Bernville yard---CRUSHING!!!!!!!!

Was at the Bernville yard today.....HOFFERTS....they have moved cars and made some new roads.....they are marking cars and getting ready to bring in a crusher......they are starting behind the garage and along the road comeing into the yard.....DONT KNOW when, or how much they are getting rid of......IF you want some parts there, GET THERE SOON.... open tuesday thru friday 8am to 4pm and saturday 8am to 2pm.....Swissdale Road, Bernville, Pa. 19506.....phone 610-488-1577.........stan

 

anjy 49-51 mercs? i know there will be a "any of these or those" questions, but these cars tend to stick out in peoples minds so...

 

I'm really sorry to hear that. LAst time my buddies and I were there we got the whole life history, including seeing the open heart scars. I guess they are going to retire, good for them, bad for us. We took an exhaust manifod off a '37 Dodge Brothers for my buddy's car. and I got a banjo wheel out of a '37 Ford sedan, only part worth taking from it.

 

Do you have any pics of what's in the yard ???

Todd

 

Sorry to hear that, I went to the yard for the first time about a year ago, and I couldn;'t believe how big it was. MOstly 50's cars, well picked over, but super cool just to walk through. I did ask the owner about 49 50 mercs and she pointed me to wasted 53 fordoor and said it was the only 50 Merc they had. She claimed to have over 10.000 cars there, and I don't doubt it.

 

That is sad news. Hard to believe though that in this day and age with the value of land and scrap that any yards will be left. Photos need to be taken so future hobbiests will know what was once out there. I can still remember a local yard that closed in the early 1970's with '54 Chevies stacked three high, and '36 Ford coupes in the weeds.

 

Two buddies and I went there last year, lots of multiflora rose and bugs, mostly ones that bite. I have about an inch high stack of pics, sorry I can't scan them. Picture a '60 something Caprice with about a 6 or 8 inch tree growing where the engine used to be. I took another of what would have been a beatuful car when new, a yellow '42 or '46 Chevy convertible that would have crumbled to pieces if you'd move it. There was another yellow and green early '50's Dodge convertible, elegent looking dash. I was looking for BBC parts to build my engine. When I ask Hoffert took me to an old pigshed and pointed to a pair of heads. They had been laying on the concrete floor so long I couldn't break them loose. Great roadtrip, worth the day, take a camera.

 

I'm heading there Tuesday to shoot pix-- I have about 40 or so from last day after Thanksgiving, last time I visited- I got some headlight doors for my 61 F-100...if any one is looking for anything particular, let me know, I will look for it, I've got all day off and plan on spending about 6 hours there. When you go to Hofferts, the most important tool to bring is a good set of garden clippers, there are vines, tree branches and weeds growing all over everything. And as for the inventory, most of the stuff came from the surrounding Pennsylvania Dutch country, I counted lots of late 50s early 60s 4 door Chevy and Ford sedans, all in various states of damage with alot of flora growing on them.

Dog

 

damdog- I am looking for a factory fan guard from a '59 Buick: most have a 3" wide 'bracket-strap' but I'm looking for the stamped & contoured pan that's roughly 5" x 24". Also any '38-46 Ford COE sheetmetal (oh please): solid running boards or fenders.

 

I still need a left vent from a 49-52 Chevy or Pontiac fastback.

Buy those convertibles! Even in pieces you can turn them over and at least break yourself even on whatever else you bring home.

 

I am heading up there Saturday morning... best I can do.

 

Did anybody get pictures they can post?

 

I'm only 10 minutes away.I'll have to get over there this week.There is alot of stuff in there.Anyone ever get the tour of the yard in the little pickup truck???I'll never forget it.

 

No pickup ride. My tour was in an LTD with no exhaust, but it too was unforgetable.

 

Anyone manage to get out to Hoffert's or no?

 

I am considering going down Sat. If I can get a chance to I am sure it will be worth it.

 

I was there last week, the sign said the place was closed, but the owner let me in anyways, with a warning "NO smoking out there!" (not a problem ) They still have a ton of cars, I shot alot of pix, can't post them very large though. Stayed for about 3 hours , covered the older section of the yard, still had half the yard I didn't get to, it will take them a long time to crush everything. Saw some cool stuff, at least 3 58 Impalas, most of the good stuff from them missing, one 49 ford with the roof cut off still had a flathead 8 in it. Here's a couple of pics, can't figure out how to get them any larger, I will post some on Photobucket or flickr this weekend. The 55 Buick was one of the more complete and accessible cars I saw.

Dog

 

Just to update you all----they are not planning on crushing everything, just the field behind the garage.....that is what they said.....stan

 

Could ya look for a '50 chevy car grille, I need a tooth... leftside,outer please. thanks B.

 

I am going Wed before Thanksgiving- I will try and take a list of what people are looking for, but to be brutally honest, I have to put my personal list first. Thanks to damdog, there's a Ford COE there that I can hear calling me out all the way over here in central Jersey. But I will check in here up to Wed and keep my eyes open.

 

Anything early 30s there? Looking for early willys parts, such as the hood sides and grill as shown below:

 

Got there today- they have started crushing but over on the 'new car' side. There was a small quantity of flattened new shit, but the crusher wasn't there. Friend of the owner who came out to talk a bit (as I was taking parts off a truck he was fond of) said in answer to the crusher question- 'I wouldn't wait a year to come back.' From Sandy's talk and the apparent condition of Monroe, that sounded pretty spot on. It would take some time; lot of trees to fell at least in the older section.
Yard is decently overgrown and a bit sticky to navigate in many spots off the roads- tho I didn't see much, occupied with my parts.
Will be going back soon- could not get my fenders off; should've brought a saw-zall.

Mont- don't think so. Buddies with me were asking for early '30s Ford & Chevy and the answer there was no. Said there was a '30s Dodge that 'had folded in on itself it was so far gone'.

 

Last time I was there a friend and I took off the exhaust manifold from the '30s DB you speak of. The rest of it WAS pretty far gone. It and the '37 Ford were about the oldest I remember being there. WQ59B, were you on the back hill where the complete cars were, I remember a bathtub Nash and a Desoto wagon there? Both looked saveable.

 

Id be into that Buick hardtop.

 

I have been there in 2001 and 2003 and this people were very friendly.
First time we were there on a Sunday the place was closed ,but when they spot us, we were invited to go in and were toured around in an old Ford LTD.
Second time we were there it was hot and after 2 hours of walking around they came to us to offer something to drink or eat.
Most cars were late 40's and 50's
The place is real big with at least 8000 cars.

 

noboD- I was off to the right at the edge of the lot. I followed Sandy's directions and spotted my parts truck right off- didn't get a chance to wander more than 200' from it, unfortunately, so I didn't notice the Nash or DeS (the later which would have stuck in my mind- love late DeS's).

 

What year Desoto wagon? Anything after '54 is pretty rare and desirable.

 

Rusty, I'm thinkin' it's a '58, it's green and white. It's been a while since I saw it.

 

Now that I think about it, I do seem to recall a '57-58 DeS wagon, gold/tan colored... I remember the leaned-forward 6-lensed taillight towers. I'll do better when I go back... and bring a camera.

 

Big money there. Buy it for yourself and turn it.