Recent trip to a massive junk yard

[RabbitsKin]

Took the day off yesterday and went with a good buddy to visit an old-school junk yard. Place has been in business for decades, with stuff dating all the way back to the '30s.

Here were some of the highlights (credit to my buddy for the pics). This doesn't even scratch the surface, there were probably 1,000 cars there. It just went on and on and ON. He scored a bumper for his '59 Caddy. I spied a bunch of parts I want to go back for. Sadly most of these are un-restorable, aka massive rust and structural integrity problems. Some were exceedingly rare, such as a '58 Edsel Villager wagon (didn't get a pic). Some were just oddball, like a Renault Caravelle that was rusted in half.

Enjoy:

Modified by RabbitsKin at 5:24 PM 3-28-2009

[Gary C]

Any chance for some contact info on the 'yard? I spy some parts I could use... not to mention a couple shells....

[giantrobot9000]

Awesome pics. I LOVE places like that.

I grew up near a couple of places just like that. We used to play out there as kids. Amazing we were lucky enough not to get hurt (that I can remember anyways!). One of them was huge, and went out into the woods for miles. We never did reach the end of the trail. When the weather gets better, I'm gonna see if the owner will let me walk around and take pics.


Modified by giantrobot9000 at 2:21 PM 3-28-2009

[GoFaster]

Holy smokes there is some rare stuff in there. '59 El Camino! VW Type 34 Karmann Ghia!

[Merc-MarkO]

Quote, originally posted by giantrobot9000 »

Awesome pics. I LOVE places like that.

I like the pics but places like that infuriate me. Nothing has been done to protect the cars from the elements. It's a big Superfund site in the making.

Sad.

[rimtrim]

Great pics...I bet a few of those are restorable given enough effort. I love wandering places like this, but there aren't many left anymore.

-Andrew L

[DC Car Examiner]

Where is this junkyard exactly, and what is it called? I know someone who'd likely be interested in going there.

[giantrobot9000]

Quote, originally posted by Merc-MarkO »

I like the pics but places like that infuriate me. Nothing has been done to protect the cars from the elements. It's a big Superfund site in the making. Sad.

Well, yeah, it is kinda sad in that way.

They're also a bit eerie, especially when you are a kid and have never seen most of these old '40s and '50s hulks in person, except for the rotting one with a tree sprouting up through the floorboard, and the big angry chrome face staring you down.

Wouldn't it be awesome if all of those cars COULD be restored, though? The imagination runs wild.

[RzinDubs]

1951 Studebaker Bullet Nose in there.

[jamerican1]

Great pics man! Where exactly is that place? Is it near VA?

[RabbitsKin]

I don't want to be one of those jerks, but there are some business possibilites there I want to explore before I divulge its location. If there are any serious inquiries though, I would be happy to scout something for some of you on my next visit.

[El Jarretto]

Quote, originally posted by RabbitsKin »

Looks like a '56-'60 euro (I'm leaning towards '58-'60) with the same interior as mine! Too bad it probably has shrunken door cards from being soaked for years as well.

[RabbitsKin]

Quote, originally posted by Merc-MarkO »

I like the pics but places like that infuriate me. Nothing has been done to protect the cars from the elements. It's a big Superfund site in the making. Sad.

Not only that, but it is a tall forest. There were numerous downed trees crushing some of the cars. There was a '70 mustang fastback which was intact last year, but had a tree that fell on it this year

I would love to get in there and help the dude organize that place. He seemed to be in poor health.

[RabbitsKin]

Yep, it was a '58 or '59. The semafores weren't even worth saving. No rocker panels, caved-in roof, just rusty beyond belief.

The '57 Chevy looked tempting at first, but the entire driver's side of the body had been cut away. Straight panels though. What was cool was the extent to which some of the stuff had been 'saved'. Like you'd see a rear fender for a '57 Chevy leaning against a tree. The Caddy bumper we found was sitting on top of a bus all by itself. We found a couple of other different year Caddy bumpers just sitting on the ground, waiting for a new owner.

Modified by RabbitsKin at 10:15 PM 3-28-2009

[RabbitsKin]

This rusty hulk as about a '46 Cadillac, an incomplete production year after WWII. This particular body style was only made in the hundreds, I believe.

Here is the remains of the Renault Caravelle. I had to look it up when we got home, never heard of one before. Rear engined, based on the Dauphine from what I gather. 3 bolt wheels:

Modified by RabbitsKin at 10:29 PM 3-28-2009

[BltByKrmn]

There's was only one "junkyard" near my house growing up and it was forced to close when I was 17 because of environmental issues. It was so cool to walk through even though the cars were pretty well scavenged already. I hope one of these days I get to see another one.

