by Tom Cotter
Another is this MGTD, which seems to have taken up root in the corner under a stack of cardboard boxes.
John also restores cars on spec. This was an intriguing idea to me. If a customer wants, say, a 1967 MGB, John will build it in the color the customer choses. It will include a rebuilt engine, trans, rear end, hydraulics, electrical system and wiring harness, new interior, tires, etc. On top of that, the customer can choose options such as wire wheels, leather interior, or a canvas top. Functionally a new car, John might charge $14,000 or so for it, depending on the number of upgrades. This is cheaper than a new Kia sedan. I think it makes an ideal alternative to a cheap, new car, and it’s certainly more fun on weekends.
Finally, John brought us to his storage barn. This is where he keeps the best cars, including some like-new MGs and the best restoration projects.
Rows of rust-free MGs (and the Austin Healey Sprite in the foreground) rest in the dry building.
In the middle of many MGBs was this wonderful Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite, which would make a terrific project for someone.
“Keeping MGs on the road is the main thing,” he said. “And I’ll do that by either selling parts or cars.”
And with that, we were back on the road for home. A fruitful two weeks, wouldn’t you say?
Some of the cars in John’s field are definitely worthy of restoration, but others, like this one, are more suitable as yard sculpture.
The three of us arrive at my house, two weeks after leaving. Brian, Michael, and I are surrounded by some of the contents of the two vehicles: luggage, photography equipment, tools, and some of the parts we purchased in Hershey. The Barn Find Road Trip was a resounding success! I’ve just got one question—where to next?
— BARN FIND ROAD TRIP BEST OF… —
BEST FOOD
DEVON’S RESTAURANT (SEAFOOD)
HERSHEY, PA
BEST PUB FOOD
TROEG’S BREWERY
HERSHEY, PA
BEST BARMAID
MOLLY HATCHETT
MOUNTAIN JAX, MARTINSVILLE, VA
BEST RESTAURANT VIEW
FRONT PORCH RESTAURANT
SENECA ROCKS, WV
BEST PIE
ANTIQUE ENGINE SHOW, MD
BEST BREAKFAST
WAFFLE HOUSE
CARLISLE, PA
BEST ICE CREAM
BAUGHER’S RESTAURANT
AND ICE CREAM
WESTMINSTER, MD
BEST BEER
WASENA CITY TAP ROOM
ROANOKE, VA
BEST PIZZA
WATERSTONE FIRE ROASTED PIZZA
LYNCHBURG, VA
BEST FOOD TRUCK
MACAROLLIN
HERSHEY, PA
BEST EVENT FOOD
SHERRIE’S CRAB CAKES
HERSHEY, PA
————OTHER————
BEST BUILDING (TIE)
OLD FORD DEALERSHIP
SENECA ROCKS, WV
BRUCE ELDER’S OLD FORD DEALERSHIP
STAUNTON, VA
BEST ROAD
HIGHWAY 8 TOWARD HIGHWAY 57 FROM REINER TO WOOLWINE, VA
CARS WE’D MOST LIKE TO OWN FROM OUR DISCOVERIES
BRIAN—1966 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MICHAEL—1948 CHEVROLET SEDAN DELIVERY (HERSHEY)
TOM—1958 FUELLY CORVETTE
BEST ROAD NAME—TIE
FRIED MEAT RIDGE ROAD
BURLINGTON, WV
DIRTY FOOT ROAD
SHORT GAP, WV
MOST INTERESTING EVENT
ANTIQUE ENGINE SHOW, MD
BEST EQUIPMENT FIND
1940 SEAGRAVES HOOK &
LADDER FIRETRUCK
ROANOKE, VA
Top 10 Rules of Barn-Find Hunting
1. Always Search on the Wrong Side of Town
We made a point of always locating the commercial side of the tracks when we arrived in a new town. These are areas that are more populated by auto repair and body shops. And, potentially, houses where cars are more visible. To go to the “right” side of town, which is more likely to be populated by law offices or insurance agencies, will probably not yield many barn-find vehicles. Homes on the right side of the tracks might actually have old cars, but more than likely they will be stored inside garages and difficult to see.
