Oddballs

Early Rat Rod: 1941 Crosley Convertible Sedan

Crosleys are tempting palettes for customization. They don’t cost a lot, and they’re tiny – so creating a new vision won’t break your back. Over sixty years ago, someone had the same thought about this 1941 Crosley Convertible Sedan,… more»

DIY Pickup: 1951 Kaiser “El Camino”

At first glance, this Kaiser looks like it may have once been a Manhattan sedan. But that nameplate didn’t move over from sister company Frazer until 1952. So, this 1951 Kaiser probably started life as a Special or Deluxe… more»

Half Car/Half Motorcycle – 1972 Subaru/Honda

The Subaru 360 was a Japanese microcar that found little success in the U.S. in the 1970s. And at about the same time, Honda’s motorcycle business was taking off in the States. The seller ended up with one of… more»

Formidable Project: 1957 Goliath 1100 Kombi

The story of Goliath is the story of Carl Borgward, a German industrialist who levered the circumstance of bankruptcy declared by Hansa-Lloyd by merging it into his own enterprise in the mid-1920s. By 1929, the company was making cars… more»

Airplane Engine! 1971 Allis-Chalmers Terra Tiger

Put on your thinking caps, it’s quiz time here at Barn Finds University. Howard, no spitballs! Ok, name a six-wheel-drive vehicle that floats, has an airplane engine, and is “dangerously fast”. Oh yeah, and one that has basically no… more»

Oddball Assortment: Mercury Capri Collection

The Mercury Capri is one of those cars that seemingly had the hallmarks for becoming an enthusiast favorite but never quite ascended beyond mild cult status. Intended to become a formidable opponent to the Mazda Miata, it had the… more»

5-Speed Project: 1981 DeLorean DMC-12

DeLoreans have seemingly weathered multiple storms in the collector car industry without issue and they almost always appear sought-after even in rough shape. This is a DMC-12 with the preferred manual gearbox that is described as a project the… more»

Welsh Dragon: 1971 Gilbern Invader Mk II

Gilbern was founded in 1959 by Giles Smith and Bernard Friese in Wales, spurred by Friese’s desire to create a few race cars for weekends. To this day Gilbern remains the only commercial automaker ever birthed in Wales. The… more»

Wedge in the Barn: 1988 Subaru XT Turbo

As some longer-term readers may recall, I owned a 1988 Subaru XT6 for a brief period. It was brief because the car was hilariously bad; it was a loser of a project in every way. That said, I still… more»

Customized V8 Ride! 1950 Nash

Nash Motors was around from 1916 to 1954, at which time it acquired Hudson Motor Car to become American Motors. In 1949, they introduced the Airflyte whose design was based upon aerodynamics much like the Chrysler Airflows of the… more»

1 of 0: 1970 Plymouth Barracuda

If Plymouth ever decided to build an E-body Barracuda as a 4-door sedan, this is what it may have looked like. This is a “one-of-none” creation, using the shell of a 1972 Dodge Coronet sedan and some custom fabrication… more»

Something Different! 1993 Mitsuoka Viewt

Some cars attract attention because of their stunning beauty and desirability. Others achieve that feat because they’re, well, different. The 1993 Mitsuoka Viewt falls into the second category and is not a car most people will take seriously. It… more»

Shorty Lakewood: 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Wagon

We’ve seen numerous “shorty” conversions over the years, whereby a vehicle is chopped down significantly to yield a model that looks the same as the production variant, just with a much shorter wheelbase. The seller’s car is an unusual… more»

Short Circuit: Johnny 5 is Headed to Auction!

Like classic cars, movie memorabilia is enjoying growing popularity. The right pieces can fetch staggering prices, and when I saw this beauty, I knew it deserved an article. Short Circuit was a 1986 sci-fi/fantasy movie, and its primary props… more»

Original Paint: 64k Mile 1974 Volkswagen Thing

Lately, I’ve seen an uptick in interest in the weird and wonderful VW Thing. This is purely subjective, but I’ve spotted more in the flesh in the past two years than I can recall any time prior. In fact,… more»

5-Speed Turbo Minivan! 1989 Plymouth Voyager

Here’s a vehicle that was highly sought after for a spell and has seemingly been forgotten about all over again. The famous Turbo Minivan, and not only that, but one with a stick shift. Chrysler was dropping turbos into… more»

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