How to keep vintage gold out of the crusher

We're loosing our resource of vintage tin to the crusher. We've all seen the adds in the Quick Quarter, "WE TOW JUNK CARS FREE, PAY FOR SOME!" They're killing us! With the price of metal at a high and with the economy where it is, more and more people are junking cars for the scrap value. The latest adds are offering from $200-$300 for any vehicle and that's making alot of people sell their old cars. Some of those cars are worth saving and building but the only way we can prevent them from being turned into Re-Bar is to beat the scrappers to their own game!! For years I've run this add in local papers and on Craigs list. "WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE" 20's thru 50's cars, trucks and parts. (505) 869-2392. You would not believe the incredable tin I've scored from shoe box Fords and Chevy's to Model A coupes. I've landed over 40 Vintage engines from '49-'64 Rockets and Caddy's, Nailheads, Hemi's, flatheads, you name it. They would have all ended up as an I beam if I didn't advertise for them and buy them. I pull the add when I run out of toy fund money.

I know many of you have resigned yourself to "all the cool cars are gone". There are no more "Barn Finds". WRONG. They're still out there you just have to ask for them. My last score was a 331" Caddy with 3 97's and it's original 4 speed Hydro. The one before that was a running '48 Merc with a '39 box and syncro gears. You'll never know what's out there unless you advertise and find out. I have NEVER run my add where I didn't get results, enough to run me out of money every time.

Don't let our dwendling supply of vintage tin go to the crusher. Do you want future generations of rodders building Honda's? When the American tin is gone, what's left!? Someone has to save as many hulks as we can for future generations to come. Do your part, please?

Otto

 

Otto, good points. The biggest problem for 98% of the Hambers is having storage space. You and I might have enough acreage to collect what we want but many folks are living in zoning crazed suburbia.

Oh yeah, welcome to the Hamb!

.

 

I am doing just that. Picked up a 55 Olds 4 door. Just about got it running. Got a 54 Dodge with the 241 Hemi and aftermarket a/c, 1929 or earlier GMC truck, 1959 Rambler Cross Country wagon, and still have to pick up 2 Chrysler's one coupe and 1 sedan, and also a 73 Ford 1/2 ton. All pretty dang cheap.

 

I finally cleaned up my yard a while ago, hauled out about 50,000 lbs of "gold" scrap...and now you want me to start collecting it again?

 

When I get both 55 gallon drums full I go to the scrap yard. There may be worthwhile cars in the Mid West and out West but the East Coast is picked clean.

 

Plenty of old metal out there. Get it now.

The plus side is the value of Hot Rods will go up when they are harder to find.

 

I'm in NW Iowa, and i have plenty of room. I would be glad to help any one with a crusher problem for a small consideration. I have my eye on some old iron and might have to step up to save them also.

so why will some one sell a body to the crusher for $100 but want $600 to me?????

 

Because the crusher won't dicker, they pay cash on the spot every time.

 

Crush all you want Squirrel, I dont give a shit, I got mine.

 

i picked up a 35 dodge 4 door sedan,that i saved from being crushed this last summer.it's sad but true alot of cool stuff is winding up on the scrap pile.i'm all for anyone who wants to try and save some of these old cars,lots of cool cars and even more hard to find parts,are going by the wayside. lets all do what we can to keep these cars and their parts alive!!!

 

so why will some one sell a body to the crusher for $100 but want $600 to me?????[/QUOTE]

You see an ad;Save this 49 pileojunk from the crusher.Only asking $1000.
Ain't no way the "crusher" is going to give him $1000,they might give him $500 so why not sell it to one of us for $500?
Its like saying I have 2 10 cent returnable beer bottles,I'll get 20 cents at the store but I'll sell them to you for 40 cents...

 

You see an ad;Save this 49 pileojunk from the crusher.Only asking $1000.
Ain't no way the "crusher" is going to give him $1000,they might give him $500 so why not sell it to one of us for $500?
Its like saying I have 2 10 cent returnable beer bottles,I'll get 20 cents at the store but I'll sell them to you for 40 cents...[/QUOTE]

A little OT from this post, but I was at a fleamarket last summer, and some guy was trying to sell a 1 year old speedway motors parts catalog for $5. I suggested he put it on ebay.