2. You Can Go Home Again
If you knew of older car guys when you were a kid in your hometown, go back and check in on them today. Even if it’s been decades, and you live on the other side of the country, scan through your old neighborhood next time you’re home for the holidays or attending a class reunion. Several years ago I purchased a rare Abarth coupe by going past a house where I remembered a bunch of neat sports cars when I passed on the school bus. And a friend told me he visited his high school class reunion and discovered the 1932 Ford roadster he saw as a student, still hibernating in a garage. He was able to buy it.
3. Tour Residential Areas on Weekends
And commercial districts on weekdays. Think about it: if you are a homeowner, you ignore your house and garden during the week, but you make up for it on the weekends. Those are the days you trim the hedges, clean the gutters, and wash the cars. And those activities are usually done with the garage door open. This is a barn-finder’s fantasy; a time when hidden vehicles are temporarily exposed to sunlight. And to your eyes.
On the other hand, most auto-related businesses are open during the week but closed Saturday and Sunday. So that body shop or used car dealer—with all the old cars on the back row—is better approached Monday through Friday. Of course, sometimes these formulas don’t always work, but after 14 days on the road, we’ve found it to be pretty true.
4. Become Friends
With people who can go onto private property legally. Folks like policemen, landscapers, and UPS and Fed Ex delivery people. These folks can see far beyond what you can see from the road. And they can look behind buildings and peek into garage windows. I once owned a barn-find Cobra that was discovered by a propane-gas deliveryman. Through a window, he saw a sports car shape under a cover inside the garage that he thought was a Triumph or an MG. It turned out to be the 149th Cobra ever manufactured.
5. Embrace Dead Ends
These are the roads less traveled. Think about it: when you get the end of a dead-end street, you have to make an awkward U-turn to reverse direction. People avoid these roads like the plague. So guess what—the old cars that are parked in yards on those roads are only seen by a small number of people. In this book, we were told of a Plymouth Superbird that was on a dead-end street off an interstate exit. Nobody would go down that road unless they had a reason. We had a reason and found not a Superbird, but a Dodge Super Bee that was purchased new by Charles Grant. Great find and great story.
6. Write Letters
To the owners of old cars who are not interested in selling. Sometimes a nice letter is a lasting reminder about the nice fellow who came to your door and asked about the Duesenberg. Additionally, I have heard time and time again that if an elderly owner is diseased or becomes disabled, relatives will often go through their letters and effects. They are most likely unsure what to do with the vehicles that were in their loved one’s possession, so finding your letter might just begin a dialogue that would end in you being offered the car. I’ve heard of it happening many times.
7. Hunt in the Winter
When the leaves are off the trees. This plan doesn’t work so well if you live in Phoenix, but if you live in New England, your eyesight will double in the winter because all those leaves won’t be blocking your view.
8. Talk to the Old Timers
This is a tip I got from Jay Leno. He goes to a city or town and hunts down the old timers; old auto or motorcycle mechanics, auto parts store countermen, even lawn mower repairmen. His feeling is that these people have lived in the town for a long, long time, and they are mechanically inclined. They might very well remember “Old Joe, who used to fool around with Studebakers before he di
ed. There’s still a building filled with his cars…,” that type of thing.
9. Befriend a Lawyer
Lawyers often settle estates, handle bankruptcies, and know “people’s private business” that is not meant to go public. If you ask lawyers to keep you in mind in the event that interesting old cars need to be liquidated, you might just score an interesting treasure.
10. Google Earth, Ultralight, or Drone
I hadn’t actually done this until this road trip, but, I mean, why not? If you suspect cars may be hidden out of sight behind a building or landscaping, how about searching from above? We tried this on our first day, discovering Snowball Bishop’s field of 60 or so old Fords via Google Earth. I once heard from a Blimp pilot who would hover low over interesting farms when commuting back and forth along the East Coast, looking for cars. Now with drones available for less than $1,000, you can attach your GoPro camera and take off for the heavens!
Epilogue
It was an amazing two weeks. Was it long? Yes, a long time away from home-cooked meals, a long time to be driving nonstop from sunrise to sunset, and a long time to share a hotel room with two snoring guys. But we met amazing people, saw great scenery, and found an incredible number of cars.
They are still out there!
