Go Granny Go! 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Sedan Race Car

In hindsight, the 1949 Oldsmobile 88 series cars were simply the match thrown on to the gasoline of post-war youthful exuberance. It's new OHV 303 cubic-inch V8 engine trumped the legendary Flathead Ford by 100 horsepower, and when paired with the (relatively) lightweight body shared by the 76 and 88 series cars, became a race-day performer, winning both NASCAR stock car races and local drag races. Labeled by some as America's first musclecar, it also was the subject of America's first rock 'n' roll song, "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston.

The car shown here is a 1949 (standard) Sedan, which had lived a former life as a bracket racer in the Midwest. Driven by Nebraska racer Andy Rager, the rear quarter panel is decorated with "Go Granny Go!," a poke at the sedans humble appearance.  Andy Rager was a cousin to Nebraska Hot Rod Racing Association Hall of Famer Bob Rager, whose son Roger was CART and Indy 500 driver and the 1980 USAC Rookie of the Year. Livery proudly proclaims the stock 135 horsepower the 2 barrel 303 Rocket engines came with, but at some time this car was updated to a 324 block with 303 heads. Period but rusty headers are in place, with exhaust cutouts underneath the car. The car probably raced up until the early 1960's, given that it ran in the NHRA M/S class, determined by a formula of weight and horsepower. Despite its staid looks, this would have been one of the fastest cars on the streets back in the early 1950's.

The interior of the car has been stripped, although the dash and its spartan gauge arrangement are still in place. A floor shifter controls the 4-speed Hydramatic transmission. Floor pans and trunk are rusty, but the full frame on the car remains solid. The engine is in place, though a four barrel intake sits in the trunk. It is a project, but a very worthwhile one.

The draw of course is the great livery and faded (rusty!) paint job that pretends nothing. For authentic hot-rodders or fans of the Race of Gentlemen, this is the desired aesthetic. The car as it sits is an indisputable race relic, waiting for the rest of its history to be unearthed. Most importantly, it comes with a clear title dating back to 1955 and wears Nebraska registration from 1966.

End Of The Road: 1970 Triumph TR6

Sometimes we just come across cars which are finally, and completely... done.

Bow your collective heads, dear readers, and mourn the passing of one such car...a car that cannot be reasonably revived, nor may ever be sold (given it's asking price.)

1970 Triumph TR6 $2000

Let this poor soul pass through the pearly gates and find eternal rest, lest the boat trailer live on and find freedom from its long burden!

We would wish upon thee a noble Viking funeral, but we think there is not enough 'twould actually burn...

And the epitaph will read, as with so many others, "Restoration Started"....

90% Right And The Rest Unbolts: 1963 VW Beetle

Not so very long ago, we didn't care much at all for aircooled VW's. Many of you cannot imagine a time when just about every 12th car you saw on the road was a Bug. But, given time and rarity, and the diminishing memories of feeble acceleration (offset by that distinctive smell of aged Karmann rubber mats and interior)...well...we kind of like them now.

Especially the rollback soft-tops: These evoke earlier times of Old Speed So Cal racers. Gnarly dude. Can you dial in KROQ on that old Sapphire AM/FM? We digress.

Lots to like here. Nice two-tone paint, in and out. A clean looking twin-carb 1700cc with open air cleaners to give that distinctive intake noise. And the presumption that all of it was done on a decent, rust free pan. The stuff we don't like comes off easy: stick on fakey-fender extractors, headlight shades and the extra-wide wheels. We'd consider a set of Porsche Fuchs or a simple chrome reverse. We'd think about putting bumpers back on too. But that's just us.

1963 VW Beetle Ragtop $7000

The seller is motivated and it's fairly priced. She lives in the cold so she'll be put away soon. Buzz us for more info at The Barnfinder!

Meet George Jetson: 1961 Chrysler Imperial

Things got wingy with Chrysler in the early 1960's. And they chose one of their longest running and most elegant models to break the mold...in a big way. Concept cars penned by futurist designer Virgil Exner from the late 50's explored the theme on the sedan chassis, with the penultimate version coming in 1961.

