UPDATE 11/29/13 – The owner of the huge stash of cars got spooked, so Liam has asked us to pull down all the photos. We have complied and included some of the cars Liam was able to rescue before this unfortunate turn of events.
FROM 11/13/13 – Barn Finds reader Liam W. has been very busy lately. He recently discovered a massive stash of cars in the UK and has been busy buying and selling them on to people who can save them. Like us, he wants to get as many old cars back on the road as possible. Many of the cars are outdoors and overgrown with vegetation, but some are parked inside. Sadly, the owner of the collection is reluctant to let many of them go. Liam has been able to convince him to let a few go though and is going to keep trying.
Many of these cars are in very rough shape and probably only good for parts, but there are a number that are worth saving. The owner is currently facing the possibility of losing his land to developers, so any of the cars left will be crushed. Liam has been trying his hardest to find new homes for them, but the owner won’t relinquish some of the more desirable cars, claiming that he is planning to restore them someday.
Since this found was made in the UK, we would assume that most of the cars were European, but there are actually a number of American cars, including several Corvettes and a few Cadillacs. The Corvettes are among the cars that Liam has already tried to wrangle away from the owner, but unfortunately it is on his long list of cars to restore someday.
We spotted some interesting stuff including a few Barkas vans that were supposedly used in a James Bond film. We are not sure about that claim, but there is quite a variety of cars here. Ice cream trucks, Police vehicles, and even a Power Wagon are in the mix. We even saw a Ferrari in there. It probably isn’t real, but given the smorgasbord of cars found here, we wouldn’t be too surprised.
Hopefully the owner will have some compassion and let the rarer cars go. We would much rather see these cars parted out than used for scrap metal, but that is likely what will end up happening to many of them. Don’t let this happen to you guys! Be realistic. If you don’t have the resources to save a car, let someone who does.
Liam is going to keep trying and is going to keep us updated on his progress. We want to thank Liam for sharing his find with us and we wish him the best of luck with his endeavor. Are there any cars here you might be interested in saving? Let us know in the comments below and maybe Liam will be able to get more information for you.
UPDATE – Here are a few of the cars that Liam was able to save before the owner found our post. He does not want to be bothered by fortune seekers or the press so he has since cut all ties with Liam. That is too bad because there were some interesting finds in there and Liam was dedicated to saving them without much regard to profit.
1958 Morris Oxford Traveller
This is a very rare car, it is a: 1958 Morris Oxford Traveller Estate IV; 1500cc engine, column change manual transmission. It was buried up to its sills in places as can be seen in the photos, covered in moss, mud, leaves etc. etc. It is believed to have been there since the early/mid 80’s, some 25+ years! I was told it was seized solid when I bought it. I got it home, uncovered all the years of woodland camouflage from it, including all the nests under the back seat from whatever wildlife had been living in it. Remarkably, I put air in the tires to pull it out and transport it home, and 4 weeks later, all 4 tires still have the air in them! The car has suffered very badly with rot, Morris being a British car manufacturer, is not exactly known for the quality of its metal used in car construction, so to find the car in any condition other than rotten, would have been a miracle.
Once I had cleaned the car off, I decided to look at it mechanically. The engine felt tight when I tried to turn it by hand, so I removed the starter motor and the spark plugs, and poured some WD40 in the ports, and allowed it to soak for a few days. When I came back to it a few days later, I put the cranking handle on it, and it turned over so easily, such a great feeling! I have since cleaned and replaced the plugs, likewise with the points, I repaired a few damaged wires, including the coil wire, and I now have the car turning over. It wants to fire, it is basically there, but the battery I have ran down in the end. I now have it on charge overnight, so I am confidant that this old car will be running tomorrow! I will keep you updated, and will submit a few short videos to you if they might interest you, of it starting for the first time in many years.
The inside of the car looked like a scene from Arachnophobia when I opened the doors! I have never seen cobwebs and spiders like it, nothing like you guys get in the US, but still a pretty impressive collection living in there! I will submit a few more photos of the car tomorrow, now that it has been washed, glass cleaned, and seats dried out and cleaned of all the damp. It will be on eBay in the next day or 2. I did have it on there a week or so ago, but it never made reserve. I hope this time round, now that it is cleaned up further, and running, it will sell to someone who will restore it.
1959 Ford Zephyr Hot Rod
This one is a 1959 Ford Zephyr MK2. It would have originally had a 2.6 straight-six engine, but at some point in its life it was converted to a Hot Rod, and fitted with a 3.5 litre Rover V8 aluminum engine, auto trans, and Mustang axle. It has large turbovec style rims on the rear, and Cragar style front wheels. This car had been off the road for some 15 years, and had quite literally sat in a bush! It was parked alongside another Zephyr. The bush was not there when the cars were parked, but had grown around them over the years.
Remarkably this car was not seized, with both engine and trans free. I sold this car a few days ago to its very happy new owner, who will be restoring the bodywork on the car, making it safe to use, but he will not be painting it. It will remain with its ‘rat rod look’ which will be quite intimidating. It will stay as a Hot Rod, but at least it has been saved, and is now on its way to recovery, and being put back on the road ready for next summer!
