Among the 46 MoPar “winged warriors” on display was this 1970 Plymouth Superbird in the “barn find” section. The car was originally painted Lemon Twist (MoPar “High Impact” color speak for bright yellow) and is one of 1,935 Superbirds built for 1970. The unique Superbird nose cone and stainless A-pillar moldings weren’t shown with the car, but the car retained its hard-to-find rear wing. The desirable Plymouth is owned by Jeff and Brent Kultgen. (Al Rogers photo)
There’s just something dreamy about barn finds. They represent the dream of discovery, the idea of affordably buying a valuable car and the prospect of reviving an old vehicle with your own hands, mind and checkbook. Unrestored-original barn finds often retain the workmanship of the first hands to bolt on the fenders at the Hamtramck Assembly line, that torqued the head bolts in Kenosha or applied the Yenko stripes in Canonsburg. Studying Mother Nature’s touch to a barn find’s weathered surfaces is a study in art itself; many enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike have found themselves gazing at patterns of surface rust, bubbled paint and split vinyl on a dilapidated old car.
All of that and more is why the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals’ (MCACN) “Barn Finds & Hidden Gems” display is so popular year after year with crowds around each car, studying their flaws and features while dreaming.
This year, there were more than a dozen muscle cars in the MCACN Barn Finds & Hidden Gems display. The incredible assembly of muscle cars “in repose” was staggering and proved they’re still out there, waiting to be discovered, and with that, leaving spectators to dream about finding their own barn find one day.
The following shows most of those “barn finds” and uncovered “hidden gems” displayed at this year’s MCACN.
It’s hard to believe without seeing that there’s a real-deal, triple-black, four-speed 1970 Hemi ’Cuda that hasn’t yet been restored. This Hemi ’Cuda was purchased in early 2022 from the Arkansas owner who bought it back in 1978. The car was originally loaded with the optional A21 Elastomeric front bumper, N96 Shaker hood scoop, A34 Super Track Pak, A62 Rallye gauges, B51 power brakes, C16 center console, C62 six-way adjustable driver’s seat, G36 painted racing mirrors, N85 tach and an AM/8-track radio! It’s currently owned by Tom Rosemann.
Pictures accompanying this Z16 1965 Malibu SS showed it stored under a tarp, which explained how the sheet metal had become bumpier than beach sand from rust consumption. When shiny and new, the car was sold by Loehmann Chevrolet of Waterbury, Conn. Owner Larry Weddington said that RPO Z16 added $1,501.05 to the $2,647 base price of a new Malibu SS V-8 Sport Coupe, and that just 74 of the 201 396-powered Z16s built are known to survive.
1971 Ford Torino GT had been loved to pieces, which were scattered around it in its display at MCACN. The Torino was a 351 Cleveland car with the C6 automatic transmission, limited-slip rear end and hideaway headlamps. Owner Bill Anderson said he had bought the car in 1978 from the original owner.
Prime for restoration was this 1971 Dodge Challenger 340 car, which retained its engine and was largely complete and solid. The small-block muscle car is owned by Keith Noel.
Chicago’s legendary Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge sold this green 1969 Dodge Super Bee coupe, and the car remained so original, it still wore a now-weathered Grand Spaulding dealer sticker on its tail. If the car is someday restored instead of preserved, hopefully the restorer finds a way to preserve that sticker from Mr. Norm’s Dodge dealership.
Mr. Norm's sticker intact
Yes, there are still first-year Hurst/Olds cars out there that need restoration. Someone will someday be rewarded with a spectacular piece of muscle car history when this 1968 H/O goes under the restorer’s touch. Judging by its stance, the car retains the 455 V-8 that was part of the package that made these cars unique from 4-4-2 models, which were instead fitted with 400s. This Hurst/Olds appeared to be wearing its original Toronado-sourced silver paint and its black stripes with white pinstriping, which were applied at Demmer Engineering for Hurst under the direction of Jack “Doc” Watson. Josh Duhm owns this 1968 H/O, one of 459 Holiday coupe versions that year (another 56 two-door sedans were also built in 1968). Nearly all 1968 Hurst/Oldses were automatics. A shinier second ’68 H/O was also displayed in original condition by Luke and Michelle Krooswyk.
Although parked in the “Barn Finds & Hidden Gems” display, Troy Bergeron’s 1971 Plymouth GTX packing 440 Six Pack power looked like it just needed a wash and wax before rumbling into the next cars and coffee. The “Gittix” had the optional Air Grabber hood and Sassy-Grass Green paint with a black stripe and interior.
She was rough, but she was one of the scant 392 Dodge Charger 500 models built in 1969 to homologate aerodynamic tricks that slickened up the Charger body for NASCAR. The 1969 Charger 500 featured a 1968 Coronet grille moved to the front of the grille opening, stainless A pillar covers and a flush backlight, which required a shorter deck lid. Steve Lucas owns this 440-powered, automatic-equipped survivor, which was parked behind a Philadelphia repair shop from 1975 to 2021. The Y2 yellow car has an unusual F8 green interior, and was raced at Maple Grove Raceway in the early 1970s.
It was extremely rough, but one of the most exciting cars in the Barn Finds & Hidden Gems display was this 1969 Plymouth Formula S pilot car. How the car became so dented isn’t clear, but its historical significance is shown in its VIN, which ends in 100026. As a pilot car used to test fit parts before production, the car was originally well-optioned. Due to its early production, its original engine was painted 1968 orange instead of the turquoise used in 1969, and had a June 1968 build date. Holgar Kurschner is the owner.
A yet-to-be-restored 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T packing Hemi power and faded Go Mango or Hemi Orange paint on some of its panels. Jesse Heberling is the owner of this super-desirable Dodge pony car.
1970 Plymouth ’Cuda 440 Six Pack was found in the Twin Cities with its original engine, three-two-barrel-carburetor setup and four-speed manual transmission. The car was fitted with a Shaker hood scoop and when found, had the famous Keystone Classics on the front and meaty tires sticking out the rear wheel openings for that “day three” ‘70s and ‘80s look. Owner John Evenson left the original engine at home, displaying the car largely as it was found in a garage.
Just 38 427-powered Yenko Novas were built, and hopefully this survivor will get the body-off restoration it deserves.
If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.
*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.
