<VV> Barn cars -long, long weekend

[Sethracer at aol.com]

Here in California, we don't find many "Barn Cars" - Cars stored for a long  
time in less-than-perfectly-maintained circumstances. Most have been trotted 
out  and sold - or otherwise disposed of. Strangely enough, a side effect of 
the real  estate boom has been that many cars which could have stayed hidden 
(and  deteriorating) for many more years have finally been dragged out, to make 
room  for more development. I recently (yesterday and today) acquired two of  
these "gems" - actually two and a half. I'll explain. The 65 Monza Convertible  
was to replace someone's T-boned performance project and, after installing  
the (built?) motor into this car, progress just kind of stopped. And sat -  in 
a sometimes occupied turkey barn, with rats, etc. and other critters.  Since 
most of the hardware had been removed, there wasn't much to damage,  but rust 
had pretty much attacked the body already. Vacuuming up the  mouse/turkey/rat 
droppings from the engine compartment, and the mouse-house  condos (Not yet 
removing the top shroud, sure to be prime real estate  underneath) I found a well 
thought out oil cooling system and four vent-tube  equipped Rochesters on the 
140. After putting the rear up on solid  jackstands, I found nearly 
new-looking old headers and a full set of Otto  Parts valve covers/pan and baffle 
spacer. Ducking further under, I found the  Crown strut-rod relocator, bolted under 
the Saginaw, Bilstein rear  shocks and a Crown rear bar pieces, with the 
brackets just bolted on!  The bar was inside. After sliding underneath with a 
spray can of Kroil  penetrant, and pre-lubing all the bolts, for future removal, I 
pulled the  dish mags and found - "What the heck?" wide finned Aluminum rear 
drums.  Those 2.5" wide Buick beauties from the sixties! I pulled the drums 
off and  found -no brakes underneath! The wheel cylinders were there, but no 
shoes! The  mystery deepens. The final thing tonight was to pull the "magic tool" 
from the  rollaround - the long 3/4" box end wrench and see if the motor 
would  turn over. Gotta go with the threads on the balance bolt. Easy rotation 
start  and two slow clockwise full turns with nary a hesitation. With just a 
little  resistance for compression, if compression actually works in the opposite  
direction. The motor will come a ways apart for inspection, but things are  
looking good. 
 
Round two was the 65 Corsa Coupe - We hauled that home today - not to my  
home, Barbara has her limits, but left it on the trailer at a friends for a few  
weeks until the remains of the convert disappear. This coupe had hardly any  
rust, but appeared to be a furnished apartment for several colonies of rats,  
they were long gone - I guess even they couldn't stand the smell! We opened  
the doors and shoveled out several piles of sh*t, then removed the four drain  
doors on the floor and swept the remaining piles out underneath the car. The  
floors, strangely, looked in excellent condition. The engine was out but the  
transaxle was still resident and the car pushed up nicely onto the trailer. The 
 trunk is still locked on this one. A Treasure chest? or more  Sh*t? 
 
The half car? Well, I think it is the front remains of the original built  
project car. Two reasons, the car was cut in half at the front seats, and  
appeared to have some side damage at that point. Also the "half-car" has the  Crown 
front bar installed and some ancient disk brakes in residence, along with  
two additional alloy wheels. We are still trying to figure out how to haul home  
the half car! We talked today on the tow home, about renting one of those tow 
 dollies and putting the front wheels onto it. If there was a way to secure 
it,  (Not likely) It would make quite a sight coming home - as in - "What 
happened to  the rest of the car?"
 
- Seth Emerson - More reports to come! 
 



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