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Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip: Lost Collector Cars Along the Mother Road
Abandoned cars on America's most iconic abandoned road. Sounds like a great idea for a road trip. For a nation that loves the idea of the road, there is no more legendary ribbon of highway than the 2,451 miles comprising historic Route 66. Along the Mother Road lies the detritus of the automotive motels, roadside attractions, diners, service stations, drive-ins, and dives. Hidden in, around, and behind its buildings or abandoned along its roadside hide collector cars, lost trucks, and moldering motorcycles. How could there be a better destination for automotive archaeologist Tom Cotter? In Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip Cotter and his BBF (best barn finder) pal Brian Barr jump on Route 66, just outside Chicago, seeking rusted gold in every state Route 66 passes through. Along the way, ace lensman Michael Alan Ross documents their finds, mishaps, and various adventures. Starting in the Midwest and barreling through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, the barn-find bunch continues on to Arizona before completing their quest in Santa Monica, California. You'll never guess what automotive treasure they see peeking out from corroded garages and behind weary buildings along the way. You can bet every awesome barn find was investigated and recorded in Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip . Whether you've only dreamed of retracing US 66 or are familiar with its path but never considered car hunting there, Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip will take you on the trip of a lifetime. Hop in; you can ride shotgun.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published October 15, 2016
2 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 2, 2021
There are hundreds, thousands? Of books about Route 66 so you need a theme, a reason to compel you on the journey. In this one it’s rusty, decrepit, but not forgotten, old cars, trucks and a motorcycle or two. If the road, vehicles or both, are of interest to you, perfect !
Car-guy -Author Tom Cotter takes a couple of buddies along on this seeking barn find road trip. Their personalities aren’t a factor in the story telling, it’s the cars that are the stars, and I should add the various owners of the cars, they are usually a bunch of characters. Who else keeps a rusty car, a dozen of them, or a thousand in their front or back yard for 50 years ?
There are a few insights into Route 66. This tale shouldn’t be used as a guide book, more of an inspiration. There are times when an interesting restaurant will be reviewed, but not which town it is in. There is also some company sponsor ship going in the story. Nothing wrong having someone paying your way, but it does affect the content. For example, he’ll mention by name if they stay at a well known hotel chain, but when in Tucumcari, NM, a Mecca of a dozen neon lit, vintage hotels, they spend the night, but never mentions where.
The story is easy going and the photos fun.
Car-guy -Author Tom Cotter takes a couple of buddies along on this seeking barn find road trip. Their personalities aren’t a factor in the story telling, it’s the cars that are the stars, and I should add the various owners of the cars, they are usually a bunch of characters. Who else keeps a rusty car, a dozen of them, or a thousand in their front or back yard for 50 years ?
There are a few insights into Route 66. This tale shouldn’t be used as a guide book, more of an inspiration. There are times when an interesting restaurant will be reviewed, but not which town it is in. There is also some company sponsor ship going in the story. Nothing wrong having someone paying your way, but it does affect the content. For example, he’ll mention by name if they stay at a well known hotel chain, but when in Tucumcari, NM, a Mecca of a dozen neon lit, vintage hotels, they spend the night, but never mentions where.
The story is easy going and the photos fun.
December 31, 2020
Taking a break from heavier reading and shifting gears a bit, this book (published in 2016) was a nice light read--chock full of rusting but restorable eye candy in the form of old cars found along the famed Route 66.
Uneven in spots, with a few technical glitches writing and editing-wise, it was, just the same, a real pleasure to read. Cotter and company traveled in Cotter’s ’39 Ford Woody wagon, with two other crew in a follow car, a new Ford Explorer.
Segments of their trip were filmed. And in addition to all the cars they found along their Chicago to Santa Monica trek, Cotter includes brief descriptions of a lot of the unique and special sights. In the back of the book, he offers a page of Best-ofs. Best Barbeque? Redneck’s Southern Pit Barbeque, Kingman, Arizona. Best Roadside Attraction? Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas.
The most amazing part of this fun-to-read book was to see all the good metal that is (mostly) ageing gracefully out in the hinterlands—particularly out west. If I ever get to do a barn find restoration (doubtful), I know where the worthwhile car bodies are buried!
Of special mention by the author were all the great car enthusiasts they met along the way. “It’s as if we are all part of a secret fraternity and know the secret handshake. I am not aware of another group of folks who have this amazing bond.”
Uneven in spots, with a few technical glitches writing and editing-wise, it was, just the same, a real pleasure to read. Cotter and company traveled in Cotter’s ’39 Ford Woody wagon, with two other crew in a follow car, a new Ford Explorer.
Segments of their trip were filmed. And in addition to all the cars they found along their Chicago to Santa Monica trek, Cotter includes brief descriptions of a lot of the unique and special sights. In the back of the book, he offers a page of Best-ofs. Best Barbeque? Redneck’s Southern Pit Barbeque, Kingman, Arizona. Best Roadside Attraction? Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas.
The most amazing part of this fun-to-read book was to see all the good metal that is (mostly) ageing gracefully out in the hinterlands—particularly out west. If I ever get to do a barn find restoration (doubtful), I know where the worthwhile car bodies are buried!
Of special mention by the author were all the great car enthusiasts they met along the way. “It’s as if we are all part of a secret fraternity and know the secret handshake. I am not aware of another group of folks who have this amazing bond.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews