UPDATE – To celebrate Barn Finds’ 10th Anniversary, we are taking a look back at some of the top posts over the years. 2012 was a big year for Barn Finds! Not only were there lots of incredible finds that surfaced like this Shelby GT500 with a tree growing through it, but we were able to expand the BF Team. Let’s take a look at some of 2012’s best finds!
FROM 7/18/2012 – When we opened this submission from fellow barn finder James, what we saw was not what we were expecting. We’ve seen plenty of cars and trucks with trees sprouting from them, but never have we seen such a sad sight as this. James believes this car to be a real 1967 Shelby GT500 and he and his father have known about this car since he was a kid.
Here is what James had to say about the car, “I guess it’s been at least 25 years since I last saw this car, and while I was visiting North Georgia I thought I would drive over to the owners house to see if it was still there…..to my surprise there she sat in the exact same place as I had seen it years before.”
“My father knows the owner and told me he claims this was a two production request car made directly by Ford to Shelby Motorsports. The car is a 1967 GT500, but was sent back to Shelby to have a 1968 front end put on it to promote the new car. ”
“The car has the original 427 Side Oiler block sitting in the car, as well as a new crank still in the box. I remember seeing some pictures of the car being raced when I was a kid…..I guess that’s why it had the 427 instead of the 428.”
“As you can see from the pictures, the car was going to be remodeled and the owner bought all new OEM parts from Ford that are still sitting in the car in the original wax ford paper…this was exactly how it sat when I was a kid.”
“I knocked on the guy’s door and he wasn’t there. I have no idea if he would sell the car or not…and for that matter if it can be salvaged. I just thought it was a pretty neat find.”
We have to agree with James, this is a pretty neat find indeed. This car is very rough, but if the owner is willing to sell it, we are sure the right buyer could restore it back to its original beauty. Special thanks go out to James for sharing this amazing find with us. Hopefully the owner decides to sell the car, if they do we will be sure to let everyone know.
Eeeeeek GAAAD The horror The Horror……..
I wonder how many people tried to buy this over the years..
Oh how I would love to sink my teeth into that project. It would pay you back in heaps.
I don’t even know what to think of this….sweet and sickening at the same time….
hopefully the tree’s are included too
I heard that some of the leaves are signed by Shelby himself.
Well, bless my ash!
That actually looks a lot better then I thought it would, I would restore it!
First of all everything is for sale you just have to want it more than the owner. An nowadays anything can be restored as long as there is a vin….. shed a tear when i saw these pics.
What a waste, If all the people who let cars rot for years, Oh, well, this one is definitely worth saving especially if the numbers, both serial and price are right, Shel probably would have remembered it. To bad he’s gone, he can’t sign it.
So right…what’s wrong with people? If not gonna get off the couch…let someone else put it together!!!
Hey Chester….
Take it easy there…
America or not…It is a shame that a car like this is just left to the elements….
This car is less than 5 miles from my shop.. I also saw it as a kid and I agree with James, its exactly the way it always has been.. Amazing.
hey Jake wondering if you have the sellers info or his location I’m in the Georgia area and i hate to know its close just rotting away
Ok, maybe a Shelby and all but still just a $500.00 junk car at most. Hopefully someone with as lot of time and some cash buys it and restores it.
damn! what a waste!
If any of you guys that live close to this car have any contact with the owner, I would love to buy this car and restore it. Please email me if you can get contact info for the owner.
Owner is a horse rancher, and has the most outstanding in his field
I would hope that the owner would “SELL” the car, not “SALE” it… But that is just me…
;-)
Some people don’t deserve to own a good car.
This guy should be condemned to drive a Trabant for the rest of his life.
It’s possible the guy couldn’t find a good planter for his trees, so he used the car instead. Perfectly understandable. I would’ve preferred a rose bush or two, but that’s just me.
And now, because of the tree, you have to cut off the front of the mustang to get the car out of this place.
Strangely, this will probably sell for more in this condition than it would have brought when it was first parked there.
The owner should be condemned to a flogging, a la Royal Navy, and then told that he can avoid his appointment with the cat-o-nine-tails if he signs the title over to someone who’ll restore this gem properly.
As a Chevy guy, I see nothing wrong with these pictures. :)
first time….
Thought you would say that…
I am interested in buying this beauty also. Please email me if it is available. Thx to James for posting it!
to first time: I love chevs,mopars all that american iron-thats history. That shelby is a crime- to put this in prospective, what if that was pics of ,say a copo chev maybe a yenko then you might get this. I sure hope someone finds the owner and they let loose be fore it really a gonner.
Any person who leaves a classic car out to rot on the grass, should have their license revoked and all their cars confiscated ! What a crime ! I know a guy in Aston PA who put all his fathers cars from the 20s and 30s outside to rot for years. It makes me sick.
If this an original 427 car that would be the find of a lifetime. This thing should be restored!
Just drive up with a tow truck and take it.. who cares? Oops did I say that out loud?
3 years later I see your reply. Those cars are still there…I guess I should wait until he passes out ….before I get the tow truck !!! Do cars from the 20’s and 30’s need titles ???
James…
Did you say something? I can’t hear you….
I love it the way it is, hope it stays this way. I know so many Shelby owners who never drive their cars, or have them in various stages of disrepair in their garages. They call it repair and restoration but they never make any progress on them year after year. THAT is the waste. Posers who think they have something important and think they are important but just have a broken car thats put to no good use. Owners who only take them only to car shows on sunny days where they sit around all day talking about data coded nuts and think they are somebody. Sell it to somebody who will do something good with it.
I love this because its something you don’t see and will never see if all of these cars are restored. If they are all restored they will only be seen in museums which is what a show is.
