Barn Finds Galore at the Restoration Show

I’m not sure what it is about barn finds, but we all seem to love them. Do we love the challenge they present to restore, or is it the fact they have been hiding unseen in the corner of a shed for years, or indeed often decades? It’s hard to put a finger on it, but for sure, once I hear mention of one I’m straight to investigate. A few years ago I was at the Restoration Show at the NEC, and Carole Nash insurance had a barn find display of about twenty cars – I must have visited the display three or four times that day, it was just so interesting. Well Carole Nash and the Restoration Show have teamed up again to put together a barn finds display at this year’s NEC Classic Car & Restoration Show, which takes place from the 18th to 20th of March at Birmingham’s NEC. 

 

One to surely turn heads will be a Ford Cortina Mk3 1600, which was a special order from Dagenham, as the owner asked for it to resemble a GT but have a crossflow engine and bench seat. Last on the road in 1986, this rare example was shipped from British Guiana to the UK just a few weeks ago. 

The ever-popular VW Beetle will be represented by a 1954 model that still has its original 30hp engine and gearbox. This car has been in and out of storage since the early 1970s and has changed hand a few times. Now the barn find is ready for restoration, and still retains its storage patina. 

This year sees the addition of a new display called ‘Barn Finds Revisited’, which features previously displayed cars that have now been restored. While I can’t attend the show myself this year, I certainly would love to know if either of my two favourite cars from my last visit in 2019 have been restored – they were the Austin and the Peugeot 301, so if you’re there and either of these reappear, please do let me know. 

The Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show takes place on the 18th to 20th of March at the NEC in Birmingham. Having been there in the past I can highly recommend this show for anyone who is currently restoring a classic, or is planning to in the near future. There are lots of workshops and stands selling all you need to carry out a restoration, as well as specialists contributing plenty of advice. It’s well worth catching the early flight out of Dublin for a day trip for sure.  

By Thomas Heavey, Managing Editor