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Not Staged: 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne

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It’s listings like this one that make me think it’s high time Barn Finds invested in some real estate. Just imagine if you ever wanted to sell a car, you could just move it down to your perfectly weathered red barn, complete with a cow standing guard, and have every car look like a barn find. In this case, however, this 1959 Chevy Biscayne here on eBay really does look like it’s been locked up since 1997 when the seller bought it and socked it away, shortly after buying it from the second original owner. 

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How perfect is this? There’s an actual herd guarding the barn where the car is parked. Staged or not, at least this barn find is located on an actual working farm. The seller says the Biscayne was purchased new by an elderly woman and has never gone further than 20 miles from the original dealership that sold it new. While not perfect, the tan sedan remains in serviceable condition and looks to be rust-free, but I can’t tell for sure. Check out the pictures below for the big reveal!

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Imagine having a barn not only for great photo shoots but to sock away your most recent project car “scores” for working on when convenient. That’s the part that breaks my heart: I see good cars all the time that I’d love to bring home for future use but I have no space to store them. That Honda N600 in a junkyard I’ve been eyeing would be a perfect candidate for long-term dry storage, such as this Biscayne has enjoyed in the Iowa barn it calls home.

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There it is – so neatly tucked away in this Norman Rockwell-ish scene that is almost deserves to be on a holiday greeting card. Like I said, it’s a little too packed away for me to think the seller just threw it in a barn for the purpose of exciting potential bidders, but as a strategy, it seems to be working: Bidding is over $6,000 with a few days left to go, but the reserve is still unmet. This Biscayne looks like a survivor-grade example of a grandma-owned car, and those are always fun stories to tell. The location only adds to its allure as a new project, but truth be told, I think I’d rather have the barn!

Comments

  1. Avatar Capt Doug

    In many parts of the Northeast you can find barns that can be deconstructed and rebuilt on your own site. Sorta have to considered a real Barn Find!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Don Dimble

      Good friends of mine in grad school built a small solar home from reclaimed barn lumber, which is actually cheap and plentiful here in Ohio. Maybe someday it will be abandoned and become the home to a barn find Chevy Volt. :)

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Al

    Darn clean barn floor. With all the gaps in the barn would think to see a bit of evidence of bats and other things.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Stu

      Al, that was my thought too. Everything looks way too clean for 19 years in the barn. The mud stains on the tires aren’t too impressive either.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar DRV

    I rebuilt a log cabin from a site 120 miles away in Ohio. Even got the sandstone foundation. Southern Ohio has many cool houses under the updated exteriors.
    This Chevy is just like the one they crash in a modern crash test..
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=joMK1WZjP7g

    Like 0
    • Avatar Lion

      DRV that video is upsetting.Why would anyone destroy a good car that has survived almost 60 years for a stupid demo like that? We were watching a show (Blindspot?) the other night and they wrecked a 1963 Buick. Just a 4door but in beautiful condition.
      To what end? Destroying an 53 year old classic for a TV scene only serves to piss off our group of people.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar pat k

    one just like this lived on my street growing up, 4 door sedan, same color.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Bob Semrad

    There’s a dime on the dash just left of the speedometer cowling.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Dennis

    Why is the bidding so high ? It’s a four door, nothing special. Barn boards must go with it !

    Like 0
  7. Avatar John M. Poirier

    I see the dime – it’s a 1956 D.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ross W. Lovell

      Greetings All,

      John M. Poirier, or is it George?

      Not sure if you’re doing Seinfeld or The Great Escape……

      Like 0
  8. Avatar ron h

    ‘… the second original owner…’, there’s an oxymoron.

    Look at that steering wheel and column. We’ve come a long way with the safety components. Padded wheel and dashes. Collapsible columns. See, government regs aren’t really so bad.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Roselandpete

    Nice.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Ed P

    Nevermind the car, I want the barn.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar AMX Brian

    Still not as bad as this. Heated barn? Clearly abusing the term Barn Find.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar BillB

    More like 141K, unless granny rode the clutch pedal big time.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Woodie Man

    Blue Flame 4 door stripper…6300.00? Man talk about inflation!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar streamliner

    Not in this case, but as a general commentary, if a seller were to go out of their way to state: “NOT STAGED” to me that means the opposite. Read: “STAGED”. People mislead a lot these days. Ebay, CL, etc are the e-world’s wild west. Truth is, we all like a good story.

    As a film and theatre professional for almost 40 years, I’m a keen study of “the theatre of life”. I have many friends who make props, do special effects and set dressing for film, television and theatre. In many garage/barn finds listings there usually isn’t anything that couldn’t be faked in a day by a pro. Like many BF readers, I often spot indications of staging fakery.

    This much I know: When I look at a so-called “barn find” these days I often see nothing that immediately compels me to determine this was not staged in some way. Most listings I like to believe are legitimate. Others are near-perfect, only slightly staged classic barn finds. However, more and more I suspect listings are being outright faked, staged to tell a story to fool potential buyers. More and more this seems to be on the minds of many BF readers as I read the Comments.

    Staging is so common now that one could run a business: “Barn Stagers and Barn Stage Busters”. While I’m not suggesting this listing was staged, I note this car sold for $6,300. — premium $.

    Realtors began staging houses for sale as an enhanced profit-making business practice. Staging in 2016 is a billion dollar-generating industry. In real estate, staging pays off handsomely. Anyone who has bought a house in the past 20+ years is (or should be) aware that many houses are now staged for sale. Where stagers dress the property to tell a story that will increase the selling price.

    Yet even now, many years since internet sharks carved out a new frontier on Ebay Motors, CL, etc, we are still gullible and surprised in the vintage vehicle world by the idea that a listing has been / could be staged. Is this show business? Is this entertainment. Well, sort of.

    Would be great to have a section of BF site dedicated to fakery — where readers had a reference to past staging-busting. That would be fun and educational.

    “How perfect is this?” Sometimes too perfect. Yes, complete with the big reveal at the end. Just like in the movies. Hooray for Hollywood…

    Like 0
  15. Avatar mackey4cars

    i love this 4dr car.

    Like 1

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