This is one of the more interesting finds we’ve stumbled across thanks to our readers: a turnkey automotive shop / tourist attraction, complete with two buildings and the project cars inside, along with a fine-looking residence! The entire package is here on craigslist and the seller is requesting offers.
My brother and I often talk about how much fun it would be to own a small shop that served as a destination for gearheads. We would host shop nights, open houses and car shows, along with buying cheap project cars for resale or parting out and hawking the good bits on eBay. A bit of a pipe dream but a dream nonetheless. As you can see in the first two photos, some interesting vehicles are part of the deal.
The seller is refreshingly blunt, saying he wants to pack his bags and move on – you pay him a good price and the keys are yours! This custom panel wagon and the decorations on the wall appear to be inside the 30×50 shop building and it looks like there is plenty of space for a lift. There’s also a 32×80 building with living quarters, six additional outbuildings/storage units, carports and even two billboards rented out for additional revenue!
I’m guessing this is the shop building that also houses the business, which sounds like a cross between a car lot and a mechanic’s garage that’s not really trying too hard to be either one. The seller says there is great visibility from the road, which I’m guessing is a busy location given the presence of billboards.
Doesn’t this house look cozy? Just imagine it with all of your project cars housed throughout the property. You’ll also enjoy central air and heat, so it’s had at least some updates made. The hose reel next to the carport will make it easy to wash your car no matter the weather, and with plenty of shop space at hand, you can tinker away the Oklahoma winter. Frankly, it looks like a new Barn Finds headquarters to me! Thanks to reader Brian V. for the find!
Looks like Craigslist has a bug, I used the link and it’s mostly in Chinese.
Same here – problem with link.
Someone mentioned that about another posting which I haven’t had any issues except in this one the pictures on craigslist were not there but the listing was and in English. Now as far as the business goes I would love to have it but money wise it ain’t going to happen.
The link just had the wrong language set. All fixed now. Thanks!
Hey guys – sorry about that. I have noticed lately craigslist links in my Chrome browser have been all sorts of wonky but working in Internet Explorer. Not sure what the trouble is and apologies for any issues on your end. -Jeff
Had to do a double take on the gray Packard. I had a ’50 Packard just like that. I’m curious on the list of cars, what a “1950 Ford Packard” is. Seems to me, the location may be a problem. Classic car shops do best in big cities. Not giving it away, that’s for sure.
So did I . My first car as a 16 yr old…………in 1970. Here’s a pix I just happened to find today. Must not be an Ultramatic as he doesnt have the trim that fairs into the rear tailights. In any event sounds like the place would be great fun…if it wasn’t in tornado alley!
Hi Woodieman, looks great. ( pretty fancy car for a 16 y.o. My 1st car was a 1958 Volvo 444) Even has the Cormorant ( very pricey today) Ours was an Ultramatic (1st year) and had a script across the trunk above the word Packard. We also had the Cormorant that came from my grandfather’s car he bought new in 1948. He paid $18 dollars for that.( $177 dollars in today’s money) I saw one at a swap meet not long ago for $300 dollars. I had that car for almost 30 years, it was a great piece to show. Not many people know about Packard. I got Hudson and Studebaker a lot, and when I told them, no, it’s a Packard, they still didn’t know what it was. We sold it a few years ago, it had fallen into disrepair, again, but we kept the Cormorant.
Howard -My deceased Grandfather had a garage and the car was transferred to him for monies owed. My Dad was selling the garage and he sold me the car for 250.00!….made from my paper route! A Doctor owned it and he only had 30,000 or so miles on it. One of my favorite memories is my Dad and I in a neighbors garage dumping Mystery oil into the cylinders on a frigid January day! Mohair interior was perfect. Paint was perfect . Of course it was “only” 20 years old then but seemed like a dinosaur to me. Set me on my life long old car obsession. The next year after graduating from high school I was going to drive it to Colorado from the East Coast! The tranny went out and I drove it home about five miles BACKWARD! and got away with it! I took it to Aamco just for an inspection…but those trannys were a pain and fell apart when taken apart. They rebuilt it without my permission and liened the car when I wouldnt pay for it. Sat all winter in an outside yard in Bridgeport Conn until my Dad filed an action for Replevin. He wanted to teach me a lesson! Sold the car and headed out West with a friend. Hard to believe its been 45 years!
