The Difference between Barn Find and Survivor Cars

A graduate of Hamilton College, Leigh Keno has been in the antiques industry his entire career. The founder and president of Keno Auctions, he routinely lectures around the country and appears on Antiques Roadshow as does his twin brother, Leslie. Beyond his passion for antique furniture and art, Leigh Keno also loves classic cars and has lectured regarding the subject of preservation of Automobiles as it relates to the the preservation of Art and Antiques. He judges preservation class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance each year. Leigh Keno co-authored a chapter which discussed barn find and survivor cars in the critically acclaimed 2012 book "The Stewardship of Historically Important Automobiles" sponsored by The Simeone Foundation in 2012. 

In recent years, some people have begun using the words “survivor” and “barn find” as interchangeable descriptors for cars. But the terms actually have a very different meaning depending on the condition of the discovered vehicle.

Survivor cars, like barn finds, have been in storage for a long time. However, these cars have been maintained-and very often pampered- by their owners. While the vehicle may never leave storage during the course of several decades, the owners still care for the car and make sure it remains in near-perfect condition (ie: drain or replace the oil on a regular basis; flush radiator regularly; turn engine over at least once each year; store the car up on jacks so that the tires do not develop flat spots, check rubber hoses for dry-rot, put tennis balls in the exhaust pipes and if appropriate, carburetor, to keep mice and rodents out of the engine, etc.). For most enthusiasts, the vehicle must meet three criteria to be considered a survivor car. They must pass a 10-mile road test, be at least 20 years old, and be -at the very minimum- 50 percent unrestored, unaltered, or refinished in the exterior, within engine compartment, chassis, or interior.

A barn find is a vehicle that desperately needs restoration. These cars have been put into storage and been largely left alone during the entire time they have "slept". Many barn finds have a seized engine and are rusty, corroded, and imbued with rodent and/or bird droppings.