Hearing the term “car crazy” can bring several different ideas to mind, everything from a passionate interest in a particular make or model of vehicle to hoarding to flipping. But when it comes to 84 years young Gary Kuchar, his obsession with cars began as a little kid watching his mom fix up an old pedal car for him, and from then on he was hooked, or car crazy as some might say, just in a really good sort of way. While he was always looking for cars to buy even before the days of the web, it was the internet that really piqued his interest enough to buy a trailer and begin hauling old rides from all over the US to his home in the hills of South Dakota. However, he has decided the time has come for his 73 treasures to find new homes, and each one of them is up for grabs in an online auction here at VanDerBrink Auctions LLC. With a collection of this magnitude, there’s truly something for just about everybody.
Barn Finds would like to thank reader numskal for bringing this massive assortment of vehicles to our attention! There’s a good variety of cars from different eras here to choose from, such as this 1959 Jaguar Mark 9 4-Door Sedan. Although it is said to have been running when it was parked, the 6-cylinder dual overhead cam engine is not currently functioning, but the car does appear to be fairly complete overall and might be a good project for those looking for a vintage Jag to restore.
If you’re more in the market for a classic that is still running and driving, this 1955 Ford Thunderbird Roadster may be a good car to check out. It’s an older restoration from about a decade ago, but judging from the photos this is still one nice-looking vintage T-Bird. The 292 V8 is said to currently be running rich and could use some carb adjustments, but it looks like with a little TLC this one could be a daily driver without too much effort.
Another older restoration is this 1971 AMC Javelin AMX, and although it has not run recently it is said to have been running when it was parked a couple of years ago. This green-on-green beast was a drag racer in Salt Lake City until Gary brought it to South Dakota and restored it, and it’s equipped with a 401 topped with an Edelbrock 4-Barrel. This one may be another car that could be back on the road without a lot of headaches,
One of the older offerings is this 1930 Graham-Paige 4-Door Sedan. The company wasn’t in business for very many years and ceased automobile production back in 1940, so these cars are kind of hard to find. This one is another older restoration and features two-tone blue paint, although the car looks like it’s about ready for another respray. The 6-cylinder is stated to have been running when it was parked but not recently.
There’s so much more to be seen that we can’t possibly hit on them all, but this 1973 Datsun Z Car is hard to miss in the yard with its lime green finish. It’s listed as a 280Z but I think they meant 240Z, and it’s another project car that ran when parked. Bidding on this and all other vehicles ends on October 21st, so there’s still plenty of time to check them all out and see if one of these rides is a good match for you! There’s also a walk-through YouTube video that shows quite a bit of the collection. What are some of the cars you found most interesting in Gary’s accumulation?
Too bad so much of this had to sit outside. For me, I found the 1934 DeSoto Airflow and the 1961 Dodge Phoenix to be the most interesting.
It’s just a shame to see these “collections” out in the elements, under trees. Better than a junkyard, I suppose, but not by much.
Glad they are all (hopefully) going to new homes. It seems like hardly any are operable and all will require extensive work.
I found a couple I’m interested in now have to price out transport costs
don’t forget the costs of getting them pulled out to that transport truck…..that’s gotta be a bit of an obstacle as well, because the transport truck most likely wont be able to get in there to load from it’s resting spot :-(
That’s the problem I am having trying to get me father’s ’82 Chevy crew cab from NC to NJ. It’s been sitting under a loft on the far back side of the property for 12 years not running and I have to find a way to get it to the driveway for a transporter to pick it up.
Glen,
I’ve dealt with similar situations from running a restoration shop and buying/selling hundreds of vehicles over the last 40 years. First thing to do is make sure the tires hold air. If not, jack the truck up, pull the wheels off, and have some new or used tires installed. If the tires have sunk into the dirt, try to dig out dirt from in front of the tires to make it easier to pull the truck out.
If the location is fairly rural, you might want to talk with some local farmers. If you are willing to give them a little cash, most farmers will be glad to bring their tractor and tow chains over.
You can also contact a local tow truck operator and arrange for them to bring the truck out to the driveway during a time/date when they are traditionally slow.
Most farmers and towers are happy to pick up some quick cash during slow times.
I sold an identical Jag Mk 9 to the Dakotas about 1984, and I’m pretty sure this car is the same one. At that time it was a running and driving car, a very nice original car. It’s LHD and has the rare bench seat. Has power steering & brakes, and the Borg-Warner automatic. Also has the locking magazine compartment in the back between the picnic tables. The car even had the complete tool kit inside the door.
