Car auctions can be hit or miss, with some of them simply stocked with over-restored muscle cars that will never be worth as much as what you pay for them in the heat of the moment, and others full of old farm machinery and not much else (but those can be fun if you like old farm equipment.) The upcoming Cord & Kruse auction features the theme of “Barn finds, projects, and unrestored originals,” and that certainly seems to be the case based on some of the offerings. And I like it – I like it a lot, and hope that more auctions take this approach in the future. Let’s talk about the car sure to draw the most eyeballs, the Finnjet – a custom creation featuring two conjoined Mercedes-Benz 300 TD station wagons, and components from over 40 other vehicles. You can read about the Finnjet here and see the full auction collection here.
Automotive auctions have increasingly become a place where it’s almost smiled upon if you spend too much money. There’s no actual real-world valuation happening in that instance – it’s just a content to see who can overspend the fastest. I love the idea of a venue that only features cars under a certain price point that need some love, leaving room in the budget to make improvements and possibly a profit if you sell it later on. This is a great example of a car where that may be possible, as this 1969 Plymouth Belvedere GTX 440 features lots of desirable details, like its original induction hood and 440 V8, but does have some mild bodywork needs and cosmetic flaws to sort out.
Despite being referred to as a barn find, this early production 1965 Ford Mustang looks to be in excellent original condition. The listing claims it was quite literally pulled out of the barn for this photo shoot, and it must have been a hell of a nice barn to emerge in this sort of shape. It’s also a very highly optioned car that comes with power steering, power disc brakes, heavy-duty GT suspension with larger front sway bar, a factory console, and factory air conditioning. To top it all off, it’s equipped with a 289 V8 A-Code engine that’s been tuned up courtesy of a new gas tank and fresh fluids. The gallery photos show a tattered driver’s seat but an otherwise minty interior. Find it here on the Cord & Kruse website.
And then there’s this, a car from the 1980s that may seem like no great shakes but is actually quite obscure: this is a 1983 Ford Mustang GLX convertible, which was a short-lived upscale trim model that usually features a four- or six-cylinder engine with an automatic (especially in convertible form!) This one bucks that trend, featuring a 5.0L V8 and a manual gearbox – a hard-to-find combo in a drop-top Fox body of this era, but especially when it wears GLX trim. You can find the GLX here on the auction website. Overall, there’s something for everyone in this auction, so check out the full report and let us know what you’d take home.
Oh My!
Now we can say that we’ve seen everything on Barn Finds!
Believe it or not, I have never heard, seen, or read about the Finnjet before, but that thing is just over the top and awesome! I would drive it with pride!
Don’t get too close, though. It’ll slice your arm clean off!
Cracks me up, “Barn finds and unrestored originals” I imagine the 2019 Camaro is unrestored. I also noticed the “steering wheel” 1977 Grand Prix that was featured here July 29th is on the docket.
Finnjet probably won’t even fit in a crusher. Just becuz isn’t enough for this one.
Finnjet…. considering it’s mass and the 125 hp power plant, it’s anything but, a jet.
CordandKruse ‘Auctions’ – these are just online sales (like many other sites including BarnFinds, eBay, BAT, including a reserve if one wishes) with the tremendous benefit of having a 5% Seller’s Premium and a 10% Buyers Premium. Gee thanks. I don’t get the business model, other than praying on less aware sellers and buyers.
GTX is a ’68, and did not have cold air hood.
I’d love to restore it though!
My mistake, it is a ’69!
Id hate to have to wax the Finnjet car
I’d drive the Finnjet just the way it is. You wouldn’t want to personalize it and make it gaudy.
This is a joke right?
Yesss, it’s a joke. LOL
I’m actually more upset that I can’t unsee it now.
Is this bad for your eyes?
Re: Finnjet
Well, it’s a 49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59, automobile,,,
Which car would I take home? It wouldn’t be the “Finnjet. Somebody
wasted (spent) a lot of time on this…………whatever it is. I do see a few parts that might useful on a real car.
There is worse at the Burning Man festival, in Nevada!
The Finnjet has everything from the barn stuck on it.
Can’t say that I have that many 1959 Cadillac tail lights before. Was unaware that GM sold parts by the gross.
I would not want to drive behind that when we go over a dip or a bump.
The FinnJet is local to me, and used to be fairly reserved for an artcar. Built by a Finnish American guy (there are more Finns outside of Finnland here than anywhere else in the USA), usually seen in the little towns of Lake Worth and Lantana. He used to drive it fairly often… but last time I encountered it was probably 8 years ago parked downtown when it had just two axles and a lot less bling!
The Finncar is a curious offering. Is one of the two rear axle driving? Is one of the two rear axles steerable? Can you back it up? Nice touch with the castor under the continental kit, really adds a bit of class.
My eyes hurt!
The FINNJET – gentlemen I am Finally inspired!