disapearing junkyards

it seems like the good junkyards are disappearing at an alarming rate.i wanted a couple parts for a 75 lincoln and the guy looked at me like i was from outer space.seems like zoning is pushing out the old yards.so if any one knows of good junkyards please post the info.

 

i had one woman offer me a junkyard full of old fords years ago.her father in law died and gave it to her.zoning came down on her even though the yard was there for years.i had no place to put them so they got crushed.

 

I know how you feel. I was talking to a friend today who runs a jeep and military salvage yard. He was telling me the EPA nazi's raised his rainwater runoff rates from $150/yr to $250/yr. He has a feeling it will go up every few years till they're all out of business.

 

There used to be quite a few mom & pop yards around here but they are all but gone now. There are a bunch down by the border but they are all run by Arabs who couldn't get a liquor license. I don't even bother looking for parts in a yard anymore, the people are jerks and the prices too high...

 

They ARE jerks. It seems like they want 75 percent of what new would cost around here. I called about MII control arms for my '52 Chevy pickup -looking to do it the cheapest way possible- and was told $150 a side--- $300! Add in the rebuild kit for around 125 and it makes no sense to not buy the tubular arms. I need a rear end also, and I'm just letting it sit until something falls in my lap.. I'm not calling the yards again. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. I wish we had more swap meets around here.

 

you dont how many times i gone to places only to find a new subdivision where the junkyard was.zoning is brutal around here....i have to have any car on MY property licensed and insured. the yard i told you about was there 30 years. but the nyc yuppies who bought lots near by complained they could see cars in the winter.but the bottom line was a lot of 45 - 60 fords were crushed for no good reason

 

There are literally like 100 yards in Sun Valley... about 20 minutes from my house... NONE OF WHICH ARE ANY GOOD. Only a couple have old stuff, and they are WAY overpriced. One wanted $300 for a pushbutton setup and steering wheel (needed restored, still) from a '56 Plymouth.
The U-Pull-It yards are way $$$$, too... and they have crap selection.
I gave up with junk yards.

 

Just got back from local yard 30 miles away, anyway clearing out all early 80's to 1999 cars man said no profit in them only 2000 and up cars all rest will be crushed.

 

I recall an old rod and custom like about 1971, with an article about how all the good vintage iron has dried up. No more good yards either. Then, 20 years before that to a 1951 hot rod magazine article. This one was about how at the drags and bonneville that all the good vintage iron had already been gotten and and racers had to move to less desirable cars. So, this stuff has been going on for 50 years with no end in sight. Dave

 

Yea but Dave, in 71 they were complaining about no 30's iron in the yards anymore. In 71 the Shoeboxes, Mercs and Tri 5 Chevies started going away in the yards. Now it's hard to find Muscle Cars and Pony Cars. The situation really has been going away all this time. It's just that the interests have switched to whatever is left. I have a 70 Chevelle, and I haven't seen any of them in the yards in a couple years. The Vegas and Mustangs are all gone. Nothing but 85 and newer stuff in all the yards around here with the exception of 1 Ford customline that they want the price of a new car for, and it ain't in very good shape. All the local yards are good for is 8" Ford rears, economy car bucket seats and import gas cap doors. The days of finding a Muncie, or even a turbo 350 in a wrecking yard are long gone. These guys have never seen a nailhead or rocket 88. They don't even have an SBC in stock half the time. If they do it's the late model computerized crap you can't put your vette valve covers on.

 

I'm lucky enough to have several good yards close by. One yard wich is not open to the public and getting stuff out ofit is impossible has a 32 ford Tudor in it. The guy just won't sell stuff. Another yard is going out of business is crushing stuff all the time now. This was my favorite yard. It had a good selection of old and new. Prices were cheap too Buick drums $20 a pair, 50 Olds air cleaner $10 and many more great deals over the years. I even got a Wayne 60 gas pump out of there for $25. All in all there's about 6 good yards close to me.
Clark

 

i have seen a couple yards over by scranton but they seem to be getting smaller every trip. there are a couple in jersey[i saw a 50 merc 4 door there]but once again they dont seen to want the old stuff any more

 

They are still out there....not many official boneyards, but there are still a bit of the Personal collection/old inherited family business collection type yards around. I am
a believer.....I have seen the Glorious Yards.....
but you're right, they are going away fast....we may be the last generation of hotrodders to wander through such yards,
we should all be taking pics and storing up memories of them
for the youngsters to come.