Tell your story about a rare find that you bought...

[Historybuff]

There is this entertaining book called COBRA IN THE BARN by Tom Cotter, a tar heel who used to be a NASCAR PR man.
The subtitle refers to automotive archeology.
When I met him a few weeks ago he asked me for stories of similar searches and I sent him a few but now ran out of the cars I personally found and bought, so now I am asking anyone who has a story of finding a rare sports car (need not be Cobra or Shelby) after a long, long search, tracing old records, looking in old barns, yadda yadda. Not something you bought at a dealer the easy way. Probably in the Shelby American world will have to limit it to CSX2000 or CSX3000 cars, or authentic Shelby Mustangs or any automaker manufactured car (no replicas) or a race car.

For example I sent him a story on the two Cobra prototypes that Jeff Burgy found when he was looking for cars for a SAAC convention. The cars weren't bought (I think they are not for sale) but I think they still qualify as a car-in-the-barn story.

What do you get out of it? Good question. He would pay me for the story if he buys it and I can pay you part of that, all of course dependent on whether he accepts it. Also it would help to have a picture of the car, preferably in rough condition it was found in.

I welcome this new category of car book because we all heard great stories of how old cars were tracked down but now someone's actually collecting the stories for all of us to enjoy.
Write me at Photojournalistpro@hotmail.com

[mrmustang]

Is this for one of your publications, or strictly for personal use?

[tcrist]

Back in the early 70's I had a 65 VW Bug and my uncle owned a used car lot in San Jose Ca. At that time in my life (early 20's) I changed cars on a whim. I went to my uncles car lot to see what he had that might catch my eye. He did not have anything there but he had a couple of cars on there way and that I might want one of them. I left there with a 1965 GTO convertable, 389, 3 duces, Muncie 4 speed, 12 bolt posi. It cost me $500.00 and my VW. About 2-3 months later I sold it for $1500.00 and bought a 1968 Camaro SS396. When the made up gas crunch hit I traded it for a Vege panel. What can I say, cars did not mean crap to me then. I would love to have the Camaro or the GTO back. I probable could not afford them now.

Terry

[Michael4yah]

In dec of '69 a friend called me up and told me he had something he wanted me to see. He told me to swing by his place and pick him up as we needed to be in my car (a 9 month old 69 Nova SS 396/375). He said that someone wanted to trade me a sports car for it. He took me to an apt building where the owners son met us at the door. He was a young college guy in his early 20s, he took us out to a car port where there was a small car underneath layers and layers of tarps. I said to myself "Ive already owned an early Vette and theres no way Im trading my Nova for another one". But when he pulled off the last tarp my heart jumped into my throat. It was an original 427 SC. He had inherited it from his father but had gotten so many tickets his insurance co. canceled him. They did tell him he could have a performance car but it had to be a non sports car, a sedan type. Then he looked straight at me and said" I'll trade you straight across for your Nova". The air went out of my lungs. I did everything possible to not let on that this was the deal of the century. Faking whatever composure I could I asked" Is it paid off"? He said "Yup, Cmon I'll take you for a ride". Once in we headed for a rural road near where we lived that had about 50 turns and switchbacks and a speed limit of 15mph. I Buckled up and we went through there at about 40-50. When we stopped I got out and said to myself, "This is ONE GREAT CAR.... But If I get this car I'll be dead within a month." Only time tells all, the real reason I didnt trade him was that this NovaSS was my 1st new car. I had worked swingshifts 2 years in a row while in High School to get it. So reluctantly I said no, and to this day I think of the one that got away. Photos of my High School cars are in my gallery, the only one missing is my 64 Ford Custom 427.
Michael

[jwd]

A guy I worked with knew I was a Corvette lover and told me about his friend that had to get rid of his. He gave me the guys phone number and for the next 2 months, every time I saw him, he asked if I'd called yet. Finally he stopped by my house and said "we're going to look at that car, NOW". Sitting in this guys garage was an all original 1960 Corvette 270HP (dual 4's & solid lifters), 4 speed & 4:11 gears. A deal was struck for $2000. That was 31 years ago last month and I still have the car. I've turned down some pretty tempting offers but my wife would kill me and we all know what a divorce would cost.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

At least three times a week, I pass within 1/2 mile of an all original,unmolested 67 GT-500, green in color!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's sitting in the middle of a very large farm shed surrounded by tractors and combines......The car belongs to the farmers brother-in-law, who's dad bought it for him to go to college in 1968 or 1969....it's been parked there since around 1980 and the farmer has been begging his B-I-L to do something with it, mainly get it out of his way before it gets run over by a tractor........he has no intention of doing anything with it anytime soon and NO, it's not for sale and YES, the owner knows what it is and what it's worth............

Supposedly I'm in the top 2 or 3 on the list of contacts if and when it ever comes up for sale, but I imagine, I probably would not be able to afford it the way the prices of these cars has been going up in the last few years.....

David

[Traveller]

There's a guy west of Tulsa (I posted about his "collection" some years ago) that has two calypso coral Boss 429s rotting away in a field along with numerious other big block Fords (a 64 427 Galaxie, several 428 Mustangs, a Cougar Eliminator.....the list goes on and on).

He has tons of other stuff that he keeps in a metal building including 2 427 cammers from H&M.... STILL IN THE FRIGGN CRATES! He said that when H&M sold off their inventory he got a lot of their stuff. Having seen just a portion of what he has I believe it.

He also knows the value of what he has and won't sell a thing.

I haven't been out there since I moved away 3 years ago so I have no idea of the current state of his inventory. Probably a good thing since it was always mixed emotions walking through his field and shop.

[LuvDaBlues]

1 month ago helping my daughter buy hay for her horse a couple of miles east of Stillwater, Oklahoma, we drove by a car "cemetery" with easily over 300 cars. Majority pre '70's. Big hand painted sign: "Cars $500". It might not be a story, but I'm heading back this fall with a camera and some cash.

