Classic cars in barns

September 22, 2008 10:24 AM

We put together Bringatrailer.com because finding great vintage cars online has become too much of a hassle. There is no need to keep sifting through hundreds of hopeless projects or overpriced dealer inventories to find that one car you’ve been looking for. We pick the winners and save you the trouble… the best bargains, the best dream cars, and the best rarities.
posted by machaus (27 comments total)

Best of the web?
posted by jdfan at 10:40 AM on September 22, 2008

Yes.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:42 AM on September 22, 2008

WANT
posted by Skorgu at 11:03 AM on September 22, 2008

Good God, I've spent nearly an hour and I'm still in August. Fortunately, I have no money.
posted by pupdog at 11:14 AM on September 22, 2008

Hah Skorgu, that was the first one on the site that I lusted after. This is the second. But for fuel efficiency's sake, this one.
posted by jamaro at 11:14 AM on September 22, 2008

Another Saab story.
posted by hortense at 11:26 AM on September 22, 2008

Excellent site.
posted by nickyskye at 11:36 AM on September 22, 2008

Yes, but can they find a Jaguar Hearse?
posted by pxe2000 at 11:38 AM on September 22, 2008

The worst thing is the ones that are actually pretty affordable, but total money traps.
posted by smackfu at 11:44 AM on September 22, 2008

Great! Maximum motoring mavenry.
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 11:54 AM on September 22, 2008

Great post. It's a good thing I'm not rich or I'd spend all my money buying these old cars.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 12:01 PM on September 22, 2008

OK, it's settled, once I win the lottery I'm hitting this one every day. Thanks so much for this...
posted by pupdog at 12:06 PM on September 22, 2008

I'm feeling a little faint.
posted by CynicalKnight at 12:14 PM on September 22, 2008

Super cool, I'm saving my pennies to buy that crew cab camper conversion Unimog. Then I'm driving it to Mars.
posted by Divine_Wino at 12:32 PM on September 22, 2008

smackfu: "The worst thing is the ones that are actually pretty affordable, but total money traps."

Not just money traps but time time traps too. My '73 Super Beetle is patiently waiting in my garage for me to get it running again while I spend time doing everything else in my life.
posted by octothorpe at 12:33 PM on September 22, 2008

I've been hitting that site occasionally for some time, but they tend to call "reasonably priced" cars which are actually quite a bit overpriced. And their "exclusive deals" are wildly speculative.
posted by maxwelton at 1:17 PM on September 22, 2008

I still regret giving up my 1971 Saab 99 for a Chevy Monte Carlo. This site doesn't help.
posted by pjern at 1:50 PM on September 22, 2008

wow, great find
posted by nitsuj at 1:53 PM on September 22, 2008

Best of the web?

Heck yeah!

When I when the lottery I will buy three or four cars seen on this site so that at least one of them will be operational at any given time!
posted by internal at 1:56 PM on September 22, 2008

My scroll-wheel finger has gone numb. The site is an unusually addictive time sink.
posted by stbalbach at 3:24 PM on September 22, 2008

Last of the V-8 Interceptors. Piece. Of. History.

(Ahmana put together a bunch of web sites like this because finding great vintage car web sites online that sift through hundreds of inventories for you has become too much of a hassle. So my site would pick the winners and best rarities of those sites that pick the winners and best rarities)
posted by Smedleyman at 3:31 PM on September 22, 2008

As my father said, "Finding interesting cars isn't the problem. finding garage space, that's the problem."
posted by Relay at 4:26 PM on September 22, 2008

Ohh, I want this. I love the type 3 VWs and the 34 Ghia is the rarest one in the US since they never sold them here.
posted by octothorpe at 8:08 PM on September 22, 2008

total money traps

Well, not really. Most of the examples on the site are all in fair condition, and a lot of the pre-1970 cars look like they've had frame-up restorations--they fall under the "not-inexpensive" moniker "Cleanest We've Seen." Like the '69 Alfa or this fucking gorgeous Jensen-Healey.*

I have to agree with what maxwelton said: these aren't cheap cars. Some of them are definitely on the verge of cheap, however, (FUCKING DROOL) which makes this site worthwhile, but for those fools out there who want to fix up a $5,000 classic in their free time... well, there are better places to look for inspiration. Money where my mouth is? But of course...

• Bay City Motor Company... (I'll see your Jensen-Healey and raise you a TR-6. That's two more cylinders for $3,000 less--and like the JH, comes with a nice wood dash.
• Country Classic Cars... So... many... cars... (mostly American). This is where you'll find the sub-$2000 classics just a-waitin' to be restored.

* Random sidenote: a friend of mine used to own a Jensen-Healey just like the one I linked to, except his had a Chevy small-block V8 under the hood. It was insanely quick. I remember he had to add a bunch of lead ingots in the trunk to balance the car out. Unfortunately, the poor little chassis couldn't take the additional load, as was discovered quite unexpectedly one fine day. I still dream about that car, and it wasn't even mine.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:36 PM on September 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

Bringatrailer Whatzit - #24 Mini Gearbox?
posted by mattoxic at 9:04 PM on September 22, 2008

Ahh, here's my first car ever. I had a '70 but it's the same car and it was a complete and total piece of shit, ended up burning to the ground. It was a fun car when it ran but that didn't happen very often.
posted by octothorpe at 5:08 AM on September 23, 2008

I've just sent the link to my father. I'm pretty sure there's still room in the workshop even with the '39 Plymouth in there, and I'm also pretty sure I was disinherited years ago, so why not? The Jensen Healey is sweet, and reminds me of the Austin Healey Sprites (Mark I) he raced when I was a kid.
posted by notashroom at 9:52 AM on September 23, 2008