I usually question craigslist listings like this. Advertising in Phoenix (and Boise on Aug 11), but I did find it on the Fort Smith Site. http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/bfs/5298310306.html
Still I say if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The issue is with Craigslist, nothing to do with the link, I checked several Craigslist cities and they come up in Chinese and Arabic.
As mentioned above Frankie, just add ?lang=en to the end of any of the craigslist links and it will fix the problem.
So, did your link change the language for any Craigslist link I used, even a bookmark from my own computer?
There are some different photos and car offerings on different versions of this listing, so worth checking a few of them.
Outskirts of Tulsa/Broken Arrow. Someone might be able to show up with a pile of cash and move into a new life here fairly easily. Sell off some cars and add your own if you prefer something different.
I don’t know what real estate goes for in that area, but the price seems like a steal. He is looking to leave there to retire, and I’d look to go there to retire. The wife wouldn’t go for it, and my kids are near here. If not for that, I’d be heading west.
Oh well……
The link Jesse gave was posted 28 days ago, the link from Ben is 17 days old. First he was selling the property including 30 cars and trucks and a package deal of 4 cars at $ 49,950.00. 17 Days ago it was including 27 cars and trucks, no word mentioned about the package deal.
I cannot blame him trying to make the most of it, but selling this lot while changing what you are selling might make things a little complicater.
The whole reason I clicked in this article was because of that Ford. A 1961 Starliner is easily in my top 5 list.
Hi David, this story will make you cringe. Many years ago ( 20?), I was in a junkyard in S. Wis. and the worker on a big forklift was stacking junk cars on a flatbed. ( this was before the “portable” shredders) He’d skewer the car with the forks, and load it on top of the previous car, crushing the top. ( maybe 4-5 high on the truck) As I watched, his next “victim” was a ’61 2 dr.Starliner. Had no engine or drivetrain, but the body looked really decent. He was just about to skewer the side, when I yelled ” HEY, WAIT”! He said , “What?” I said, “that’s a ’61 Starliner, don’t crush it”. He said, “you want it or don’t you”? I said, “well, I don’t, but somebody might”. His response, “no time”, and with that he put the forks through the doors,,,I couldn’t watch.
It’s been on the market for a month. If it’s really priced right, it should have sold by now. I’m not sure OK is a hotbed of vintage car activity, since he obviously hasn’t sold any of his. The 4-door Chevs wouldn’t be easy to sell, but the Starliner sure should have. In any event, I’d want to see recent comps to see where he is pricewise in the marketplace (that is, once he gets his bearings on the price and what’s included).
It would be a great business if located somewhere else in the country.. Like here in Fla.. LOL
Famous last words in Real Estate: Location, location, location!
I’m sure he put it on the Phoenix Craigslist because there’s a huge swap meet there this weekend. Just do a search for cars there on Craigslist and more crap and junk shows up than you ever thought could exist.
As others have noted – I don’t understand – why does the craigslist posting use Chinese – even if I try to change to English I see it reverts to Chinese. My computer has recently been hacked, when I follow links to eBay thru BarnFinds they no longer work, do I have to quit using this site as it appears something is amiss every time I access it these days?
Try clearing your browser’s cache yanmarley. Let us know if that fixes it for you.
Not to far from my house. Jim (owner) told me 10 years ago he would sell it to me for $975,000. The inventory, buildings, and house with the amount of land included, don’t even come close to comps for the area, even though it is zoned commercial. I don’t know if the City of Broken Arrow would allow it to “grandfather” in on the zoning, as there is a bank and a Kum N Go store at the same intersection. Even has a traffic light. In my own opinion the cars he had (s) for sale were priced to high for most restorers or rodders, even the one he had gone thru and street rodded. (i.e. 46 Ford coupe w/ 350/350 driveline, 57 Ford 4 door sedan black & yellow 351, and a 63 Wildcat from South Dakota that was well eaten up with rust, which is now sold) At that time he had a 61 Falcon Sedan Deliver 6 cyl 3 on tree, lot of rust, but at $4G I couldn’t afford it. I don’t know what he is asking now, but personally I wouldn’t give more than half his asking price, if it was reasonable. It would be a great location for a Barn Finds Garage, and has a very high traffic count and real good highway visibility (hint, hint). But this is just my opinion, I don’t want to offend the seller or any potential buyers. Jim use to have a website “countryclassiccars.com”, but I haven’t seen it lately.
Something a little less ‘in the middle’ and I’d be pretty excited. I’m looking to buy something in one of the warmer areas of your fine country!