I can’t believe it’s already been five years since we started this crazy fun journey! Five years ago today we launched this site. We didn’t have a big budget, corporate sponsors or even any readers, but we had a dream. It didn’t take long for that dream to be realized and it’s been a wild roller coaster ever since! I thought today would be the perfect day to look back at some of our highlight moments from the past five years. So grab some cake and sit back for a trip down memory lane!
Our very first posts were pretty modest and admittedly a bit novice. Remember, we were new at this barn finding thing, so we picked cars that interested us, we had never seen before or were highly original. Our very first post was this all original Volvo P1800S, a car that has always fascinated me.
We had plenty of great finds early on, but I’ll let you discover them on your own, so here is a link to the last page of the site (page 550!). With over 7,000 posts, I don’t think we will have time to look at them all!
A big part of this site is sharing stories, tall tales and personal experiences. You guys have shared some amazing stories with us over the years, but some of my all time favorite stories came from contributor Tom Cotter. He was gracious enough to share some of the best stories from his books with us, and we were even able to contribute a story to his newest book! Here are all of Tom’s tales and his newest book and here is the story of The Thorndyke Special!
Stories are always fun, but who doesn’t want a classic to call their own? That’s why our focus has always been finds that are for sale. We’ve helped find homes for classics from all over the world, but my all time favorite is still the treasure trove of classics that reader Alan F discovered in North Carolina. The owner wanted it all gone but didn’t trust computers, with Alan’s help, we were able to get the seller’s number so that some of these cars could be saved from the crusher. Hopefully, a few of them are currently sitting in some of your garages and barns!
Of course, not all of us can undertake projects and that’s why we’ve made of point of sharing our own experiences and projects when we can. We’ve had some fun cars over the years, but what’s truly fun about them is sharing them with you guys and getting to read your advice and stories in the comments. Here are a couple of our past projects: Our very first find was this little VW GTI. I know, it isn’t the most glamours find, but it was the only thing we could afford and we had fun with it! It needed a lot of work, but we got it running and back on the road. From us, it actually went to one of you guys and the last we heard it’s being raced!
From there, I think our projects have gotten significantly more interesting. Our ’65 Mustang was one of our favorites and proved to be incredibly reliable. It carried us to Portland, Oregon, survived several days of rallying and then made the drive all the way back without issue (well we did blow a hole in our muffler, but that was it). Sadly, we couldn’t keep it, but at least it went to one of our dedicated readers!
I think the only other car we’ve had that was more exciting to drive was our Singer SM hot rod! With a Volvo B18 engine in it, it was more terrifying than fun, but I enjoyed it all the same. These have been just a few of my favorite moments and finds from the past 5 years, but I would love to hear what some of your favorite finds, stories or comments on the site have been! Please share links to them in the comments section below, so we can all take a look back.
It’s sure been an incredible journey and it wouldn’t have been possible without all of you and your amazing support, comments and submissions! I also need to thank our contributors and all the hard work they put into the site everyday, we wouldn’t be able to keep it all going without them. I look forward to spending the next 5 years hunting down finds to share and reading all your amazing comments. So, happy birthday to Barn Finds and may it and all of us have long classic filled lives! Thank you all so much!
Please keep us updated on the “Tree Hugging Shelby” from 2012.
thanks for the memories
Great site you’ve created. I enjoy it everyday and look forward to the emails coming in. Thankyou
~ Happy Birthday, guys. And thanks for the the great reading and for sharing the knowledge. Been with you since the very early days!
Thanks for sticking with us for all these years Scot!
My friend Dave Smith was the one that bought the Singer (Kinda sorta MG TD replica) and he was in the middle east working. It was a bit of drama as apparently you guys thought he was a scammer? (with a name like Dave Smith no less)
He still has the car (Nicknamed Smitty Smitty Bang Bang) and its currently in Sacramento Calif. He is in China teaching school at another overseas gig,.
