New Jersey Barn Finds

9/4/22

Sam: The Sunday I went back to campus, I had the opportunity to view a "barn find" collection being stored in a barn owned by relatives of the friends we were staying with.  They don't own the collection, just the barn, which is rented out to the collection's owners.  I want to make this clear.  This is a private collection being stored in the barn.  None of the cars are for sale.  

Above: The Barn Itself

Shots of the barn, Showing its large interior

1940s Ford Convertible w/ Suicide Doors

This convertible was partially stripped, but the metal looked to be in good shape.  It probably wouldn't be too hard to restore since most of the disassembly work has already been done.  

1970 Plymouth 'Cuda 

This Cuda is gonna need some work before it goes back on the road.  The quarters and floors have holes in them.  Fortunately, almost all the sheetmetal on the car is being reproduced, so it shouldn't be too hard to get it back into shape.  

Above: 1969 Dodge Charger w/ 318 CI Engine

Here's a rare one: a real 1969 Dodge Charger.  Thanks to the Dukes of Hazard, not too many of these cars are left.  This one had some collision damage up front, but was solid everywhere else.  There was at least one more '69 in the barn.  

Dodge D-100 Pickup (Front) and a 1969-71 Plymouth Valiant (Back/Green) 

Here's a couple more Mopars.  The majority of the collection was Mopar, with a few Cadillacs, a Lincoln, Hudson, and other manufacturers thrown in.  

Another 'Cuda and a '30s GM Truck

We'll need help ID-ing the truck, but the 'Cuda is easy to recognize with its Sublime green paint.  I think the truck might actually be a sedan.  

Above: Plymouth "Bondo" Barracuda 

Here's a 'Cuda that's gonna need a bit of work.  Not to worry, though, as reproduction quarter panels exist and are readily available.  Look at all that bondo!  There's got to be more than half an inch of it on there.  

Barn Find Chryslers

More of the barn find cars. Pictured are lots of New Yorkers from '57 to '64.  There were at least 7-8 '57 New Yorkers, and about 8 more from '61 to '64.  Everything from 2-door hardtops to 4-doors to convertibles.  


Above: 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible 

Probably my favorite car in the entire barn was this 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible.  These cars are extremely rare, with only 815 produced in 1958.  Only a handful of these cars still exist today, so this could be the rarest car in the barn.  This one's gonna need a full restoration, but all the sheetmetal is intact and mostly rot-free.  

1957-59 Dodge Coronet Convertible 

Here's another forward look car, this one a Dodge Coronet 'vert that's in need of a resto.  The majority of the cars in this barn need partial or complete restorations, but they're mostly rot-free.  

1968 Plymouth Roadrunner

This Roadrunner sits among more abandoned cars, waiting its turn to someday get restored (hopefully).  You can just make out the fins of another forward look car in the back (the one with the black stripe).  

1956 Lincoln Continental

Here's a 1956 Lincoln Continental that was in a battle with a tree.  The front windshield is smashed and the roof has some dents, but the car is complete.  There's enough left to bring this one back.  

1948-50 Hudson Commodore 

Behind the Continental was this de-grilled Hudson Commodore.  A New York car, it was still wearing its state inspection sticker from 1956, although the "historic" license plates on it indicate it may have been driven into the 70s.  And with that, we've come to the end of an amazing collection of classic cars.  I hope the owners decided to do something about them instead of letting them sit and collect dust.  The good thing about these is that, unlike an outdoor collection, there isn't as much of a risk letting these cars sit since they're shielded from the elements.  Hopefully, these rides will one day all be put back on the road where they belong.