Unrestored 1969 Shelby GT500 one of many classic barn finds going to auction

We love a good barn find here at Autoblog. We like that there's a palpable excitement and sense of mystery surrounding barn finds. Each case has its own uniqueness to it, and this latest discovery is no different: an unrestored, one-owner 1969 Shelby GT500 with just 8,531 miles on it.

In the case of this particular barn find, many of the typical questions have already been answered. For example, we know who owned it – his name was Larry Brown. He recently passed away, and as he had no wife or children to inherit the estate, the car he purchased at Pennsylvania Ford dealer in May of 1969, will be auctioned off by Ron Gilligan Auctioneers.

The car was fastidiously maintained, having never been driven in the rain. In fact, Brown never even washed it, out of fear of it rusting. According to the auction website, the last time this car saw water was probably when it was detailed ahead of being delivered to Brown. If that doesn't sound like a fanatical sense of maintenance on the part of this GT500's owner, this next part will. The interior has been treated to a similarly painstaking attempt at preservation, with garbage bags covering the seats and two layers of floor mats over the carpets. The result is a car that, aesthetically, is in remarkable shape considering it's spent so long in a barn.

Mechanically, all appears well. The auctioneers report that a new battery and a fresh tank of gas allowed the nearly 45-year-old car's 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V8 to fire up straight away. A four-speed manual trans delivers that V8's grunt with the help of a t-shaped shifter.

Brown's GT500 was purchased for just $5,245 back in 1969. Today, the price is considerably higher. A quick search of Auto Trader Classics found a 1969 GT500 coupe with 75,320 miles on the clock and an asking price of just under $90,000. Considering the original, unrestored and low-mileage nature of Brown's car, we expect it to fetch a good bit more than that.

The auction will be held on April 25, 2014 at 12:30 PM EST. Alongside the GT500, a 1971 Ford Ranchero GT and a 1974 Econoline (with just 554 miles on it) will be auctioned off. Click over to the auction page for Brown's possessions to get the full rundown on the GT500, including pictures from its discovery.


ocation:
Montreal, Quebec , Canada
Trans:
Auto
Condition:
Mint
Exterior:
Silver Jade, Ford number: 3230-A
Interior:
white clarion knit\Corinthian vinyl- 1bi-back buck
Description:
AN EXTREMELY RARE 1969 Shelby GT-500 - 428 Cobra Jet

Here's your chance to own this beautiful collector piece - probably the nicest one in the world and certainly the most original.

Absolutely breathtaking…
Here's your chance to own this beautiful collector piece - probably the nicest one in the world and certainly the most original.

This special Shelby has just completed a 3 year journey with Pierre Bilodeau (a world-class mechanical artist based in Montreal Canada). Pierre is a restoration perfectionist and is dedicated to providing the highest quality workmanship. He is extremely proud and lucky to restore one-of-a-kind automobiles to showroom condition. His fanatical eye for detail and his unparalleled expertise shows with his latest project "Special Shelby", a ground up rotisserie restoration. Shelbys are becoming blue chip investments.

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Extremely rare automatic transmission
Professional restoration
All original panels & matching codes
Coveted Silverjade Paint & FWA White Clarion Trim
All work well dated and detailed
Identical reproduction of factory original wheels & tires
As-New luxurious interior
Always stored indoors in a climate-controlled environment
Air conditioning
Adjustable steering-column (tiltaway)
Tinted glass
Lucas reduction fog lights

Permanent erection lawsuit against BMW thrown out

The California man who claimed that he suffered from a 20-month erection after a four-hour ride on his BMW K1100RS motorcycle (similar model pictured above) has had his case dismissed. It seems the court found his claims too hard to believe.

Henry Wolf filed a product liability lawsuit against BMW and seatmaker Corbin-Pacific in the California Superior Court in April 2012 after he claimed a motorcycle ride in September 2010 caused a long-term case of priapism from the "ridge-like" saddle design. He asked for compensation for lost wages, medical expenses and emotional distress from both companies.

Nearly two years later, according to Visor Down, Judge James J. McBride decided that the case didn't have enough supporting evidence. A urologist testified that the plaintiff had priapism, but the court rejected the testimony of a neurologist who claimed the motorcycle's vibration caused the disorder. The defendants presented testimony from the bike's former and subsequent owners. Corbin-Pacific CEO Mike Corbin also spoke in the company's defense.

If BMW had been found liable, it's possible it would've found a whole new group of buyers desiring its bikes...

BMW is lucky the guy didn't have an accident when in "this condition." He could have added "caused distracted riding" to his suit.
A MAN who claimed riding a BMW K1100RS gave him a permanent erection has had his claim dismissed in court.

Henry Wolf, from California, alleged four hours on the BMW in 2010 left him with an erection for two years.

He sought compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, emotional distress and ‘general damages’ from BMW and seat-maker Corbin-Pacific.

But the claim has been tossed out by the Superior Court of San Francisco, where judge James J McBride ruled the plaintiff did not present enough supporting evidence.

The court accepted testimony of a urologist, Dr Jack McAninch, that the plaintiff suffered from priapism, a condition involving a persistent erection.

But it rejected testimony of a neurologist, Dr Jonathan Rutchik, that it was possible for vibrations from a motorcycle to cause priapism.

The defendants’ evidence included testimony from the bike’s former and subsequent owners, as well as Corbin-Pacific chief exec Mike Corbin.

You will note, very few BMW riders are delighted with factory saddles. Perhaps it is just modesty that prevents most of us from complaining about the real problem Not too many good words about Corbin saddles either in recent years. So what do us wimps do? We bitch a bit, then spend several hundred dollars on after-market saddles that provide "comfort" as we individually define that term.

Now that we have a leader, maybe we should be looking at a Class Action Suit against BMW for ALL our saddle woes! Yeah, that will fix things! If successful, it will raise the price of new (and used) bikes by several thousand dollars - but hey, it is the principal that matters. A happy butt (and also other nearby anatomical parts) is our RIGHT!

Police video of ex-NASCAR driver Tyler Walker's high-speed chase released

Even a racing driver isn't going beat the concerted efforts of the police. That was former NASCAR driver Tyler Walker's lesson when he was arrested on January 30, 2013, after a high-speed chase over three states. The dash cam video from several officers involved has made it online thanks to a Freedom of Information Act Request to the Utah Highway Patrol, according to Autoweek.

The chase finally stopped when Walker attempted to leave the highway by going the wrong way on an entrance ramp. He attempted to flee on foot but was tackled by police. His charges included evading arrest, driving under the influence, open container, liquor license violation and possession of amphetamines, marijuana and narcotic equipment. He pleaded not guilty and is still awaiting his trial, according to Autoweek.

Walker raced in several NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races from 2003 to 2007, but in May 2007 he was suspended for violating the sport's substance abuse policy. He also raced extensively in the World of Outlaws dirt track series. The video edits the hour-and-a-half-long chase down to 11 minutes and switches among officers several times. Scroll down to watch it, but warning: There's some explicit language.