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!