Since the introduction of the Barn Find Hunter series, the tips and leads from fellow petrolheads rarely slow down. Never more so than after we put out a call in the Hagerty Community for folks to share their best barn finds. Of course, the photos and videos rolled in. With so many interesting submissions, and no opportunity to be out and about travelling and filming for Barn Find Hunter due to Covid-related retrictions, Tom Cotter sat down to give his take on the best barn finds that have been submitted by the community.
Range Rover trio
Dougscars must be a special kind of masochist because he found and acquired not just one Range Rover Classic, but three. They were in sad shape when they came home, but within a day he had them running and even got them driving. The V8 engine in this era Range Rovers is a variation of the Buick 215 V8, which is known for being durable, so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised they came to life so easily – even after all spending time laying neglected in a field. If you fancy one of these, take a read of our detailed Buyer’s Guide to know how to pick a good one.
Golf GTI, Hearse and Beetle!
This next group of find comes from kfolk‘s front yard. It’s an eclectic grouping for sure, led by what Tom believes is an eight-valve 1986 Volkswagen Golf GTI. It’s a hot hatchback Tom knows well because he has one parked in his garage at home. He bought his new and it served as the Cotter family car for many years. The next car in this group is a rusty but seemingly complete Cadillac hearse. Tom recounts when these used hearses were cheap and he would marvel as surfer stripped out the interiors to make them into surf wagons.
The MG and Jaguar that need a new home
There isn’t much information for Tom to go off with the photos AJS sent, but the images make Tom want to know more. What appears to be an MG TD and Jaguar XK140 are under some type of shelter roof, but there are no walls to protect these two British classics from getting absolutely covered in dust. We can’t even be sure what the paint colour is on either car, but they look complete and, as ever, worth saving.
FJ40 rescue
The 1970s Toyota FJ40 has been riding the value roller coaster, and as it has continued to climb the likelihood of finding a good one in the sticks seems to shrink. User dhaayer didn’t let that discourage him, and he got lucky enough to come across a nice FJ40 in southern British Columbia that was worth saving. He has documented his journey to bring it back to roadworthy condition in a video series that is worth a watch.
Not Indiana – India
Tom Cotter has been luck enough to travel coast to coast in the US, and even the UK on the hunt for barn finds. One country he hasn’t been lucky enough to visit yet is India. Tom likes the thought of uncovering interesting cars in other countries, and TheDoc68 only reinforces Tom’s interest by posting a group of cars from India. It’s an interesting mix of English and American cars and includes a Ford Cortina. That must have been difficult to import, and it looks like the current owner is taking care of it as such.
That is just a taste of the submissions that Tom and the team have received, and we will continue highlighting the best that come in via the Hagerty Community. If you would like to share yours, be sure to add some photos and include a brief description. You never know, Tom Cotter might be knocking on your door.
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Tom. could you please tell me if the 1965 plymouth cuda in ep119 in a old turkey farm is for sale? Thanks Mike
Hi Tom, the ragtop Beetle owned by the gentleman with the Porsche Speedster looks like my father’s old car. He sold it in the mid 80’s in the Triad area of North Carolina. Would be so cool if it was the same car, as it’s history is interesting