Rarest or Coolest Find?

[smokenm]

What is the rarest or coolest car you have ever seen sitting in a junkyard? E.G. Anyone ever seen a Z-16 or Daytona or such? :3gears:

[BuickBuddy]

A 1970 Eliminator!!!

Now go get that car you nut!!!! :laugh: :laugh:

[GStage1]

Here are some found in junkyards and owner's front and backyards!

http://www.buickperformance.com/buicksrough.htm

[Duane]

The rarest cars I ever saw in a junkyard were a GTO Judge ? year, 65 GTO 389 3-2bbl car, 69 Boss 302 Mustang, 66 Mercury Cyclone, and believe it or not a completely rotted out 66 442 W30.
Duane

[Stage2]

Not exactly a junkyard anymore, but I know the resting place of an Apollo White '70 GSX (I will most likely be dragging it home once we dry out around here) and right next to it is an Orbit Orange '70 Judge convertible. He also has a boat load of Chevys, older SS's one of which is supposed to be an LS-6, an SS 454 Monte Carlo, probably 7 or 8 S-3 Laguna Chevelles and dozens of beat to death second gen Camaros, many appear to be Z-28's (he was into circle track racing). About 15 years ago there was a yard in Apple Valley in Southern California that I saw a 1969 Trans Am and '71 Judge convertible. He was going to fix them up someday. The land is now a bunch of cookie cutter houses and the cars are long gone. This is the same yard I found my '70 GSX steering wheel in.

[bill lagna]

At Leon's in Culpepper, VA was a 70 yellow GSX 4 spd.
When I saw it , the only thing remaining was the chassis,body from the firewall back no int, fenders, bumpers hood etc, just a shell with the stick shift pedals hanging from the dash metal. They wouldn't sell it but it has been removed from the yard. This car was complete when it came in with a bad engine !

[grisby]

At a "local" yard I found a 70 Cougar Eliminator, 70 Cyclone Gt(still had the 429 in it!!) a Boss 429 and a shell of a hemi cuda(had the big letters HEMI on the side of the car) and 2 67 GS's, 1 a vert and the other a hardtop, all this at one yard and for the prices he was asking for parts no wonder they were still there!

[smokenm]

Around 1988 I visited my folks who had moved to Alabama and across the street from their home on the mountain there was a 1967 Chevelle SS with a 396 and 4 speed sitting near some woods. The front clip was off and sitting beside the car. It was there 4-5 years and would you believe I didn't even make a contact because of my financial situation at that time. A year later....it was gone with the wind as they say. Never let that happen again! :Dou:

[MR.BUICK]

Rarest and coolest find was at a local yard in my area that had a '70 cutlass SX. The sx's are pretty rare, and this one had the console floor shift automatic w/ stock oldsmobile 455. That was maybe 2 to 3 months ago. Also found a 3 70-72 skylarks, although 2 of the 3 are missing engines/and tranny's.

[Mister T]

I've found a few interesting bone yards in my trucking travels, but I'm going to keep them secret for now. :laugh: :laugh:



Actually, I've forgotten exactly where some of them are. :Do No:

There's one in Colorado along Hwy 287, never stopped to check it out, but had 30-40 cars from 40's, 50's and 60's, just parked in a field. This was about 5 years ago, haven't been back that way since. :ball:

There's another on either I-15 or I-25, which had about 15-20 55,56, and 57 Chevy, mostly wagons, can't remember which town, only went by it once.

Haven't found my holy grail of a junkyard find yet. :(

[70 gsconvt]

I just, about three weeks ago, had an opportunity to buy a 1969 GTO. And car did document up as an actual Judge. It was totally in pieces. I mean body off the frame (shell), no rearend, no trans (was a 4-speed), but 400 engine was there as well as most of the exterior for............$400.

I passed because I knew what would happen to it. Someone is going to just pull the VIN plate and title and put it on a LeMans and sell it off as an original. And I just didn't want to get involved in that kind of deception.

[doc]

one time I was exploring around Mena, Ark and there behind an old service station was a 1965 Ford Thunder bolt. No engine but the rest was there.

