Event Coverage Vern Tardel Enterprises: The Epic Yard Sale

Glad I made it twice. A piece of heaven on earth. All the best to Vern.

2013: http://lowtechblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/flatheaded.html
2011: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtech/sets/72157626756582385/

 

Nice one Vern, time to enjoy life with no stress

 

Right on!

 

Vern didn't watch that Lambrecht Chevrolet extravaganza did he?? And said "Damn, there's crazy people out there, and you know....." (with a slow gaze across the ol' collections) "...hmmmm....".

 

can anyone get me a set of juice backing plates front and back and ship them to me in england

p.s i'm not joking there's a few beer tokens for whoever does!

 

I have been to Vern' Place twice and pickup some kool parts ....
Happy tales Vern !!!!!

Oh ya why is Keith not keeping it going ?

 

You can, I will send the list!

 

Man, his place was on my list of locations next time I visit my family that has relocated to CA!

 

??how come a complete buyout has not happened ???

 

I've heard rumors that the good stuff has been picked over already by the regulars. I also heard that he isn't letting go of the good stuff....which I believe, that he would keep for Keith to have. I've heard you aren't going to get 97's for $15 even though its a carb. or a 32 wishbone for 40 as the price list says.

Can anyone validate this information?

 

Sounds like a rumor.

Or possibly speculation.

Or maybe, just maybe... a well calculated plan to discourage would be buyers so said plan calculator can swoop in and buy all the good stuff.

Either way, I'm going... and I'm bringing cash and an empty pickup truck.

Sam

 

Hope he really enjoys his retirement!

 

All I know is.................I'm there, dude!!

 

Sam,

give us a full report when you're done. Pictures also if you can.
thanks

 

all the junk! I wonder what he is going to relay sell!

 

Ok! Will do!

I'll put my "Reporter" hat on... hang out with Jay Ward... and take lotsa pics!

Sam

 

Good luck to Vern. Many thanks to him for teaching us so much.

 

Some of you 'speculators' are really positive about it. Call THEE man and ask those questions yourselves. The guy was already hero/legend by the late '80's keeping the original flame alive. Those early American Rodder issues introduced him and he was doing and making a dream reality. Look at his paws. Them hands wrenched, lifted and carried millions of pounds of metal. Semi loads of NOS back when the herd was billet bound.

 

Hell yeah, keep it positive. Good vibes to Vern, a legend indeed.

 

I had a dream I was at the Yard Sale and only one other guy was there, and I had 5 gallon buckets full of 97s in each hand......

 

last time I was there was about 26 years ago
sold him an old rail
that I delivered

 

ATTENTION: The USGS is reporting strong seismic activity centered in the Santa Rosa area. The public, and those driving old cars in particular, have been urged to stay away at least through Saturday.

 

Where's the report? What did everyone buy?

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=842863&page=2

 

I'm not a flathead guy, but damn, I sure dig a lot of the old signs and such!

 

Yeah...I will be needing some parts. Will the website still be selling them? Didn't see if the answer was posted.... sorry if I missed it.

 

I got in there about 3 years ago. very cool place. sorry to see it go.

 

I drove the 9 hours from Southern California, stayed in a Motel, was at Vern's at 7:30AM and waited for the gates to open at 9 AM which they did. All the buildings were roped off. You could not go in, or buy anything inside any building, or even anything outside that was forward of the back of the rear building. Vern stated that the only stuff for sale was the stuff that had been laying behind the shops outside in the field for years. That it was all being hauled to the dump in 3 weeks or sold for scrap price just to clean the yard up, and if anyone wanted any of it, they could buy it. It was all rusted junk and pig iron. Quote Vern: "There no good stuff, or stuff guys really want, that's all long gone. I had gone up there with $25,000. in cash and couldn't find a single usable thing to buy. It was like going to a guys place thinking you had a chance to buy some good stuff, and when you get there, he says you can just go through his garbage cans. There were numerous cars being worked on in the shop. There was absolutely no evidence of him retiring or selling off anything he could possibly use building hot rods or engines. All the promotion of this so called "Epic Yard Retirement Sale" was really misleading. It was an epic waste of time. None of you HAMBers missed a thing.

 

Their cash box sure was packed with cabbage when I paid for my stuff, not to mention the Kiwis full truck and trailer, so some people got what they wanted. I heard Vern say the same thing, that it was just the cast offs. Maybe the hype was misleading, I didn't pay much attention to it since it was a short trip for me. Sorry you were disappointed.

There must be 50 flathead blocks, all those are junk?

 

Maybe some folks saw nothing of value, but a lot did.

I was very happy to find a set of '49-51 Mercury and Lincoln wheels, two 5-1/2 and two 6" wheels. The Lincoln wheels are hard to find and look fantastic reversed! I also picked up some late banjo bells. I found an NOS '49-50 Ford radiator top air deflector(?), the sheet metal piece that sits just below the hood and keeps air going through the radiator. Yeh, one man's junk is another's treasure. I am not complaining.