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What's the coolest old car you've seen in a junkyard?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by BobG, Nov 28, 2012.

  1. I worked in a yard in Busti NY near Jamestown NY. There was a 48 Playboy sitting up on something, a bus or other cars......long time ago, early 70's. Also was an old Studebaker PU that had a Buick Nailhead in it...come to find out a few years later it belonged to a buddy of mine. He had welded the engine to the bell housing , for lack of an adapter I assume !!!! Probably why it was in the junkyard !!!
     
  2. 61 Sunliner
    Joined: Oct 24, 2012
    Posts: 48

    61 Sunliner
    Member

    Around 1973 I saw a 66 Shelby Mustang in a junkyard in Denver. At the time I knew nothing about Shelby's but since I had a 65 Fastback I thought the windows in place of the rear quarter vents were cool. Though about yanking them out but I didn't.
    A couple years ago I saw a Dodge Shelby in the pickapart, but yea, not the same....
    Mike
     
  3. typo41
    Joined: Jul 8, 2011
    Posts: 2,571

    typo41
    Member Emeritus

    Not the oldest but the the shouldn't have bought
    I wanted a 409 for a chevy truck, I heard about one in a yard in Port Hueneme, so I went over and sure enough they had one but I had to buy the car, I didn't need a 1963 Chevy Impala white red interior (missing a door panel) 409 /Powerglide $500.00,,,,,,,,,
     
  4. Papas32
    Joined: Feb 18, 2009
    Posts: 164

    Papas32
    Member
    from No.Ia.

    In the early eighties I went to remote junkyard 20 miles west of town. i had heard there was a 40 ford pickup in there. Bought the pickup. the pickup was the 2nd one in from the trail through the yard. the old guy jumped on a crawler with 8 foot forks on it. I thought he would move the one in the way and then grab the forty. but to my surprise, when he got there he just raised the forks. smashed the car, crawled over it and scooped up the forty. after he loaded it on my trailer I asked him what the car was he smashed and he said it was a 1926 Star. had to look it up cause I had never seen one.
     
  5. Just really have pick your parts around here (smaller yards won't let you in the back area). In the 90's I saw a 1950 Buick ambulance.......pretty intact and I wanted one after that.
     
  6. chinarus
    Joined: Nov 9, 2010
    Posts: 509

    chinarus
    Member
    from Georgia

    Bought a complete 1974 911S out of small yard in North ALA in the early 90s - cheap.
    Only had minor body damage due to an off road excursion but the motor would not spin over due to bad starter :)
    I guess there was not a lot of demand for parts in that area and they weren't on the network.
    Guessing it was totaled due to the "bad engine".
     
  7. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    A friend and I went to a yard in the Malta/McConnelsville, Ohio area for a GTO rear back in 1979 or 80. We had never been to this one before, so we toured around it for a bit, and came upon a '58 Impala, 348, 3x2, triple black. The poor thing had been wrapped around a pole or a tree so hard that the steering wheel was over the trans tunnel. A couple years before, a friend from New Lex had told us a story about a similar car that had been wrecked on the square in Somerset, but we kinda thought it was just another tale. That story had the owner doing donuts around Sheridan's statue, and catching traction and hitting the statue, he must have hit a pole instead. Other than the collision damage, which was severe enough that the motor was broken, it was an absolutely beautiful car, very clean. If you know Southeastern Ohio, all of these places will ring a bell.
     
  8. As an ex Calgarian I bet you hauled some Canadian Ford's and Mercury pickups to the scrap yard. Maybe a Pontiac Parisienne? Fargo pickup?
    I bought a 1955 Pontiac sedan delivery from Regina. Canada GM built Pontiac on Chev frame with Chev drivetrain. Shorter Chev wheelbase meant shorter Pontiac fenders/hood. And in US there were no Pontiac sedan deliveries.
    Canadian only vehicles were few back then and so much rarer now.
     
  9. I moved to Lubbock in 2008. Found this stash right away. The yard dog had big bark, a short chain and old n blind but scared heck out of me anyways. When Jack Alan passed his daughter inherited his collection. Buildings piled to the ceilings with parts. More stainless steel trim than I've ever seen in piles all unmarked. Lots of old V12 Lincons and V12 engines. I was able to buy a pink early 60's Imperial and a pink n white 55 Chrysler sedan with Hemi. My favorite purchase was 2 matching art nouveau headlight aiming machines (not bear) for my gas station collection.
     
  10. 41rodderz
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 6,540

    41rodderz
    Member
    from Oregon

    Back in the '80s Dad and I went to one yard . There was a 1966 Pontiac 2+2, 421, four speed and a 1967 GTX hemi. No hemi. :( But we did buy 3 1957 Ford nine inches complete at $30.00 a piece and I got a 1970 GTO hood tach for $ 15.00.
     
