This is one of 2020’s more challenging Barn Finds assignments, the kind that’s hard to peel away once you’ve seen it. The seller has made a posting on Craigslist with 24 photos and some terse descriptions of some of the cars in this one-price-takes-all year-end sale. Seller qualifies the collection, though, as “subject to change any day,” and stresses that no individual car may be plucked out of the collection for separate sale. We have organized the inventory for your viewing into three categories: (i) cars that have a photo and a few words of write-up; (ii) those cars that have photos but no written description; and (iii) the category we’ll call “But Wait, There May Be More.” Look for yourself here on craigslist, this conglomeration is found in Buena Vista, Michigan (close to Saginaw). Thanks for the tip goes to Dan Sokolowski.
Most recognizable immediately to pique enthusiasts’ interests (and also the best photo of the lot) is the orange 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible, above. It is a nicely patinaed ’57 Chevy Bel Air convertible, and that’s all we know. Little or no description is given as to the current drivetrain of the cars, whether each is running or not, and with rare exception, there is only one photo of each car.
[Blurry] This is a 1948 Cadillac #62 Convertible, nothing further provided.
A 1948 Chevy Fleetline with a 292 cu in inline 6-cylinder engine, 4 wheel disc brakes, Mustang II front suspension.
A 1961 Bubble Top Impala–not sure about the glass. Included in the sale is another 1961 2-door car maybe for parting to make the two cars into one finished project?
1966 Chevy Impala Fastback, 454 bored out to 461 mated to a Turbo 400 trans, four-wheel disc brakes, and fog lights. Nice wheels and skins. No patina and it looks. . .nice.
1978 Chevy Malibu Wagon with a 454 engine (may not be in it just now), headers, cam, Edelbrock aluminum intake 4 barrel carburetor, Turbo 350 transmission, PosiTraction rear end with 4.10:1 gears. Not the Family Truckster.
A 1964 Olds Cutlass Convertible with a 330 V-8 engine and fog lights.
A 1969 Olds 98(?) with a 455 and a drop-top. Looks like a good parade car.
A 1978 Cadillac Seville with California plates.
A 1964 Pontiac GTO, 389 330-hp engine, 4-speed, power convertible top.
Next, we step into the lesser-known because although photos were provided in the posting of these lots, there are no mentions or descriptions of the car/truck in the photos to know whether it really is part of the package or not. This happens to be one of the more interesting inclusions in the “Photos but No Written Description” category:
Guessing it is a cool 1936(?) LaSalle looking to be pretty complete for its 84 years on the planet. Discussion on each of these unmentioned cars would be cheap if the iron is still there when you visit (and you’d just have to see this collection for yourself) in Michigan.
This GM truck is included in the photos–no further information. Nice if it were in the “package.”
This photo was included in the post with no comments by Seller. It would be most handy to have this for moving all these cars around. No idea whether it is part of the sale, or not.
Nice mid-60s Buick Skylark(?) Convertible–no mention.
Mercedes Flagship Sedan–picture, but nothing else.
Late 60s Olds, nothing but this image. And there are several more 70s Chevys thrown in–hot roddable? Maybe.
We move to the “But Wait There’s More” category with Seller’s mention in the Craigslist posting concerning a real estate transaction as part of the bigger deal: it’s about a house that comes with the collection for $750.00 per month rent:
This might be the house. Can’t say whether the burgundy Suburban is part of the package. Titles for all cars are said to be “clean.” Yes. Well, add it all up and there you are. It’s impressive to own enough cars to populate a good-sized used car lot. Realize someone has spent a considerable part of their life and has exerted enormous effort putting this array of cars and trucks together–no doubt for a pretty good reason that’s not completely expressed on Craigslist. But this is a lifetime of projects–maybe two lifetimes–with an inexpensive rental house and even a tire balancing machine–all this can be yours for $185,000 + the $750 a month rent. One hundred eighty-five thousand smackers. Set yourself up in a new career for the New Year!
With great respect, we wish the Happiest of New Years to our Barn Find readers and to each car owner we write about – thank you. Thanks to our diligent tipsters like Dan S. Hey, all: Make it a good 2021!
Wow! This has to qualify as one of the most interesting finds this year. There’s lots of good stuff here. Honestly, the price isn’t crazy. The real estate is likely just a bonus. If anyone lives near this find, and could take it on, it seems lucrative. Again, there are many viable cars here. They just want to move it as one lot. Great opportunity for a buyer close by.
Amazing find!
Go to the original
Post on craigslist,
Saginaw, Michigan
There are sorts of conditions (strange conditions) which might make the “buyer beware”
And if you buy them all today fog lights are free
Famous butchered SNL line:
“I have a fever! and the only thing that will cure it is. . .” more fog lamps.
–Quote attributed to Christopher Walken
Mike, Russ got this one on Nov 28th. Happy New Year.
Sorry, it just popped up in the Tip Feed bin for assignment, and a duplication probably helps the chap out–so very sorry, Russ, for the do-over–no malfeasance intended– and sorry you had to suffer through it again, Racer-X.
Happy New Year!
The “LaSalle” is a 1936 Buick
Thanks, John.
Need more help with the identifications, so thanks for any that our readers can provide.
Also, when you guys visit the Craigslist posting, please see if there are any other “gems” that I did not bring to BF readers’ attention in that “collection.”
Looks to be a 68 Oldsmobile 98 4 door and I think a 66 89 convertible. Crazy deal at right price.
If I lived within 100 miles of this it would be mine . I see one helluva deal . Someone inherited it and is looking to dump it as easily as possible . JMO .
$185K for all of the cars, AND the house?
Eh, sounds like one heck of a deal to me, unless the house is a rat-infested, condemned structure with an overdue tax bill and a lien for more than the land value…
Is the seller proposing to rent back the house after the sale? The language of the ad was somewhat ambiguous but a sale with ‘rent-back’ option is not unheard of.
I think the seller is claiming that the new buyer could get $750 per month rent out of the house. I’m not sure it’s a lease back from the seller.
No THE HOUSE IS NOT INCLUDED. It says quite clearly: 4 the cars. But you can rent the house for $750.
In my humble opinion.
So they want 185k for the cars but you can rent the house for an extra 750.00 per month. I don’t see that lot of cars being worth anywhere near 185k maybe 1 thousand per car plus the house. There are only 1 or 2 cars in the lot that i like and i would send the rest to the salvage yard to be crushed.
This is about 25-30 miles from where I live. Gold mine I didn’t know about.