1960 Ford Zephyr
Here is the other Ford Zephyr that was in the same bush as the V8 Zephyr. This one is a 1960 model, and has an interesting story as it has appeared on TV. I think you will like this story….
You will no doubt be more than familiar with Eddie Cochran, who sadly died in 1960 in the UK. He had played his last gig as part of his UK tour, at the ‘Bristol Hippodrome’ (not far from where I live coincidentally) and was in a taxi on his way to the airport to catch his flight that would have taken him back home to the USA. Sadly, due to the dangerous driving of the cab driver, they hit a lamp post and Eddie was killed. (The cab driver was later charged with manslaughter and served several years in jail).
In 2001 the previous owner of this car was asked by BBC TV to provide a car for a remake of Eddie’s life story and last journey. (The previous owner at the time was involved in supplying cars for various TV shoots, hence the request). Now the car that Eddie was killed in, was a 1960 Ford Consul, so that is what was requested, but at the time of filming, a 1960 Consul could not be located, so it was suggested instead that a 1960 Ford Zephyr be used instead, as these were basically the same car, and to the untrained eye, it would not be a problem. The basic obvious differences were the front grill being different, and the rear lights being longer.
So the Zephyr was chosen, and painted the same color as the Taxi that Eddie was carried in. The interior was also replaced, and new brakes fitted, along with a new Ford crate engine. The car was debadged, and was then ready for filming. Filming took place in and around the Bristol area of the UK, with the car covering no more than 50-60 miles for the filming. Straight after filming, it was driven back to the owners house (2001) and parked alongside the V8 Zephyr which had been there since 1998 and both were then forgotten about, and not moved again until I bought them a few weeks ago. Since then, a large bush had grown around them, but sadly this was not photographed by the previous owner prior to pulling the cars out.
The MkI minis are well worth restoring
That micro car’s an odd little thing!
The micro car is a ‘Heinkel’, and I was set to buy it, but it got snatched from under me as I was 1 day too late! never mind, at least it got saved by someone, that’s what counts, not who saves them!
The red Mini is interesting to me, especially if it’s a small tail-light Mk1. I’d be fascinated to know if that’s for sale and if so, how much for.
Hi, sadly the red Mini is not for sale. I have tried a few times now and been turned down. I am trying for the other 2 outside though, although in bad condition, they are worth saving.
OK, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Sorry if you’ve already covered it, but where does he stand on the gold Sting Ray?
something for almost everyone. even the ones that can not be saved should have a few hard to find parts to give up. this is why we all are looking. i hope it all works out. i wonder if this was a junk yard at one time. a great find.
It was never a junk yard, simply one families collection over many years which got a bit out of control as you can see, and yes, many many good parts out there. For example, the 2 Cadillac Limousines that have rotten so badly the roof’s have fallen inside, and the doors have literally fallen off, but I uncovered the front grille from one of them under decades of leaves in the woods, and placed it on top of the car, and it is in excellent condition, including the chrome. It seems that some of the parts get preserved better if hidden under leaves and moss, whilst others just rot away!
the vans look like ones in ” the spy who loved me “
I think these were used in Golden eye. I know they were used in one of Pierce Brosnans first Bond movies, and I know Golden eye had a Russian influence in the movie, so I believe that was the movie they were used in, but awaiting confirmation. What I can say is though, that these he has sold……..to me! : ) And just as soon as he can get them out for me, I will get them home, and try and place them with new homes from there.
Depending upon his age, He may have made the right moves! if he has a limited number of years of decent health and the money, he has cars to enrich the rest of his life while selling everything he isn’t in love with at a PROFIT!
I’m also an old car nut that has too many to do in the maybe 10 years left I’ll be able to wrench on them. I also am selling them off like he. In the last 6 months, 14 collector cars have gone to those who want them, these include Aston Martin DB-2. Lagonda 2.6, XK-120, 100-4’s, MG-A, etc. The new owners are happy as am I!
I’m glad to not see some of your readers pissing and moaning about the hoarder!
If it wasn’t for hoarders, we wouldn’t have any good barn finds like this to talk about! If you decide to sell off anything else Michael, please let us know.
Wow, nice cars Michael, would love to see photos of those, Liam
Exactly what I am looking to restore…an XK or MGA or may be big Healey or pr…I have a garage full of kit but nothing to rebuild
“bush find thing” is a munga,it looks like a Goliath,but I think its a DKW Munga
Michael Rogers, let me be the first, I’ll bitch about them being hoarders!
We have a couple hoarders on the family (by marriage) and its not pleasant. People that hoard don’t just hoard one thing, its everything. His family has lived with piles of stuff, filth and irrational behavior for most of if not their entire lives.
They always leave the mess to someone else to clean up, usually someone who doesn’t care about their “stuff”. Often said person was greatly effected by the hoarder and thus their stuff is discarded, sold for cheap or worse. Its not pretty.
So no, I’ve little sympathy for people like this. Long ago someone should have taken away the credit card and checkbook so they couldn’t buy on a whim. Its the only way to control the affliction that works (that I know of).
