Posted to Ontario Barn Preservation – Cars in Barns Are Barn Finds

This is the post I wrote about old cars being found in even older barns, for the Ontario Barn Preservation newsletter, January 2023.

Cars in Barns Are “Barn Finds”

I like to photograph old buildings, farm houses and barns included. I’ve met a lot of people who also have an interest in old places. Not everyone is about photographing them. Some will salvage, some will vandalize. As a general rule I choose not to do either. But, there have been times I saved plants from a garden at a house long abandoned. Once, I brought back a green Pyrex mixing bowl which I found way out in the field as I was walking back after photographing an abandoned farm house. Sadly, that house has been demolished now, but I still use the mixing bowl. I have never vandalized, or left garbage around. Take only photographs, leave only footprints.

There are people who especially look for cars, vehicles other than farm machines, in old barns. Some of them just want to see the old cars, some want to try buying them from whoever still owns the barn and cars, and others wreck them. They call them barn finds.

Ethan Minnie explores a barn which has several cars. Sadly, this location has been publicized and vandals have found it. Ethan knows what kind of cars they are. Another view of the same location from Freaktography.

It would be nice to know the story behind all these cars left, neglected and abandoned. I did find that it was someone who won the lottery and bought a lot of cars. Then went bankrupt. But, why not sell the cars rather than go bankrupt, or just leaving them all there? It seems there must be more to the story.

A Few Links to Barn Finds:
Hotcars
Driving.ca
Barn Finds

Most of the videos about barn finds don’t include a story, or give away the location. At least I hope they avoid letting others know where they found them. It’s not just about trespassing but respect for whoever owns the property and everything in/ on it. Even the vehicles themselves. Dust and animals will happen, no one should deliberately cause harm, to vandalize.

If you’re interested in cars, especially old cars, you can find a lot online about barn finds. I’ve seen people posting photographs and videos from Canada, the US, Europe and Asia. You may have a car or two in your own barn. I guess some people intend to fix them up and sell them, or showcase them. At some point, when its covered in a thick layer of dust and animals tracks… it might be time to find a buyer for it, as is. Let someone else treasure it and (hopefully) have the time, energy, and resources to get it on the road again.

I have a problem with keeping books, thinking I will make use of all that information… some day. I do understand hanging onto things, cars, books, or any of thousands of other things we value.

The Idea of Road Trips with a Micro Car in Ontario

            There are small cars and then there are micro cars. Not so easy to find in Ontario. You would have better luck in Europe and Asia than North America.

Although a small car is better when it comes to using fuel. They appeal to me because you use them for small trips around town, like picking up groceries, going to the post office, and so on. Also, you may not require a driver’s license for driving them. Which means less insurance, and much less expense for a vehicle overall, as far as I know. I could be wrong and it may depend on how micro the car is, how many tires it has (some have only three). The idea needs more research for Ontario. So far I haven’t turned up anything that really says much one way or another.

I especially like the BMW Isetta car. The door is on the front of the car. So you just step in close the front of the car and go on your way. Only one door, and not much room for passengers of course. But fine for some groceries, luggage, camera and related things you would want for a short trip somewhere.

There is something charming about a tiny car, however you use it. I could see it as a vehicle for road trips. It would be easy to pull over and photograph places, no worry about having enough space to park.

Micro North – Located in Coldwater, Ontario.

Micro Cars

There are small cars and then there are micro cars. Not so easy to find in Ontario. You would have better luck in Europe and Asia than North America. Some of the cars have only 3 wheels. One of my favourites is the BMW Isetta. It opens from the front, where the engine hood would be in most cars, the front door is to enter the car with the Isetta. I’ve seen a couple of others which are the same.

I’d like to drive one. Not for long trips but nice for a road trip, a day trip. A simple vehicle for simple jaunts to get groceries and all those little around town, or city, things.

Micro North – Located in Coldwater, Ontario.

Traffic Calming Measures and the Driver-less Cars for the Future

Other than direct police enforcement, I feel all traffic calming measures are unsuccessful.

People choose to speed, go through stop signs and red lights regardless of posted speed limits, etc. Speed bumps and such cause damage to local cars, over time. Roundabouts and those sticks in the middle of the road are more likely to cause stress to drivers, which could threaten safety for cards and pedestrians. I do not support any of these and I live on a street with several schools, churches and traffic.