[MGQ]

Quote, originally posted by El Jarretto »

Looks like a '56-'60 euro (I'm leaning towards '58-'60) with the same interior as mine! Too bad it probably has shrunken door cards from being soaked for years as well.

yeah looks like it has a bit window *if its the same as the other bug pic* and semaphores(!)- so its at least a 58.

[FujiTekniques]

Finding a Type 34 in a yard...wow.

[Galbi]

Gah...this is depressing.

[Fritz27]

Sad to see all these things rotting away for no reason. I guess what comes from the Earth has to return one day.

[patrickvr6]

Any more of this one?

[DC Car Examiner]

Quote, originally posted by RabbitsKin »

I don't want to be one of those jerks, but there are some business possibilites there I want to explore before I divulge its location. If there are any serious inquiries though, I would be happy to scout something for some of you on my next visit.

I recently wrote about an artist in Maryland who photographs abandoned old cars. I was hoping to pass the location of this junkyard on to him if he doesn't already know it; it looks like there would be a lot of great material for him.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1017...nders

[SoCal_SFVR6]

Junkyard, or Backyard?

[Gary C]

Quote, originally posted by patrickvr6 »

Any more of this one?

That one appears to be a '40-'41 Ford Panel. Definitely a truck I'd love to build someday.. shame about the roof skin being that caved in. Wonder how bad it actually is / if it's savable as is. Not that it would be *too* difficult to fabricate one.. just a complete and *total* pain due to the sheer size... and donor's aren't exactly common.

Anyway. RabbitsKin I shot ya a PM re: a few inquiries...

Modified by Gary C at 2:05 AM 3-29-2009

[patrikman]

I love the '59 El Camino!

[patrickvr6]

Quote, originally posted by Gary C »

That one appears to be a '40-'41 Ford Panel. Definitely a truck I'd love to build someday.. shame about the roof skin being that caved in. Wonder how bad it actually is / if it's savable as is. Not that it would be *too* difficult to fabricate one.. just a complete and *total* pain due to the sheer size... and donor's aren't exactly common. Anyway. RabbitsKin I shot ya a PM re: a few inquiries...

Yep, this is a pretty rare bird. I does look rough though, I was more concerned about the missing cowl than the roof ripple but I suppose both would be a pain. Even if it is too far gone I'm sure some panel specific parts are salvageable.

[carfanguy]

Im always amazed by places like this.

[scion]

Quote, originally posted by MGQ »

yeah looks like it has a bit window *if its the same as the other bug pic* and semaphores(!)- so its at least a 58.

Actually, European Beetles had semaphores until late 1960. I almost bought a 1960 Sunroof that had been imported from Europe that had semaphores, but someone had made a baja out of it, and I didn't have the money to return it to its former glory. I still kick myself over that one.

[vwlarry]

Whoops, I thought from the title you went to a big Mercedes Benz dealership.

(great photos, btw)

[TWHansen]

'67 Marlin there too - another one-year-only...

[vwlarry]

Quote, originally posted by TWHansen »

'67 Marlin there too - another one-year-only...

The Marlin was around from '65 to '67, but if you're talking about the one-year-only placement of it on the Ambassador chassis, you're correct there.

[vwlarry]

I know it would be an impossibility for dozens of reasons, but wouldn't it be nice, from the viewpoint of one who enjoys and appreciates "sleeping beauties" resting in such places, if the few remaining yards like this one could be made into a kind of "tourist attraction" for we enthusiasts, wherein the machines in repose could be left exactly where they are, and, with effective vermin control, etc, the yard could be made safe and welcoming for visitors to just stroll through and take in the "ambience" of such places? Anyone who really loves cars, and has been to such a place, knows what I'm talking about. There's nothing else quite like it, and it's disappearing pretty quickly. That's very sad.

[TWHansen]

Quote, originally posted by vwlarry »

The Marlin was around from '65 to '67, but if you're talking about the one-year-only placement of it on the Ambassador chassis, you're correct there.

Larry, I know my stuff when it comes to American Motors; my first car was a Pacer and we've had some interesting ones (we miss the Big Bad Blue '69 Javelin most...) The '67 Marlin is a favorite of mine.

[vwlarry]

I wasn't trying to challenge or berate you; only expanding on your comment, with some uncertainty as to its "vector" as it were.

[Lunker]

Quote, originally posted by TWHansen »

(we miss the Big Bad Blue '69 Javelin most...)

my co-worker is always talking about his big bad blue......apparently he's had it since the early 80's and is doing a slow resto...