Customer Reviews

The Corvette in the Barn: More Great Stories of Automotive Archaeology

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought Corvette in the Barn on the strength of how much I enjoyed Cobra and Hemi in the Barn. The book almost lived up to my expectations and was a good read, however, I noticed a few typos and a pair of mixed up pictures, which smacks a little of the book being rushed into production one final proof reading short. I also felt that about ~20% of the stories were a bit 'flat' - like they only got printed due to a lack of better material to fill the space. Don't get me wrong - I certainly enjoyed the book, and it is a good adition to the series, but not quite in the same league as the previous two. If you enjoyed Cobra and Hemi, then I would definitely recommend this one. I just hope that any future books in the series up the ante a little.

If it was the word "Corvette" that caught your eye, do realize that this book isn't just about that. Written by a self-professed "Certified Car Geek" this book presents almost 40 vignettes (each with at least a few photos) dealing with the allure of looking for desirable cars. In strictly historical terms, the most unusual car covered here would have to be Father Juliano's 1957 Aurora safety car.

Penned by the author and a handful of contributors, the book is all about treasures turning up in obscure places, even today. If you know the other books, especially the first one (Cobra), you will probably think that this latest one is not as much about the hunt, the sleuthing, the dead ends, the dashed hopes, or the deal making--where many would say the real adventure lies--but about the recommissioning. In fact, if there is a recurring theme to the stories in this book, it is that people only discover what they bought after the fact, while they are restoring it. These stories are no less interesting, just a different flavor.

Full review at SpeedReaders.info. Copyright 2010, Sabu Advani.

Tom Cotter does not disappoint with his latest:"The Corvette in The Barn". There are some great True stories in here,Great interesting finds in places never expected,bizarre cars,color photos(much more of a reader).My Favorite is Kevin Mackay/Corvette Repair,The Priest and The Aurora(Before Safety was the "in thing"),and Yes A 1963 CORVETTE Z06 Convertible!(That's right a Z06 Convertible.)There is also The Dodge Car Hauler Rig of Don Prudhomme,The Green Hornet Tv Show Car(An Imperial) and much more,It's a Great book,My copy had some typos here and there but overall a great read, I wish there would have been more Corvettes.

This is going to be a present for my "Corvette Nut" Son. I've looked at it and it is great! Very nice book, fast service and this book is like new condition. I'd recommend it for any car enthusiast not just anyone interested in Corvettes. Thanks for fine service as usual.

The Corvette in the Barn: More Great Stories of Automotive Archaeology is the fourth book in a series that started with The Cobra in the Barn in 2005. This installment continues with tales of the elusive search for the ultimate "barn find" automobile.

Author Tom Cotter documents how some of these dream searches start out as part of an urban legend, but through automotive archaeology, the details of the actual "barn find" come to reality.

One of the stories about a Corvette in a garage goes like this. A father and son are returning from a vacation trip when the son remarks "Stop - I saw something in an old garage." But since it wasn't a good time to stop, the son made a mental note of the location of the garage for another trip. Six months later on another trip, the son convinced the father to stop and check out the car in the garage partially blocked from view by cardboard boxes and other stuff. The owner was not home so they left a business card in the mailbox. Without hearing from the homeowner, the father did an Internet search for a phone number and eventually talked to the homeowner. The woman noted that the car belonged to her son who drove the car from the late 1960's to the mid-1980's and parked it in her garage. Then they contacted the son, who related his exploits in the 1960 Corvette, but wasn't interested in selling. The father and son continue to nurture the owner in the belief that he will eventually sell them the car. This scenario has come true for them in the past.

Cotter brings over 30 incredible discoveries to light, including a one-of-a-kind stolen Corvette Z06 convertible with only 7,500 miles on the odometer stashed in a warehouse in Detroit. He also writes about a man reconnecting with the Hemi Cuda he drove as a teenager. The stories document the amazing lengths some people will go to discover the car of their dreams.

This is an excellent resource for those auto-obsessed people who dream of finding the car of their dreams tucked away in some obscure barn in the country and use their sleuthing skills to make it a reality.

Very interesting book about how and where these cars are found. Amazing what people dont know they have! Good read, many short chapters. Cant wait to get the next ones once I finish this one

Tom Cotter has put together a wonderful series of books for the car/motorcycle collector or fan.
Lots of fun to sit down and enjoy all the wonderful stories.
I have them all, and highly recommend them to you!

Interesting book, wide variety of cars in the barn stories. If your a car nut you will enjoy the stories. Some one that isn't a car nut probably won't understand why "car nuts" get so enthusiastic about what some consider junk.

One of the most popular sections in British classic car magazines is that devoted to cars which have for some reason been hidden away for years. What could be better than a book full of them? Well, Tom Cotter has written just that and it's a zippy read. In fact, despite the title most of the cars revealed in the book are NOT Corvettes. Those 'vettes featured, however, are some very interesting examples of Chevvy's enduring sports car. Most of the stories are fascinating. A few are quite dull. Pictures are limited and not quite the "before and after" you might be hoping for. But the worst aspect of this book is the dreadful editing. It looks as though this book went to the printer without anyone reading it through. For example, the captions on Pages 125 and 168 are reversed. One chapter is riddled with spelling errors. And Cotter has real problems with the British! He calls a Commer a "Comper," Stirling Moss becomes "Sterling" and an Ariel motorcycle an "Arial." Not good for a professional journalist.

The Corvette in the Barn: More Great Stories of Automotive Archaeology began with the author's love for driving down country roads seeking unusual cars. He gathered stories about cars parked in barns and on back roads and in 2005 THE COBRA IN THE BARN became a national hit. THE CORVETTE IN THE BARN follows several others in the series, packing in Corvette history and insights on collectors and enthusiasts alike. No automotive library should be without!