5 guys drag home 70 Volkswagens, Tom reads about Broncos, E-Types, and many more | Barn Find Hunter - Hagerty Media
Tom Cotter and crew have traveled the U.S. countryside (and also the UK) in search of dilapidated and hiding cars. He can’t find them all though, so we put out a call in the Hagerty Community for folks to share their best barn finds and the tips rolled in. There were fascinating stories in the posts shared, so Tom sat down with his computer and went through some of the best.
Broncos galore
User montanabroncos has one of the more straightforward user names in the Hagerty Community. (Hint: they find Ford Broncos in Montana.) Well, sort of. Apparently most discoveries are better described as field finds, which tickles the dad humor in Tom. Regardless, the beautiful green first-generation Bronco is one that takes Tom back in time to when he was a salesmen at a Ford dealer. Just proof that time travel does exist, it just requires a different machine than what you see in the movies.
The dream E-type (might be a nightmare)
A red Jaguar covered in an inch of dust, subtly lit by the suns rays peeking through the space between the barn wood slats. The picture sent in by user ClassicRoadster could have been plucked out of just about any gearhead’s dreams. But Tom offers a reality check; a car like this one is a huge project to take on, and unless you want to do it yourself, you might struggle to find someone willing to take it on. Between finding good parts and the right shop to work on it, diving into a project like this could be a mistake for the unprepared.
A flat-four luv affair
Of all the submissions that have poured in, user longboardluv is a someone seemingly born for this moment. He and his friends have been pulling Volkswagens out of garages, fields and basements for years and documenting it all on a YouTube channel. Tom has a soft spot for VWs and admired their work, so he called them up to chat. Each member of the team has their own VW story and trips they like to take to get away and explore the central Texas area they call home. From fast cars to the slowest VWs built, they love it all and have found just about every type, as well.
All of these submissions show that there really is no trick to finding cool cars. Tom points out that it helps to have a fun car that attracts attention and can be used to break the ice of the initial conversation, but that is a luxury. Almost everything highlighted in the Barn Find Hunter series has been found the old school way—just driving around and looking. The Hagerty Community shows that there is plenty of cool stuff to be found out there, you just have to go look. What are you waiting for?