Good luck on your quest Toby, I wish you well.
Thank you Bryan
I don’t get this.
Who appointed you a miserable inheritor who hates hoarders.
Let the county or state come in, and bulldoze it all.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY OF IT.
Just reject the inheritance and walk away !
….and stop b**ching if you don’t
Bryan, I’m glad you spoke up before I did. To any defense though of Hoarders, they live outside their emotions where the rest of us live inside. This is why its so hard to get them to let go of anything. The collection of stuff matters only to them because their “stuff” is anchored in their mind. Getting them to change their mind or how they think goes a long way for them to let go. It however takes less time for a car to return to the dust then it does for a hoarder to change their mind it seems.
OK–So there’s one example of an extreme collector, There’s another “Hoarder” nearby, he has at least ten corvettes GASP!! they are stacked one above another–on 4 post hoists and are CONCOURSE!
of course he hoards other things–model vettes, and lots of “junk”–vett parts. what a shame!
The county inspector came in a few years ago and the gal instructed me to clean up my junk–Healeys, Jags, parts etc. They couldn’t be seen from the street etc.
Right now here in Calif, they’ll pay you $1500 for your functional car so they can smash it and NOT allow anyone to get any parts! Gotta get those old cars off the roads or back yards–Much more taxes for new ones!
I am curious as to the year of the Corvette and the story behind it.
Quite a find.
Not sure exactly bud, but will ask when I next see him…
Isn’t that green stuff on some of the cars what they call “patina”?
No, the green stuff is moss… Out of all that rust, the only thing I see worth saving are the Jeeps. A Jeepster, a couple of military versions, but the RHD CJ6 should be ultra rare!
how old is the gentleman that owns all these cars
In his 60’s…
what is the deal with the old chevy pick up and the jeep would be interested in information on those
The blue Chevy pick up is for sale, I believe he is asking in the region of £8500 for it, it is a runner and despite the patina, it is solid.
That Corvette is really a sight!
I’d imagine it to be even rarer in the UK by a stretch.
It’s certainly not something you see here everyday, but that said, the American car scene in the UK is huge, it always has been. You will always see plenty of old school Vettes here at the summer shows. I have a few American cars in my collection too, but no Vettes! By the way, there are no less than 3 of those Corvettes in the woods, 2 I have found, the 3rd still eludes me at the moment, so I suspect it has been eaten by one of those Willys Jeeps or somethin….I will update the photo list with more cars as and when I can….
…
Liam, I wish there was a way to see these cars being discussed here that are no longer available to see.
Hi I would be interested in the Vw split screens especially the yellow caravan back one
The caravan back splitty I was actually after for myself, but sadly I missed that on the same day I missed the Heinkel bubble car, as the same guy bought both, a friend of his, so he got there before me…
Great find, let’s hope the owner lets a few go. Any vW’s in the collection?
Several VW’s there, several Beetles but all pretty rough to be honest, but tons of good Beetle spares in there. A VW Trekker which I have secured to sell as soon as he can get it down off the rack for me, and about 6-7 various types of Bay Window campers in various conditions. The very first car I pulled out of there and have now sold, was the green ’67 VW type 3 fastback, which I had running within 20 minutes of getting it home, after 10+ years sat sleeping. its a great feeling when you get them firing up for the first time in years!
Love the Barki ! I run one as a light load van -excellent. Would be really interested in anything Eastern ..
Shout if you want to.
The 3 Barkas vans in the barn I have secured to sell as soon as he can get them out for me. There is another one in the woods, and several Trabants in the barn, and a rare Trabant estate/station wagon outside. Also some sort of Eastern European SUV type vehicle in the barn.
theres at least 2 I would be interested in saving. where abouts is this? I would love a look.
Its in the Midlands near Birmingham, but that’s as much as I will say for obvious reasons. He does not want people knocking on his door as he will not entertain them, and naturally I also need to respect his wishes and protect its location.
I really want that little ZAZ 966 that is on the rack next to the orange Lada Riva. Come to think of it…I want the Lada too! Also…Is that a blue Moskvitch 412 next to the Lada? As much as I absolutely LOVE Soviet vehicles, I have to wonder why they were stored inside when more desirable cars like the Corvette were left to rot outside. It seems to be a rather odd collection of stuff too. Where else would you find a Plymouth Volare and a Morris Oxford (later known as the Hindustan Ambassador) in the same spot as a Heinkel? It makes me wish I could go there on vacation!
I will find out exactly which ones are for sale and get prices on them soon. There are 2 Plymouths in the barn, both with my name on them as soon as he can get them out for me. Both have appeared on TV, the black one in a major Batman movie and the red and white ragtop was in a UK TV series called ‘Only fools and horses’, and can be seen on you tube.
I’m looking for a Lada is this one for sale?
Hi Lee, yes it is, I will get a price as soon as I next speak with the owner. There are a few Ladas for sale, and also Trabants. I will get prices for all when I can. I am limited on time with the guy as he lives so far away from me, and is always busy, so any time with him I have to plan well in advance. Liam
Lets hope the owner lets a few go. Any VW’s in the stash likely to be for sale? The trekker would be cool to get back on the road. (and the yellow split with the weird conversion on the back!
