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Today’s What’s In Your Barn feature comes from reader Brian C. and although this is more of a carport than a barn, he has an interesting collection. All drivable at the time of the photo! Can you guess the year, make, and model of each? We will let Brian determine the winner later today and hopefully he will share a little more about each car. Thanks for sharing Brian! Be sure to send in photos of our own barn or garage. It is always fun to see what our readers have stashed away!
I’d say a 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook, 1973 Opel GT and 1982 Renault Alliance – give or take a year or two
What a bunch of junk!
Rick, I am looking forward to seeing your barn collection posted on here…
I am with you on the Cranbrook & the Opel GT but the other one is a VW Fox.
Might be worth something depending on the price of scrap
@ Rick – if you have nothing good to say, why say anything at all – we often start at the bottom and work our way up – my two collector cars look terrific but always improvements needed – don’t be so critical of others efforts – I’m sure Brian is proud of his collection and that at the moment they are al in running condition
BTW I go along with the Cranbrook, Opel and Fox
Well said couldn’t have put it better myself.
But those cars were junk when they were new! (except for the Plymouth maybe)
And I thought I woke up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes.
Where you see “junk”, the owner see’s potential. Because you don’t happen to like these choices, doesn’t make them less valuable in his eyes. He might look at vehicles you own and think the same as you do of his. I know I have put together some that made people question my taste and sanity( 71-73 Datsun B-110). I happen to like them and its my money to spend.
Again well said couldn’t have put it better myself.
Junk? I beg to differ.
I’d take that cranbrook, skin the doors and drive that baby.
I have Studebakers and some of them started off in worse condition than this.
That Opal GT would get a 350 with a blower and do nothing to the ret of it (except cut the hood for the scoop to stick out of.
That’s what I’m talking about.
One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. If we haven’t learned that by now with all these “barn finds” and fields full of a man’s “collection” that he’s going to restore one day, well I don’t know what else I can do for you.
I get the Opel and the Plymouth as both are old, interesting and have their place in automotive history. I’m guessing the Fox is Brian’s daily driver and what’s wrong with that? Inexpensive VW driveline, brakes, suspension, a world of easily obtained info to help keep it on the road and it probably gets 40 mpg plus hauls 4 people. Seems like the perfect commuter/take the kids to school/soccer/out for ice cream car.
Enjoy my namesake!
PS: Your mom doesn’t know how to spell! hahahahaah
I’ll go along with the Plymouth Cranbrook, and I’ll say that the Opel GT is a ’71 or ’72. I don’t see the tiny GM emblem the ’69-’70s had, and the ’73 did not have the single center rear back-up light as they were then integrated into the round taillights as in the Manta. I think the VW is not a Fox, but a Jetta two-door from the early 1980s.
Yes second look I think it’s a Jetta & yes early 80’s.
I go with about a ’54 Plymouth, Opel GT and Renault Alliance. The taillights and badging just don’t seem to fit the Fox.
Rick, not everyone can afford the popular cars and not everyone wants them. I know people who love Chevettes and I personally have a Fiero that I wouldn’t part with. It isn’t in great shape, but I pick at it when I can and maybe someday it will be a show winner. (if I live that long LOL)
Good youthful memories of 17 year old me and a red ’84 Fiero. It was slow enough that Dad said ok, but fast enough to get into trouble with it. Its amazaing that we (me and the Fiero) managed to survive! Would love to have another but I’m not sure my spine could handle getting in and out of one these days! Keep that junior Firebird flying!!!
It’s his money and he can collect what he wants to. He might also have some attachment to this cars because of their history. Most folks wouldn’t like what I collect either but they are mine and I bought them.
I love the offbeat stuff like this. The Opel GT looked like a “mini Corvette” at the time. Interested to know if the 80’s econo box is an Alliance, Fox or something else. They all look the same to me from the rear.
Probably one of the least popular 50’s cars out there is the 53-54 Kaiser Manhattan – but to me they have a lot of style and I’d love to own one. To each his own!
As Jack Nicholson said it so very well in the movie A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!”
Obvious troll is obvious.
Back under your rock.
Say what you may, but Opel GT’s have a significant following, particularly in Europe.
http://www.opelgt.com
And as an earlier poster mentioned with the 350 and a scoop, the local drag strip calls for cars such as that on test and tune nights or for a teenager’s first race car down the strip.
I was going to go with Desoto for the Mopar, but upon further research, I’ll go with the crowd and say it’s a Plymouth. The yellow car is obviously an Opel GT, but the year escapes me. As for the red car, it’s not a VW Fox (nor is it a Quantum, which was my knee-jerk reaction) but rather a MK I Jetta. It shares heavily with the MK I Golf/Rabbit from the doors forward. The cool thing is that this chassis stayed in continuous production until a year or two ago in the South African market so, like my beloved Geo Metros (still built in Pakistan), parts should be available from Chinese rebuilders (and maybe even dealers) for a long time to come.
the truth, as far as ‘Rick’ is concerned, is, that he is an asshole.
