When talking about barn finds, we usually think about classic cars that come out of storage after several decades. Some are taken out upon discovery, while others emerge when their respective owners decide it's time to let them go. However, some of them aren't that lucky and remain locked in barns years after they've been discovered.
This 1969 Pontiac Firebird is one of those cars. And the reason why it's still in a barn has nothing to do with the owner's refusal to sell it. The thing is, this Firebird doesn't really have an owner. You see, the pony car is spending its retirement years in a farmhouse that's been abandoned for about 50 years as of 2022.
How is that possible? Well, the story goes that the farm you're about to see in the video below was established by a family of Russian immigrants in the 1930s. A few years after the owners passed away, their children sold the property to the U.S. government, which wanted to use the land for a mass grow farm.
But the project never came to fruition, and the property remained abandoned to this day. According to YouTube's "Dark Exploration Films," it's been a half-century since then. And as the footage reveals, the place is pretty much a time capsule with a variety of vintage items left behind.
It's unclear if the Firebird belonged to the original owners or if it was parked here after the U.S. government bought the land, but it's been sitting for a very long time. On the flip side, the car is in fabulous condition if it sat for 50 years, as suggested by the host.
It's not all that dusty, the paint appears to be solid, and the interior is complete. And there are no signs of rodents either. This leads me to believe that the Firebird may have been parked here after the property was purchased by the state, but it all remains a mystery for now.
If you're curious as to what hides under the hood, the latter has an "overhead cam" badge, which means this Poncho is a base Firebird with a 250-cubic-inch (4.1-liter inline-six). Introduced as a replacement for the 230-cubic-inch (3.8-liter) six-cylinder in 1968. The mill generated 175 horsepower in the base spec and 230 horses in the W53 "Sprint" configuration in 1969.
Needless to say, it's nowhere near as valuable as a 1969 Firebird with a 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) or 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) V8, but it's still a cool find. And it's a pony car that should be taken out of the barn and put back on the road.
Unfortunately, with the status of the property unclear and its location unknown (for obvious reasons), there's no telling when and if this Firebird might get a second chance at life. Until that happens, check it out sitting in the barn from the 29-minute mark. If you're into derelict houses, you might as well check out the entire place because it's interesting, to say the least.
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. Full profile
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