# Barn Finds



## archiebald (Sep 7, 2009)

Love the Tom Cotter books with stories of barn finds but what was your best barn find?? I helped my mate with a mini traveller and that has been it!!


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## Twizz (Jul 8, 2012)

Ford Consul MK2 Convertible which hadn't seen the road since the 70's and a Mercedes 250 (W114) which hadn't been used since the late 80's... The Mercedes I brought back on the road and is currently stored away whilst the Consul I only just picked up on Tuesday...


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## torkertony (Jan 9, 2013)

A 1965 Mercedes Benz 300SE Fintail (named The Duchess). Found by my Dad in 2008 with his vision to restore her (he was a motor mechanic by trade), but sadly he passed away shortly after buying the car.

The car had sat in a barn (so thankfully had been kept dry), for 25 years and had been taken to Tatton Park on a trailer and put up for sale. It looked in a sorry state as you can imagine and I thought my Dad was crazy when he bought it for £8,000.... But he fell in love with that car and had big hopes for the restoration.

I don't know one end of a spanner from the other, but with the help of my Best Mate and his Dad (who was a panel beater), we managed to get The Duchess back to some of her former glory.

It was only for my Dad that I / we took on the challenge and it was never my plan to keep the car as I already have a classic of my own, and could not afford to keep, run or store two classic vehicles, and after putting the car up for sale in 2011, it sold to Mercedes Benz UK who have since done a full nut and bolt restoration on her and she sits proudly in one of their London based dealerships.

No before pics of the actually find, but here is one after we had worked some magic 



:thumb:


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## archiebald (Sep 7, 2009)

Good so far


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## Mk3Brick (May 24, 2012)

Not interesting to most but an incredible find in my eyes. Mint (dusty) mk2 5door driver.


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## Rayner (Aug 16, 2012)

Found my girlfriend in a barn once... That was an awesome night :thumb:

Bet I finished that job quicker than any of the above!


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## za.64 (Apr 13, 2010)

i found a hillman imp which had been in a old garage and not moved for 18 years, but as i had no where to store it i sold it to the owner of the imp club, i was also given a original honda st70 monkey bike which was under a tarp in someones garden for years, they asked me to give it to the local pikies for scrap or take it myself, so i took it, new battery, fuel pipes and ignition key and it started on the 5th kick, sold it for £600.


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## 636 (Oct 23, 2012)

rayner said:


> Found my girlfriend in a barn once... That was an awesome night :thumb:
> 
> Bet I finished that job quicker than any of the above!


Hahahahahahaha


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...y-dealers-garage-17-years--ONE-mile-them.html


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## slineclean (Dec 23, 2011)

Love hearing these stories , hey finding your mrs in a barn would be fun hey ? ha 

I liked that story of that 2nd hand car place that just shut and some cars were left on the forecourt and saw 1 similar of dealer garage , a new car was left inside


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

Twizz said:


> Ford Consul MK2 Convertible which hadn't seen the road since the 70's and a Mercedes 250 (W114) which hadn't been used since the late 80's... The Mercedes I brought back on the road and is currently stored away whilst the Consul I only just picked up on Tuesday...
> 
> Let me know if you would like to sell the Consul dude........:thumb:
> 
> ...


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## andystevens (Dec 12, 2011)

torkertony said:


> A 1965 Mercedes Benz 300SE Fintail (named The Duchess). Found by my Dad in 2008 with his vision to restore her (he was a motor mechanic by trade), but sadly he passed away shortly after buying the car.
> 
> The car had sat in a barn (so thankfully had been kept dry), for 25 years and had been taken to Tatton Park on a trailer and put up for sale. It looked in a sorry state as you can imagine and I thought my Dad was crazy when he bought it for £8,000.... But he fell in love with that car and had big hopes for the restoration.
> 
> ...


That is a really nice story & I bet your Father is looking down very proudly!


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## andystevens (Dec 12, 2011)

slineclean said:


> Love hearing these stories , hey finding your mrs in a barn would be fun hey ? ha
> 
> I liked that story of that 2nd hand car place that just shut and some cars were left on the forecourt and saw 1 similar of dealer garage , a new car was left inside


Think was that place in the North somewhere. Didn't it have a leantoo like roof & grills at the front? IIRC there was a Red Maestro, yellow Metro, VW Beetle, Cavalier & some others.


