[Dan Walker]

So I was driving around Prescott today, and had to go out to a more rural area of town to check a building permit, and my eye catches a couple of interesting cars sitting outside a corral/barn area. On the way back, I stop to take a picture, which gets the attention of the resident, who wanted to know "what the h*!! I think I'm doing"- I guess he didn't want any undue attention from official government entities. I explain to him that it's unofficial, and that I own an Alfa a lot like his, just a couple of years older and in running condition. He laughs and asks me if I'd like to get a closer look- he's waiting for a transport to come pick up these cars to take down to Phoenix to start body and chassis restoration. Reluctantly, I agreed to take a closer look, after which he asks me if I'd like to see what's "in the barn". Again, not normally being too curious, but not wanting to be rude, I say "okay, if you insist". Seems he was starting a new hobby- collecting and restoring sports cars. Not as dramatic as the legendary "barn in Portugal", but interesting nonetheless.

BTW, the Giulietta was a '57, and seemed to be in better shape than the '69 Roundtail, although there was some typical "nose damage".

 

[Dan Walker]

Here's a coule more pictures..

Just a couple more shots- the transport showed up while we were talking, so I went back to work- I think I'll try to get to be better friends with this guy! FYI, the blue MGA is a RHD and the Jag is a XK150S- forgot to ask the year- pretty cool!

 

[Zunige]

Wow! That's pretty cool, and real... (The Portugal cars were real, but the story about a "find" was not.) That's quite a few "projects". Did he tell you which cars he is having restored first?

Best regards,

 

[Dan Walker]

Wow! That's pretty cool, and real... (The Portugal cars were real, but the story about a "find" was not.) That's quite a few "projects". Did he tell you which cars he is having restored first?

Best regards,

Yeah, actually the '69 Alfa and the Jag are first- that's why they were outside. If I'd been by there a little earlier or a little later, I'd have missed the whole thing! The truck showed up while I was there to pick up the two cars- He'd just moved them outside, and they were gone thirty minutes later. I guess timing is everything...

 

[soccersimon]

awesome story - I love that shi$%!. Kind of a life long dream to house and restore a bunch of classic sports cars, but since I am the most useless mechanic on this board - I just acquire the ones all finished by the experts

 

[Pat Braden]

You Never Know What's in Those Old Barns

I guess timing is everything...

Or so I've been told; some things are just meant to be and others are not.

Great story and nice discovery, while just out doing your job and making a living.

You're absolutely positive that you weren't in Portugal and just missed a few cars and forgot to mention unwelding the barn doors? I'm just waiting for some "innocent" to start a new thread with that post again

 

[AlfaAddict]

Cool! I have always wanted a 59-61 XK150S Roadster, I think they look much better than the Drophead Coupes. They became unreachable (for me) after the movie Cruel Intentions sparked serious interest. And I would love to have an older Land Cruiser like that to romp around the backwoods of TN & KY with. It would make an excellent tow vehicle as well . I think the Gentlman has excellent taste.

 

[modena782002]

WHEW! I thought this was gonna be about a barn in Portugal. What a great collection. In additon to the XK150, I like the black Giulietta.

 

[Zunige]

... I like the black Giulietta.

Me too... That's a very cool car... I wish it was for sale, 'cause I would be very interested.

Best regards,

 

[AlfaTango1]

Since all the European cars have been mentioned I just want to say I've always liked those 60/70's era Land Cruisers. Kind of reminds me of that old show Daktari...

 

[Dan Walker]

I want to keep in touch with this guy- I got to thinking about it last night, and just hope that he has a good shop in Phoenix to do the body work- it'd be a shame to do a half a$$ed restoration on any of these cars- I agree, though, about the Giulietta- I wish it was for sale! It really looked good on the surface, and would be an awesome car to restore. You never know what lies beneath, as Akitamans threads show, so I hope he does them justice- he appears to have the means to do it right, just hope he doesn't cut too many corners- he has a lot on his plate to keep him busy for many years!

 

[chelo]

Since all the European cars have been mentioned I just want to say I've always liked those 60/70's era Land Cruisers. Kind of reminds me of that old show Daktari...

The fj40 looks real nice. I'm also a cruiser fan.

 

[Pat Braden]

You Never Know What's in Those Old Barns.....

Since all the European cars have been mentioned I just want to say I've always liked those 60/70's era Land Cruisers. Kind of reminds me of that old show Daktari...

A stroll down memory lane long before my marriage to Pat for sure. I was in high school the year that Daktari premiered with Marshall Thompson and Cheryl Miller, who protrayed his daughter, Paula; it was off the air except for repeats by the time I graduated. I went to a 3-year high school.

At that time I owned an MG and most of the guys and girls that I worked with were into Healeys, Triumphs, Sunbeams, Porches etc. not many Land Cruisers in that crowd, they came later.

On exceeding the speed limit, which I believe originally started one of these later threads, an unnamed friend of this era, was dating a "cop," and they took his Porsche out "above the speed limit" and failed to properly negotiate a clover leaf off the Long Beach Freeway. They both survived, for whatever that means, both with permanent injuries. They landed below the freeway on the street. The Porsche was not recognizable, top sheared off, they don't know who was driving, and could not find his service revolver in the mangled wreckage. She was in the hospital for months and went from a beautiful 20 year-old young, vibrant, full of energy and personality girl to someone that you would never recognize again. He was a little luckier, most of his injuries were internal, including the loss of his liver.

Gives me pause, and something to think about as I stroll down memory lane while thinking about saving and restoring cars.....well worth the effort as long as common sense is employed in driving and having fun with them.

 

[AlfaTango1]

A stroll down memory lane long before my marriage to Pat for sure. I was in high school the year that Daktari premiered with Marshall Thompson and Cheryl Miller, who protrayed his daughter, Paula; it was off the air except for repeats by the time I graduated. I went to a 3-year high school.

At that time I owned an MG and most of the guys and girls that I worked with were into Healeys, Triumphs, Sunbeams, Porches etc. not many Land Cruisers in that crowd, they came later.

On exceeding the speed limit, which I believe originally started one of these later threads, an unnamed friend of this era, was dating a "cop," and they took his Porsche out "above the speed limit" and failed to properly negotiate a clover leaf off the Long Beach Freeway. They both survived, for whatever that means, both with permanent injuries. They landed below the freeway on the street. The Porsche was not recognizable, top sheared off, they don't know who was driving, and could not find his service revolver in the mangled wreckage. She was in the hospital for months and went from a beautiful 20 year-old young, vibrant, full of energy and personality girl to someone that you would never recognize again. He was a little luckier, most of his injuries were internal, including the loss of his liver.

Gives me pause, and something to think about as I stroll down memory lane while thinking about saving and restoring cars.....well worth the effort as long as common sense is employed in driving and having fun with them.

Having posted my thread and having the vaguest recollection of a lion and chimp I Googled Daktari and it made the series ever more clear. I was one when the show came out and it must have been reruns that I watched. Did they have syndication back then? :

 

[head gasket]

The fj40 looks real nice. I'm also a cruiser fan.

I had one of those too, I took it all apart and put it back together using just 3 wrenches as I recall. But man...If you thought Alfas were prone to rust...

 

[modena782002]

Since all the European cars have been mentioned I just want to say I've always liked those 60/70's era Land Cruisers. Kind of reminds me of that old show Daktari...

I remember Land Rovers and Jeeps in that series...However, it was 40yrs ago, so my memory may be a bit cloudy.