  11. It makes me want to cry when I think about it. In 1980, I happened to see a 55 GMC Suburban, the GMC version of the Cameo, in an auto wrecker and asked if it was for sale. I closed the deal, and went back the next day to pick up the truck only to find that some jerkass had run it through the crusher. All I was able to save, was a couple of pieces from the rear bumper.
    I'm still not over it. GM only made 316 Suburbans, and this one was the small window version the rarest of them all.
    Bob
     
  12. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,289

    jnaki

    Hello,
    As sad as it is/was, the coolest old car I have seen in a junkyard was our old 1940 Willys Coupe. It was in August 1960, about a week after our deconstruction in Atts Ono’s backyard. Earlier, as has been posted, we had an accident at Lions Dragstrip and the 671 SBC Willys C/Gas Coupe caught on fire and burned, while being wedged into the chain link fence on August 13.

    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/willys-owners.999990/page-9#post-11609788

    The location of the junkyard (scrapyard) was close enough to both of our houses that we could have gone back and seen the Willys coupe sitting in the yard, near the entrance offices. But, we did not. It was something that happened, we had no control over the explosion, and the memories will forever be in our complicated brains. But, seeing the Willys coupe sans motor and driveline just sitting there in the dirt was a little depressing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zYm8Mqfvfo

    One of the only photos I found on the internet was one in the pits during early June or July of 1960 when we were still in B/Gas without the added weight for C/Gas.
    upload_2019-7-2_4-30-15.png
    For the HAMB rebuild guys, I am sorry that we left the 40 Willys in such great condition. The rear fenders, body, trunk, bumpers were all in pristine condition. The doors and frame were not damaged at all. Even the hood had popped up when it hit the chain link fence, so it was in pristine condition, other than the dark burning on the underside. The front grille was slightly pushed back, but in great condition without any cracks. The chain link fence was something of a cushion as it gave in on impact.

    Jnaki

    So, what made us remove the motor and drive train and get rid of the rest of the pristine, Willys coupe? It was the saddened look on our mom and dad’s faces at the ICU of the hospital and the constant reminders at home afterwards. It was my brother that told me to offer it to Atts Ono and his new build of another 1940 Willys coupe.

    We did offer it, but while we (Atts Ono) and I took apart the drive train and motor, the Willys coupe was giving us both the “willies.” It was the feeling of impending doom or a gut wrenching ache that did us both. We talked about it and our parts and structure would have given him a great extra body for parts and alterations when necessary.

    He said he would think it over. So, the next day, he told me that he would decline, despite the treasure of having a second, pristine, complete car to work with during his own Willys coupe construction phase.

    When we did finish taking everything apart on the flatbed trailer, it was towed to the scrapyard (junkyard) in Wilmington, near Lions. I am sure that people thought we were awful towing the dismantled Willys with the 1958 Impala. The Willys was cranked over on the flatbed trailer and looked empty, as well as lonely. We were told to drop it near the fence and office. Someone got a great hulk of a 1940 Willys coupe for their next project.

    upload_2019-7-2_4-36-20.png Included: pristine body, fenders, trunk, hood-scorched underneath, no windows-all cracked, melted or blew out, and shiny chrome, including bumpers. (also, a straight frame)
     
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  13. Pats55
    Joined: Apr 29, 2013
    Posts: 554

    Pats55
    Member
    from NJ

    I used to do shows in Florida. In between shows my my hot rod buddy Jim would take me to these old junkyards. I went into one and, God only knows where ,sat in 1969 Javelin AMX.. It was in great shape just sitting there rotting away they should put a bounty on people that let that happen
     
  14. In 2012 when this post was started I commented , "Nothing that doesn't belong there" in 2018 I saw a 1933 Lincoln, they had stored it in one of the buildings after it had sat outside for more than 40 years, I ask them if it was for sale and the owner said he is taking offers.

    The car was in pretty good condition considering it had sat outside so many years, it sold a few months ago to a man in Greenville, South Carolina and was told he paid 16 grand for it, as far as I am concerned it was a 5 grand car. HRP
     
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  15. rfraze
    Joined: May 23, 2012
    Posts: 2,008

    rfraze
    Member

    Some years ago, I stopped at a shaded wrecking yard along Rt 60 in Riverside, CA. The most unusual and interesting cars I remembered were 3 Chrysler Airflows. The lot disappeared and someone scored.
     
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  16. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    '53 Olds Fiesta in a Chula Vista yard, 1964. They wanted $135, but it didn't have a top and the heads were in the trunk. We went to El Cajon and bought a '49 Cad 4dr for half that ...
     
  17. 427 sleeper
    Joined: Mar 8, 2017
    Posts: 2,865

    427 sleeper
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Would it happen to be the yard on New York Street down the street from the old drive in movie theater? Every time I drive past the old strip I want to cry, soooo much history just left to disappear. I think I'm gonna take my son there on a wildcat mission to see just where his roots were planted. Oswego is folklore for me, but my dad ran there in one form or another from '62 'till '72. Born too late I guess... Oh well, can't change what is, but can fantasize what was!
     