Yeah it was a bit of a confusing situation, but I’m sure glad it worked out and that Dave still has it! It sounds like it’s in good hands!
Oh Darn, always thought this was a dating site! No wonder I haven’t been too successful. Seriously Guys, been here since day ONE also, love it and go to it daily, Don’t ever stop this, its what us older car guys need, besides a cute date!
Great site. I look forward each day to seeing your latest finds. Happy birthday guys
Josh mentioned that we have featured over 7,000 cars in that 5 years. Well, we have also had over 100k comments. Wow guys!
Nice job….continue the search
I also go to this site daily it is part of my old guy ritual, coffee and barn finds every morning. And quite often in the evening. For the most part I’ve enjoyed this site, and I have to say I’ve not been on an other site that is as well layed out, or as user friendly as this site. At the rate your going you’ll only continue to grow. Enough said.
Happy Birthday, I don’t have any cake because I didn’t know. So I’m having fresh caught crappies and sweet corn on the grill with some ice cold beer. Some times you need to compromise.
Happy Birthday! Love the site. I really like seeing what is out there just left for dead, found and loved back to life. Cheers to another 5(or more) years of finds.
Happy Birthday, wish you many more years with the site!!
Happy Birthday….and if it helps…today’s my 5 yr work anniversary…..dang I gots to get that fixed…..
I visit the site daily as well. Really enjoy it. Happy Birthday, guys!
This is the first site that I open every morning and the last I open before bed. Three years of Barn Finds for me and hope another 30 years thereafter.
Happy Birthday Jesse and Josh! “The Good Guys of Car Collecting”! Great accomplishment.
Thanks again guys.
I know as an old goat, that I sometimes comes across the wrong way. I just want you all to know I’ve learned a lot from all the different things posted. I’ve never been big on the European cars, but have learned a lot from the many European cars you have posted. I also know what a real piece of rolling art some of it is
Never to old to learn. Thanks.
Happy Birthday, guys!! I, too, read your posts daily, as part of my wake-up routine. I have learned so much from our collective group of readers and know that you guys work really hard to present such great write-ups. Here’s to another 5 years!!
Love this site. Rather than simply being mere pieces of metal and rubber, it’s amazing how so many cars can have so many stories associated with them and those are just the ones we know about. Imagine what tales we’d here if only these cars could talk.
Nice job men! I really appreciate the hard work you put into the site. Most of all I appreciate so many of the well informed commenters. I also appreciate the laid back vibe, hard to achieve when folks can post anonymously. If I can ever pry myself from Colonel Mustard my ’72 C-10 I’ll definitely sell it through you guys
.
Happy Birthday from the Emerald Isle! Love the site. Part of the daily ritual…
Keep up the positive vibe for all the different types of car people and I love the pun headlines as well. Happy 5th.
I agree. Great site, ( even surpasses Hemmings, and that’s a compliment, I only hope my good friend Kurt doesn’t see this, :O) It seems to have gone through a “rough patch” with the hooligans that frequented the site for a while, but appears they’ve moved on, and we have a pretty cool group. Somebody usually knows something about something featured, and it’s great to hear from those folks. My only gripe, aside from Phxbarbie ( who I hope is feeling better, btw) we don’t get a lot of women here. Maybe they feel intimidated by a bunch of old farts, babbling about the cars of their youth, but I’d like to hear more from women, we know you’re out there. At car shows, I see just as many women ( or more) than men, and love old cars as much as we do. Special thanks to Jamie, for trying to help me locate a TR-6. Nothing yet, but it’s gonna happen.
Howard, it’s terrific commenters like you that make the site as good as it is (and Jesse, Josh and the other great writers, me excluded!) And we’ll find you the right TR6 when the time is right for you :-)
I look forward everyday , to see what interesting finds you have on here , great place to be for the old car inthusiest ,great job , and thank you
I’m just an “old dawg” that likes cars. Love this site because you never know what’s going to pop up for the day ! I have learned a lot here, many knowledgeable subscribers in the comment section, and fun nostalgic banter. Been with you a long time, and will continue to look forward to my morning “fix” of Barn Finds !!!
