Supposedly 302 Mustang 'Barn Find'

[Mike S]

 I wonder how many of the new 'barn find' trends we hear about are just plain exaggerated stories.
One day I'll post a picture of my 'garage find' (mine)....I have the now rotted flat tires (I put on the car in 1980) to prove it was sitting that long 

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/rare-mustang-boss-302-emerges-barn-40-slumber-202830266.html

Mike

[BULLITT65]

Was this Mustang going to auction, or did the owner just take a few pics and post them?

[69Z28-RS]

I wonder how many of the new 'barn find' trends we hear about are just plain exaggerated stories.
One day I'll post a picture of my 'garage find' (mine)....I have the now rotted flat tires (I put on the car in 1980) to prove it was sitting that long 
Mike

I don't have a barn, but my Z28 has been sitting on the same Remington XT tires in my basement since 1980, and they never went flat.. and still *appear* good.. 

[BULLITT65]

A mustang I just bought and sold had michelins on it with the older tire size like 40F or something, I think they were dated from the early 70's. Car ran fine with them, they were the period correct white walls. The tread was good, so I never did anything with them, and the buyer thought the tires looked fine. I have original tires on some of my older motorcycles from the 60's, as long as there isn't any sidewall cracking or flat spots they do just fine.

[hotrod68]

  I call b-s. Any car that has sat in a shed like that for 40 years would be covered in 1/4" of dust, the tires would be dry-rotted and flat, and the bright trim would be oxidized or dull, unless it was stainless steel. Chrome would be rusted or pitted. Unless this car was in an a very arid state with no humidity or wind I can't see it. No car looks that good after 40 years unless it's been tweaked first.

[janobyte]

Mice anyone ? Not to mention the inside would look like the a scene from the Munsters due to spider webs. I recently bought and sold a " garage find" 68 ss elcamino. Interior gone ,I mean gone from critters. We wore respirators due to the smell while stripping out. Wiring--gone ,or certainly not safe. Tires dry rotted , aluminum wheels would not hold air due to corrosion around the beads. This was a low mileage Arizona car brought to Ohio in the early 90's that sat due to mechanical issues.     

I love good stories ! The little old lady from Pasadena's Super Stock Dodge ,that sat since her husband's death in 66' . Car would not start ,so she let it sit all these years ,come to find out her husband pulled the coil wire to prevent theft. Put in some fresh fuel ,charged the battery and fired right up ! All original ! Except for the driver's side front fender to rear quarter which was replaced. Oh and the passenger fender was replaced. I have always loved that car since I was a child, used to help Mr. So n So wax it. Being such a good friend of the family she finally decided to sell me the car this year. I am like a grandchild to her as they had no children ,and she feels very sentimental ,as do I, about the car.---Reserve set at $65K---see my other items listed under Ashyster.

Remind anyone of some listings out there?

Love the thought of classic muscle cars being found and brought back to life. Mythical. However ,as was posted, certain TV shows have really increased these "barn finds" ,which lends scrutiny to legit finds. Does make for good entertainment I guess. Street racing 1000+ hp cars on the side of the highway ,that don't break loose, building cars in 1 week ( well 300+ man hours)---anyway gotta go , time to look for Bigfoot.

[ko-lek-tor]

Mice anyone ? Not to mention the inside would look like the a scene from the Munsters due to spider webs. I recently bought and sold a " garage find" 68 ss elcamino. Interior gone ,I mean gone from critters. We wore respirators due to the smell while stripping out. Wiring--gone ,or certainly not safe. Tires dry rotted , aluminum wheels would not hold air due to corrosion around the beads. This was a low mileage Arizona car brought to Ohio in the early 90's that sat due to mechanical issues.    

I love good stories ! The little old lady from Pasadena's Super Stock Dodge ,that sat since her husband's death in 66' . Car would not start ,so she let it sit all these years ,come to find out her husband pulled the coil wire to prevent theft. Put in some fresh fuel ,charged the battery and fired right up ! All original ! Except for the driver's side front fender to rear quarter which was replaced. Oh and the passenger fender was replaced. I have always loved that car since I was a child, used to help Mr. So n So wax it. Being such a good friend of the family she finally decided to sell me the car this year. I am like a grandchild to her as they had no children ,and she feels very sentimental ,as do I, about the car.---Reserve set at $65K---see my other items listed under Ashyster.

Remind anyone of some listings out there?


