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Vent Thread - Buying "Barn Finds"

Willie B

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… The one that got away…

… 1957 Chevy Black Widow… NASCAR race car… They only made something like 12 of these…Base model 150 rwo door sedan…Rochester Fuel injected 283 small block… 200 mile an hour speedometer… Three-quarter ton truck rear end… Three speed manual on the column… Exhaust came out through an oval hole in the body in front of the rear tires… Can’t remember who made the exhaust headers… Cars were painted black-and-white…

… Bottom line is I screwed up… Started haggling over price with an oldish woman in Chico California…she had finally decided to sell it… Had been in her garage for decades… It is possible the car had been stolen from the Chevy dealer in Chico… It had been shipped to them designated for Turner racing…
… Somehow, this woman’s son ended up with the car…Hmmmm???… But he had lost his life while in the military service… So the car just sat…

… Friend of mine used to drive it around the block for her every couple of years… He told me about the car and I started doing some research and found out what it was… about the same time, it came up for sale in Hemings… I think the lady wanted $21,000 for it… For some reason I offered her $12,000… Maybe that’s all I had🤷🏽‍♀️… We went back-and-forth a little bit and I can’t remember exactly how but a couple of dealers who were heavily involved in the classic car trade at that time got involved… Probably best I don’t mention their names…

… Here’s where where my memory gets a little foggy… Not Exactly sure, what happened next… But the car disappeared… And the woman was found deceased in her house…😳

… Couple of years later, a black widow came up for sale in the South…

… I have no idea if the car in the photo is that exact car???…
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NicPaus

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Only reason I took that picture and a few others. The owners have not been in the garage or the house for a long time. We tried to get access like 2 years ago when I inspected each of there properties to make a list of what needs to be done to them. Tenant wouldn't let us in. Now there is a leak under the house and I was able to access to assess it. They wanted to tear it down but the cost to borrow money is to high right now. It's zoned for 2 houses. There property rich cash poor.

We have to repipe it asap so I will check to see what it is then. But I figured it was scrap. Didn't look like anything good to me.
 

J&k beer can

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Only reason I took that picture and a few others. The owners have not been in the garage or the house for a long time. We tried to get access like 2 years ago when I inspected each of there properties to make a list of what needs to be done to them. Tenant wouldn't let us in. Now there is a leak under the house and I was able to access to assess it. They wanted to tear it down but the cost to borrow money is to high right now. It's zoned for 2 houses. There property rich cash poor.

We have to repipe it asap so I will check to see what it is then. But I figured it was scrap. Didn't look like anything good to me.
This trim here looks to be a 72 ford maverick .

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cyclone

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I remember watching that episode. Here it is for anyone that missed it:


Here's my barn find story: Way back in 1980 a guy I worked with told me about a '69 Camaro that belonged to a woman he knew. He knew I was a car guy and thought I'd be interested in the car. He gave me her info and I called right away. Turns out it belonged to her son who had passed away. She didn't say what happened to him but the car had been sitting in a barn for several years and she wanted to sell it.

It wasn't anything rare (not a Z28 or SS or anything), just a 350, 4 speed Camaro with aluminum slots, Hurst T handle shifter and some nice mods to the engine (Holley carb, intake, headers, etc.) but a '69 has always been my favorite year Camaro. She wanted $2K for it.

I had $500 saved up and a good job driving big rigs at the time so was trying to figure out how to get the rest of the cash. A good friend's (he had a '70 340 Challenger) father in law was president of a local bank so he told me to go see him about a loan. I went to see him with all my info but the fucker denied the loan saying the car wasn't worth the $1500 I wanted to borrow. I'm still pissed about it! :mad: 😁
that's brutal! if only he had the foresight to see that not only was the car going to be worth $2,000 later on, but the number of woman who would want to ride shotgun in that fine automobile would make it priceless!
 

Chili Palmer

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Regardless its still a Ford???

My wife has 64.5 Conv Mustang that I got the privilege of doung a frame up restoration on.

I will not admit what we have invested, versus what its worth. Way upside down.

Its her car that she rarely drives, that I hate.

Give me a Pantera any day. That would be motivation to lose weight and get healthy.
Have you driven a Pantera? I had a hard-on for one almost 20 years ago. I searched and researched everything on that car - I was looking for transition 72-73 car, those had the early chrome bumperettes front and rear and also had the more modern dash and not the recessed Speedo and tach. I was looking for one that the previous owner had changed out the front suspension pieces with forged aluminum parts, also wanted the wide 17” Campagnolo wheels. I did find one in Palm Springs that was also a GT4 widebody. The owner and I took for about a 30 minute drive. It was at that point I no longer wanted a Pantera.
It was hot and noisy, the pedals were close together, the left front wheel cut into the leg room, and if you weren’t working the clutch, there was no place to put your left foot since the seats sit on the floor you couldn’t pull your leg back.
Is it a bitchen car? You bet! But it’s a car to take to a local coffee and cars, not to take on any drives longer than 30-45 minutes. I’m not a big guy, but it’s pretty cramped getting in and out of there.
Back then they were going for about $35-50K, now they are hovering around $100-150k.
 
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ChiliPepperGarage

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that's brutal! if only he had the foresight to see that not only was the car going to be worth $2,000 later on, but the number of woman who would want to ride shotgun in that fine automobile would make it priceless!