Hi Scoops, please see comment further up re VW availability, thank you, Liam
Thanks Liam, would be interested in the price of the trekker, and possibly the white 1500 beetle. Any more pics of the yellow bay?
Wanted – gearbox and steering column linkage for 1952 Sunbeam Talbot MK11 and Rear Seat Arm Rests.
Hi peter, I will ask for you when I next see him in case he can help. I am going to a big classic car show and autojumble tomorrow, so iIwill ask around there for you also, and if I should get lucky, I will obtain details for you, Liam
Thanks Liam. Pete.
Hi Liam, I gave you the wrong email address, sorry. Pete.
SAP212G looks saveable too
there seem to be a few jeeps in there which would be of interest to me, are they still for sale?? if so how much?
There 2 Willys Jeeps in the pics, one is complete and on the road from his own personal collection and he is asking £9500, and the other is a restoration project and he is asking £4750.
I would like to see them , how can that be achieved?? seems a PM is the way to go but I am uncertain how to send a PM.
My comments seem to be scrubbed off , but I will reitterate, I am interested in buy one of the jeeps, how can this be achieved.
Mike
How about the vw busses? The yellow one seems to be in a pretty decent shape. The splitty seems to have seen rough days on the bottom but these are fully restorable.
Do they got the steering wheel on the left? I live in france and might be interested!
There are 6 or 7 Bay Windows there for sale, both left and right hand drive models. I am waiting to view 3 he has wrapped up in plastic, to see what kind of condition they are in…
Interested too
thanks! keep me in touch! he doesnt want to sell the splitties?
Duncan, he has already sold the splittys to a friend of his, also a collector, shame, I like those too!
I don’t see one pre ’75 Lotus………that ain’t a collection ;)
As to the Corvette, they made 10’s of thousands of em’ from ’63 to ’67. Considering where this thing is sitting (outside) the new owner will be buying themselves a migraine that no Relpax can fix.
Merican’ out
There are 2 Lotus Eclats in the woods, both on top of other cars or tree branches, will post pics when I can, I think they are late 70’s models…
Those Eclats sound terrific—they’re on top, after all—but my question is: Do they have any of that nice green patina?
At the pictures i think i saw an Unimomg 411 and a VW Caddy.
Very nice cars, i wanna have them:)
He has 2 VW Caddys, wont sell those, ive tried! I have not seen a Unimog yet though?
The bush find thing looks more like a vw iltis? Toby what’s the state of play with the flat fender jeep?
Will need to check on that Steve….is it the Willys you are talking about??
Just to clarify some of the detail shots.
Image 3 is a 1947 or 1948 Jeep CJ2A model.
Image 4 is a Bond Mark E or Mark F, probably around 1955 to 1958.
Image 7 is NOT a VW Thing. Rather is is a DKW Munga which uses a three cylinder two stroke engine.
Image 8 appears to be a three wheeled microtruck, perhaps a Tempo, Goliath or Hansa?
Image 9 is definitely an early Mark 1 Mini, but the roof int he foreground is a gray 2CV Charleston.
Image 11 is a Heinkel 200, or possibly the Trojan 200 , built under license in Ireland, but more likely the german Heinkel, as these were more prevalent in the UK.
Chas
Which austin is that on top of the black car A?? I’m looking for an A70 Hereford for my dads retirement present
Let me check and get back to you when I can. If you want to send me a pm, let me know when you want one for, and your budget, I will try and help any way I can. I know another location I have yet to get back to where there at least 100 cars inside and outside needing rescuing also! Apparently the guy has sent several to the crusher already just recently, so I am trying to get to him early next week to restrain him from doing it again!!! I will update on that find when I can, who knows what is there?! ….Liam
can’t pm you for some reason mate
Liam, who’s the car crusher he uses, may be another way to salvage before they are crushed. Just a thought.
Another case of a stubborn “owner” god I hate people like that let people save them not have them rot away like this jeeze
Would be interested in the old WOLSLEY with the sign on the radiator grill.I had an old 15-16 simlar to the austin cambridge, which I manged to snap the steeering box, in my weight lifting days……. but also did a lot of work repairing it also,regards,DEREK F.
Hi Derek, there are 2 Wolseley’s there and I have managed to secure them both. As soon as he gets the chance to pull them out, i will get them home and go through them, Liam
Had a similar situation many years ago when the Brittannia Bridge was being reinforced on Anglesey. I was there to assist in concrete pumping mixes & waiting to do trials with concrete admixtures. I asked the foreman where i could take a pee – and he waved me off down into the overgrown garden of a bungalow wreck they were working from. In the overgrown jungle of a garden were dozens of old pre WW1 & WW11 motorcycles. I asked the foreman whose they were – he said belonged to deceased bungalow owner – yours if you want them – otherwise will be bulldozed into the ground. It took me 2 weeks to get a friend with a van with time to go across to Anglesey. Too late – when we got there – all we found were odd pieces of scrap bikes that had been smashed by a bulldozer.