Love the thought of classic muscle cars being found and brought back to life. Mythical. However ,as was posted, certain TV shows have really increased these "barn finds" ,which lends scrutiny to legit finds. Does make for good entertainment I guess. Street racing 1000+ hp cars on the side of the highway ,that don't break loose, building cars in 1 week ( well 300+ man hours)---anyway gotta go , time to look for Bigfoot.

 Afew comments: 1st hotrod68 said ,"that no car looks that good after 40 years without some tweaking." I'll add, same goes for most women too,LOL. Now on to Janobyte: Nothing worse than bringing a car to Ohio, IMHO. If you like to see something deteriorate quickly, bring it to the Buckeye State.  Not to mention moisture and subsequent rust/mold, oxidizing rubber and paint deteriorating from acid rain etc...but those dang rodents have ruined many a potentially nice car. Rats literally ate the plug wires off my big block car and gnawed the carpet off the bottom of the deluxe door panels. Gave a whole new meaning to "Rat Motor" see pic. And why are you making fun of my family's name, Ashyster? (just kidding,lol).

[Charley]

The 1100 mile 70Z28 I had sat for 36 years and the only thing done was the orig owner removed the battery. Tires did not go flat and the orig owner and his brother both said on camera that they don't think they ever even added air to them. They just didn't go flat. They are still like new. Paint looks killer and the interior had no cobwebs. It was stored in a shop in their Chicago backyard.

[janobyte]

Point being there had to of been some maintenance , my Z "sat" for a good part of 10+ years. And the current tires I had mounted 24 years ago. Still in good shape. However it got uncovered ,washed ,moved around the shop. Proper inflation in the tires ,which vary with temp. And Ohio spiders like to hide in classic cars for some reason ( good taste ) so the interior got a cleaning. Then fogged with Lysol to hinder mildew--this being in a heated insulated shop. Luckily one little barn cat will keep 3600+ square feet free of mice ,although he has a taste for chipmunks . Now, this last run it did sit in one place covered for about a year--expensive shelf. (always checked tire pressure) When I uncovered it , sure enough it could have passed for a claimed 40 year "barn" find : dusty and spider webs. IMO. No pics ,embarrassing moment in the car's history. Only I've seen it that bad. (pic to the left is after it got cleaned up ,that day) Couldn't start it because the 302 is "pickled" on the stand. darn.


AND ,most Ohio cars, unless they were strictly raced or showed, began their demise by the 70's. Thus the restorations began, that long ago. So how many of these new found gems might have already received a little "plastic" surgery ? Personally I do not care if it retains 10% of it's OE sheet metal--but don't bolt on a few re-stamps and call it a survivor or barn find as a selling point---down grades some of the truly beautiful ,special works of art that grace this site. No less the REAL, rare survivors that have been maintained over the years. Ones that are now historically significant representing a time long passed, and can be used for reference. Truly in a category by themselves. OK, I vented.

[69Z28-RS]

" one man's 'restored car' is another man's 'custom, modified, upgraded car"....   and

"One man's 'barn find' is another man's 'carefully cared for and preserved classic'..."      

[68 Ragtop]

Makes for a good story with lots of click trough's.

Ebay also re-blogged it today, but with a bit more back story and of course, a link to the auction.

Looks more 'carefully cared for and preserved classic' than "barn find" to me.

http://www.ebay.com/blogs/stories/pristine-1969-mustang-302-barn-find

Lots more hiding spaces in that barn, think there are any more finds in there?

[janobyte]

Gary ,  I have to ask : Was it difficult getting your Z down the basement steps ?? 

[69Z28-RS]

Gary ,  I have to ask : Was it difficult getting your Z down the basement steps ??  

 Jano, as you know, if one disassembles a car down into enough small parts, nothing is difficult..

Or..  you can build the basement, drop the cars in, then build the house around/over it??  
..
OR... you might have a 'drive in basement'..  as I do ..  (or sometimes, push in.. push out..  basement..)  
(the last photo is where I pushed it out one day, gave it a washing, then pushed it back in.. )  is this a 'garage find'?  *I* found it where I left it...

[BULLITT65]

That is one nice foot print of a basement. How many cars do you have in there?

[Charley]

Makes me remember back to when I had a nicely restored Boss 429. I sold it to a fireman that lives about 50 miles away. Last time I saw it at a show the story is he bought it out of a barn on a farm. The "barn" was the metal building at my buddies farm where I stored my collector cars.