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1969 Plymouth GTX Barn Find Discovered with $10,000 in Cash Under the Driver's Seat

The best thing about barn finds is that sometimes they include rare American classics so well preserved that they are spectacular time capsules. And things get even better when they come with original documentation and all sorts of memorabilia from the era. Well, if you're a fan of barn-found surprises, here's one that takes the cake: $10,000 in cash.
1969 Plymouth GTX barn find 8 photos
Photo: Auto Archaeology/YouTube
classic muscle car barn finds1971 Dodge Challenger R/T barn find1969 Plymouth GTX barn find1969 Plymouth GTX barn find1969 Plymouth GTX barn findmoney envelopes found in 1969 Plymouth GTX barn find1969 Plymouth GTX barn find
Rub your eyes all you want, you're not seeing things. It's not a typo either. Someone actually found $10K stashed in an old car parked in a barn. And no one knows how the money got there. What's more, the cash was discovered by mistake, as the car's current owner knew nothing about it. Here's the story.

The folks over at YouTube "Auto Archaeology" visited a property packed with old cars to document a rescue by Noel Automotive. The latter crew was there to inspect and buy a 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T that's been sitting in a garage for a long time, stashed behind construction and farming equipment.

Once inside, they noticed a 1969 Plymouth GTX parked behind the Challenger. The GTX was in far better condition than the Dodge, so they eventually decided to check it out. And when they got into the cabin, one of the guys looked under the driver's seat and found a bunch of envelopes. To everyone's surprise, they contained exactly $10,000.

Since the current owner of the GTX had no idea that the money was in the car, the envelopes must have been put there by the previous owner. But this raises a big question: what happened when the GTX changed hands? Did the seller forget about the money? It doesn't seem likely.

Did he pass away and the relatives that sold the car had no idea about the money? It's a more plausible scenario, but it all remains a mystery. What we do know is that the folks who made the discovery gave the money to the car's current owner, bought the 1971 Challenger R/T, and left.

The unexpected and somewhat funny story starts at the 4:20-minute mark in the video below. That's when they check out the Challenger R/T before moving on to inspect the GTX. If you're also here for the cars, the video goes on to show the Challenger being rescued and brought back to life. It gets its front clip back on, and the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 gets revived after a very long time.

Hopefully, the 1969 Plymouth GTX will also get a second chance at some point. It appears to be an easier project than the Challenger, and it's definitely a more valuable piece of muscle car history. And needless to say, the owner just got a $10,000 head start on the restoration.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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