Scrap Yard find,.. What a shame !,.. Or was it ?

Well guys,..

I went to scrap an old Ranger pick up,... And as I pull up to the scales at Rifkin,... I see this cool old 1946 GMC Bus,..... I thought to myself, What a shame !,... this thing was really pretty solid for anything from Michigan. I thought somebody should have saved it.

So I talk to the guy that runs the yard, he said the guy that scraped it was really unhappy about scraping it, but he had it for sale for two years for $650.00 obo,... and no takers,.. he would have been willing to take $500.00 for it or maybe less to see it go to someone that would do something with it.

But he got NO response over a two year period,.. so he took it across the scales, and left with a little over $700.00 (scrap is at $243.00 a ton) More than he would have taken for it from somebody wanting to save it, or do something with it.

So there you go,... sad but true, The worst part is that once something goes across the scale at Rifkin,... it ain't coming out ! Period!

As of Monday it will be crushed,.. After that it will turn to sparks and back to molten steel,... Just thought we would give it one last look,... and just a little honor,... Maybe imagine where all it went to during its useful years, who it might have carried, how much it served from the post WWII era,... until the last person that rode in it,...... According to the scrap yard guy,.. the guy that scrapped it said it still ran good,........

(please forgive the crappy cell phone pictures)

 

things are tough all over. finding spare cash to buy that bus versus covering my bills isn't an option.... i'm sad to see anything go like that, but there's an assload of guys out here in my position.

 

That's a tough one. But, he gets credit for trying.

 

Somebody ought to at least remove the front clip !
That would be stupid to crush the front.
The rest of the bus... A well,,,,,

 

I'm suprised the scrap yard doesn't keep it as a yard truck if it runs. I have a yard near me they run around in a late 40's maybe early 50's Plymouth that a guy junked because a tree fell on it. They just cut the roof off it and run it around the ard pulling parts.

 

I went into the office and offered to buy the headlights,... and was politely reminded of the policy "NOTHING LEAVES",... I seen a complete 32' heavy front suspension there a couple years ago under an old homemade trailer. I was up to a $200.00 offer for something they had taken in for probably $10.00,.... It didn't matter how much you offered. it was scrap, and that was the end of it.

 

Rifkin isn't a junk yard or a auto recyclers,.. They are a "Scrap metal only" place.

 

you could make it look sweet like this!

 

It would make a nice ramp truck................

 

Is there a state or Federal law that prevents the resale of any scrap, or is it just the policy of that particular company? If it is a company policy, it is a very stupid one.

 

i'm trying to give away a 56 223 in the classified trying to prevent it from going to the scrap yard, the only thing I ask is anyone that takes it not bring it to the yard, i could do that myself and get $60 but its not worth the guilt i would have, i would hate to melt it down

 

There had to be a few GI's finally home from the hell of WWII watching their kids get on that bus. Thanks for posting the photos.

 

That is the fate of many many larger vehicles these days of high scrap prices. Even the yards are scrapping their buses, old furniture trucks, bread trucks etc. all space-consuming out-of-date storage junk they've made money out of for decades.

 

....... And come back as a honda...

 

No sorry, but Japan has thousands of crushed cars, trucks, & appliances from the tsunami. The scrap from our yards will come back from China to stock Wally Worlds with defective products which have a life expectancy of one week.

 

That's why I don't shop there....

 

Would make a good shed !

 

Wouldn't that thing have a 270 or 302 GMC? At worst, a 248! Someone should have bought it for the engine, and then (worst case) scrapped the rest?

 

It's Chevy not GMC. The lower grill bars on a GMC are horizontal.

 

Probably not we are currently importing more scrap than we are exporting

 

IMy office overlooks a street that has a scrap yard on it.
I seen "something" on a truck go by. By the time I got there a clam shell picked up the 1926 Dodge and put it down on the side.

Actually it was in a good place, the frame was rotted in 1/2.
No tears on that one.

He will not sell anything either, its's not worth his time to save it and then no one comes back, not to mention the title issue.

However, I did buy a 56 F750 Fire truck with absoultly no rust what so ever from a yard once.

 

Another issue in some localities may have to do with the yard's business license. If they are licensed as a scrap metal business only, they might be required to buy a separate license for used auto parts to be able to legally sell parts.

 

i would have buy that will he sell and parts off it

 

What a shame, would have made a cool gasser.
But in reality, it could have made a nice coach or race car hauler (seen it done a few times)
Just another reason you shouldn't talk to bad about your local hoarder.
Larry T

 

Walk a mile in the other man's moccasins before you call him stupid.

Usually, when you do a little research, you find things are the way the are for a valid reason.

Ray

 

Just thinking that. Front end is all that Id be after. Who cares about the body.

 

I would for one. That's a pretty stupid comment. I am very interested in buying a chevy or gmc bus from the 40's or 50's for that kind of money. Im going to build a tailgating rv out of it. That is a shame that a bus that nice is getting crushed. If you have one im my area I'm very interested.

 

What would be a valid and intellegent reason for scrapping this school bus, when someone wanted to buy and save it? Or for that matter, not even selling the headlights?

If there is a question of a local, state, or federal law, regulation or permit, that prevents resale of scrap, obviously the company has no choice. If it is an entirely independent decision of the scrap company, not to resell anything, no matter how small.....That is if it is a decision based entirely on the choice of the company, (without any outside influence), it is a stupid one.

It being scrapped is just a complete waste.

 

This bus was probably out in the boonies with an old hand painted " for sale " sign behind the dirty windscreen. Never find a buyer that way. Over here old buses are restored and used for weddings, family reunions and business partys. There are also historical societies that keep these old public transport vehicles in operation.

 

However motivated YOU may be to buy some part or all of this hulk, you are acting in your own self interest. You might consider the possibility that the scrap yard operators intend to operate in THEIR self interest and that interest doesn't include YOU, or me, for that matter.

While you may see yourself as some sort of Savior of old relics, they might see you as a pain tha ass getting in the way of their efficient operation. Further, if you took the time to read earlier posts, selling any part of their scrap may very well require a separate license and tax reporting. In addition to the very real fear of some two bit sale resulting in a liability claim should injury occur. All of which adds to the complexity and expense of their business,,,,,,,which they have chosen NOT to do.

I suggested you try to see something from another person's perspective before you 'label' them and thereby cause yourself to look immature, naive or "stupid" in the process.

For what it's worth, I am not happy about the choices being made. I too like to buy all or part of scrapped items. But annoying as it is, I understand others have the right to run their business as they see fit. If you could force THEM to do things YOUR way, imagine the power others would have to force YOU to do things THEIR way. Such as get rid of all these old cars cluttering up yards and driveways, carports etc. "Oh, but they already are!", you say. And what is your reaction?............"by Gawd, they're not going to tell ME what I can do! This is a free country!"


Ray