Happy Birthday !!!
Love the site! But I think I might have finished my ‘freshening up’ of my 62 Vette gas class car about a year earlier, if I had not spent so many hours looking at your finds. Keep it up, we never miss it.
HAPPPPPPYYYY BIRTHDAAAAAYYYY!!!!!
Love BF, the real good guys of America.
Happy Birthday Guys! My favorite car is the 6 cylinder “Bullet Hole Special” Mustang. I wish it and Barn finds many happy more years.
Happy Birthday, VrrrOOOmmmmm Anniversary…
Hei!
Kiitos mahtavasta sivustosta ja hienoista löydöistä! 😊 Ok! And the same in english: Thanks for the great site and amazing finds!👍
Well-done; keep the sunny-side up!
Hi guys, I just wanted to thank you for providing a link to all the barn finds from day one. I am having a blast looking at all of them, dreaming about some and smacking myself up side my head for letting some go. At any rate, sure is fun. I do have to comment on the 1966 Mustang HCS (Sept, 06, 2011). I have never heard of those before and was great to learn some about them. Another Ford local production car was the Taurus Alaskan. I lived in Alaska from 1985-1989 not far from Fairbanks where Ralph Seekins Ford-Lincoln, (and at that time) Mercury sold them. An exterior identification was at the bottom of the door above the rocker the word A L A S K A N was spelled out. I can still remember the commercials. You could get the car in any color but white, white does not show well in snow… I do not remember the year they were made and sold, however, it was between the years I was there. I just thought I would bring that up that maybe someone would have more info. I searched different ways and came up empty. Thanks again guys for all you do. I do know that you are appreciated.
Thanks Paul! I’m glad you enjoyed looking at some of our first posts! It’s always fun to look back and see how things have changed and evolved.
Now as for the Taurus Alaska, I’ve never heard of one. I’ll have to do some digging and get back to you on that!
Thanks Again!
You’re so welcome Josh and thanks for your reply. Yes, please, let me know what you find. I am coming up empty. Also, recently, we were showing a car at the AACA Grand National Show in Williamsport, PA. I actually met a gentleman that had owned the Glass Pontiac that you folks posted on June, 27, 2011. He said he hated to sell it, but had a growing family and a house, priorities I guess. He did not get anywhere near what that car brought. Ahhh, the ones that got away. Sure is fascinating, this hobby of ours…
Happy Birthday and yes thank you guys! This has been a great site and I’m glad I found it. I used to follow CarsinBarns, which probably started off like you guys, but didn’t have the dedicated fans or enough web development and eventually stopped updating new finds.
Hey hey hey happy birthday you guys, from lawrence and the “bullet hole mustang”. She’s doing fine, the bullet hole remains, and I’m going to teach my 13 year old how to drive it… if he can master that 3 speed he can drive anything on the planet.
The best part is telling people where I got it and how it all came to be. You all made buying it so easy, so effortless, that I know tons of people that now come here and do as we all do: to lust, to dream and also to be among our own kind.
Many many more great years to you guys, from one satisfied fan.
Lawrence
It’s great to hear from you Lawrence! I won’t lie, I sure miss that Mustang. The 3 speed and clutch might have been a bit tricky, but what a fun car to drive! I’m just glad it’s in good hands. Send me an email sometime, we would love to see some recent photos of the old girl!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY…and THANKS !!!
Lawrence (and young Lawrence too) glad to read BH Mustang is now in four good hands. That Mustang is a true “survivor” car, there aren’t many Barn Find cars that can claim a life after a bullet hole. May you and your son enjoy many more years driving it and telling the story..
Hi.
Im a little late, But happy bday.
I love your site, and read IT every day.
Best regards from germany,
Jürgen
Barn finds and morning coffee , the only way it gets better then that is, Barn finds and afternoon brewskys Great job fellows