A fortunate few people will one day open a barn door to be confronted by a forgotten and desirable classic car. Fewer still will hit the jackpot by unearthing more than one car in that barn. Imagine the surprise and delight someone felt when they located this collection. This shed houses fifteen classics, with most having sat since before the turn of the century. All require work, but it appears there’s something for everyone. If you can’t resist, you will find the group listed here on Craigslist in Valley Center, California. The seller indicates there are no set prices on any of these gems, but they will take offers. However, there is a word of caution because they won’t accept offers below $3,000 on any of the cars. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for referring this amazing find.
If you prefer something classic and British, there are a couple of options worth considering. The most desirable is this 1969 Jaguar E-type. It retains its original 4.2-liter six, and it has sat since 1992. It looks like someone has danced on the roof, and the back window is broken. However, the dry environment may mean it has avoided the rust issues that can plague these beauties. If that is the case, then its restoration could be straightforward. For those preferring a more luxurious motoring experience, you might struggle to go past the 1965 Daimler Sovereign 3.8. It nestles beside the E-Type and has lain idle since 1988. There are also a couple of MGs, a Jensen-Healey, a 1964 Sunbeam Alpine, and a 1969 Austin-Healey Sprite. It is worth noting that the Jaguar and Daimler will be in the first group of five up for offer, with the rest coming later.
Lovers of German classics will probably be drawn to this 1964 Volkswagen Beetle that has sat since 1993. It is another vehicle sporting roof and panel damage but looks solid and repairable. There is another Beetle of 1967 vintage and a station wagon for those seeking greater versatility. The sporty offering among the German contingent is the Porsche 914. It last saw service in 1992 and will require work to return to its former glory. I can also spot a Falcon and Ranchero from the early 1960s for those with a Blue-Oval leaning. However, the collection isn’t all older classics, with a 2001 Ford F-350 among the first five vehicles needing a new home.
Those preferring classic pickups may find this 1951 Chevrolet 3600 Stepside to their liking. It sports significant surface corrosion, although the prone lower cab corners look okay. Nestled beside the pickup is a 1974 Fiat 124 Sport Spider. This one requires careful inspection because rust is a significant consideration. As with the rest of the collection, the dry location may have spared it the ravages of the tin worm. Potential buyers may need to act quickly because this pair is in the first group to head out the door.
This collection is stunning, and it will be wonderful to see the cars emerge and be returned to their rightful place on our roads. Interested parties must be patient because the advertiser is selling the group five vehicles at a time. This approach is sensible because gaining access to the cars at the back of the shed is difficult because they are tightly packed. They don’t want people physically crawling over the vehicles and inflicting unnecessary damage. Therefore, if you are interested in one of these beauties, it would pay to continue monitoring the Craigslist advertisement. We’d love to hear your story if you manage to secure one.
These sorts of situations are certainly interesting to me. Not only due to the cars which are present, but also for the process being used to offer and sell them. These sellers have put quite a bit of thought into the process, which has resulted in a rather extensive list of rules and procedures. I don’t blame them, otherwise it would be chaos. It could still be a circus even with the rules (“what do you mean, I can’t walk across the hood of this junky Car X to get to Car Y, the one I want to see?”).
As Adam says, lots to choose from, all having set for a very long time.
From the 2nd photo here and the third and forth photos in the ad I am seeing the connection with the caved in roofs. Some cool stuff. GLWTS.
They must have goat’s to have all the roofs caved in. Part cars at best.
Most likely “kids.”
I like Rule #11.
OK, listen up: We’ve got a bunch of dusty, half-buried, , half crunched, half desirable, half mouse-eaten, half complete, half-assed old cars. So give us some respect!
And follow The 11 Commandments!!!!!!
Cool. An indoor junkyard.
Getting >$3000 on a few of those will be a tall order. I wish them luck.
The beauty is in the eye of the beholder for sure. I wouldn’t give you $3,000 for the whole pile of tin. Honestly, I have seen better cars in a salvage yard. C’mon guys. You can do a lot better than this.
Collection? Looks like a scrap yard….
its called barn finds,not showroom finds
Well ID’ng the year on the 914 is easy. If the first 3 VIN numbers are 472, it’s a 1972. 473, 1973…etc. if the VIN starts 9142 then we have a rare 914/6 and I’ll gladly give them $3K :)
Yeah, I’d give them $3k too. Any 914/6 in any condition is worth more than that!
Sell em one at a time or whatever the buyer wants and you’ll get more $.I like the old p-up but don’t want 4 other cars .
They are NOT limiting selling to 5 to one person. They are limiting SHOWING (i.e. dragging out) 5 cars at a time, and I assume taking offers from people on those cars that they drug out. I read nothing to indicate that they are selling them as a group.
