Book Review: The Corvette in the Barn

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Book Review: The Corvette in the Barn

I have a special affinity for barn cars. My own 1966 Corvette spent over 11 years locked away in a barn and I still remember the day of pushing it out into the sunlight and loading it on a trailer. On the outside was a thick layer of dust that covered everything. Inside, mice and other rodents had taken up residence in the engine compartment. For an automotive enthusiast, barn cars are the equivalent of archaeology – uncovering someone’s lost or forgotten treasure and making it great again. If you appreciate barn cars and the stories of how they were uncovered, you’ll love the new book by Tom Cotter called “The Corvette in the Barn.”

This is the fourth book in the series by Cotter and while the book’s title suggests the focus is on Corvettes lost and found, there are other makes and models featured as well. The book has 38 tales of barn car discoveries divided into eight chapters. The chapter names are topical and include “Dream Cars“, “Hibernating Hot Rods“, “Reunited” and “Prospectors and Fanatics“.

The Corvette in the BarnPerhaps my favorite tales of Corvette archaeology from the book is a segment that centers around well-known Corvette restorer Kevin Mackay. Kevin’s Corvette Repair shop in Valley Stream, NY is well known for its discovery and restoration of some of the most famous Corvettes in racing history. Mackay talks about tracking down the 1956 Corvette Sebring Racer, the Le Mans-winning 1960 Briggs Cunningham Corvette and a Baldwin Motion Phase III GT. Throughout the Mackay segments, we learn some of the tips and tricks used to schmooze a Corvette owner who has no intention of selling. The most important lesson? Get the wife of the seller on your side as she is more persuasive than you can ever be!

Another great tale is a Corvette we blogged about several years ago called “The Hog Farmer’s Fuel Inject Mouse Den“. This is the story of the first fuel injected 1957 airbox Corvette and how it ended up in the barn of a hog farmer in rural Ohio. As with many barn cars, the price to purchase may be more than just bags of cash. In the case of the 1957 serial #4007, a promise to drive the yet-to-be-restored former race car is what sealed the deal.

The Corvette in the Barn” is a great read and a perfect gift for the Corvette enthusiast in your life. You can buy a copy of “The Corvette in the Barn” at bookstores everywhere as well as online at Amazon.com.


Related:
1959 Corvette Barn Car Found in Wisconsin
Mike Yager’s 1957 Corvette Barn Find
Rare 1957 “Airbox” Corvette Found & Restored to Former Glory

 



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3 COMMENTS

  1. i just sold a 63 splitwindow vette been in a barn since 1976. very cool to find that when i open the doors. its cool to see old cars still out there in barns.

  2. The 1963 convertible Z06 was my grandfathers. I remember sitting in the drivers seat in the barn several times, always openening up the barn door to gaze at her. I cant wait to purchase this book, it will be special to me.

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