So local farmers would toss cars into the river to keep the banks from erroding and cable them together. This was in mid to late 70s so there are mostly 50s and 60s cars down there. The river level is very low unless it really rains hard, I'm going. To take a hike down there and see if there is anything I can use I will post some pics of the cars.
It was'nt just the farmers. Used to be a bunch of them around here in the 60's and I think the county did most of it. Most were removed in the 70's Lots of 40's and 50's cars crushed.
Id be interested to see if anything was savable... that much dirt and water... tends to make things turn into dust lol...
I've looked at a bunch of them and never found much left usable. I remember when the local wrecker service sold off about 100 cars that went to the river. I was there before some of them went in and there was a perfect 56 Pontiac 2 door hardtop, sans drivetrain. I was just a kid and it was still sad. Here's a few I've found
Flood channel, no water until there is a big rain storm up stream than look out Annie the water is coming up in a hurry. They put the cars there then because they were cheaper than hauling in loads of rocks. It was done in about every area of the country before the greenies said it was bad for the water and land (it is) and scrap prices went up above rock prices.
One way somthing could be used.. Cut off the quarter panels and build a couch. At least that way the car can still live.... I noticed a bumper in the dirt maybe is a car attached? Bobby..
let me know if you need directions...once all the rain dries up I'd like to take another trip out there.
There a place along side an interstate, I think in Pennsylvania, that has an always-running small river, and cars as far as you can see, to the left and right. Late '20's & '30's cars deppest in the water, then '40's, then '50's, then '60's...all up and down the river. It's amazing. Haven't been by there in years...
a roof or two look like they might be salvagable for a chop. a little hammer and dolly work. I like the couch idea too, k9racer
Years ago I visited North Platte Nebraska from time to time. I was always taken with the rows of old cars that lined the banks of the Platte River. I looked endlessly for that one 55-57 Tbird body that may have made its way into the pile,lol. Not sure why I thought one could have made it there, also not sure what I could have done if I found one. Ron
reman, When do you want to go out to Nebraska again...??? I will be going out next month to check out some vintage tin. My son-in-law has a trailer and a place to store a couple of cars. I like the "couch" idea!
A friend of mine at work told me a story about when he was a kid in the late 60s. A lady they new had one and the trans went out so she gave it to his dad to haul off. Awesome.rite?.....................Wrong! His dad loaded it on a log truck,ran a chain thru the side windows,boomed it down and took it to the junkyard
Theres cars on the river banks around Canadian Tx up by Amarillo and several other sites in north Texas. I look everytime I drive by the area but never stop, due to buzz worms. "rattlers"
Near here there used to be a 54 chevy in a swampy area of the road ditch. Disapeared a few years ago when scrappers started hitting the countryside.
Hey Ricks Garage...........Man I would love to go back there. But it probably isn't possible at this point. The wifes grandparents lived there, and the last one passed away in 94. I can tell stories from there, from back in the 70s that still damn near bring tears to my eyes. My best vacation ever, bar none, was when my 12-13 yr old son and I spent one entire week looking at old cars and meeting great folks there. Ron
This is a 1958 Jaguar XK150S body that my dad pushed into a gully with a bulldozer and covered with dirt in 1962. Somewhere along the line, the gully washed out again. The car was at least 100 ft away from where he put it. These pics were taken yesterday. Oh yeah, it was light rollover when he parted it out.
Where in Nebraska will you be? I live by Lincoln. You can still find some good stuff lying in blowouts in the sandhills. My dad and I used to drive down county roads looking for old homesteads or treelines. every once in a while we would find something. We always had fun. When the county was redoing a bridge close to me they were digging out the riverbanks and out came a 65 mustang convertible.... Obviously useless now but it didn't appear to be a wrecked car, which I thought was strange.
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