Hot Rods What's still Out There?

I've been watching a lot of car shows on YouTube lately and it's re***uring to see the number of cars out there that have already been saved, but it leaves me to wonder how many cars that are still out there that need saving O/T and older. So how about a thread with junk yard cars, barn finds, that still need saving.

 

Try this ..... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/sitting-and-rotting-picture-thread.330573/
There's over 800 pages

 

Bump.

 

This is the one that I can't quit thinking about. Thanks for the reminder that I need to go ask about it again.

 

Last year I saw no less than a dozen survivors hot rods be found. There’s a LOT still out there guys.

 

There's a LOT out this way. Hundreds still on farms and in the woods. Just gotta go for a drive and you'll spot many.

 

I could probably name a couple of dozen I know of that haven't seen the light of day for a couple of decades or more. And that's just in my little world. They're out there.....

 

Go for it!

 

I always thought a good idea was to recruit a pilot and a photographer.
Could really help locate those "cant see from the road" relics.
Drop a pin on the GPS and go for a drive to lay eyes on the potential hidden gems.

 

I used to know where a bunch of old cars around here that needed saving were. Sadly, most of the one's I knew about and no longer visible. Even though I did the best I could to help them find a home, many of them probably rotted away before they got saved. I believe most that could have been saved, were probably rescued by someone, even if that person didn't do much more then preserve them for whom ever may be the next care giver. A bunch of cool stuff that got stuffed away out of sight is waiting to be found again.

 

When I was in my late teens/early 20s I truly thought that all the “barn finds” were done. It made sense to me that there couldn’t be any more of them. Now, almost 40 yrs later, we still hear about barn finds. Then it dawned on me, it’s a perpetual cycle of folks finding/buying stuff, stashing it away for any array of endless reasons, only to be “rediscovered” all over again. As long as this hobby is alive, there will always be “barn finds”.

 

This past December I was on an ND road I had never been on. Anyhow I came across a collection of cars, pickups, trucks, and tractors. Hard to guess how many. There was a sign with a phone# wanting to buy more. I have the number, am going to call to see if I can walk through it. Maybe he doesn’t sell?

 

I have a buddy that has "saved" 200 or more over the years, 1940's to present. Has most of them stashed on some remote land. Doesn't really do anything with them, just likes to have them.
He's pushing 80, so I fear they will need to be "saved" again at some point

 

pics!

 

I don't have any that don't have OT cars in them. None of his stuff is rare or even valuable. lotta 4 doors and OT Ford PU's
I did manage to trade(he likes to trade) this '58 wagon away from him.

 

This was just posted earlier today.

 

You don't see any 58 Ranch Wagons these days. Nice score!

 

This one woke me up faster than 6 cups of coffee this morning when I stumbled across it in the "Sitting and Rotting" thread.

 

Yup, they are still out there!! This was found in a ba*****t in Southern New Hampshire. It was in there 40 years!!!
I scored it in 2024

 

I remember going car hunting with my older brother out in rural North Dakota this was in the late 70s,lots of cars in the tree rows baby birds tri five chevys and Fords you name it the the crushers came through in the late 80s and the 90s and cleaned them all out. But my fairlane was rescued in the late 20 teens was stored in a grain bin in western North Dakota for 30 pluse years that's what saved it but it did have some damage,the car looks the same as when my brother owned it.

 

My grandfather had a blue 1961 Ford Fairlane 2-dr with a 6 and three-on-the-tree, base model car with dog dish hubcaps. Bought it in 1964 for a trip to California and back, then kept it garaged, driving it a couple times a year. Beautiful car! I remember how the door handles were part of the chrome trim than ran along the top of the quarter panels to accent the small tailfin. He sold it a few months before he p***ed away in 1992; guy who bought it didn't appreciate it and trashed it; last I knew of it the car had been hacked up and sitting out in a field. I'd probably cry if I saw it, but I'm sure it's long gone by now.

 

I stopped at one of the vendors at the kzoo swapmeet this year and talked to a guy there who inherited his dad's old junkyard in southwest Michigan. I ended buying one of these cars and he's got about 20 acres of 60s and older cars that he's trying to sell off before calling in the s****per. Wish I had more time to explore and only got a few pics

 

Still lots out there but scant few willing to put the time and money to bring them back to life.

 

I don’t think the main finds will be field cars but cars sitting in garages. I look back at all the cars from the NSRA events back in the 80’s and 90’s, they’d get over 12,000 cars show up. Some of those cars you still see but where are the majority. Many of those owners aged out, I’m sure some cars were sold but a lot have to be sitting. The former trendy cars will need paint interiors and wheels but many have have bones.

 

I've had this 29 coupe for over 35 years, and it has been in this barn for around 26 years.
So yeah, they're still out there.

 

I would love to get my hands on this one, but I already have two 34 BB’s.

 

I think you're looking for love in all the wrong places! Instead of resurrecting a forlorn field car, save a ton of money and buy a "project" from a dead guys' heir. There is a glut of out dated, already built but neglected hot rods out there from around the '80's-'90's, that have been willed to uninterested younger people. They just need some re-animation. Just gotta find a son or daughter that is motivated to sell.