Right? 🤣

I did manage to get a '69 many years later. 510 inch BowTie block, 300 nitrous, M22, 4.10 12 bolt. Never did get any hotties wanting to ride shotgun though. :(😁 Had to sell it during the 2008 economic crash. Sure wish I could have kept it. Would have made a great drag and drive car.

David recently did a video of some of the cars he let slip away. You you consider making one too?

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mash on it

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Definitely a Ford Maverick.

Look closely at the door handle. The Ford door handle button is perfectly round.

The GM door handles of that vintage is an oval, almost football shaped.

Unless it was modified, highly unlikely.

Dan'l
 

Taboma

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Definitely a Ford Maverick.

Look closely at the door handle. The Ford door handle button is perfectly round.

The GM door handles of that vintage is an oval, almost football shaped.

Unless it was modified, highly unlikely.

Dan'l
I agree, here's a 72 Maverick door handle compared to the Barn Find mystery car

72 Maverick Door Handle.jpg
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fat rat

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I don't know what this car is. But it's in a garage of a customer rental. I don't think the garage had been opened in a long time. Tenant hasn't left the house in 20 years. I told him he needs to go to a hotel while we repipe it and he doesn't want to. View attachment 1456898
I say Nova 1968-1972.😎
 

boatnam2

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I was the lucky one in family, got a Toyota truck at 16, my sister a green maverick and my brother a lemon yellow pinto.
 

mjc

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My got away was advertised as a 58 chevy. Since i grew up driving one i would have got another but i got there 2nd and it was a 58 corvette for cheap, don't remember how cheap but 58 chevy cheap no corvette cheap
 

cyclone

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Right? 🤣

I did manage to get a '69 many years later. 510 inch BowTie block, 300 nitrous, M22, 4.10 12 bolt. Never did get any hotties wanting to ride shotgun though. :(😁 Had to sell it during the 2008 economic crash. Sure wish I could have kept it. Would have made a great drag and drive car.

David recently did a video of some of the cars he let slip away. You you consider making one too?

View attachment 1457230 View attachment 1457231 View attachment 1457232 View attachment 1457233
dang that thing is clean! '69 Camaro is on the to-do list. the cost for a roller is stupid high right now, though. As for looking back and making videos...I'm so buried in work right now on present and future projects that it'll be a minute before I set aside time for stuff like that. I've got a Caddy to finish, a Lexus to get started on, and I want to do Sick Week in Blasphemi, which is still broken right now. lol
 

ChiliPepperGarage

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dang that thing is clean! '69 Camaro is on the to-do list. the cost for a roller is stupid high right now, though. As for looking back and making videos...I'm so buried in work right now on present and future projects that it'll be a minute before I set aside time for stuff like that. I've got a Caddy to finish, a Lexus to get started on, and I want to do Sick Week in Blasphemi, which is still broken right now. lol

Yeah, gen 1 Camaro prices are crazy. I doubt I'll ever get another '69 now. Good that you're busy though with MT gone now. Still have the C2 Corvette? Plans for that car?

Another question if you don't mind. How do you decide what cars to build when what you want might not be what your viewers are interested in? If a particular car doesn't get a lot of views would you build it anyway or maybe save it for later and just not feature it in your videos?
 

gqchris

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@gqchris do you have a new ride sitting in your driveway?
Hey Brother. So today I am meeting the original owner at the MVD to get it transferred. Long story short, the “caretaker” had the title already signed to him. So he was like, ill register and sign to you. Im like, ahhh no. That puts me as 3rd owner, I want to be #2. He was cool and said he would coordinate to meet me with the owner today to make sure we are all good.

I noticed that alot of these OG owner Mustangs always have someone involved to negotiate the deal. I know the caretaker is making some juice on the deal which I am fine with, but its a little bit irritating.
 

NicPaus

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Mystery garage find. I looked for a manufacturer or name on that car couldn't see anything. The owner of property is in a home for dementia. Not sure if it is his car or tenants. I didn't want to ask tenant as not sure If I was supposed to go in garage. But I was looking to see if I needed to run water to it as we are repipiing the house. There is a sink but it's old. I grabbed 2 more pics.

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NicPaus

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Plumbing is original and galvanized is patched in a few spots. There is no access to half the house underneath. No crawlspace nothing. Sink in the garage and water heater stub outs.
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Spitfire

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Ask and I shall receive!

Checked out a 2001 Cobra today I have been eyeballing for a month and super stoked that its a one owner, senior owned. Interior is like new. Bone stock everything. Every piece of paperwork and receiots. 70k miles.

Its not a fox body, but it will scratch the itch for now! Going to inspect it tommorow will keep everyone posted.

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very nice, Congrats. Before I bought my last foxbody I almost grabbed an 04 GT convertible. Was a much nicer driving car than the foxbody
 

530RL

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Mystery garage find. I looked for a manufacturer or name on that car couldn't see anything. The owner of property is in a home for dementia. Not sure if it is his car or tenants. I didn't want to ask tenant as not sure If I was supposed to go in garage. But I was looking to see if I needed to run water to it as we are repipiing the house. There is a sink but it's old. I grabbed 2 more pics.

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Read Mullan was a big Ford Dealer in Phoenix starting downtown and then moving "out of town" to 16th street and Camelback in 1961. Later bought by Larry Van Tyl and sold to Berkshire Hathaway.
 
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