Jon

 

blah, blah, blah, the sky is falling... beating a dead horse, again... win the lottery and buy all you can...

 

Here is what I've been doing. I was called by the owner of a 35 Ford sedan and asked if I wanted it or they were crushing it. I bought it for scrap price and before I had it loaded I texted the pictures to friends and had it sold before it was on the roll back. Never touched my property. I did the same thing with a 53 Merc two door that was on a scrapers trailer. It was also sold for what i offered and I was just the person who saved it. Neither car touched my property and I didn't make a penny on either car.

 

Do you resell them? I`m afraid the new owners may turn around and sell them for scrap.If you sold them for a dollar a pound they may not scrap them,just a thought.

 

Always hate to see old stuff get crushed, hell, I am old. Then again, look at it this way. It makes all the old cars us HAMBers own worth a lot more if all the others are crushed. Hehe.

 

You are right,you can`t set on it forever,even in Az. if no one will buy at any price you must scrap if you are to stay in business. Anyone in their right mind would have done the same.

 

we have a steel mill here in town and I see the train loads of spoked wheels, old bumpers and vintage tin that are barely recognizable after being crushed. I'm tempted to go throw the wheels out of the rail cars but don't like the looks of the inside of the jails.
Most of this stuff is comming from the midwest---you guys are looseing all your resources for savable parts by not saving. My yard is full.

 

I do my part, i tend to buy a classic a year, get her in much better shape and sell her to fund my real projects. I figure that helps save a few of our cars.

I hope to buy both my nephews a car each for them to restore when they get older. My brother who knows nothing about cars has agreed to store them in his twin bay for them. So theyll have the choice if they get older if they want to build a classic and not have to worry about the expense of finding one.

 

My two I did went to credible people. One "Voodoo Jim" picked up and its sitting at "Finkd'"s shop in Ark City and the other is sitting at Chris's at Chaotic Customs in Mulvane. Both good homes.

 

I did the same to help an Eagle Scout finance a playground for our town on our churchs property. Several thousand pounds and I didn't even have to haul it! (doubt anyone wanted a rotted out 76 chevy PU)

 

BTW. My scrap dealer contact called me yesterday and said he found a couple of Model A's and Model T's, two old Stud Farm truck cabs, and two 34ish one ton trucks. Waiting for pictures to see what they are because the 35 Ford was said to be a "35 Chevy Station Wagon".

 

I think its just people will take a loss and scrap shit if they know you may make a $ on it

Its just a thing huhh? go out get what you can and f the rest.

 

I think what he wanted was to show his Wanted Ad...

See how how sneaked it in, complete with his phone number?

 

Oh, i should have added, a scrap metal guy taped his sign on my door. Meaning he actually went into my locked yard, hopped the fence, even with my "beware of dog" signs! Just because ive a few vintage cars hanging around. The price for steel must be high.

 

I resell at a profit, albeit sometimes not much, in order to buy more as well as fund some of my other projects. Buy low sell higher than scrap and use proceeds to save more.

 

Cynical but true Alex!

 

If you're a moderator, you probably notice stuff like that

 

I've seen a lot of yards get sold out to the crusher, including one 5 miles from me. I offered double the crusher's price one a couple cars and they turned me down. They wanted the whole yard cleared out in two days and that's what the crusher did.

There have been a lot of threads on here over the years bitching about the evil people who wont "save" cars. These same guys bitch that the car they offered $100 for sold to the crusher for $300. Go figure.

 

I took in a pile of cat-converters to the yard today. I usally stay away from the yard on saturdays due to the traffic. Guys in Volvos with a microwave and mailbox, WTF?! As I was getting paid a beat up ranger rolled in full of old brass tank radiators, Im talking strapped in so they dont fall out full. I tell the kid driver of the ranger You sure have some old rads wheres the rest of the cars? He just looked at me with a dumb look. He couldnt have been too smart he didnt knock off the steel soldered to the tanks.