February 20, 2007: Opening old farmhouse reveals 180 antique cars

Undertoad • Feb 20, 2007 2:40 pm
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Making the rounds, apparently, and noticed by Zippyt.

The original circulating text, with errors, goes:
Ok, so imagine you live in Portugal and your moving your house. You find a lovely farm house set in a decent plot of land. The place has been empty for 15 years!
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Whilst exploring your new property you find a large barn in the trees. The door is padlocked shut and its all rusted solid. So you grind the padlock open.........
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And inside are over 180 antique vehicles. Some as old as the 20s. Covered with a severe layer of dust, and in various states of repair.

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This Porsche 356 is considered by speculating web surfers to be the most expensive find in the lot.

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This American car from the 20s should fetch a decent price too.

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A few of the cars are more recent, 70s vintage... apparently the battery is still good on that Alfa, with its brake light on.

Complete slideshow here.
rkzenrage • Feb 20, 2007 2:53 pm
*spoooge*
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Ha, I was just going to send you this item. You found a better source though, where I found it they said the "barn" was supposedly hidden in the woods and only inside pictures.
I know a guy in NJ that has a similar "barn", but it's mostly Corvettes and Hot Rods in different stages of completion.
That's the reflector showing the flash, on the Alfa.;)
Undertoad • Feb 20, 2007 2:56 pm
Ah yes, so it is...

They said some of the cars were parted out, and so the speculation was that they were stolen. But most of them don't look like they're missing pieces, so there might be another story to it all.
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 20, 2007 3:19 pm
Yeah, I wondered if they were hot. That would be a story if some guy had been stealing and stashing cars for 50 years. :D
Sheldonrs • Feb 20, 2007 4:49 pm
See what happens when you forget where you parked?
Elspode • Feb 20, 2007 5:44 pm
Doesn't look to me like anyone has been in there in 30 years or more. Even in pieces, those babies are going to bring someone a frigging *fortune*.

I seem to recall that there were one or more Lotus Super 7's in that lot somewhere when I read about it.
lumberjim • Feb 20, 2007 7:02 pm
open the link to the slide show. you can have one car. which one do you pick?
Cloud • Feb 20, 2007 7:03 pm
any dead bodies in those cars?
Undertoad • Feb 20, 2007 7:27 pm
You know what, I'll take the old Mercedes in the last pic up there. Not only will it be a total tank, it'll probably start and drive right off without even having to be dusted.
Spexxvet • Feb 20, 2007 7:56 pm
xoxoxoBruce;317212 wrote:
Yeah, I wondered if they were hot. That would be a story if some guy had been stealing and stashing cars for 50 years. :D


I don't think you go stealing formula one cars.
Spexxvet • Feb 20, 2007 7:59 pm
I can't decide between the Mg Magnette, the Nash, or the yellow Lotus
dystopiandreamgirl • Feb 20, 2007 8:32 pm
I dunno, they look old and dusty...and I'll bet there's not a cupholder in the bunch.
Slight • Feb 20, 2007 8:55 pm
Undertoad;317195 wrote:
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A few of the cars are more recent, 70s vintage... apparently the battery is still good on that Alfa, with its brake light on.


thats just the flash reflecting in the brake light lens.
zippyt • Feb 20, 2007 9:34 pm
I've all ways been a Porche fan , but those MG's are looking mibhty fine as well
jinx • Feb 20, 2007 9:46 pm
I'll take the Z.
zippyt • Feb 20, 2007 10:27 pm
Admit it Jinx , your just dissapointed that there is no Gremlins or Pacers in the barn
jinx • Feb 20, 2007 10:57 pm
Not so much, no, but I'd have taken one of these

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Gawa • Feb 21, 2007 1:47 am
What, no pink cars in the entire lot? Where were the Mary Kay ladies?:female:
Sundae • Feb 21, 2007 4:43 am
lumberjim;317251 wrote:
open the link to the slide show. you can have one car. which one do you pick?


I'll take the Alfa at the bottom, far right.
But first I need to go and buy some cats' eye sunglasses and capri pants.
SPUCK • Feb 21, 2007 6:08 am
:cop:
I've all ways been a Porche fan


You realize that Porche drivers are supposed to be the biggest assholes...

:madhop:
SPUCK • Feb 21, 2007 6:13 am
I'll take the Hillman California please.
zippyt • Feb 21, 2007 6:48 pm
You realize that Porche drivers are supposed to be the biggest assholes...

SO !!! What of it F-Stick ????
gmcjeep • Feb 22, 2007 1:04 am
Make mine a Ford Taunus. I like the headlight buckets.
http://www.intuh.net/barnfinds/afa18_std.jpg
lumberjim • Feb 22, 2007 1:11 am
christ. they made that thing for a long ass time. '48 thru '76? i'd never ever heard of one. tauRus, shure......is this a euro name for something we know by a different name stateside?

nevermind
BrianR • Feb 22, 2007 8:25 pm
I would pick about five to restore and sell the rest. They all appear restoreable but I bet it'll be tough to find parts for many of those lesser known makes.
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 22, 2007 10:53 pm
Welcome to the Cellar, gmcjeep. :D
What do you figure on transplanting those headlights into?
SPUCK • Feb 23, 2007 6:03 am
SO !!! What of it F-Stick ????


:lol2:

Nice come-back! Actually made my night. Thanks Zips.
Dypok • Feb 23, 2007 2:42 pm
It's a late night car wax infomercial waiting to happen. Look at that shine!
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 25, 2007 9:16 am
If you're interested, here is another 55 pictures of the cars. :drool:
Elspode • Feb 25, 2007 2:54 pm
Abarth Scorpione 1300.
classicman • Jun 24, 2009 12:52 pm
Manuel Menezes Morais shot the photos, but he was sworn to secrecy about the cars’ location and the owner’s name. However, he was able to obtain permission from the elusive owner to give me the following information:

The owner of the cars was a car dealer in the 1970s and 1980s, and decided to save the more interesting cars that came through his doors. When the barn was full, he padlocked and “soldered” the doors shut. (Perhaps welding was too permanent.)

Web sites varied on the number of cars: 58, 100, and 180 were speculated. According to Morais, there are 180 cars in the barn.

And, aw shucks, none of the cars is for sale.

Clara was able to determine that the cars are located somewhere in the area of Sintra, near Lisbon. I asked Morais if he could ask the owner if he had a favorite car. “He has lots of good cars in very good condition,” he says, “but he loves the Lancia Aurelia B24. He has two.”
Flint • Jun 24, 2009 1:03 pm
Google search for "snopes car barn" turns up this and links to this partial inventory of the cars.

... I was just telling somebody this story the other day, but I couldn't remember where I saw it.
classicman • Jun 24, 2009 1:05 pm
Thanks, I happened upon it looking to post a pic I took today - completely unrelated as it turns out.
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