What’s your idea of a concours? Pebble Beach-esque, with hats on the ladies, ties on the gentlemen, lawn cut to perfection, champagne, and the most exquisite cars in the world? How about Concours d’LeMons, where the ridiculous enjoy the fruits of sublimity? The Forest Grove Concours is somewhere in between, with a relaxed atmosphere more akin to d’LeMons than Pebble, but a cast of worthwhile cars including some you will never have seen or possibly even known about. Restorations range from, well, NOT, to spectacular. This event was held on July 20th this year, on the grounds of Pacific University as per usual. I’ve plucked a few items from the population that I thought Barn Finders might enjoy, beginning with this wonderful 1966 Shelby GT-350. This example was restored to perfection, including replication of the indifferent panel fit typical of Mustangs of the era. Of course a couple of its lawn-mates wore brighter hues, but this Wimbleton White set off with Guardsman Blue stripes is my favorite combination.

Downmarket cars are welcome at Forest Grove, so this fellow brought his 1976 Reliant Robin. Ok, it’s very nice. You probably couldn’t get on the lawn with a worn-out, barn find Robin, but this example was a shoo-in. It sports the Super Robin 850 package – you can think of this as the big block. The original mill rang in at 750 ccs, and was good for 32 horsepower. The 850, now breathing through an SU carburetor, was good for 40 hp. No, it’s not easy to roll a Robin despite it standing on only three wheels – this car’s young owner said he had to work hard to even get it onto two wheels. As you might suspect from the pristine paint, this Robin was nearly perfect.

Next up is a spectacular 1968 Plymouth Barracuda in the care of its second owner. These second-generation Barracudas suffered in the market thanks to competition from Ford’s Mustang and Dodge’s Charger – but with roots in the economical Valiant and Plymouth’s marketing touting it as a family car, the Barracuda barely had a chance anyway. It took three years to change minds: the third-gen version was finally viewed as a muscle car. Unfortunately, success was short lived as the twin scourges of high fuel prices and emissions controls killed the model. This car arrived early on the field, and glowed like a beacon throughout.

This 1962 La Dawri Conquest kit car was just out of long-term barn storage. Light patina affected just about every corner, but overall, for a barn car, it was in excellent condition. La Dawri Coachcraft was founded as a fiberglass manufacturer in the mid-’50s in Canada; its first product was golf carts. Later, it made the Cavalier. When Les Dawes, company founder, moved to the US, the Cavalier was renamed the Conquest. I couldn’t find out what motor’d this example, but the kits were often outfitted with Ford flatheads.

This 1970 Corvette is one of only 40 produced in Laguna Grey with an LT-1 engine. Its 350 cu. in. V8 runs a Holley four-barrel and an 11.0:1 compression ratio, producing 370 hp. Only 1287 first generation LT-1s (the engine was resurrected in the ’90s) were made, from ’70 through ’72. Top speed hovered around 135 mph. If you’re after an LT-1 Corvette, the ’70 is the one to have, because in ’71 the compression ratio declined, trimming horsepower. This example was glorious, restored to the nines and in a subtle color combination – you’d never guess it was one of the best-performing Corvettes made. Sure, you could have seen Duesenbergs, Porsches by the tens, and Ferraris at Forest Grove, but this selection of oddballs and muscle cars resonated with me – and I hope, with you too.