About Scotty Gilbertson

I've always been a car nut. I drove my parents crazy by calling out cars from the backseat of our '56 Pontiac as a kid, and I never grew out of that. I still do that when I'm in the car by myself now, which I am for 40,000 miles a year as a former architect and now architectural photographer. I love a good road trip and I'm usually on one about 150-200 days a year. I've gravitated toward unusual vehicles in the last decade or so. I love everything related to all vehicles old, new, big, and small, cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles, motorhomes, and boats powered by gas, diesel, hybrid, EV, pedal, etc. Any vehicle that's small and unusual catches my eye, like the CitiCar or Elcar Zagato, but I've recently switched from cars to motorcycles for the most part. I'm of the school of thought that any real car guy or gal can appreciate any vehicle, even if they personally have no interest in it at all.

Rust-Free Two-Stroke Project: 1967 Saab 95

A French gentleman named Nicholas Cugnot is said to have been the first to have successfully used front-wheel drive on a vehicle – a steam-powered three-wheeler – in 1769, almost 200 years before this 1967 Saab 95 was made…. more»

17K-Mile Barn Find: 1993 Dodge Dakota Sport 4×4

Looking appropriately Barn Find’y, the seller lists this 1993 Dodge Dakota Sport 4×4 pickup as an actual barn find. That’s all they say about it, their description doesn’t give any ownership history, although clicking on the vehicle history report… more»

Upgraded Engine: 1961 Ford Falcon Ranchero

The 1961 Ford Falcon Ranchero was touted in Ford brochures as being “America’s lowest-priced pickup”, and having “New economy . . . up to 30 miles per gallon!” Low price and high mpg, that’s a hard combo to beat,… more»

Rust-Free Oregon Car: 1978 Mercury Zephyr

The seller of this beautiful 1978 Mercury Zephyr says that it’s a West Coast car and they bought it out of Oregon, which I think is the best place in the U.S. to find preserved, not rusted, not sunburnt… more»

1968 Plymouth Fury III Convertible Project

I think this is primer, isn’t it? I don’t think this is a faded Mary Kay version of the 1968 Plymouth Fury III Convertible. A beautiful and spot-on-for-the-era Avocado Green color is shown under the hood, so it must… more»

One-Year Wonder: 1979 Chrysler 300

A hot rod luxury car isn’t what I think of when I think of the Chrysler 300 series of cars, but I guess they really were. Most manufacturers offer luxurious, sporty, and even downright fast cars – at those… more»

Update: 1970 Mercury Cyclone GT 429 V8

UPDATE – This 1970 Mercury Cyclone GT is listed for sale again after it was featured in February of 2022 here on Barn Finds and had no takers. The same seller has it posted here on craigslist in Golden,… more»

Two-Owner 1973 Ford Galaxie 500 Country Sedan

For three short years, 1972, 1973, and 1974, Ford marketed these gigantic station wagons as the Ford Galaxie 500 Country Sedan. The following year they became part of the LTD family. I really like the look of this “base… more»

Vietnam Ammunition Vehicle: 1962 Dodge M37

Most of us have a dream garage, or at least a master wish list of vehicles we’d like to own. Two of mine would be a Kaiser Jeep M715 and another military truck like this 1962 Dodge M37. There’s… more»

Cyclops, T-Tops, Jump Seats! 1982 Subaru BRAT

We’ve seen many examples of this unusual and cool little 4×4 by Subaru in the past, and some features are often asked about. Well, this one has them all. Disclaimer: the BRAT here doesn’t have actual t-tops, but flip-up… more»

Cheap Wagon: 1978 AMC Pacer D/L Wagon

You can’t get much for $2,000 anymore, at least as far as buying an entire functioning vehicle goes. It hardly covers a medium-sized service visit these days let alone getting a whole car. The seller has this 1978 AMC… more»

Golden Nugget Edition: 1984 Mazda GLC LX

We don’t know if this 1984 Mazda GLC LX “Golden Nugget” edition was a giveaway related to the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas or where that name came from. Maybe one of you will know the history of… more»

JDM Folding Scooter: 1983 Honda Motocompo

We’ve seen a few of these unusual Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Honda Motocompo folding motorcycles here on Barn Finds over the last few years. Maybe not as many as Corvettes, Mustangs, or other muscle cars, but those seem to… more»

Museum Quality: 1960 Harley-Davidson Topper

“Gentle as a billowy cloud” isn’t the first thing I think of when I think of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but a vintage ad touts the ride quality of the 1960 Harley-Davidson as being just that, billowy. The Topper is an… more»

Original Owner! 1984 Plymouth Turismo Duster

While not the top dog in the Plymouth Turismo lineup, this 1984 Plymouth Turismo Duster was still a “spirited” performer for the times. A five-speed manual makes it fun to drive, even with just under 100 horsepower on tap…. more»

Update: 1959 King Midget Model 3

UPDATE – This tiny, tired time capsule 1959 King Midget Model 3 is listed for sale again after it was featured last February here on Barn Finds. The same seller has it posted here on eBay in Turlock, California… more»

Barn Finds