Barn find stories?

Johnny U - Do you have any photos of the car? Any chance of contacting the owner and seeing how much he would sell the car for? Thanks.

 

I didn't take any photos of the car back then but give me a couple of days to get the owners name and number and I can communicate that info to you privately. We didn't dare try to start the engine when we checked her out but the mechanic was able to determine that it wasn't seized. Moisture had certainly locked into it though. Car is currently painted silver but under that was yellow and under that was the original medium blue metallic with tobacco brown leather that was in surprisingly good shape considering. There was some bondo under the left front headlight and the floorboards were shot but otherwise she seemed complete.

 

any chance you could PM me the serial?


Cheers




Chris

 

Chris,

It was about six-seven years ago when I looked at the car. I certainly wrote down the serial then but God knows what I did with it. I do know that the car is still sitting in his garage. I am in the process of contacting him even if I have to drive out there and will get the serial.

It's funny when we first went out to see the car I had told the owner to clean it up, fill the tires, put up the top which he did and left the car outside in his driveway overnight. When we arrived the next morning and were inspecting the car his wife and daughter came out of the house screaming. During the night someone stole his daughter's banged up red Camero which was parked behind the Ferrari. His wife and daughter felt the Camero was worth a hell of alot more than his old Ferrari.

 

if it was a 70 to 72 rally sport it was worth a hell of a lot in camaro terms but very little in ferrari terms. this is a great thread!

 

Johnny - I would be seriously interested in purchasing the 275 if it becomes available for sale. I would also make sure that you are compensated for your lead. Please send me a p.m. when you get the pertinent information. Thank you.

 

Michael,

It was no rally sport camero that's for sure....I think it was a mid-80's with a t-top roof and a V6.

Barchetta,

I'm going to try and speak with the owner this weekend, get the serial # and any other info on the car and get back to you as soon as I have it.

 

Thank you very much. Feel free to PM or email me if you do not want the information public.


Chris

 

It's interesting how much 0422MD resembles the 375MM of Jean Sage. I wonder if the wheelbase and other dimensions are the same?

john

 

Wayne,

If someone told me I could have one Ferrari, any Ferrari I wanted, it would be 0358AM. It is the most beautiful racecar ever. It was here in the States for a long time, in Wisconsin actually. Of course, if I couldn't have 0358AM then I would settle for the white sister car that was on the block in Gstaad in 2001.

john

 

[David Sydorick told a nice story on one of those "Car Crazy" episodes about finding one of his cars, I think it was the 250GT Zagato, in Sicily (don't know if they have barns but it sounded pretty much like a "barn find" story).]

It was an Alfa Romeo 1900 Zagato. The story on the Zagato appeared in one of the British car magazines. The way I remember it, Sydorick apparently owned a "regular" Alfa 1900 and had heard stories about a Zagato being in a barn somewhere in the Hollywood Hills. He eventually tracked down the owner, who was an Italian-American, with relatives still in Italy. The owner had shipped the Zagato back to Italy sometime back in the 1970's, as part of a plan to retire to Italy and restore the car there. To make sure that it didn't get stolen while the owner was in the US, the owner had a brick wall built around it. Of course, the retirement to Italy never happened and, twenty years later, after a protracted negotiation period, the owner agreed to sell the car to David. So, David flies to Italy and, sure enough, behind the brick wall and inside the barn, there is the car. After hiring some locals to break-up the brick wall, the car was removed, shipped to the US and subsequently restored and shown at Pebble Beach, among other places.

Here's a picture of the car:

http://www.barchetta.cc/All.Ferraris/events-stories/events/2004/villa-d-este/villa-d-este-gallery-sd-1/itc.captio-7.html

 

Not only that, but like the Ferrari 250 Zagatos, not all the Alfa 1900 Zagatos are the same. I believe that David's car is a one-off body style.

 

THAT's a Barn Find!!!

 

I know where a very special barn find is.. it needs total restoration it was parked about 20 years ago after suffering a few burned wires, but it's a rare piece..a late 1930's Figoni & Falaschi bodied Delahaye Cabriolet I THINK it was a 135... it has fender skirts over all 4 wheels... in their time they set a few records and it's really a beautiful car.. worth a lot.. When I was in high school a friend's father had it sitting in a pole shed and it's still there as of the last time I was back there..unfortunately it's probably not going to be for sale until the guy dies..(though he is in his late 70's i think now) I know his kids will sell, but he has always been funny about that car... he would talk pleasantly about almost any topic, but say something like, "don't you have an old french car in the barn still?" and he would get angry .. say something about how "no one would ever give me what it's worth so screw everyone, I got enough money" The windshield is broken (he threw a hammer at it once angry about something).. who knows, maybe if someone like Leno went and handed him a check he would talk... but if anyone wants to try I'll pass on what I know
Course I'll prolly be the same as some of those owners..it's been so long since I drove the V12 car and with curent obligations it's going to be longer still... i't's painted now but far from reassembled and i have my doubts it's going to run well much longer without a rebuild.. and if someone tries to by it I'll probably chase them off too
Chelle

 

Hammer thru the windscreen! Wow! Nice guy!

 

No Wayne,
He is laughing his ass off because he already owns them all!

 

NO WAY! I live in Honeoye Falls.... interesting. You sure it sold? Otherwise I may have to track it down.

 

Only thing that I found was in a garage 1977 Honda 400/4 bike which I bought and restore and then sold for a profit to buy a Ducati(Big Mistake). A mate of mine worked with a lad in Switzerland who found a E type at the bottom of a lake after it had been drained he restored it (he did work for a famous garage in Switzerland 'Oldtimer'). Plenty of barns in Lincolnshire found a few old tractors, and a Aston DBS V8 but the bloke wanted too much money. Cyprus has many interesting cars lurking around always looking when on holiday plus I was and my mate is still in the RAF based over there so he keeps me informed. Its better to look for old cars than get caught looking at the girls well thats what I tell the good lady!!!! still dream of the Ferrari find..

 

Yes, sadly it's sold. The car was on Clover street, probably two or three miles north of Honeoye Falls. The owner was Doug Cox and it was sold to a guy named Nitti.

 

I wonder if that is Joe Nitti, last known in the Atlanta area and formerly of Altamonte Springs, FL. Used to work for FAF in Altanta I think.

KevFla

 

Kev - yes, his first name was Joe. After purchasing the car, he moved from Rochester - I never saw or heard from him again.
Bob