What the public finally received may have been more about Exner's exit from Chrysler than popular taste. Exner was cleaning out the drafting table and wanted to make a statement. He accomplished it.To, co veřejnost dočkal může být více o Exner je odchod z Chrysler než vkusu. Exner čistil se při přípravě stolu a chtěl učinit prohlášení. Byl to dokonalý.

The car was long. In fact, the longest non-limousine car made that year. It was low. And it was wide.

The sloping trunk lid (in this case shown without the optional faux spare tire bulge) only accentuated what was the ultimate expression of jet-age technology from the previous decade: the tailfin.

The brilliance continued inside the pillarless cockpit, where a color-keyed dash and oblong wheel somehow managed to straddle extremity and function.

प्रतिभा एक रंग-बंद पानी का छींटा और आयताकार पहिया किसी भी तरह सिरा और समारोह पैर फैलाकर बैठना में कामयाब जहां pillarless कॉकपिट के अंदर जारी रखा.

TFloating headlights were a subtle touch to bring the front end up to avant-garde status. 

This one runs and drives, and needs some obvious maintenance. While the coupes and convertibles have already been recognized and appropriately valued, the sedans remain surprisingly affordable and available. It is a cheap way to enjoy a snapshot of an era, and the ultimate expression of a futurist designer's vision at an affordable price. Available at $4000. Contact the Barnfinder! if you have more interest.

Most Unloved: 1958 Ford Thunderbird

While most American car makes can point to 1957-58 as a high watermark in their design, Ford's T-bird sadly cannot claim the same. Too ahead of it's time, or clinging too much to it's past...whatever the reason... the swoopy modern finned bodywork suffered with an ungainly angular and elongated C-pillar and roofline, betraying the sporting image it strove to imply.

Bereft of this awkward roof element, the convertible T-bird was a bird of a different feather. Rodders have latched onto this weakest link, and the '58 'Bird is a prime candidate for a chop. Call it the customer re-tailoring the suit to better reflect the taste of the times.

Nowadays, of course, every T-bird deserves to be saved. The long coupe body is finding new fans with a thousand different interpretations of the long lead sled. Which is why this engine-less rescue makes sense to a whole lot of people who would just start from scratch anyway:

1958 Ford Thunderbird Project

At $800 asking price, you are just above scrap value on this old heavy cruiser. Hopefully it can find a new home... and perhaps a bit of reinvention.

4for$1Ok: An MGA exploded all over a yard...and no one cared.

Fortunately no one was hurt when a highly pressurized four-car hoard of MGA parts and cars could no longer be contained by the seller, who was eventually forced to list them for sale. These four MGAs are offered in a package sale for $10,000 or offer.

We just can't figure out MGAs. Was there ever a more universally admired shape set forth by BMC upon our shores? Why then have prices continued to languish on these classy roadsters, imperiling ambitious projects such as the one above to the scrapyard?

Furthermore, there can hardly be a more straightforward subject for an aspiring restorer to build: simple body-over-frame construction and a stout inline 4 motor, with an active aftermarket parts supply. Even when they do break ( which is alarmingly often), it is usually something fundamental and simple. These are the perfect candidates to teach some high school shop class the basics of locomotion. 

We love rust. Can you believe there are actually car crafters out there that have to SIMULATE it to get that oh-so-fashionable look? Not us here in the Midwest. We have the real thing, 100% organic.

  

Somebody please save these puppies. They would fill up an overseas shipping container quite nicely!

Email the Barnfinder! for more details.

0% Appreciation: 1969 Austin Healey Sprite

Some cars are just immune to the recent run up in collector car prices, despite their innumerable charms.  Post-Bugeye Austin Healey Sprites -as a species- seem especially resistant to appreciation, despite their classic lineage.

There is a lot to love about these classic cars. And the value of this one has seemingly not wavered in 20 years or so. It is still a $3000 European sports roadster. Just like it was in 1994.

Nothing here will bite you too hard, and the seller seems upfront about the limit of his desire/capability to get this car back on the road.

The seller claims that the car will not disengage the clutch despite a rebuilt master and slave cylinder.
He cites the clutch pressure plate springs. We think it may not be the springs, but the clutch face rusted to the flywheel from extended sitting. It might pop loose with bump starting the car. But that is speculation. Either way, here is a chance to give that son/neighbor kid/nephew a great basic education in straightforward auto mechanics.