I myself have been hit while going through a pedestrian crosswalk where one car chose not to stop, though others already had. I have seen a pedestrian hit at the crosswalk in front of the Zehrs grocery store, in the parking lot. I have seen a pedestrian hit crossing at the stop sign (not jaywalking). People, drivers, have cell phone brains and do not either care or pay attention. There is no real deterrent to bad or careless driving. Pedestrians and bike riders are not better, just more at risk for their own carelessness.

I don’t have a solution to offer. But, I have seen the traffic calming solutions not working at all. Drivers still speed, far beyond the posted speed limits. But speed is not the only issue causing accidents. Traffic calming seems to be something the city can say they are doing to help shut up the people complaining. Ironic, that those same people are also speeding and ignoring driver and pedestrian safety.

I think the driver-less cars will be the best thing to come along for road safety. Whenever they become commonplace.

For Sale in Montreal, a Purple Smartie Car

I know it’s not intended to look like a purple Smartie (candy in Canada) but it does. Pretty fancy and almost a million dollars to buy this Lamborghini. If you were homeless with this car you would need to get a storage until to park it in and live in yourself. It would be a shame to live in the car itself and have it looking worn and messy. This is what I thought of after thinking of having this car myself.

A Smog-Eating Bike May Soon Cruise Beijing’s Streets

Smog Free Bicycle (courtesy Studio Roosegaarde) — The Smog Free Bicycle concept (courtesy Studio Roosegaarde)

A smog-eating bike may soon be cruising through the Beijing streets. Last month the Dutch design firm Studio Roosegaarde announced that it is partnering with Ofo, a Chinese bike sharing program, to develop the Smog Free Bicycle. Daan Roosegaarde, who leads the studio, stated: “Beijing used to be an iconic bicycle city. We want to bring back the bicycle as a cultural icon of China and as the next step towards smog free cities.”

Beijing has an air pollution crisis, and the bike proposal joins other environmental initiatives like a Chinese government-led mass tree planting. According to the release from Studio Roosegaarde, details about the Smog Free Bicycle’s implementation will be released this fall. Roosegaarde was inspired by a recent workshop at the M Woods museum in Beijing. It featured artist Matt Hope, who previously created a “Breathing Bike,” a much more DIY contraption with an air cleaning system involving an IKEA trash can and fighter-pilot mask.

The Smog Free Bicycle is the latest from Roosegaarde’s ongoing Smog Free Project. It follows the installation of a Smog Free Tower in Rotterdam in 2015, reported for Hyperallergic by Claire Voon, that was billed as the “largest smog vacuum cleaner in the world.” Using positive ionization to pull particulate matter from the air, these particles are then compressed into cubes for jewelry. In 2016, another Smog Free Tower was installed in Beijing.

The bicycle would potentially use a similar technology to inhale pollution, then release the cleaned air around the rider. Yet bike sharing programs in China have faced their own hurdles. The Guardian reported in January that hundreds of cycles-for-hire were being abandoned by riders in huge piles around Shenzhen.

Other recent designs such as the CityTree by the Berlin-based Green City Solutions that has a wall of air-cleaning moss for concrete-heavy urban zones, and Air Ink by Graviky Labs in India that transforms smog into inks, similarly are aimed at small-scale interventions that could influence larger thinking on greener cities. Perhaps it’s better to view projects like the Smog Free Bicycle as statements rather than solutions. Bikes are, by their peddle-powered nature, smog free, and the social impact design may be successful in encouraging more people to ride.

Smog at the Forbidden City in Beijing (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

10 Bizarre Cars – Weird Worm

Your car is like your home away from home. You can spend anywhere from two to five hours a day in your commute to and from work or running errands. It should say something about you personality. There are a lot of cars that are the same thing over and over again. You will see people try to come up with a cool airbrush design to put on the sides of their cars. Some have a few bumper stickers or something hanging from the rearview mirror that says something about who they are. But, these cars definitely have the owner’s personality written all over them.

The Skull Car

The person that owns this car either has a love for all things dead or they just like the look of skulls.

the skull car more

The Skull Car

Hamster Powered Car

The Flat Out Car

Spaceship Car

Alien Car

The Dragon Car

Cat Car

Horse Powered Car

Mouse Car

The Monster Car

Jano

1. VZ-9AV Avrocar

2. F-8 Twin Mustang

3. Martin-Marietta X-24

4. Vought V-173

5. Northrop M2-F2