About Jeff Lavery

After waking up and realizing my paid-for Civic Si left me empty and bored, I’ve been on a bender of daily-driving BMWs that constantly test my love affair with vintage machinery. I’ve tried Miatas and Mustangs but keep coming back to the church of blue-and-white, despite their best efforts to test my devotion. Although I’m still searching for that next great barn find, I’m content to own two projects that were headed straight past storage and into the scrap pile if it weren't for some divine intervention and an understanding wife, two things no gearhead should be without.

Beach Cruiser: 1995 Land Rover Defender 90 NAS

One of the greatest joys I’ve experienced as an automotive enthusiast is driving a 4×4 on a beach. Specifically, a beach that doesn’t lend itself to easy access by throngs of beach-goers, meaning you can drive out as far… more»

Western State Driver: 1979 Ford Bronco

I never ceased to be amazed how solid cars and trucks out of the West coast and desert states can be, even after years of regular use. The fact that a “vintage” vehicle can be used like any other… more»

VolksRabbit Kit: 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit EV

We tend to think the buzz around electric vehicles is a modern phenomenon, but the truth is, inventors and entrepreneurs have been trying to crack the code of alternative fuels for some time. To this day, we still see… more»

Abandoned in London: 2004 BMW M3 CSL

One of the greatest discoveries in the BMW world happened recently when an exceedingly rare BMW M3 CSL appeared on a few different websites as a beaten up and booted modern classic with no apparent caretaker. As you can… more»

Manual Drop Top: 1983 Ford Mustang GT

When it comes to buying a car made in large quantities, it’s important to look for the granular details that help set your car apart from the rest. In the case of a Fox body Mustang, that can be… more»

Dad’s Pride and Joy: 1986 Honda CRX

Many of us have been around a family member who owned a special car, or at least a vehicle that was special to them. For whatever reason, the vehicle stopped being used and went into storage, only to be… more»

383 Stroker Equipped: 1989 Chevy Caprice Wagon

We all love wagons here at Barn Finds, but there’s something special about the combination of a sleeper and a wagon. That’s what this clean 1989 Chevrolet Caprice wagon appears to be, which has been modified under the skin… more»

Obscure Muscle Car: 1980 Mercury Capri

  In the world of Fox bodies, the Mercury Capri is perhaps one of the more obscure models to emerge from the platform’s numerous offerings. The Capri has always been a favorite of mine owing to its more muscular… more»

Colorful History: 1977 Porsche 911

I love a car with a good story, the more colorful, the better. Some of you likely don’t feel the same way, preferring that the car in question led a simple life in the care of one owner while… more»

Sunshine Survivor: 1980 Mazda B2000

Old-school, light-duty pickups have always been cheap and cheerful options for a project rig, and surprisingly, the values for such vehicles have stayed relatively flat. This is not surprising; these were stripper vehicles when new, devoid of meaningful options,… more»

ATC Collection: Honda 3-Wheeler Package

This represents one of the cooler auctions I’ve seen on eBay in a while, and also one of the more likely instances in which a large collection will sell in one shot. The vintage Honda ATC or three-wheeler is… more»

Original Paint: 1981 Ford Bronco

One of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way over the years of buying and selling old cars is that my fellow enthusiasts really do place an emphasis on originality. The closer a vehicle is to its factory condition… more»

Chevy-Powered Replica: Lamborghini Countach Tribute

We recently saw a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing come up for sale that is one of the best replicas I’ve ever seen. Now, we have a Lamborghini Countach that is a close second in terms of how well the facsimile… more»

Looks Real: 1959 Porsche Speedster Replica

The car magazines of the 80s and 90s were laden with advertisements for both cars and parts that now look like absolute bargains in retrospect. I can remember ads for the Tire Rack showing BBS wheels that now trade… more»

Stored Since the ’90s: 1970 TVR Vixen

Despite their limited production, vintage TVR models seem to pop up for sale as recent barn find projects with surprising regularity. The 1970 Vixen shown here is like most of them, however, which is to say in incomplete condition… more»

Stored 35 Years: 1977 Datsun 280Z

35 years in the garage! That’s impressive by most any standards, but that’s how long the seller of this 1977 Datsun 280Z claims this project car has been locked up for. The 280Z looks just about perfect as far… more»