He did not get enough attention as a child
I have more respect for people that restore/repair the cars that they have, NO MATTER WHAT those are, than those pretenders, that but cars (especially project cars), do nothing with them (other than spruce up for resale) and then re-offer them for 3 times the money.
They call them flippers.
As for Brian’s collection, looks good to me.
Opel GT could be anywhere from 1968 to 1973,
the VW: at first look I thought it was a Jetta 1 (1980-83?), but looks very similar and could be a Fox (made in Brazil, 1987-89?).
As for the third car I have no clue.
Although great and unique, mid fifties American are off my radar completely.
Brian, I appreciate you’re sharing those cars with us.
At least in my neighbor hood you’d be turning heads with all these cars, and that’s saying something, as I live in a dry climate and old cars are abundant here….
How is “Horse Radish” comment less offensive then what Rick said.
“than”
.
…..and which one of his 4 ! tasteless remarks are you referring to ?
Accumulative, he must be all time top leader in thumbs down,
A legendary ‘Hall of fame’ candidate.
Not that I encourage that kind of behavior and he had that coming….
…. and that’s why I LOVE this site.
The “other site” would have just deleted those remarks and tore up the whole thread.
It adds a little flavor, don’t you agree ?
DeSoto, of course Opel and ……hmmmm…..I’ll go with VW Fox
I’m going with a Plymouth Cranbrook, the Opel…and an early Jetta.
As for Rick’s opinon….the only person who has a right ti be upset with his opinion is Brian.
The rest of us ought to just let people say want they want. Conversely each of us can react to what the other said as they please.
I just wish we would all just get over the third grade mentality of everyone has to say something nice.
Was it Hedda Hopper who said if you have something nasty to say about someone, come and sit by me?
Damn Rick that’s cold, but I can’t stop laughing. I personally think all cars have a place in someone’s heart, but it was the eloquent way that you were short and to the point that had me laughing.
1, 1953 Plymouth
2, 1969-72 Opel GT
3, 1980-83 Renault Alliance
’52 Plymouth Savoy, ’70 Opel GT and a ’78 Renault Alliance
I doubt there is anyone who reads Barn Finds who doesn’t have a long list of cars or trucks they would like to own, and a plan for a garage they would like to have to house and work on them—if only they had the funds and the space.
I’m guessing that most of us don’t have access to what we would need to live that perfect dream. If we did we would all be picking up cars with a wave of a numbered paddle at Barrett-Jackson or RM or one of the other big auction houses. As a retired guy I am happy with a few affordable cars plus a half decent garage that’s definitely better than what I had during my decades of working, which was barely big enough for one small car. The daily drivers had to live out in the weather, and one of them still does.
The point is, as readers of Barn Finds I believe that all of us would probably like to have more and better vehicles and garages than we actually own. Well, maybe Stephen and his terrific collection would be an exception to the ‘more and better’ part of that wish. We do the best we can. Besides, who can say that certain ‘ordinary’ (to some people) cars might not have special personal meaning and value to someone?
We buy and save the vehicle or vehicles we like, to the extent that we are able, and to me anyone’s efforts in that direction are a good thing, and I want to know more about what they like and own.
Don’t need a paddle at B-J, when the buyer’s assistant comes right to you during the transaction and by the last day has yelled himself so hoarse that he needs a flag to ensure that Spany Assister and the rest of the auctioneers can see him, or the lovely lady assistant who graciously patrols the bloc helping buyers. Her man has great taste, for sure.
Well stated!
Where’s the Barn?
Great collection, regardless of it not being in a barn. Doesn’t matter unless those white flaes are flying. The Opel GT regardless of year and even though my choice for the newer ride was ’82 Renault Alliance. As for the relic from the ’50’s, I have ZERO clue from the rear. And I had fun dealing with the ’51 Packard I mentioned in the Roswell, NM post last wee that still sits outside the repair garage.
Rick is a Dick. Person of profound ignorance, I’m guessing white trash. Probably has never owned or restore a car in his life.
Brain thanks for sharing your cars with us. I lusted for an Opel gt when they came out.
Good luck restoring them and just enjoy the process.
The hardest part in car restoration is over coming couch gravity!!
thank you, Well expressed.
Why didn’t I think of that ?
Brian C. has a good collection and thanks for sharing. Seeing the Plymouth reminds me of the facinating survivor 1950’s era cars still being kept in use in Cuba. Thumbs up to Brian keeping the car preserved in the USA! Wish more were like him.
Sorry but car #3 is not a Renault but a Volkswagon.
Get the Plymouth engine running, hang a new rear door and drive it as is, great car from the early 50s. plenty of memories there.
i like the cars and love that they are being driven. thanks for sharing.