a '37 Ford coupe. My ears perked up. I'd had a subscription to Hot Rod for at least five years and a '37 Ford coupe is just what I needed. It wouldn't be my first car; that was a '50 Ford field car that I bought from my Grandfather for $35.

We took my Dad's IH Scout and went on a search party. Out in the hills of northeastern Pennsylvania where I grew up, there weren't too many straight and level roads and around every corner was a small farm, so there were lots of barns. It was good hunting country.

We found the place and looked up the owner. He was an old farmer named Ike and the first thing he said was that I better move quick on this car because a collector was coming up from Scranton "soon" to buy it. We pulled open the door of the building and I was crestfallen. It wasn't a '37 Ford coupe. It was a Ford, but not even from the thirties. A postwar car with horizontal grille bars and it was a convertible. Not a coupe, not a '37, no hot rod for me.

Ike said he wanted seventy bucks for it. I didn't want it but said maybe I'd go sixty. He invoked the vision of the man from Scranton. I said I'd get back to him. I got home and thought it over. Turns out the car was a '47 Super Deluxe. I reckoned it might be fun even it would never be cool. I called him up, said I'd take it and went down the next Saturday with Dad's roll-back, paid Ike and dragged it out of the chicken coop. I got it home and Dad helped/showed me how to rebuild the brakes and the steering, Mom sewed up some seat covers for it and I eventually got it running. I bought a set of 6.00-16s and drove it the rest of the summer and fall. That was exactly fifty years ago.

I went in the Navy and the Ford went to a friend's barn, where it sold a couple years later (barn find!) for $85.

Paul, That's a nice piece of a Jaguar. Here's my entry, it didn't come from a junkyard, it went there, less this part. Recognize it, or will this start a guessing game?? Hey, we're getting off topic. Sorry....

Paul, That's a nice piece of a Jaguar. Here's my entry, it didn't come from a junkyard, it went there, less this part. Recognize it, or will this start a guessing game?? Hey, we're getting off topic. Sorry....

Columbo's Peugeot?

I was going to say Pug as well but you out-fingered me.

Yup, it was a Peugeot 403. This one actually ran! Tin worm got it.

"Öne more thing" You guy must stay up nights look for a challenge. Dave got his answer instantly, Keiser31 seems to be the auto trivia master.

After reading this thread, can I eventually say I have a barn find even though I PUT it in two different barns before she ended up in it's current Pole Barn? (even has the Barn Dust on it from the last barn storage) LOL

While not for sale, sounds like it could bring an extra buck? (SHHH, better not tell the wife.) ha ha

I have been following this thread, and I have to admit I don't know why but I find myself attracted to these cars. There is a fine line about a car that is a GREAT candidate for a restoration and one that is preserved. The barn dust thing really should have no affect, a picture of the way it was found should be enough.

A few years ago I came across a 75 Cosworth Vega. That the original owner took off the road in 1984 and stored it in his finished basement. There was no dust! but a spectacular paper trail. This car furthered my interest in these forgotten 70's GM cars, so ran a wanted ad in our magazine for a 1977 Monza Mirage. I had received a phone call from a friend of the family who owned one. He put me in touch with the owner and a deal was made and I now own it. It was on a massive potato farm in upstate NY stored in a barn. It was washed off 5 minutes after it arrived! So much for the dust.