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## Twizz (Jul 8, 2012)

P.A.D said:


> Twizz said:
> 
> 
> > Ford Consul MK2 Convertible which hadn't seen the road since the 70's and a Mercedes 250 (W114) which hadn't been used since the late 80's... The Mercedes I brought back on the road and is currently stored away whilst the Consul I only just picked up on Tuesday...
> ...


Russ,

Thanks for the interest :thumb: not many people know about them these days.

She's a 375 (non deluxe) and one of the last ever registered. Production ceased in March whilst she was registered in September of 1962. Because of that, she has a full leather interior, half moon steering wheel horn and a hydraulic roof (with obviously the servo assisted disk brakes on the front).

Today I managed to locate two new old stock wings and a bonnet for the old girl and she's booked in for work to commence in October. Ill keep you updated though.



















There's a few of our other girls. 
The 1961 maroon one is a base trim level Consul and was found in Tonbridge wells (uncle had passed it down to his nephew when he passed away and I bought it from him) and has 27k on the clock. 
The black one was found in Telford (I'm the third owner - second owned it from '85 and passed away weeks after I bought her) and is a 1960 deluxe. We've also got two more saloons but they are really for spares.


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## Twizz (Jul 8, 2012)

Here's another that as found all the way up in Nottingham. She's way to crusty for bringing back IMO (chassis legs are thinner than a Kellogg's cereal box) but will be used for spares for the others.










Next is a 1990 Ford Escort Popular Plus (1.3 HCS engine). She was tucked away in a garage not far from Basildon. I got her on 30k and she's now on 41k iirc.


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## FLUTE (Mar 27, 2010)

This is a great thread. Keep the pictures and stories coming please.

Flute


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## Geordieexile (May 21, 2013)

How on earth do people hear about these things? I really wouldn't know where to look. Is it just luck and getting into a conversation at the pub?


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## Chrissyronald (Jan 15, 2012)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring...3/Barn-find-Aston-Martin-DB5-in-pictures.html


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## Twizz (Jul 8, 2012)

What about this one... £5M race car


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## Kiashuma (May 4, 2011)

rayner said:


> Found my girlfriend in a barn once... That was an awesome night :thumb:
> 
> Bet I finished that job quicker than any of the above!


:lol::lol::lol:


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## torkertony (Jan 9, 2013)

Does this count.... (a push bike not a car... and not found in a barn... )

One owner from new (me).. Torker 280x bought in 1983 from Suntal Cycles in Oldham and riden within an inch of it's life in my younger years. Dumped in the loft in around 1986/7 and followed me round during a couple of house moves.

Dug out & dusted off in 2007 and had a full resto.

Pics before and after:





And here's a pic of me back in the day...



:thumb:


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## archiebald (Sep 7, 2009)

Yeah that counts !!!


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## Kenny Powers (May 29, 2013)

^Crikey that really brings me back!
Got a Raleigh BMX Ultra Burner for Christmas back in '83 I think - black and gold and very lightweight - way ahead of it's time and built to last, not like today's kid's bikes.


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

Twizz said:


> Russ,
> 
> Thanks for the interest :thumb: not many people know about them these days.
> 
> ...


Fantastic dude.

Dad had a 375 in White & Yellow with a white roof and white interior. Not leather though I don't think. Going to ask him for the reg number and see if she is still about.

Classy cars......:thumb:


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## craig b (Aug 9, 2008)

Love the BMX.I had a Rickman freestyler,with Landing gear forks and Skyway wheels.


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## Twizz (Jul 8, 2012)

Re. BMX's, I've still got an old Rayleigh Grifter (three speed) and a younger Rayleigh Wildcat (plastic wheels) in the shed! Will try and get a few pictures...



P.A.D said:


> Fantastic dude.
> 
> Dad had a 375 in White & Yellow with a white roof and white interior. Not leather though I don't think. Going to ask him for the reg number and see if she is still about.
> 
> Classy cars......:thumb:


Thanks  there are still quite a few Consuls about... If you're local to Essex they'll be a classic car show at Battlesbridge (29th) where the MK2 stand will be present. (There are two main clubs, mk2 independant club and mk2 owners club if you want to check if your dads consul is about within the clubs) :thumb:


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

Thanks for that dude. Not local (Birmingham) But Essex not far for a good day out with my Dad...:thumb:


Russ


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