Blue Highways, Back Lots, and Barnyard Finds

[supplyguy]

Drove the back roads from Allentown to Gettysburg Pa (Rt 422, 22, and 30), one of my favorite byways that over the years always promised lawns and lots with old, classic, and unusual cars for sale. This time, being in no hurry, I decided to photograph as many as I could with the intent to share them here and elsewhere for anyone interested in spotting cars. But when I checked into the hotel in Lebanon the night before Aunt Dorothy's funeral, I went on line and did a simple search on barnyard finds. Low and behold there are entire web sites with links and narratives and photos (duh) and I felt like a complete dope having turned a one hour drive into three with all the u-turns and photo ops. Feeling foolish, on day two (Lebanon to Gettysburg) I passed T-Birds and Corvairs and Jeep Grand Wagoneers and even an Alfa and gritted my teeth and took not a single photo. But tonight, before deleting the shots, I thought what the hell - post them here and folks can look at 'em or not. I guess it was all worth it just to spend 45 minutes with the kid in Sinking Spring, PA who rescued the TVR from an abandoned storage bin and was so excited to show the car to me and tell me all about his plans when he spotted me snapping photos. That's the kind of encounter I had not planned on when I set out on this 500 mile top down weekend blue highway loop in the Spider, but it is the most memorable.

[Danno]

How do I see the pictures? Am I having problems because I'm using an iPad, or because I don't have a snapfish account?

[supplyguy]

No - I am editing and royally hosing this up. Trying to add a better link, or the photos themselves, and botching both. Stand by!

[supplyguy]

Sorry for fits and starts with photos.

[vandor]

Thanks for sharing!
BTW, I believe that is a stock paintjob on the Jetta. I know for sure that Golfs came like that, so likely Jettas too.

[courtenay]

Great shots - love the old, classic GM iron.

[supplyguy]

Vandor - Saw a few of these Golfs when I lived in Germany. Just looked them up and found they are called "Harlequins" and are considered rare - something i=like less than 300 made in 1996. Rare - and ugly.

[Fi8spider]

Unfortunate circumstances for a road trip supplyguy but good to see you made a little adventure of it.


I've always admired the BMW big 6 coupe and I would have no hesitation in buying a decent one if I had any space for it.

....and do something like this to it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterellen ... 001935246/



I've encounted my fair share of barn finds and as a car buff it's probably one of the most exciting things to come across
the one you've been looking for. The chase and the hunt is nearly as good as the ownership.

I have to do U.S road trip one day, definately on my "to do before I die" list.

[2ndwind]

Nice Pics, I like old, older cars no matter takes the pictures. I've always liked that yellow car on the roof just outside York, Pa on Rt. 30. Have passed it many times when visiting our folks in Lancaster, PA and Balto, MD.

My favorites are the TVR, MGB-GT, and GT 350. World of a difference among those 3.

[Exit98]

Nice pictures,nice trip, despite the circumstances.

Love the yellow 51 Chevy and the rainbow VW.

[supplyguy]

2ndwind - My folks are from Lebanon and Baltimore. Are we related?

[steve8462]

does anybody recognize this car? model? year? it is behind a building in Chattanooga, TN

[Exit98]

Steve,

It's an Austin Healey 3000, from the 1960's.

Number 1 cars are selling in the $50 to $80 K range these days.

Not much left of this one.

Nothing much to do today, waiting around for Sandy to strike. Sick of listening to the frentic weathermen, so there may be some clues in the pictures that will result in a more specific ID.

[steve8462]

does it have any value in its current condition do you suppose? i would hate to see it rot away if there was a chance of connecting it to somebody that could use it just for parts.

[2ndwind]

Yes it is either an early sixties AH 3000, or a '50s AH 100-4 or 100-6. Most notable difference in the very early "Big Healeys" is a much larger grill like an open cartoon mouth, than the later oval. The later cars '64-'67 had the more desirable (for a cruiser) roll-up windows. The later cars also had a full wood dash across with a console down the middle. This is example appears in better shape than some I've seen that have been saved.

I am absolutely positive someone wants this car. I saw some serious hulks gathered here in the late 90s for shipment back to the UK for restoration. The question is for how much. It depends on just how much (not whether) rust is in the frame and the interior panels. I see a few decent parts on this. A title would make it golden. You'd have to get in there and get a more thorough look at it. Maybe there are some more on the property?

I always wanted a late model AH 3000 like my uncle had. He had a '62 then a '66.