The way it was worded that’s what I thought. Thanks for informing me on my mistake.
Looks like you could hop from one end of this building to the other and never touch ground
looks like the owner used the car roofs as a second tier storage option.
I was waiting for the old “If you have to ask? You can’t afford” schtick.
They all look like kids have been in there pretending that the ground is lava
This brings “living in a barn” to a new low.
The bug will probably start just like in Sleeper.
Looking at the photos of just the vehicles pictured, I don’t see $3k of value in any of them. They are all in need of some serious body and mechanical work.
Apart from the E Type I have to agree with you.
This goes beyond scrap yard lows. What’s that I hear? Something coming through the barn doors saying this will $500 – $1,000 you to death plus your home mortgage! No thank you.
Valley center is in the middle of nowhere. Between Indio, and Blythe, CA off I-10.
How do people find these things?
The ad writer says that his father bought a probate property. That likely means someone died and someone bought their property either through an executor or heirs listing it or if no heirs, then the state selling it. It typically is publicly listed; but, laws differ between states to some degree. I imagine that the buyer opened the doors on the barn and got a big messy surprise.
My friend, you must be looking at a different Valley Center on your map!… I just happen to live here in Valley Center. Just a few minutes north of Escondido, in the north part of San Diego county…
I have also been to this barn and have inspected the first lot of five cars (and trucks) in person…
Let me just say… (this really should go without saying) but, anyone seriously interested in any of these cars, had better inspect them carefully in person… For one thing, The Jaguar (E-type) does not have it’s original drive train in it… It has a Ford V8 engine and an automatic transmission installed.
@Gregg LOL @ “should go without saying”
$3,000 each and I take my pick? OK, here’s $9,000.
You are thinking of Desert Center. Valley Center is just north of San Diego.
You’re right!
It sure looks like the previous owner did a victory dance on top of each newly purchased car. Everything seems to be missing lotsa bitsa, and you could be upside down on any one of them, so not for me. The seller may find some disappointment at the end of this proceeding, which appears, to me, to be an auction conducted by the owners, as per rule # 10.
Good luck to prospective buyers.
The juice isn’t worth the squeeze, IMHO.
🧐
does the seller have a hose? And maybe running water?
I bet for no less than $3,000, they would run a water hose to the barn for you.
Maybe not. California has been under severe drought conditions for about the last 55 years.
They don’t want to do any damage done to the cars? Looks like that’s already been done. It’s still an interesting find, but don’t see any one car that would make me want 5 total.
@HC They are dragging out 5 at a time to show and sell. They are not trying to sell all 5 to one person.
Yeah, they would just about have to pull 5 out at a time just to see what they’ve got and what is there. Someone needs their axx whipped for destroying those roofs. Esp on the Jag.
another seller with too many zeros
They need to hire someone with a drone to fly low and around the cars and show them on a screen at the auction and have a skinny 16 yr old to squeeze between the cars to find the vins and take pictures.
so much negative commentary from people that would never buy in the 1st place. I guess none of you have learned as my father would say that if you have nothing good to say, say nothing…Please, all you negative keyboard commandos …just move on….
Richard, most of the commentary here is negative.
There’s either not enough Barn Finds on Barn Finds, or the Barn Finds are not good enough.
Heeding to the commentary, we would end up with one “ultimate” Barn Find posting per week. How exciting.
The wheel just keeps spinning.
Richard, you must be new in these parts. If all the negative nabobs move on, BF goes out of business. Then what would we shut-ins do in our idle time?
I would be first to be pleasant if I saw something pleasant.
This however is not.
You will spend multiple $$ to end up with something that might get you 1/8 of your money back. I’m looking at the Jag and the VW Beetle as I write this. What the rust hasn’t gotten the mice have. If you have a money tree in your backyard then have at it. I wish you luck!
Some of you whine when we feature cars that are too nice saying that they aren’t “real barn finds”…
Amen!
You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time. But you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
Unfortunately Jesse, you can’t please all of the people all of the time!
Jesse, does not matter what kind of find it is because it is just too much fun talking about cars ! Keep up the great work !
I guess you could dismiss all the commentary as negative, but that would be ignoring the abject absurdity that flows through the old car hobby every day: rusty POS cars that guys are asking a fortune for; cranky hoarders who “know what they’ve got”; overpriced cars with 3 crummy photos; goofballs who won’t respond to your inquiries; and, of course, scams.
So, guys who actually do buy/renovate/drive old cars get a bit weary of all the bullshit, and we vent it on sites like this. Speaking for myself, at least I try to keep it funny.
Spot on…..
👍🤓
This of course is just the sort of thing we want to see on BF… the only reason the commentary is negative is the seller’s idea of value…