Two weeks! You should have hired a van the next day.
good idea – but when you are young & skint – sadly not an option
Damn Mike, thats bad news! I think I would have personally slept amongst them until such time as my transport arrived to take them away!!! : ) Liam
Where abouts in the uk is he? I bet he is a really interesting bloke! your right it is a magnette, I want it, make my collection up to 3 lol!
Well the Magnette I have also secured thankfully, but it will be a while before he gets it out for me, as it is on the ground floor of the barn under the rack, and the whole floor in front of it is littered with cars, which he has to move first! At least its safe and not going anywhere it shouldnt be going!
Any M-Bs?
Do you mean Mercedes Benz or something else??
Hi
I would be interested in taking a look at these cars with interest to buy one or two! is the green car on the top picture next to the black metro a mk1 Cortina? where abouts are they located I live in Hampshire in the uk
many thanks john
Hi John, no it is a Russian car of some sort I believe. I have no experience of them but will ask for you. Location is in the Midlands near Birmingham, but he wont welcome people in off the street, he just doesnt want it. If you want to pm me with what might interest you, I can get you more photos, and we can talk about it from there. Liam
Liam/John,
That green thing next to the black Metro is a ZAZ 966 or 968 (Zaporozhets is the full name). Old Russian thing. The ZIL was top of the line for presidents and the like, the Volga was kind of in the middle (KGB used them) and the ZAZ was the peasant car. They had a removable plate bolted into the floor for fishing on frozen lakes.
Rare as hell in the UK, as far as I know. :-)
G.
Hello,
i am from Austria, and i want to know how i can get a price for the buick 55.
best regards,
Stefan
Hi Stefan, the Buick is for sale for £5500. it is a very solid car as it was dry stored in a barn. I will try and answer everyone else this evening as and when I can, thank you everyone for the comments and questions, Liam
although it is sad to see these once lovely cars rotting away its also important to remember that if all old cars where saved it would make them worthless as they would be everywhere and part of classic car ownership is enjoying the fact you have something different its also worth remembering that we need finds like this as a much needed source of parts to keep our old girls running .But it is sad that some of the outside vehicles have rotted away so badly as even most parts may not be worth saving .But having said that a couple of years ago I dragged a old Vauxhall viscount out of a woods it fell apart completely when removed but yet I put it on the owners web site and had a great response and united some owners with some hard to find parts . I maybe interested in the drive trains from the caddys if the price as right
Hi Gavin, I will check price and condition and get back to you. Thanks for jogging my memory too, as you and others might be interested to know that he has a couple of full size truck trailers stacked with all kinds of American V8 engines, from all makes and models!
Sell enough to open a theme park. Then charge admission but sell nothing, even “to die for” parts. A guy in his sixties should enjoy that as a nice retirement avocation.
Seriously. (Maybe better have metal detector at the exit.)
I can give that Black Austin Metro ‘jet black’ a home
Would go nicely with my silver 82 MG metro :)
I will ask about it for you bud, where are you located? Liam
Guided tours would be great there, with someone who knows all about the cars, their history, what movies they were in, how they came to be there etc etc,
Well……….I tell you………I can’t stand to see my “collection” rained on., much less left in a yard to rust back into the ground. The general condition of these cars has to be a factor of a thousand worse than they were the day they were driven, dragged or rolled into place. So the owners good intentions have been overwhelmed by the natural consequences of time and metalurgy. So I’m not sure what he’s accomplished. Hopefully Liam will prevail upon him to part with those that can be saved. As for the Buick………….I know prices in England and the Continent are imho ridiculously high, here in California if you could get 1000 pounds for that youd be ahead of the game. But as my sained father oft stated, theres a “backside” for every seat!
Good on ya Liam
Thank you….
Hi Liam, as a photographer that looks such an awesome place to shoot. Would the owner entertain the idea of me spending some time there capturing some cool images?
