It's astounding how barn finds attract gearheads. Some feel drawn to news of classic discoveries from a 1957 Cadillac Fleetwood to a 1983 Lambo Countach sharing real estate with abandoned hay bales, eventually luring folks nearby with enough drive and ingenuity to restore the thing. Then we have barn finds compelling a whole crew to trek halfway across the country to see these unearthed treasures for themselves.
Such was the case with the California-based Digitalpizza channel on YouTube, when told about a bunch of Chevrolet relics stored in a giant Oklahoma complex, dropped everything and headed east. A video released in January reveals how gobsmacked the visitors became when they saw what awaited them, including several Camaro classics and a 1970 Chevelle SS.
Mondo Mopar In 5 Warehouses
Once the lads arrive at their destination, they're taken in by what's housing all those Chevy discoveries. It's not so much a glorified barn, but a giant warehouse providing shelter for a slew of muscle cars including 1968 and 1969 Camaro SS and Z/28 models, some Chevelle SS vehicles and a few others of the same brand with GM LS6 engines.
A seemingly endless array of auto parts take up space on shelves everywhere. Floor space is heavily populated with engine blocks and parts, including an aluminum head designed for a V-8 that draws some special attention.
Reorganizing Contents Remains An Arduous Task
In all, five buildings in varying states of car clutter house occupy this rural Oklahoma property, actually a working farm. One person in the crowd, presumably the owner of this collection, revealed plans to organize all that Mopar arsenal.
"If we pull some of the stuff out, we'll get them all out here, then you know that in here it's done," he said in what sounded like an impromptu game plan. "But maybe we can move a few things back, just put some of the cars in here."
Even after looking at only one building interior, that's a big job for whoever gets the call to do all that heavy lifting.
Camaro SS 396 Models In Awesome Shape
A quick truck trip to a second warehouse, a dome-shaped shelter housing other Mopars in assorted degrees of disrepair. The Digitalpizza dudes gaze over an old Rally Sport Z without its original engine and a garnet red 1969 Z/28 that's still in decent shape, right down to the houndstooth upholstery. Another Z/28 from the same year, but lacking the original engine, also looks salvageable. The crew get a good laugh examining a 1970 Chevelle SS Dash that's not missing any parts, but with a silver exterior; examining the paint job in the engine bay reveals this car used to be a maroon color.
Things start to get interesting when the crew hit the road to the third warehouse, which includes a few cars already restored, including a rally-green 1969 Camaro SS 396. A teal Chevelle SS also catches their eye, but not as much as a yellow 1969 Camaro SS, also with a 396 engine, with houndstooth fabric in a shade that matches the exterior. These muscle cars are tempting, but alas, some interested parties bought most of them. And what others haven't been purchases are not for sale at all, including one sleek, shiny teal 1970 Chevelle SS with an LS6 engine.
After plenty of gawking, one dude picks up a 1969 Camaro Z28 model, a hugger orange muscle car with white stripes and a black interior. Even though it's missing a front end, he's determined to get it fully restored back in California once he finishes with a LeMans he's been working on for a while. As for the engine, he had plenty of options, with several DZ blocks in one section of the warehouse among several 396 and 454 V-8s. Meanwhile, one of his buddies decided to get something more intact, namely a super-dusty Phathom Green Z28 that's missing a hood.
Camaro Parts Off To Michigan
Digitalpizza didn't show up to just pick a couple of Mopars, however. A mutual friend who owns a Camaro dealership in Michigan asked the folks to help process, sort and load a slew of auto parts onto trucks to that outlet, where their buddy would add those pieces to his inventory. They spent five days going through parts that filled two semi trucks. But with both loaders jammed full, with plenty of Mopar items still on skids and shelves, those involved will need another visit and a few more trucks to complete that otherwise overwhelming task.
For all that, one Digitalpizza dude dug the whole time he was in Oklahoma. "We were here 13 days," he said, "and it was the most amazing experience that I've ever had as far as the cars are concerned."
Source: Digitalpizza