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  18. I thought this old Chrysler was cool. But to big for a Hot Rod, so I sold it.;) 20160126_043233.jpg
     
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  19. Chrisbcritter
    Joined: Sep 11, 2011
    Posts: 1,970

    Chrisbcritter
    Member

    A few others I remember from the '80s at Pick-A-Part in Monrovia:
    • '53 Studebaker with an early Cad V8 and radiused rear wheel wells, green with white roof
    • '55 Bel Air hardtop converted to a pickup with '57 Lincoln rear quarters, baby blue with white spray-on vinyl roof and remnants of white tuck 'n' roll
    • '66 Valiant 'vert, red on red with buckets, exactly like the one wrecked in the movie The Flim Flam Man
    • '63 Grand Prix with a Tri-Power manifold; the middle 2-barrel was hooked up but the other two carbs were gone and the openings were filled with what looked like cement
     
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  20. camcrusher
    Joined: Aug 11, 2013
    Posts: 253

    camcrusher
    Member
    from Candor, NY

    256357620.jpg 611898952.jpg here's a '30 Chevy sedan I found and bought.
     
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  21. camcrusher
    Joined: Aug 11, 2013
    Posts: 253

    camcrusher
    Member
    from Candor, NY

    275044341.jpg 855522201.jpg a '32 Hupmobile 4 dr sedan.
     
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  22. camcrusher
    Joined: Aug 11, 2013
    Posts: 253

    camcrusher
    Member
    from Candor, NY

  23. camcrusher
    Joined: Aug 11, 2013
    Posts: 253

    camcrusher
    Member
    from Candor, NY

    NCM_0474.JPG a '52 DeSoto with a 276 hemi.
     
  24. camcrusher
    Joined: Aug 11, 2013
    Posts: 253

    camcrusher
    Member
    from Candor, NY

    NCM_0473.JPG a '54 Buick with a 264 nailhead.
     
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  25. DANSLED
    Joined: Sep 15, 2005
    Posts: 159

    DANSLED
    Member
    from CW, Ohio

    Seen this woody back in the 80s near Marysville, Ohio. The yard like so many others is long gone now, don't know what they did with the 150 plus cars that were there after the owner passed.
    20190718_182026.jpg 20190718_182045.jpg
     
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  26. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    I bought alot of parts from that yard in the short time I knew about it,cars got crushed and I remember loads of old cars that looked familiar coming through Dayton that I presume are from that yard.
     
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  27. DANSLED
    Joined: Sep 15, 2005
    Posts: 159

    DANSLED
    Member
    from CW, Ohio

    If I remember correctly, the owners name was Charlie McCarthy? That yard had alot of 49 thru 54 Chevys in it, 2 50 mercs and I remember and have pic somewhere of a green 55 merc convertible that broke my heart.
     
  28. junkyardjeff
    Joined: Jul 23, 2005
    Posts: 8,588

    junkyardjeff
    Member

    Yes that was his name and I think that woody was gone by the time I first went there,I did not find out about it until the early 90s and he was gone within a few years and I also went to a old yard north of Bellfountaine and hit both places on the same day.
     
  29. Dixon Bastie
    Joined: Apr 7, 2017
    Posts: 175

    Dixon Bastie

    Prowled many gold mine old junkyards (now almost all gone(, but heard about this.
    I friend was in Missouri at his brother's house to help him install the drivetrain into his street rod. They needed a trans mount, so tried a couple of yards with no success. One yard owner told them about an all-Ford "yard" that a guy had on his farm. After an hour drive, they found the place, drove in, and talked to the owner. He had pole barns full of Ford project cars and parts, and when they entered the barn with the trans mount, tbey saw a ......
    1962 Ford Galaxie 500 XL four door hardtop, 406 (with factory fender badges), four speed with console, buckets, A/C, 15x8 steelies, and a nine inch. Car was white with a Tahoe Turquoise interior, was t-boned but very fixable on the passenger side, and only missing the front buckets. The guy fired it up and it ran like a Swiss watch. He bought it from a salvage auction, didn't want to sell or part out, so there it sat. Obviously a factory special order car. Ironically, my dad bought almost the identical car bew in 62, but with a bench front, column automatic. Loved how it sounded at the tailpipes when it idled, and when he stood on it.
    My friend took his number, called him several times, but no sale. About a year later, he tried one more time, the guy's wife told him it was sold for parts to someone with a mud truck !!!!
    Sickening, isn't it?
     
  30. The car guys from se Wisconsin can back up the story. In the east troy junk yard for years there was a light blue 63 split window vette. Everything was gone except the body. I don't know whatever happened to it. The car was there a long time.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.

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