I have to hand it to Liam, he has a pretty sweet deal going here! He keeps the spot these cars are at a secret and buys them cheap and flips them for a nice profit! It should not be hard to use Google Earth to search out the massive stash of old iron! And cut out the middle man! And the owner might want to let go of some of his stuff without the middle man getting a good chunk of change! ;)
John, you assume much in your comments my friend! You assume I ‘flip them’ for a nice profit, instead of the finders fee I place on top for my efforts. You assume the owner will want to entertain you or others like you, when it has been made very clear if you have been following the whole story, that he does not really care to sell any of them! The man is already a multi millionaire, hence being able to afford to buy so many cars in the first place, let alone the land required to house them all! And should he decide to sell his land to developers, he will be worth more money than he could ever hope to spend. With having so much money already, and so much more potentially to come, do you really think an old man is that bothered about entertaining one person after another knocking on his door to buy old cars, many he has long since forgotten about and clearly couldnt care less about anyway? That my friend, is the last thing that man wants! I got introduced to him by a long standing friend of his of some 40 years, because of my love of classic cars, and it is only because of who introduced me, and my subsequent patience, and respect for the man and his ways, that he has warmed to me over many months, that I have only very recently been able to buy cars from him. Incidentally, the prices I have quoted to those who have asked for them, are the owners prices, not mine! I have not placed anything on those prices, as I am not a greedy man looking to make as much money as I can from every car I might sell. I am not driven by greed, I am driven by a desire to save cars I am so passionate about, from an inevitable faith should he decide to sell his land off. Please do not assume this man is a fool by any standards, he is not. It is far easier for him to call the crusher in for a few weeks, and let them do their thing, than it is for him to entertain one stranger after another calling at his door, who may or may not buy a car, having had him walk around acres and acres of land, and undergrowth etc, in the hope they might find one car they are interested in and buy it, when the cost of scrap metal these days is at an all time high, so all he has to do is sit back and watch the pound signs add up with every car crushed! He can get more money for some of the cars as scrap, than he can selling them as restoration projects, so what is he likely to do, do you think? The only reason I am able to buy cars from him is because first and foremost, I am respectful! I do not push him, I go there when he allows me to and I accept it when he says it is not a good day, which is more often than not. As frustrating as this may at times be for me, because all I want to do is save them all now and take them all home, I cannot, and I respect that, and I respect the mans ways, who he is, and how he conducts his business. He conducts it as very much a ‘closed shop’, that is why it has taken me many months to get in with him, and only after being introduced by a long time friend of his, and even then, I was unable to buy anything from him for months. So you my friend, and anyone else like you, stand no chance whatsoever of buying anything from him! You have neither the respect and patience needed, or the old school ‘gentleman ways’ about you that this man respects. You are in fact the kind of person he would slam a door on as soon as he opened it, as would I. Instead of showing the same appreciation for me as others have, for the time I have spent photographing these cars to share them with like minded people, your first thoughts are, ‘how do we go about cutting the middle man out and find out where these cars are for ourselves’, which tells me and others everything we need to know about your character. It is because of people like you that these cars would be crushed! Because your idea of people going direct to the owner, would serve only for him to close shop completely, and just get them all crushed to save him the headache of so many unwanted callers at his door! Have you not stopped to think why this man has not advertised all of them on the internet for sale?? Perhaps it is because he is not interested in selling them, does not need the money, and does not want the headache of strangers calling at his door all day every day! If you took the time to think about this whilst reading all the comments from people, perhaps you would have had something more intelligent to share with ‘barn finds members’ instead of your greed led ‘words of wisdom’, which, if you were successful in locating him, and were so desperate to save yourself a few bucks by trying to buy without my involvement, would serve only to cause him to close shop, as it will me, if I believe anyone is going to try and compromise my trust and understanding with this man. It is because I respect him, the cars, and the situation I am so fortunate to have found, that this conversation is taking place now, and it is for those same reasons of trust and respect for the man, that I wont disclose his exact location. Not only is there the danger of people like you going there to bother him, there is also the risk of people going there to steal parts off cars, so that is why I protect the owner and his location, not for financial gain! Just as I took the time to share this with everyone, and will do my best to help anyone secure a car that interests them if it can be bought, or parts they might need for a car they already have, so too would I take the time to close the link, the conversation, and have ‘barnfinds’ delete the story if I believe for a second any person will try and compromise the location and relationship I have taken the time to build up! I have also been approached with another location of at leat 100 cars, that I have had a cursory look over and will check out properly next week. Whether or not I now share those photos remains to be seen, along with the many other photos of the current location I have yet to upload. I am being made aware of these finds because I have a certain ‘attitude and approach’ these owners like, and for me to continue to share them with others, that approach needs to be respected, because it is that spproach that is slowly causing these cars to be released from all kinds of forgotten locations, for me to be able to find new homes for at least some of them. If that is not respected, then I will simply no longer share them, and people will have you to blame for it John and any others like you, as the vast majority of genuine car enthusiasts and respectful people on here will loose out. You have opened a can of worms in front of me with your comments John, and served only to get my back up, so I suggest you close it fast and respect the situation for what it is, as I think you are likely to get a few more responses from others to your comments yet. Liam
Well said
Liam was kind enough to share his find with all of us, so let’s be respectful guys.
We all want to see what you uncover next Liam!
Thank you Jesse….
A bit harsh. John. Anyone stupid enough to attempt serial flipping on this site would incur some pretty intense wrath from certain readers. I know exactly what Liam is talking about; I myself have extracted things from hoarders only on the basis of groundwork, politeness and my amateur status. Looking forward to seeing the other 100 cars you mentioned, Liam.
Thank you Don, I will get these uploaded as soon as I get the chance….Liam
I disagree with John completely! Liam has done the research, chase, acquisition, and courting of this seller to persuade him to sell a collection that he had not intended to part with. Liam recognizes that he can’t save them all himself, and he has chosen, graciosuly, to share the find, and to help others acquire these cars. In fact, my early observation was that he was being careless in providing so many details for fear that someone else (perhaps someone like John) might try to cut him out of the deal.
Liam is certainly enititled to a fair profit on the find for all of his effort and for simply acquiring the lead, and it appears as though he is being extremely reasonable about any potential profit and not attempting to gouge people, although that would be his right as well.