I suspect this car [if it’s the same] will be an easy vehicle to put back on the road. IIRC, it only has about 60k miles, and was sold new at Manhattan Auto in Bethesda, MD. I bought it from the original owner, a local doctor.
Kind of sad to see it in this condition.
Bill, it breaks my heart to know the condition the Mark IX was in when you owned it versus what it has become. I own a Mark IX with the bench seat that has never been badly abused and I finished restoring ( all 50 veneered wood pieces included). Mine was comparatively simple to restore. I can’t imagine the work to bring this one back. If it goes for $5K, maybe worth it. Hope the toolkit is still in the doors. That’s almost $2K now by itself.
John,
Judging by the general look of the interior, I suspect the car was not driven much after it left my shop, and at that time it was just a low mileage 25 year old used car. As for the tool kit, it even had the Kismet tire gauge! It was a shame that back then very few people wanted any old Jaguar 4-door, especially the cars built before the XJ6.
If I wasn’t in my 70s and still had a workshop, I would probably bid on the car, as I know it has ‘good bones’.
Interesting collection. Everything ran when it was parked, BTW. That means nothing for a car that has been setting for decades.
This reminds me of a youtube video I saw of a guy in Tennessee going through someone’s land with hundreds of cars out in the elements.
The 240Z is at $650 with 25 days to go.
Interesting collection. The 240Z and the Fiat 124 look to be good candidates for restoration. I would need to see underneath before I bid.
I see a few choice cars there, the Javelin, the 2+2 Mustang, the 55 Bel Air, the Corvair convertible, maybe the Jag IX and one or two others.
That 61 Fury convertible brings back some childhood memories for me. A neighbor was a Plymouth dealer, and his wife had a black with red interior 61 Fury convertible. Their son and I got quite a few rides in that car. I don’t remember his mother ever having another convertible, and we moved away three years later. But I still have fond memories of riding around in that convertible in the summer of 61.
The car they’re calling an “Austin Bantam” is actually a British Austin Seven. Though mechanically similar, the Bantam was made in Butler PA, and used a body unique to the American Austins.
Butler PA home of the Bantom Jeep. And the Bantom Jeep Festival
Currently live there.
That Javelin is the one! I’ll closely watch it…
With luck and cash, it’ll find a new home here!
so, i guess Gary Kuchar is a horder !
As another reader wrote better this than a junkyard but really ?
A plastic cover on the ground and some styrofoam will do wonders to save a car on the cheap …
dang, the Fiat and the Corvair interest me, but dang appt only to see the vehicles, then after online only bidding, you have to most likely have a 4wd of some kind to facilitate removal from the property….a bit too much for me, as I am on the east coast……
That doesn’t make sense. I wouldn’t bid on them until I could see underneath for rust. And you also have to factor in the transportation.
Here’s video of a place much worse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4d1bbHrk44&t=777s
Parked on grass. Does wonders for the frame.
The ’46 Lincoln 4 door sedan looks like the queen of the crop. Inside and out. And you will not see another one at cars and coffee. Of course it is a ’37 Zephyr with different body panels and trim, and mechaically pretty antiquated by ’46. It is not just a big car, it is gigantic compared to a Camry, but not an Escalade. The V12 had problems but the post WWII ones were better. If I were not 1500 miles away, and had a place to put it – our HOA does not allow outside storage of much, and I already have my 4Runner outside, I would buy it.
😅ran when parked 😅
Loving the Hiawatha bicycle.
Gosh what a collection. It’s sad to see that so many have sat outside so long, but the 66 Fastback and the 46 Lincoln do look like they were maybe not left outside and are in better condition.
Yvette will make those cars go away in fashion…
That’s so true, she will see they all go to a new home.
I knew you folks would find something you could save, if I wasn’t 1500+ miles away I would be on some of these too!
I knew you folks would find something you could save, if I wasn’t 1500+ miles away I would be on some of these too!
The Javelin is also listed on Hemmings: https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/amc/javelin/2622099.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=saved_search
Once travelled from SoCal to Hudson Bay to check out ’59 Cadillac Eldo Biarritz for a client! There were about 75 Old Cadillacs in amongst the trees! Customer bought the supposedly restored car, shipped it and we made it in to a California quality car.
Putting a car on blocks to prevent frame from contacting the ground is a tried and true way of preventing rust and rot of the cars frame. Allowing the tires to deflate and letting frame hit the ground is never a good idea.