Hmmm..same guy Traveller???

[lineslinger]

This was many years ago when my wife and I were expecting our first son and of course I had to get rid of my motorcycle and my RX-7 for something more "practical" I began jonesing on not having any type of performance vehicle and started looking for a restoration project.

I was looking at the for sale section of a local municipality paper and found a little 2 line item, for sale: British car, red, must sell.

I called the number and set an appointment for that evening. I arrived at a modest little home and was led into their garage. The nice lady told me the car had belonged to her deceased father and had not been driven in over 20 years.
She peeled the dusty cover from the car and there was a complete all numbers matching 1960 Austin Healey BT-7, with both convertible and very rare hard top, and side curtains. Everything was there down to the tool kit.
The car had been put up on jack stands since being retired by her dad and the wheels were so froze up I had to use a hose to ice down the driveway and trailer ramps to winch it up onto the trailer.
I gave her $1200 for it. I spent three years restoring it, held onto it for the next twelve years and finally let it go to a close friend and new home.
I always check out those innocent obscure little ads.

Restoration completed:

[Durt]

Try this on for size -

Imagine you're going to live in Portugal. You find a lovely farmhouse
set on a decent plot of land. The place has been empty for 15 years...
While exploring your new property you find a large barn. The door is padlocked and welded shut and it's all rusted solid. So you grind the padlock and the welds off and........

http://www.intuh.net/barnfinds/afa70.htm

[tcrist]

That is a car nuts wet dream.

Terry

[Traveller]

Not that far west Steve.

I hate to say where he's at exactly but for those that travel to the Mid America in Tulsa every year, you pass within a few miles of his place every time you drive to the track in Hallet

[FIA-ERA]

When I was 18 I worked for a construction company. The delivery guy came and I asked him of any old Mustangs he knew of. He said my old neighbor had a Shelby! I went that Friday night to find it and sure enough there was a car there. The next week and a lot of sleep loss, I went out there again. The owner uncovered the car that had been covered for more than 4 years. There was a 67 Shelby GT-500!! Brittany blue,4-speed,etc. After almost 20 years of asking if he will sell, I'm still the "1ST" person he wants to have the opportunity to own it!! The only problem now is he has turned down offers of over 100K for it!! Maybe time will tell and maybe I will win the lottery! Better start playing the lottery more. Thanks, Matt.

[EarlsflyinCobra]

Not a find but a great encounter:

When I was 16 years old (1968) and working as a bag boy at Pantry Pride in Jacksonville, Florida there was a couple that came in every Saturday for groceries and always looked for me. They owned a shoe store in downtown Jax and were not hurting for money. They were a down to earth couple probably in their mid 50's. One Saturday they were not in their usual family car but in a new Corvette, which I being a 16 year old drooled all over. When I asked if they traded it in I was told no, that this was one out of the guys collection of sports cars, and that he had three in his collection. A couple of weeks later he came in and they were in another Vette, a 1960 I believe. Since the family car and two of his collection were Cheverolets I assumed the third sports car was another Vette. Well, a few weeks later I was pleasently suprised when they came in driving an AC Cobra and I was SNAKE BIT....wanted one ever since. Don't know what ever happened to those wonderful folks or their collection but I will always have the memory. It made working Saturdays a less miserable waiting on those kind folks.

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by Historybuff

What do you get out of it? Good question. He would pay me for the story if he buys it and I can pay you part of that, all of course dependent on whether he accepts it. Also it would help to have a picture of the car, preferably in rough condition it was found in.
[/email]

If anyone has a truly interesting "barn find" story it can be forwarded directly to Tom Cotter. There is no need to send it to 'Historybuff' first.
I can provide the contact information if needed.

Paying for stories is NOT something Mr. Cotter is interested in doing.

Tom Cotter has a new book out in this series. The new book is "The Hemi in the Barn" available on Amazon.com etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Hemi-Barn-Stor.../dp/0760327211

[Justin O'Rourke]

In 1965, I was standing on the wall in front of my house and my next door neighbor came around the corner in his just purchased (from Tasca Ford) new 1965 Shelby Mustang,Gt350. I knew that it was a Mustang but it looked so much cooler than the Mustangs that I was used to seeing. I was 11 yrs. old and said to myself "I'm getting that". Six years latter it became mine and I still have it (along with the dead original battery).

[Durt]

Originally Posted by tarmacscratcher

Ooeerrr....if only it were true.
http://www.jasononcars.com/review/mo...ese-barn-find/

DAMN. You think you got e-mailed the scoop of the century, and it winds up being kitty litter!

[Bill Wells]

earlsflyin....what color (paint / trim) was the cobra and was it a 289 or 427 ......i know of one with a similar owner history that was once from Jax area . bill

[EarlsflyinCobra]

Bill,

It was the common Blue and White and I believe it had the 289 in it. Being a 16 year old and just getting into cars, more driving than tinkering back then, I was more awed with the looks than the guts.

[Historybuff]

Please disregard my first request for stories to pass on to famed author Mr. Tom Cotter. Mr. Cotter called me direct from North Carolina to set me straight. He finds his stories first-hand, just as he found me at a racetrack and I told him a couple stories about finding cars he thought interesting. In his phone call, he said "I write my books" and he does indeed. I think the subject of how people found really rare cars is an interesting idea and he's certainly struck a gold mine there so next time you're at the bookstore please give his books a look-see...


I'll start another thread--unrelated to his fine books-- telling how I used to find rare cars to see if anybody's got another method that's worked for them so we can all learn something. I shouldn't reveal my "patented" secrets but I'm too old to deal with actual cars, so now it's just models and memorabilia