I commend Liam for the detective work, and follow up necessary to cut so many of these cars loose, and I support his efforts to get them in the hands of serious collectors who can save them, even at a profit. Plus Liam is assisting the owner with the entire collection, whereas vultures who swoop in to cut Liam out, will typically purchase one or two or three cars, therefore not really solving the problem, and will probably attempt to low ball the seller to get the best deal, whch is more offensive to me than Liam’s absolute right to earn a fair profit. Liam is assisting the seller to solve the problem by placing as many cars as possible. I guaranty that if anyone else were to consider a multicar purchase of this magnitude (including John), they, too , would be reselling or “flipping” the cars for a profit, which is perfectly acceptable in my book.
Finally, Liam has been completely honest with the seller in telling him that the cars will be resold to deserving homes, and not deceiving him into believing that Liam will keep every car. I think that Liam is doing a great job, and when I am ready to divest of my collection, I would certainly consider using someone just like Liam. I would never consider doing business with anyone who “Tries to cut out the middle man”!
Chas
Chas thank you very much for the kind comments and support, it is much appreciated! Liam
John, could you possibly change your name to (let me think), dirt-bag or something along these lines. You make “A gift from God” totally not worth the writ.
Liam!
I have to seriously hand it to you. This response is right on target. This John punk is clueless, never mind being rude and greedy.
I appreciate the fact you are devoting your time to this cause and should be rewarded for it, as the seller sees fit and NOT as this clown does.
Do not let people like that deter you.
I am in a similar situation with a bunch of cars and you would not believe the gall some people have. I have started to walk away from people in mid sentence because of their rude ways and behavior and so should you.
Thanks,
keep up the good work and your spirits.
Hi Bud, thank you very much for the message and the support, it is much appreciated. I would love to see what cars you have got?
Nice response Liam, I like most of the other ‘commenters’ on here appreciate how delicate these situations with owners can be. The fact that you’ve spent the time and effort to try and get some of these back on the road is commendable.
Keep doing what you’re doing
Thank you Scoops, I appreciate the comments, Liam
Well said Liam, surely if you were in it for the money you’d buy them off the guy and e-bay them, i have seen one of the cars on e-bay this morning though so seems others might be out to make a quick buck!!
Thank you…
Hi Greg, the car on ebay is mine. I have 2 on there at the moment. If I dont sell some, then I cant buy any more. I am stuck for space, so the only way for me to keep some momentum with this, is to get them in and out as quick as I can. I have my name on about 18 cars up there at the moment so far! If I were a multi millionaire myself, then I would buy whatever he would sell me, buy a huge barn myself, have every one of them restored to their former glory. Then I would open a museum to the public where they could see the story of each of these cars unfold in video and photos, from the find, right through the restoration and their place in the museum, but sadly that is just a dream, so the reality is that, yes I can save some, but cant store many of them at home, and cant restore them all myself, so they have to be sold to allow those better equipped than me to restore them. I have several Classic Cars of my own, 2 of those are projects nearing completion and ready for reassembly, the others I have are on the road and I use them now, (when the weather here allows) so most of my space is already taken up with my own cars. I have tried to place the cars I have already brought home, with owners clubs and the like, but sadly so far I have not had any takers, only those who want the cars for nothing, so ebay it is! I have already had a few people come to my home to view cars, and try to offer me less than half of what I bought them for, let alone the cost of transporting each one back to my home which is a fair journey in itself, and does not come cheap when you do not have the transportation to do it yourself, and have to pay an independant company each time. Some of the people who came round, seem to think because I am trying to save these cars, that I am getting them for nothing, and will sell them for nothing! They have the attitude that if I am trying to save them, then I should just let them go?! They have not stopped to think of how much I have paid out already just to save them, and at the very least I need to see my money back, and ideally make at least a finders fee on top for my efforts. If I can make several finders fees over a few months, then I may be able to get enough together to add another classic to my own collection! I have in fact recently very very reluctantly sold my everyday car (A modern car) purely to finance the saving of these classics I have found! The car in question I had wanted for years, and bought it a year ago and had no intentions of ever selling it, but you cant have everything! I made the decision to sell it to free up the cash needed to save the classics, so I do need to get something back. The owner knows what he has, and if he will sell them to me, he wont sell them cheap! I have bought the ones I could afford, and taken a big gamble that I will be able to sell them and get my money back, let alone make anything on top. Trust me when I say, the cars I am selling, on ebay or elsewhere, are not there to make a quick buck. There are no quick bucks here, as before they take their place for sale on ebay or elsewhere, there have been months of leg work, negotiations, long drives to the owner all at my expense each time, transportation costs to my home with those I have managed to buy, plus the time to clean the years of moss, mud, leaves etc etc from these cars, which in some cases has taken me 2 whole days just to clean 1 car to see exactly what it is I have bought underneath all the vegetation, and what condition they are actually in. Due to the locations of some of these cars, some of which have been imbedded in the ground for many years, I have been unable to view them completely before buying them, something someone who was only in this for the money would undoubedtly do. Instead, I have taken a gamble regardless of their condition, and I am wise enough to know that I may win with some and loose with others, but that is a gamble I am prepared to take. Add on the extra cost of trying to get those cars running, un seizing engines, brakes etc. I have paid out for car batteries, fuel lines, fuel filters, fuel, brake lines, brake pads, brake fluid, tyres, bulbs, fuses, registration documents etc etc etc, so I have taken a big gamble here, and I am not a rich man. I am a normal guy with a young family to support, hence selling my nice daily driver to fund this venture. I had a stunning luxury long wheelbase top of the range limousine model, and now as of a few weeks ago, I drive around in a £400 hatchback! (Unless the weather is nice in which case you will see me in a classic car before anything else!) But you take gambles if you believe enough in something, as I believe so strongly in saving these cars, but a quick buck in them, there ‘aint! Thanks for the message and sorry for the long winded reply and explanation, I just wanted to make it clear how much work and cost is involved in this venture for me, as there are bound to be others who may think I am in this firstly for a quick buck, and not the love of saving old cars.
