"Barn Find" 928s
#16
Last summer I was sorely tempted by a local one that popped up on e-bay, a dead '78 auto sitting in a cow pasture. Red exterior faded, rusted, dented, and mismatched. Pascha interior ripped to shreds and filthy. The cows did not mind it.
Quite true. When 928's become the fashionable flavor of the month amongst the well-heeled collecting set, and restoring them is actually profitable, then there will be 928 barn finds.
I work with a guy who bought a 1959 Harley that had been sitting in a barn since 1960. It had a little over 300 miles on it when the owner laid it down on a backroad and narrowly escaped death - that's why he quit riding. So it collected a thick coating of bird poop for 40 years before my friend buys it for $300.
My friend trailered it home, washed off the bird poop, and called a guy he knows up in Alberta. The conversation was brief, as the guy hung up and immediately drove to Michigan with a trailer and some cash. He shows up in the middle of the night and after a brief inspection of the bike (and the serial #s), hands over...
...
....
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$30,000 US
Not only that, but reportedly the Alberta guy is not done restoring it (too many projects), and expects to make a profit when he sells it.
It's like Antiques Roadshow sometimes.
In order to be a barn find the value after rescuing it and restoring it must exceed the cost of doing it. As long as you can buy good running decent looking cars for very little money what is the point ? When 356s hit $50,000- $100,000 people got all excited when they found one for $5,000- 10,000 that they could spend $25,000 to $50,000 restoring.
I work with a guy who bought a 1959 Harley that had been sitting in a barn since 1960. It had a little over 300 miles on it when the owner laid it down on a backroad and narrowly escaped death - that's why he quit riding. So it collected a thick coating of bird poop for 40 years before my friend buys it for $300.
My friend trailered it home, washed off the bird poop, and called a guy he knows up in Alberta. The conversation was brief, as the guy hung up and immediately drove to Michigan with a trailer and some cash. He shows up in the middle of the night and after a brief inspection of the bike (and the serial #s), hands over...
...
....
....
$30,000 US
Not only that, but reportedly the Alberta guy is not done restoring it (too many projects), and expects to make a profit when he sells it.
It's like Antiques Roadshow sometimes.
#17
Found mine in a pasture next to a barn, does that count! hadn't been driven in about five or six years. I still think I paid to much (2k) but the guy I got it from said I ripped him off - Ha. 2-3k latter I have a car I could have paid 4k for and I still need to do a lot of work.
#18
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In order to be a barn find the value after rescuing it and restoring it must exceed the cost of doing it. As long as you can buy good running decent looking cars for very little money what is the point ? When 356s hit $50,000- $100,000 people got all excited when they found one for $5,000- 10,000 that they could spend $25,000 to $50,000 restoring.
I'm doin' fine, Heinrich. Thanks for checking. As long as I can drag myself from the computer/rennlist to the dinner table and back, I'll do well. But I'm really getting anxious to install the new alum. radiator in the '88S4. Also, the sun roof quit working. I'm shooting for March.
My S4 is not a "barn find" but it was involved in a small wreck and sat for a few years before being (very well) repaired and repainted. Hence the low mileage.
H2
#20
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Some feel that 928s that sit for long periods of time deteriorate faster than those driven daily. I don't fully agree. I feel that the trade-off for a low mile car can make the stored car a better long-term deal because wearing metal and interior parts are relatively expensive to replace while the "soft parts" can be replaced pretty easily (still not cheap though). The exception for this for me is a car that has been stored outdoors unprotected (rain and sun) or driven on bad salty roads.
Of course there are exceptions to every situation.
Frankly, I replace most rubber parts and belts on any 928 I buy. Also, I replace the water pump, all the rollers under the belt covers, front main bearing seal, cam seals (if weeping), and most hoses, CV joint covers, vacuum line connectors and, as needed, the plastic vacuum hose, the inner ignition switch, reseat the dash bulbs, clean and all ground points, check for all leaks and deal with them (such as PS, oil pan, etc.
Is being this **** a waste? I don't think so if one plans on keeping the car a long time and doesn't want some aged simple part to give out while on a long trip.
H2
Of course there are exceptions to every situation.
Frankly, I replace most rubber parts and belts on any 928 I buy. Also, I replace the water pump, all the rollers under the belt covers, front main bearing seal, cam seals (if weeping), and most hoses, CV joint covers, vacuum line connectors and, as needed, the plastic vacuum hose, the inner ignition switch, reseat the dash bulbs, clean and all ground points, check for all leaks and deal with them (such as PS, oil pan, etc.
Is being this **** a waste? I don't think so if one plans on keeping the car a long time and doesn't want some aged simple part to give out while on a long trip.
H2
Last edited by H2; 01-17-2008 at 10:03 PM.
#21
The idea of a barn find is a car that is highly desirable, inexpensive, and in good condition under the dust and bird ****. A barn find is a deal too good to be true for old cars. The basic premise is that you get the vehicle from an unknowing owner who has lost interest for almost nothing and then you get it up and running for minimal investment. It's a fantasy that seldom exists. It doesn't exist because a barn in the midwest, with a dirt floor, rodents, and rain/snow is a horrible environment to store much of anything. We may want to call some of our cars "barn finds" but in reality, most were simply derelict junk that we put back together.