Barn Find “Thing”: 1974 Volkswagen Type 181

Who remembers the VW Thing, a 4-door Jeep-like vehicle that was sold in the U.S. for only a couple of years? Inspired by similar military equipment and using existing VW parts and components, the VW Thing has developed something… more»

Dean Martin’s Custom Ride! 1969 Cadillac Eldorado Sport Wagon

My mother was a huge fan of entertainer Dean Martin – and I suppose I am, too. But I didn’t know he was a car guy (though perhaps not to the extent of Jay Leno). He owned all sorts… more»

409 Dual-Quad Project: 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS

After an abbreviated start in 1961, the Chevy Impala SS sold like hotcakes in 1962 thanks to a shift in focus. Style was chosen over muscle in the second year (although you could still put a beast under the… more»

Single-Family Survivor: 1972 Ford LTD Brougham

introduced the LTD in 1965 as an upscale version of the Galaxie 500. It was hugely popular, and Chevy scrambled to unveil the Caprice a few months later. The car would remain the top dog in the Ford Division’s… more»

Hip Levi Edition: 1974 AMC Gremlin X

American Motors, with more narrow pockets than the Big Three, was always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd. The Gremlin was one such effort and a quick way for them to get into the subcompact market… more»

Land or Water Use: 1967 Amphicar 770

The Amphicar 770 was either a car that could also serve as a boat or a boat that could also perform as an automobile. With its unique design, it could travel up to seven knots on water and 70… more»

Barn Find Project: 1972 Plymouth Satellite Sebring

In an unusual move, when Chrysler redesigned their mid-side B-body cars in 1971, they gave the hardtops different sheet metal than the sedans and wagons. The Satellite Sebring was the middle-of-the-road offering during that generation (1971-74), including the seller’s… more»

GTO Wannabe Project? 1965 Pontiac LeMans

After having served as a compact for three years, the Pontiac LeMans was reborn as a mid-size automobile in 1964. The 1965 models were little changed except the cars switched from horizontal to stacked dual headlights. This ’65 LeMans… more»

428 Super Cobra Jet: 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

After the sales bonanza that was 1965 and 1966, Ford Mustang sales began to decline beginning in 1967. That was natural in that serious competition had finally entered the field. To help turn the tide, Ford created the Mach… more»

Model J Project: 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix

Pontiac moved the Grand Prix off the full-size Catalina platform in 1969 to its own new mid-size body and sales more than tripled. It was like a grand touring machine now with a new cockpit-style interior and a 400… more»

Rebuilt 265 V8: 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Sedan

The “Tri-Five” Chevies of the 1950s were some of the most popular cars when new – and that still holds true today. There was no shortage of them as nearly five million copies were produced between 1955 and 1957…. more»

Pole Barn Find: 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7

The Mercury Cougar was one of three new “pony cars” to arrive in 1967. With infrastructure shared with the Ford Mustang, the safe bet was that the Cougar would help Ford Motor Co. stay in control of the new… more»

1 of 150: 1988 Avanti

The Studebaker Avanti is one of the few automobiles to have a second life after being discontinued. The original Avanti ran in the 1963 and 1964 model years only to become a victim of the company’s weak financial position…. more»

4-Wheel-Drive Project: 1963 Dodge Power Wagon

The Power Wagon was Dodge’s medium-duty truck in production from 1945 to 1980. The second generation materialized in 1957 and the ¾-ton four-wheel-drive versions were coded W200 (the 2WD editions were D200). With its roots in wartime production, the… more»

SCCA-Approved: 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302

The Ford Mustang Boss 302 joined the Chevy Camaro Z/28 in SCCA Trans Am racing in 1969 and 1970. With street versions available for sale, Boss 302 production worked out to just 8,253 units in two years. With a… more»

Running 302 V8 Project: 1968 Mercury Cougar

Ford doubled down on its presence in the “pony car” market in 1967 by launching the Cougar over at Mercury. Sharing infrastructure with the popular Mustang, the Cougar was perhaps a bit more stylish and luxurious than its Dearborn… more»

Barn Finds