I’m out here for about a month might as well get some parts. I can’t seem to get any good info on junk yards looking for early 50’s parts. Thanks Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I'd say it is either do an online search or ask the local car folks. or just pick a small town and go for a ride. I had a buddy who along with some of his friends used to go down in that area and pick the yards for old car parts 25 years ago then sell the pieces at swap meets. Vince Alcott (SP) who drove a converted Grayhound bus to swap meets in the West back then. He usually sold tail light lenses and smaller items.
Over the past 40 years, I occasionally spent time in Yuma, AZ. Never found much old car stuff. The closest was Dick's Auto Salvage on East 32nd Street. It got closed and crushed out several years ago. Maybe a trip to Desert Gardens used car lot, 1555 Dome Rock Rd W, Quartzsite, AZ. A large selection of "collectable" used cars and some truly "unique" wheeled "stuff". No parts, but should scratch your old vehicle itch. Exit I-10 at the Love's truck stop - It is located right behind the truck stop - Guaranteed that you will see it. Russ
Bard CA is in the neighborhood, he has several hundred A's and T's...not for sale but for look...but I bet he knows where the yards are. Also hit the lemon lots and ask the attendant there...
There's a few off of 16th street near the John Deere dealership. Reliable and Jack's are the main ones. Jack's has many 50s era cars you can spot off of 15th street, off of 3E. And if you want to just check out an impressive collection of Model A's and antiques checkout the Cloud Museum across the river in Bard, California - that is if he is currently open due to covid. It's been a few years since I've lived down there, so all of this may have changed. I miss the desert southwest. I hope this helps.
I’ve heard about dicks driving around and asking some people it sounds like it was amazing. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Yuma is our overnight stop when we went to San Diego, CA. One year, the local paper declared him the "Man of the Year". I did a little Googling, Richard Rautenberg, 1936 - 2013. Among other things, he won 508 dirt track wins and was inducted into the Arizona Motorsports Hall of Fame. Russ
JET sales is an interesting place,mostly military surplus but he does have some old cars. Plus he knows everybody in town. Jimmy Thomas is the owner.
If you're up for a drive, Desert Auto Parts in Casa Grande is ~175 miles away and has been used by the crazy people from Roadkill and Junkyard Gold for their TV series. Then, while you're in the neighborhood, there's Desert Valley Auto Parts in north Phoenix (Deer Valley) that had a TV show themselves for a while. Both have lots of interesting stuff to see.
The Jalopy Journal