If you’ve got another hundred cars to view, you’re going to end up selling your home.
Well Don, if I was a single man and did not have a family, I would do just that, and buy one of the barns they are in, and move in there with them! : )
Liam, I knew of a guy back here in the states who had a large warehouse full of old classic cars from many years removed of the 30’s and 40’s. He and his team were restoring one or two cars at a time. Keep it up, you’ll get to where you want to be, keeping your family intact while at the same time owning a large barn for your cars. I respect your resepct of these car owners. Without guys like you we’d be without these barn finds for sure.
Fair enough Liam i 100% understand why you’re doing it now :) i guess we’d all do the same really the more you make on the ones you sell the more chance you have of restoring one you want to keep. Knowing the others will get saved too is a bonus. Will you be selling off e-bay aswell or just do it all through there?
Hi Greg, I will sell them anywhere, not just ebay. I personally hate ebay for selling anything as there are just too many idiots, and ebay fees these days are a bit greedy, but ebay is where you get the most exposure, so for that reason I use it. I would much rather sell to enthusiasts who contact me through forums such as this, or through owners clubs etc, as you are more likely to get your genuine buyer, rather than your late night ebay ‘beer bidder’!
The ‘Ferrari’ that looks like a 308 GTS isn’t real. From what can be seen, the hood and seats are wrong and it has no windshield wipers. I wonder why a multi-millionaire would bother with a kit car ‘Ferrari’.
Hi Dolphin, you are right, it is not real, it is based on either a Toyota MR2, or a Pontiac Fiero as most of these Ferrari kit cars are. This one is not actually his, it is a friend of his. He allows a few of his closer friends to store a few cars at his premises, hence why it is there.
The “Ferrari” might be a kit car based on a LANCIA HPE VOLUMEX. Just checked out http://www.hpicheck.com and typed in the registration number A499TYR and that is what it is listed as – its a useful site as you can get the make and model of the car for free just by typing the reg number in :-) Also looked at vehiclelicence.gov.uk but its not listed there maybe the car has had the number transferred at some stage, or was declared scrapped in recent years (have noticed cars scrapped in the past few years are no longer listed on the site)?
WHAT exactly do you get at this site ?
I linked and it only comes up with an https (secure) site and asking for money ?
Maybe a UK site only ?
I have an old Mercedes that came from UK and I wouldn’t mind getting a history on the car .
Are there any similar sites ?
Thanks
Hi Alec, thank you for the info. I have used hpicheck.com previously for cars, it is a useful site. I was not aware this particular kit car was also based on a Lancia so that is new to me. I have no idea on the status of this cars registration myself. It may or not have been on the road since the kit conversion was carried out, I dont really know. Quite often if you check a car on the DVLA site, it may not show up if it has not been taxed for several years, so it can make it hard to get an accurate idea of the status of a registration. Liam
Tried viewing the pics on Photobucket but it’s password protected. Can I have the password, please?
I guess when it comes to old cars you need to be ready for all kinds of….very odd views, I’ll call it, on the part of owners.
“Spooked”? “Cut all ties”? I can think of a few views on this story myself, but I’ll just limit myself to:
Life is too short to waste time trying to deal with the un-dealable. Just move on. There are a lot of cars out there, and some of them actually have your name on them, so to speak.
WOW! If I ever get read, it might be worth your while to get in contact with the Developer, save what you can from that angle. I have seen to many unfulfilled dreams of restoring cars that pretty much can make a grown man cry. Sorry but this owner needs a whack upside his head. If he hasn’t started on anyone of the cars, he won’t. He’s stuck in the past somewhere, where these cars mattered to him at one point. Maybe giving him a nudge that it is 2013 and not 1943 he might wake up to what he is doing. ((?)) Talk about your sad car related stories. This one is just one of many.
Liam, I understand you know this gentlemen and are respectful of the ground you have gained in gaining his friendship; as he is wealthy and the like, but his yard/acres of land without a word being spoken goes a long way to describe his mind set wealthy or not. I wish you the best it getting all you can to save what you can.