Barn Find Hunting

By Erik Nielsen
Photos by Erik Nielsen

Ferrari America 330, left, and the 3500 Maserati on right. The cars may have faired better had they actually been in a "barn".

Every now and then, you really tire of looking at pristine, over-restored cars whose owners have shelled out a small fortune, and in the process, made them better than when they left the factory. Something about stripping it to bare metal and rebuilding the finish from the bottom up takes away the car's history. Where it’s been, who owned it, how they took care of it (or didn't as the case may be). By scraping away all the dirt and grime and starting over, you take away the car's identity. Sure you keep the original shape and design, but you're trying to make a newborn out of an old man.

Steering wheel and dash of the 330 America. Car has already been sold.

For this reason, a cult has developed in the collector car world of nut cases, make that professionals, who go on barn find expeditions to find the next long lost Ferrari or Alfa or Lancia, only to be disappointed to find a Maserati TC rusting in someone's back yard. But, once in a while, you stumble upon a car, or three, un-restored and complete, with everything intact, where the car only has to be freshened to be put out on the road again. With this in mind, I jumped on the chance to track down one of the "missing" 330 Americas when a good friend in Manhattan tipped me off to the car's location.

Serial number of the Maserati 3500GT is 101 658, a early model.

As Karen and I headed further into the Deep South, we wondered if this was one of those cars that was only driven for a few miles and then put away when the owner tired of their new toy. Or, if this was going to be a neglected hulk, left out in the open to deteriorate as Mother Nature took it back element by element through the multiple processes of decay.

3500 engine. Amazing what moisture can do, isn't it?

We pulled up next to an abandoned old house and were met by a middle aged man asking "ya'll looking for an old Ferrari?" Okay, our navigating skills worked. As we climbed through thigh high grass and exchanged pleasantries with the owner and her helper, we meandered over to a lean-to and were greeted with the back sides of a Pantera, the 330 America (4973), and a Maserati 3500GT. Yikes, these were really in a barn, in the middle of nowhere, and I was getting chewed up by assorted creepy-crawlers while looking at them.

One of the 250 Mexicos built, this one is serial number 312.

Since I was most interested in the red Ferrari, I started crawling all over it, taking pictures of the general condition, important numbers and potential problems in restoration. The car was more or less complete. Some of the various trim pieces were missing, but it turns out they were available. Rust had only invaded the passenger rear wheel well and the bottom edges of the doors. So far, so good. Most of the rubber hoses under the hood were decayed but those would be replaced anyway. Most sections of the leather could be salvaged.

Interior of the Mexico. Body is by Vignale.

But then the numbers start churning away in my head. Twenty thousand dollars for an engine rebuild, twelve thousand to do the gearbox, twenty thousand for paint, thirty thousand to get the interior right, two thousand for wheels, four thousand for exhaust. All of this for a car that is worth sixty-five thousand dollars on a good day with the planets properly aligned. Still, it was a neat project for someone who had the time and the resources. While I chickened out (well, not exactly, my offer turned out to be too low), I've been told that a deal has been reached and this car is on its way to California.

No serial number info on the Pantera, but a lot of rust.

Unfortunately, the other cars weren't as good as the Ferrari. The 3500GT had a little rust, but needed everything in the interior. I've seen wet cardboard that had more structural integrity than the hood of the Pantera. Yes, it was complete, but it's going to be a lot of work.

The Alfa 2600 took some skills getting into as the keys weren't available. However, with about 2 minutes of playing with the top from the outside and figuring out how the door handle works from the inside, we were in. I now fully believe that car thieves can get into convertibles in under 15 seconds, if they know what they are doing. The Alfa turned out to be another car that was driven hard and put away wet.

The Alfa 2600 was a favorite for collectors in the late 1980s. Today, in restored condition, they might fetch $25,000.

The last Italian iron of interest was a Maserati Mexico that was down the street from its stable mates. It turned out to probably be in the best condition of the lot (as its home offered it better protection from the elements) but it's definitely not a "pressure wash and drive" project.

While I went home empty handed, I didn't leave disappointed. Here were cars that brought new meaning to “heavy patina”. Some collectors may scoff that they have been left to rot by someone who doesn't know how to properly store a car in a climate controlled garage. I tend to look at them as cars that have lead a different life than the garage queens that have never seen a cloud, let alone rain. That, in and of itself, was refreshing.

The 2600 had great looks and with the big six, excellent performance.

All of these cars, with the exception of the 330 America are available and we'll be happy to put you in touch with the owner if you drop us a line.