After four years on the trail, Barn Find Hunter finally uncovers a Judge - Hagerty Media

In the last episode of Barn Find Hunter, we left off with Tom Cotter heading up the road to McPherson, Kansas in the Ford wagon he found last year and rescued. Of course, Tom can’t just drive down the road without getting distracted by dull sheet metal he spots out of the corner of his eye. As usual, his instincts prove fruitful, yielding two big finds.

From his starting point in Midland, Texas,Tom and the Ford wagon cover solid ground and make it to Lubbock, Texas before a grouping of cars held captive behind a chain-link fence capture his attention. He interrupts the owner, Mike, who was mowing the grass, to talk about the aging metal. Interestingly, the cars are all for sale at $500 each. Tom picks out a few good projects and takes a moment to remind us that the wagon he is driving cross country was in a similar state not so long ago. Something to think about, for sure.

Leaving that yard full of potential, Tom doesn’t make it far before he veers off toward another point of interest on the roadside. Don’t forget, cars in varying states of disrepair, becoming one with the earth in an overgrown yard, is like catnip to Tom. Sure enough, the property’s owner happily obliges Tom with a tour of the grounds—and more.

In 61 episodes of Barn Find Hunter, you would by this point think Tom had found it all. Yet, he admits, there was one car that had deep down hoped would turn up eventually—a Judge. A Pontiac GTO Judge was high on Tom’s list, especially after finding cars with lower production numbers and higher attrition. There in the weeds was an honest-to-goodness 400/four-speed Judge. The hood was stuck closed, but it’s the culmination of a long search that Tom still counts it as a victory.

Does crossing the Judge off his hunting list mean Tom is hanging up his hat? No way. To learn what is next on his must-find list you will have to stay tuned. Be sure to subscribe to the Hagerty YouTube page to receive notifications with each new video that gets posted.