The seller claims no rust, but we know that might not be descriptive of PREVIOUS rust repair (aka Bondo). But really, it's hard to complain about a complete car with nothing but upside potential ahead of it. We hope it finds a good home.

Fully Stude

Yeah, we're back....Almost a year to the day. And things have changed in the collector car world. A new aesthetic has emerged..call it The Barnfinder Look. Maybe it's a rejection of the stratospheric prices of spotless and sanitized collector cars...the longing to return to something that wears its age with honesty...infused with the popular "Rat Rod" look that has become the mainstay of the hot rod crowd. Here is just such an offering:

 1946 Studebaker Truck $600 or Offer

The value of this truck is purely in the cab. No need to chop here; its already got a great, lean roofline.Don't worry about the bed (though it does look like an interesting early tilt bed) and even the chassis might not make the cut, depending on the next owners vision.

 Bring a snow shovel. The best thing this truck has is rust and livery. If that door wasn't painted, this truck may not make the cut. But as it sits, it is an awesome looking start to a Rat Rod. With talented painters now developing techniques to fake rust, faded paint and scuffs and bumps, the movement is on to "de-restore" a generation of shiny cars to look like they have seen a country mile or two.

Priced at less than its scrap metal value, this truck will require some elbow grease to extract, but you just don't find stuff like this laying around anymore. Save this old girl and scrap what you don't use...it will probably end up owing you nothing.

Blown Bugeye: 1959 Austin Sprite

Solid Bugeye projects are very tempting. The cars are as cute and basic as can be, but the final results can be underwhelming in the performance department. That deficit has seemingly been mitigated with the addition of a period supercharger for this Lil' Bug.

1959 Austin Bugeye Sprite Project $6000

The Judson Supercharger is such a great vintage speed-shop part for these cars...and much more preferable to a modern powerplant swap.

The owner claims over $12500 in receipts so far in the restoration of this Austin, including $1500 for the rebuilt vintage supercharger. This one won't last. And in this state, the buyer has the advantage- as it seems much of your initial effort will be moving the collection from its current situation. Contact The Barnfinder if interested!

Oh What Fun!: 1960 Morris Minor Drag Car

Remember what we said a few posts ago about finding ads that are misspelled? Fans of this British marque would have been hard pressed to find this car unless they searched "Miner" (i.e. def: one who extracts elements from the ground)- and probably horrified when they did find it.

1960 Morris Minor Drag Car $6000

This car appeals to a unique sub culture in America: the Street Racer. Or more specifically, the Vintage Street Race, or Hot Rod scene. Nowadays, its more about the aesthetic than actual speed...but neither could be denied with this set up.

If this were ours, we'd keep that wonderfully odd shade of green (British Drag Racing Green, I suppose?) and add period looking, hand painted livery- Speed Shop sponsorship, perhaps a catchy name for the car. Kitsch it up a bit.

The empty engine cradle begs for an interesting selection. Maserati 4 cam? Small block Chevy with Hillborn Injection? Small block Ford Stroker? It's fun to think about. The beefed up rear end and chassis leave the options wide open.

We'd finish the interior with a diamond quilt fabric and lightweight racing buckets. The finished product would be like a thinking-man's version of a '38 Willys Drag car. Lots of room to negotiate for an old roller that needs finishing. Contact The Barnfinder if you are interested!

 हम एक हीरे की रजाई कपड़े और हल्के रेसिंग बाल्टी के साथ आंतरिक खत्म होगी. तैयार उत्पाद के एक '38 विलीज खींचें कार की एक सोच आदमी के संस्करण की तरह होगा. परिष्करण की जरूरत है कि एक पुराने रोलर के लिए बातचीत करने के लिए कमरे के बहुत सारे. आप रुचि रखते हैं Barnfinder संपर्क करें!

Too Good To Pass: 1960 Jaguar

Lest you think we have gone whole hog on Coventry cars, we post this latest offering which just seems too good to pass up..