If I were the car I wonder if I would prefer to be neglected this way or if it would be worse to be in pieces in an owner’s garage or in storage or restored and never driven. All would be equally painfull to me. I would want to be out on the road, wheels turning, motor roring being appreciated, not some owner’s fantasy.
Please let someone bring that beauty back to life !!!!!!!!!!!!! :o)
PLEASE PLEASE, find out if he will sell this!!! Very interested buyer here!!
Please contact me, Im more than interested in this find!!
Assuming it is a real Shelby and assuming one could buy it for a reasonable price and after the restoration costs are over $60K Plus………….you then own a restored, heavy, old Mustang. Better off with done ’70 Boss 302 for less………….
Us 65 to 68 Shelby guys have no care for the Boss cars with their high dash and many blind spots …..
truly sad, such potential , such a rare car hopefully the owner will break their bond with the car in light of seeing it brought back to its original glory. A daunting task even for the most skilled of restorers though, even assuming alot of that is surface rust. Great project for someone with alot of disposable income tho, put 60k- 70k in you’ll probably get double that back when its done, considering a good portion of the parts are there.
I used to love those old mustangs, had a numbers matching mach 1 with a toploader and a 351C 4v. At the end of the day, I would much rather own a 2013 boss 302. Call it blasphemy but as much as an old muscle car with a solid lifter cam and a stick is neat to drive, the wheelbarrow like handling, 12mpg, lack of a decent sound system (that you can actually hear) and sweaty vinyl interior just doesn’t do it for me anymore.
If you still have it please let me know will make a trip from Virginia Beach to buy and restore because it iis a good project and i have wanted it since i was 5 years old.
well I have heard that fords where found dead on the sides of roads.
Please let me know if and when the owner decides to sell
This is a 1968. Why does the story title say 1967?
Notice the side marker lights and the old T-Bird taillights…
‘Bout TIME someone noticed it’s actually just a ’68!
You didn’t read the article very well. It says it is a 67 that was sent back to Shelby for some up dates and ended up with a 68 front end for a 68 demo
I am interested in buying this beauty also. Please email me if it is available. thanks .
I’m interested in this also.
I’ll come with a trailer and pick it up in person.
SOMEBODY !!!! My brother was the 2nd owner of this car. Bought out of personal collection from owner of Ford dealership. The history is out of this world as to how this car was campaigned by Ford Motor Co. Brother bought car in 1968. Car was stolen from Forest Park Ga in 1970. Never a word in 40 years to the date, when stolen. Found the car from talking with people, attending the Moonshine Festival. Was told not to go there as a stranger, he would shoot at you, and he did! Story is, he wants no one to know about the car, period. Have tried for 2 years to talk with current owner. If someone knows how to get in touch with him, please let me know. I WANT IT BACK. Thanks Yall
If it’s stolen and you’ve found it “truck1” then surely your story would be validated by a report to the police.
About the same condition I found my 68 GT/CS in….
Surprise ! This car was stolen from my brother in Forest Park Ga.He bought it from Wayne, who worked with Ford, and was campaigned by A local Ford dealer in Atlanta Ga. We have the complete history of this car. Have spoken to the original owner several times, and what info is posted is correct. This car sat in a salvage yard For years, after being stolen, and about 5 years layer was sold on the courthouse steps, to it current owner. I personally have tried a couple of time to contact the current owner, but have been told to leave it alone, there have been some out of normal suggestions made about the current owner. They do have Guns. Be glad to share more history with anyone interested. I personally outran a lot of vehicles in my area with this car . The fun was incredible
Just my opinion, but it probably isn’t for sale. What a bummer
I was just outside of gainsville Georgia last week 1-1-15 to pick up a ford truck and this Shelby was sitting in front of this guys house. he was not there but his brother that does interior work said that car was not for sell and that he had been offered 75000 for the car and turned it down.
75k planter…
I want this car any news on if the guy will sell it
I have a daughter who I named Shelby. She is now 12 and I am 41. I’ve always wanted a 67 or 68 Shelby but know I will never be able to afford one. My dad still has Shelby heads sitting in his garage from when I was about 5. It would be a dream to build this car with my daughter. In total I now have 3 little girls and Shelby is my oldest. They are my priority. In less there is a miracle, I’ll keep dreaming of walking across something like this one day and be given the opportunity of a lifetime to teach them.
This thread reminds me of the Dukes of Hazzard– it’s got a big muscle car, guns, grand theft auto, moonshine, and an interesting take on the English language.
Great find! Hope it works out for the guy it was stolen from. Keep the updates coming.
If that car was sitting there that long , tree should be 50 feet tall.
I personally like it, however I would planted a couple of rose bushes instead, or some legumes to give it more “beans”?
Is it a real Shelby? Is it a 1967? Looks like 68 deckled/tail light set up. Not one front end part on it that shows it to be a 67. Stripes are cheap, so are the lower brake scoops. NO TAG! Lots of “stories” when it comes to these cars. True? Or fiction?
Hilarious, very southern style build up here ! Gotta Love It , yall keep on cacklin okay ! Im afeared ya aint gonna be able to buy it steal it or drive it !
One thing I noticed was the floor pans were strong enough, or enough of them left to support the weight of the engine block. Looks very salvageable. Now to just get past the dogs long enough to talk to the owner.
Wonder where she’s now? Did she go thru Mecum-Jackson? Follow-up pics? Carry on guys,great stuff!
IF the car was stolen, and the previous owner can prove it’s the same car, the car belongs to him regardless of what the current “owner” wants. Of course it may belong to the insurance company if he got claim money for it.
Goodness gracious, what an abomination!!! Having said that… I want it!!! Just one question: Are the car and the tree a package deal??
Obviously he has an emotional attachment to the car & No emotional attachment to greenbacks!