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Automotive host Tom Cotter uncovers a collection of rare and historic Chevrolets hidden away near New Orleans, including race-bred icons.
While most visitors to New Orleans during Mardi Gras come for parades and music, Tom Cotter had a different mission — finding forgotten automotive treasures. The longtime host of Barn Find Hunter quickly realized that the city’s congested streets and festival chaos wouldn’t yield many hidden cars. So, he steered across Lake Pontchartrain in search of leads.
Cotter’s destination was the workshop of Eric, a local collector whose reputation preceded him. Eric was the man who sold Ray Evernham the barn-find IROC Camaros featured in the 2024 Lime Rock IROC Revival, and his garage holds even more historically significant Chevrolet machines.
Inside, Cotter discovered a lineup of racing legends in various states of preservation. Among them was a mid-year (C2) Corvette set up for SCCA competition, a second-generation Camaro restomod blending classic muscle with modern performance, and a 427 tri-power C3 Corvette convertible that once tore up drag strips before being converted for road course duty.
Eric’s shop isn’t just a storage space — it’s a working restoration environment, stocked with rare parts, specialized tools, and the know-how to revive these aging performance machines. His approach focuses on preservation and authenticity, aiming to keep the stories of these cars intact while returning them to drivable condition.
The visit turned into more than a simple inventory check. Cotter and Eric swapped stories about the cars’ racing histories, previous owners, and the quirks that make each machine unique. The conversation revealed a shared passion for not just the cars themselves, but for the history and craftsmanship behind them.
For Cotter, the find reinforced what his show has always been about — uncovering machines that might otherwise be forgotten and spotlighting the people dedicated to saving them. For Eric, it was another day preserving the legacy of Chevrolet’s most storied performance icons.
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