When my publisher, Zack Miller, agreed to produce this book, he wondered if we could find as many as 100 cars. It was hard to predict. I mean, if we were lucky, yes, we could probably find that many cars. Who knew until we actually hit the road?
Well, through some good luck, asking the right questions, and keeping our eyes peeled, we found more than ten times that amount! The final tally was 1,558 cars, trucks, motorcycles, and one fire truck!
Amazing. Did we luck out? Did we just pick the four correct states?
Yes, I think that was partly the case. Certainly, the four states we covered—Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania—have large amounts of rural countryside, yet also have densely packed urban areas. We never had to spend too much time traveling between towns, or even states.
But I believe that we would be successful in any other four states, as well. On the other hand, it would be hard to find such a large volume of cars in a state like, say, Montana or North Dakota, simply because the population density is so much smaller and the urban centers are much farther apart. If we used the same techniques for searching for old cars in other states, I think folks would be surprised at the large number of interesting vehicles we’d find. It might just take a little longer.
The GPS tells me that the drive from my house to Hershey and back is 950 miles. However, we drove a route that had us cover 2,282 miles. A worthy detour, I would say.
Would I do it again? Would I travel with two other guys, share hotel rooms, and drive all day in search of forgotten relics? In a heartbeat. In fact, if this book sells well enough, maybe Zack will give us another shot at searching for cars in four different states. Or 50 states!
50 States of Rust…
What do you think? What states would you recommend? Would you buy another book like this?
Brian, Michael, and I had a blast living out this fantasy. It’s been a pleasure writing this for you. I hope you enjoyed the results.
Tom Cotter
Index
Page numbers in italics indicate a photograph.
1940 American La France hook-and-lad der, 75, 75–76
Annen, Mike, 152–160
Austin Healey 3000, 69, 184
Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite, 184, 185
Baugher’s Restaurant (Westminster, MD), 144
Bishop, Snowball, 20–28, 23, 29
Bossbach, Gary, 175
Bradbury, Dexter, 74
British Auto Restorations (Roanoke, VA), 31, 61, 68–70
BSA 441 motorcycle, 102
1946 Buick, 116–119, 117
1939 Buick convertible, 56, 58–59
1947 Buick fastback, 106, 107
1950 Buick fastback sedan, 135, 135
Buick Reatta, 135
1952 Buick Roadmaster, 54–55
1961 Buick Skylark convertible, 159
1957 Buick Special, 39–40
1953 Buick two-door hardtop, 114, 115
1942 Cadillac, 116–119, 117
1953 Cadillac sedan, 152
1957 Cadillac with camper body, 77
Cash, Greg, 83–85, 85
1970 Chevelle, 119
1966 Chevelle SS, 45
1951 Chevy, 157
1966 Chevy BelAir, two-door, 44
1968 Chevy Camaro, 162, 163
1968 Chevy Camaro RS/SS convertible, 149
1962 Chevy Corvette, 147, 147, 164
1958 Chevy Corvette (fuel-injected), 147, 147
1962 Chevy Corvette (fuel-injected), 148, 149
1965 Chevy Corvette a/c car, 149
1965 Chevy Corvette coupe, 149
1976 Chevy Corvette four-speed, 146, 146
1964 Chevy Corvette Stingray, 148
1966 Chevy Corvette Stingray coupe, 148–149
1939 Chevy coupe, 94, 95
1947 Chevy coupe, 158
1960 Chevy El Camino, 44–45
1956 Chevy four-door, 44
1957 Chevy four-door, 44
1951 Chevy hardtop, 158
1964 Chevy Impala, 66, 101
1968 Chevy Impala convertible, 175
1964 Chevy Impala SS, 148
1935 Chevy Master sedan, 81
1972 Chevy Monte Carlo, 101
1967 Chevy Nova, 44
1953 Chevy panel, 137, 137
1932 Chevy panel delivery, 172, 173, 174
1941 Chevy pickup, 177–178
Chevy PowerWagon, 136, 136
1939 Chevy sedan, 122, 123
1953 Chevy sedan, 64
1957 Chevy sedan, 38
1956 Chevy sedan delivery, 44
1957 Chevy sedan delivery, 43, 44, 149
1960 Chevy sedan delivery, 44, 44
1957 Chevy sedan delivery, 149
1961 Chevy station wagon, four-door, 44–45
1957 Chevy station wagon, two-door, 44
1955 Chevy Suburban, 148
1957 Chevy Tri-Five, 51
1953 Chevy two-door, 66
1962 Chevy two-door sedan, 44–45
1957 Chevy two-door wagon, 146, 146
1953 and 1954 Chrysler, 159
Chrysler Imperial limo, 131–132
1941 Chrysler three-window coupe, 124, 124–125
Chrysler two-door (1951 or 1952), 38
Citroen 2 CV coupes, 157, 159
Commonwealth Auto Sales, 62, 66, 69
Continental Mk II, 76
Cord Beverly sedan, 77–78, 78
Cork Street Tavern (Winchester, VA), 129
Corvair pickup, 127–128
Crosley cars, 92
Dancy, Kenny, 32, 34
Datsun 510, 39, 41
1961 Desoto, 120
1935 Desoto sedan, 132–134, 133
Divco milk truck, 152, 152, 158
1967 Dodge Coronet R/T, 36, 37
Dodge coupe (postwar), 125
1934 Dodge four-door sedan, 83–85, 84–85
1966 Dodge Malibu, 37
Dodge Powerwagon, 165, 166
1970 Dodge Super Bee, 34–35, 35–36
1956 Dodge ó-ton pickup, 36, 36
Dodge Trucks (1951-3), 126, 126–127
Early family, 89–90
Early Ford V-8 Club of America, 13
Elder, Bruce, 77–79
Eldridge, John, 74, 182–185, 183
Elwood’s Auto Exchange (Smithburg, MD), 140–143
Evernham, Ray, 26
Fenical, Ken, 169–171
Fiat 850 Spider, 142, 159
Fields, Cheryl, 116–119
Fields, David, 116–119
1941 Ford, 103–104, 104
1949 Ford, 48
1957 Ford, 28, 65
1971 Ford 429 Torino, 86, 86–87
1969 or 1970 Ford Bronco, 121
1942
Ford Business Coupe, 123
Ford cab-over truck, 39
Ford car collection (1963-1965), 27–28
1946–48 Ford convertible, 13
1940 Ford coupe, 21, 47–48
1954 Ford Courier, 71, 71
1956 Ford Crown Victoria, 109, 110–111
1938 Ford Deluxe four-door, 104–105
1939 Ford Deluxe Woody, 138–139, 139
Ford Edsel, 92, 92, 104, 106
1957 Ford Fairlane, 66–67
Ford Fairlane, 92
1960 Ford Falcon, 121
Ford Falcon Futura, 47
Ford Falcon Ranchero, 120
1955 Ford four-door, 66
1938 Ford four-door sedan, 104, 106, 106
1949 Ford four-door sedan, 125
1964 Ford Galaxie, 20, 21, 23, 29
1965 Ford Galaxie, 20, 27, 141
1963 Ford Galaxie convertible, 27
1966 Ford Galaxie LTD two door, 86–87
1965 Ford Galaxy convertible, 106
Ford Model A, 48, 48, 124, 158
1930 Ford Model A, 170–171, 171
1931 Ford Model A coupe, 123
Ford Model A Deluxe cabriolet, 163
Ford Model T, 158
1919 Ford Model T Depot Hack, 106
1937 Ford Modified racer (Snowball Bishop), 23–26, 24–25
1940 Ford panel delivery, 147, 147
1932 Ford panel truck, 148
1936 Ford Phaeton, 79
1951 Ford pickup truck, 39–40, 40
1929 Ford roadster, 137, 138
1949 Ford sedan, 168
1940 Ford Standard 60-hp coupe, 149
1940 Ford Standard coupe, 79
1940 Ford Standard sedan, 72, 72–73
1956 Ford Thunderbird, 79, 79
1962 Ford Thunderbird, 66
1963 Ford Thunderbird, 64, 66
Ford Thunderbirds (circa 1966), 28
1948 or 1948 Ford tow truck, 39
1951 Ford two-door, 126
1955 Ford two-door, 66–67
1964 Ford two-door hardtop, 21
1937 Ford two-door sedan, 37, 167, 167
1959 Ford two-door sedan, 29, 153
1939 Ford Woody wagon, 16