 

 1960 Jaguar Mk. II  $6500

Located in Central Ohio, this Olde English white lovely comes with a rather nice looking red interior and the standard steel disc wheels. This is one of the best colors for these cars. The car needs straightforward engine work but cosmetically we would drive as-is.

Is there a lovelier grille and front end design in all of the automotive world? With the venerable 3.8 straight six these cars are competent performers and make a wonderful exhaust note. Strangely the market has yet to wake up to these sporting saloons. Perhaps with E-types and XK120s hovering around the $100k range, these too will be dragged upwards and have their day in the sun. Email The Barnfinder for more details!

मोटर वाहन दुनिया के सभी में एक प्यारी जंगला और सामने अंत डिजाइन है? आदरणीय 3.8 सीधे छह के साथ इन कारों सक्षम प्रदर्शन कर रहे हैं और एक अद्भुत निकास नोट करें. हैरत की बात बाजार इन खेल सैलून को जागृत करने के लिए अभी तक है. ई प्रकार और $ 100k सीमा के आसपास मँडरा XK120s साथ शायद, ये भी ऊपर की तरफ खींच लिया और सूरज में अपने दिन की जाएगी.

Jaguar? No...JEGUAR!

One of the Barnfinders! best secrets is to search incorrect spellings of popular classic cars. Such a search produced this latest find...a 1964 Jeguar Mk II.Barnfindersの一つです！最高の秘密は、人気のクラシックカーの間違ったスペルを検索することです。このような検索では、この最新のを見つける生産...1964 Jeguar Mk IIのを

1964 Jaguar MkII $2600

This car has been robbed of it's 3.8 DOHC motor and transmission and is sold as a roller. It would be tempting to replace it with something different...a modern powerplant or American V8 for a patinated rat-rod.
この車はそれの3.8 DOHCモーターとトランスミッションを奪われているとローラーとして販売されています。それは何かラットロッド緑青のための現代的なプラントやアメリカンV8とそれを置き換えるために魅力的なことだろう。

 

 The interior and wood trim looks decent, and the RHD might be worth repatriating to Britain, Japan or Australia. The rear window seems to be the only major piece missing; used pieces are widely available.The driveshaft is in place and the car has a clean title. Ready to roll!

 インテリアと木製のトリムはまともに見える、とRHDはイギリス、日本、オーストラリアに送還する価値があるかもしれません。ドライブシャフトは、所定の位置にあり、車はきれいなタイトルを持っています。ロールバックする準備ができて

 

 

 This car won't last long at this price...contact the Barnfinder! for more information.

 

 

The Last Peerless

Sometimes even the Barnfinder wonders how long we can keep finding amazing barn finds. With the age of the Internet, and everyone and their uncle on the hunt, the practice seems unsustainable. So on this latest barnfind, we took a moment during the extraction to stop and smell the mouse dung. To enjoy those first rays of light---the first in almost twenty years!--to pierce the dust of another amazing catch. This particular example is exclusive to Barnfinder!...delivered farm fresh to your computer monitor!

कभी कभी भी Barnfinder चमत्कार कब तक हम अद्भुत खलिहान लग पाता रख सकते हैं. इंटरनेट के युग, और हर कोई और शिकार पर अपने चाचा के साथ, अभ्यास unsustainable लगता है. तो इस नवीनतम barnfind पर, हम निकासी के दौरान एक पल को रोकने के लिए और माउस गोबर गंध लिया. बेध एक और कमाल की पकड़ की धूल - प्रकाश की उन पहली किरण --- लगभग बीस वर्षों में पहली बार आनंद लें. यह विशेष रूप से उदाहरण Barnfinder के लिए विशेष है ...! वितरित अपने कंप्यूटर पर नजर रखने के लिए नए सिरे से खेत!

1960 Peerless GT


Xi kultant anke l-Barnfinder jistaqsi kemm żmien aħna nkunu nistgħu nżommu konstatazzjoni barn aqwa ssib. Bl-età ta 'l-Internet, u kulħadd u ziju tagħhom dwar il-kaċċa, il-prattika jidher insostenibbli. Allura fuq dan barnfind aħħar, aħna ħa mument matul l-estrazzjoni biex tieqaf u riħa l-demel ġurdien. Biex igawdu dawk ewwel raġġi ta 'dawl --- l-1 fi kważi għoxrin sena -! Biex ittaqqab-trab ta' ieħor qabda aqwa. Dan l-eżempju partikolari hija esklussiva sa Barnfinder! ... Razzett ikkunsinnat friski lill monitor tal-kompjuter tiegħek!
 

