Hot Rods Building hot rods when you used the local junkyard for parts.

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You can count the billet parts I have ever bought on one finger and have a finger left over. I do all of my building from the junk yard, save the new bolts, sparkplugs bearings and seals, etc., support stuff that I buy new. trying tos think of the new parts I used on the Mysterion clone. All I could come up with are the front Ford grease caps, rear wheel, tail light, headlight bullets, chrome plated tie rod ends. . . . . . that's about it.

 

It took me three loads to get it home-then I pieced it together to see what I had.
I like a Saturday morning hunting in a wrecking yard-but things have changed a lot over the years-there are still a couple nearby that will let you in-but all late model stuff.
Sometimes the stuff you bring home is not worth it-by the time you fix and modify it to make it what you want-you can just buy the new part the way you want it-convenient-but somewhat sad at the same time.

 

I was there this spring for the first time. They use to be in Colorado Springs just a few miles from my home there. Nice yard...lots of project cars as well as parts cars.
I can't remember the name, but there was a large salvage yard specializing in 40's thru 60's in Calhan, Co. about 30ish miles east of Colorado Springs. I think on Hwy 24?? Are they still there?

My car, btw is a conglomeration of parts from all types of souces. Many swap meet parts, Ebay, and lots of speed shop stuff, and small mfg. component kits, but particularly interior, lots of stuff from salvage yards: front and rear seats are 93 Mitsubishi Eclipse, steering colum is 97 Mustang, door pulls are 80ish chrysler, lighted mirror sunvisers 80ish caddy. My highly modified wiper system started life in an early 0's Mustang, as well as w. washer system. My hood scoop is from 83 Mustang GT, Hydroboost and exhaust manifolds are 03 Mustang Cobra. When I had my accident last year I picked up a drivers door and side trim parts from a salvage yard in Kansas specializing in '57's. As it turned out, I was able to repair what was damaged.
Drivetrain is sorta salvage yard....the donor car was bought at an auto insurance auction. One owner 52K mile 95 Lincoln MKVIII. Many components were used from salvage yards to modify stuff like thermostat housing, cop valve covers,rear sump oil pan from Continental, etc.
We still have a few salvage yards in Amarillo that are U-pull-it, One (Cherry Ave), has lots of well picked over 50's and 60's vehicles. I love spending a few hours walking it.

 

I sell all my old stuff at swap meets, so I can buy new for my builds. I want to do it once and right the first time. Brakes, steering, engine, trans.etc....

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In 2017 I'm currently putting a 27 T Touring car together with mostly junkyard parts. 292 Chevy, T-5 out of an S-10, rear end and rear wheels out of an 80s F150, seats out of a Ford van (aerostar IIRC), column out of a Chevy step van, brake and clutch pedals/master cylonders out of the S10 I got my trans from. And IDK what all else.

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I just miss junkyards you could actually walk through. Even as a kid I always enjoyed finding old junk yards and exploring to see what kind of treasures I could find. I remember my best friend’s grandfather owned a yard full of forties and fifties cars. Went back years later and found out they had sent it all to the crusher. It is now an empty lot.

—louis

 

Looks like a 40-41 Ford pickup hood in pic 3 ....

 

I am lucky to have a couple yards that still have old stuff but I now keep my daily drivers going with junkyard parts instead of new parts.

 

Antique auto ranch, spokane!

 

I know of a few local yards with loads of old stuff in them and they still let me dig around and buy parts in piles. Most of my coolest stuff has come from the junkyard. I walked a Frankland quick change center section out of a yard a couple weeks ago, found it sitting inside an old oven.

However, I've stopped sharing the locations of these places with the world as I have seen some terrible behavior in junkyards. Breaking shit needlessly because it's easier than removing a part properly, lots of stealing, leaving hoods and doors open, fucking around all day and not buying anything/spending money with the owner, bitching about prices. I think it's less liability and more theft and shit behavior that keeps yard owners from allowing people inside.

Now I only invite people I know and trust to go junkyarding with. I always buy something (usually a whole bunch of stuff) and I rarely negotiate the price with the yard owner.

It's not just the insurance companies and the nosy neighbors that ruined the junkyards, asshole "customers" did just as much damage.

 

you can still use the local junkyard for the most part, i know most places around here have an oldies section, or sometimes the older cars are scattered throughout the yard. you just have to get there the day the new stock comes in. i missed out on a 4 speed muncie out of an el camino because i got there a week late. still had the buckets in it though, was very tempted to grab them.