If you watch other car-finding blogs such as BringATrailer you have no doubt noticed the seemingly endless supply of British built Peerless GT's being unearthed from barns all over America. Of the scant 250 or so units made, they seem to have enjoyed a remarkable survival rate. Perhaps the non-ferrous coachworks have saved them from profit-minded scrappers, or the stout resin-fibre bodies   give hope that one day they may indeed be restored.

The cars are a great amalgamation of everything sporty from the 1950's. Lightweight fiberglass body over square tube frame, a sporty 2.0 liter twin-carb Triumph drivetrain, lightweight wrap around bucket seats, wood steering wheel, knock-off wire wheels, dual Lemans style fuel tanks, and a DeDion rear end with Salisbury axle. Styling takes cues from the Aston DB Series and early Pininfarina 250 Ferrari coupes.

 

This one came with complete ownership history and records, the original motor (albeit disassembled), and 40k miles on the clock. The Avon Super Turbo tires and tubes still held air after almost two decades of storage, and the car rolled easily. It's all those darn semi-metallic racing brake pads that rust up to the rotors and drums of other cars...not the case here.

 

Here's your money shot....brought to you by the folks that put the "Barn" in "Barnfinder"!

 

 

 

 

This one's even better. Something so sexy about a dusty car on top of a flatbed hauler. Should we take it to the car wash, or just send it directly to the next Gooding and Co. auction?

 

Actually, this one is already spoken for. We just wanted to share the adventure with everybody. We just hope all the fun can continue!

Jag-You-Are: 1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2

Jaguars are a recently acquired taste for the Barnfinder, and better late than never...E-Type values are skyrocketing and so many of these lovely Brits have had serious rust issues and/or repairs. That's why this find is so compelling...a lifelong Arizona car with zero rust... and it's a runner! The downsides are testimony to it's dry southwestern home- a completely baked-away interior in need of a full soft trim makeover.

    1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2    $15,000

Now true Anglophiles will be quick to point out that this is the 2+2 variant E-Type. However to the untrained eye, the addition of a rear seat and slightly revised roofline may seem unnoticeable. Some have even come to prefer it as a way to justify a classic sports car with a young family. Make no mistake, from the drivers seat forward the car is pure Jaguar.

The engine is the famous 4.2 liter straight six with desirable triple carbs. The transmission is automatic. We love the color combination..one of our favorites on a Jaguar..Primrose yellow with a black interior. Or what's left of it after a lifetime in the Arizona sun.

The Series 1 cars are the most desirable, making this solid starting point a very do-able investment. This car comes from the original owner, who had the car stored indoors for decades. The car is available for $15,000 USD.

Contact the Barnfinder! if you are interested in this car..it's still in its Arizona home.

Let's Go Racing: 1964 Austin Healey Spridget

"Spridget" is a compression of two badge engineered cars by BMC: The Austin Healey "Sprite" (which by 1964 had unfortunately lost its iconic bug-eyed appearance) and the ubiquitous MG Midget.

This car has apparently logged some serious lap times in regional Sports Car Club Of America club racing. MG's and Austins were once the backbone of the SCCA's roster, but now the venues have switched to Vintage sanctioning bodies like SVRA, SOVREN and VSDCA.

1964 Austin Healey Race Car

 This looks to be a cheap, solid and legal start to building up a competitive and safe race car. Many of the non-glamorous items have been attended to: Roll cage, chassis stiffening, fuel cell mounting, etc- and the fiberglass panels are a big plus. Due to increased safety restrictions within the SCCA, many of the older cars which may have featured "solo" roll cages are now required to provide roll protection over both seating areas. This cage would appear to comply with the new rules.

No logbook is offered, but it does have a verbal history with a local well-known SCCA stalwart. Overall, it seems like a good deal at the asking price of $2500. You certainly couldn't duplicate it at that price.