[Evans Ward]

Red '74 Apollo GSX in my local pick n pull. Pretty sad shape though. :ball:

Saddest thing I've seen was a boneyard about 75 miles from me loaded with old gold. This yard was a time capsule back to the '20's cars with rumble seats. Management there was old school and didn't know what they had. We visited many times over about a 4 year period and got parts off all types of cars. Here's the sad part..... yard crushed everything in it in about 2 months at crush weight of about $88 per car! They could have stripped them, warehoused parts, and made a fortune on ebay. I really thought I was going to cry when we discovered them in the process of crushing on a visit. Only about 1/3 of the yard was left then. So sad! :ball: :af:

[bignastyGS]

Rarest I ever seen was a 66 Olds tri-power (L79???) Not sure if thats correct.But it was red and had the funky aircleaner that had pieces that went down to the lower front of the bumper. I have seen pics of these cars,but didn't know the signicance of it at the time.I am thinking it was a W30 as well.

[GranSportSedan]

There's another on either I-15 or I-25, which had about 15-20 55,56, and 57 Chevy, mostly wagons, can't remember which town, only went by it once.

I know the place you are talking about and it is on I-25 but not one of the cars is for sale.. the guy keeps them all to himself.

[buickbert]

the rarest things that ive seen in a junkyard was a pair of 68 gs california edition, along with a 57 bel air in one yard, and a 69 mach 1, 70 gt torino, 340 71 cuda, 69 sc/rambler ( with that really funky hood), 72 gs 350, 69 road runner, along with tons of other not-so-high name muscle cars, ie cutlass, skylarks, mustangs in another. all in tucson,az. imagine that (little to no rust).
the second yard is where my step-father got a rear decklid spoiler for a 68-69 skylark gs!

buickbert

[TMaxxFreak88]

my dad bought a 72 gs 350 out of a junkyard here in tucson for 600 bucks also picked up a 69 gs 350 4speed out of a junkyard

[Smartin]

found a 69 Hurst Olds with the VIN and cowl tag removed...it was pretty much trashed. I can imagine why the car was abandoned. I just wonder which 69 Cutlass is rolling around wearing those badges now..

The H/O has been sitting in the yard for 3 years....still there!

[65specialconver]

late 70s early 80s i did a 5yr tour in a wrecking yard.we crushed a 70 71?stage 1 :ball: i poped the stage 1 badge 30min before,still have it.also 69-70 boss 302,bought the wing for $25,put it on my wifes 72 lemans GT.also speedway had a 70GSX for $500,boss wouldnt give me the time off to go get it :ball:

[mdkingsley]

I found a 69 442 sitting next to a 69 Judge outside Hunsville Al. once, tried to buy them but the owener of the junk yard was storing them for someone else and lost his # I left him mine but never heard from them. Also found a 69 rs/ss camaro in a junkyard outside Chattanooga Tn., same case here the guy was hiding it from his wife during a divorce. No luck ever finding the owner of that one either. As well as a taledaga cyclone in Trion Ga. but its gone now.

Mitchell
69 442
69 cutlass convert.
Hopefully to be finished one day

[Junkman]

A upull it yard in Bradenton ,Fla had a '70 GS Stage 1 hardtop,around 1998.Complete automatic car w/ rebuilt original engine. The dumba$$s there hacked the 3.64 posi out with a torch.Cut the eyelets on the rear end ,where the control arms attach.That wasn't working too well,so they torched the control arms,including the rear swaybar. I tried in vain to buy the whole car,but was told NOT,due to rear being sold. I did manage to get a nice grille and some emblems off before being told to leave the holding area.The following weekend,I returned to find the car had been put into the crusher.Bye,bye Stage 1 motor and dozens of other good parts. And yeah George N.,it was a Copher yard. SUKS! Another rarity was at a yard in Narcoosee,Fla.(near Orlando). Airport Towing.1985.LOTS of old cars! '58 Cadillac Eldo Biarritz convertible,'56 T-bird,a few 55-56 Ford ragtops,'70 Riv GS,Coronet RT ragtop,'60 Tbird with factory sunroof ,a/c,430 motor.Some Skylarks,but no GS cars. A friend told me of a yard in Blairsville ,Ga with a GSX,Stage 1's,W-30 442's,Many bigblock Chevelles, GTO's and a few Judges,Lots of Mopars,including the H word. Around '99/2000 ,the whole yard was crushed after the owner passed on. Was told by another friend in Ga. this weekend,during a conversation about this yard,NOTHING was saved.All in the shredder. Now I am depressed again...

[Junkman]

Just remembered some more...a guy in central Maine has a junkyard with some rare stuff.Want's to keep most of it(high prices,rough shape). I saw a Lucerne Blue '72 Trans Am 4spd car, '39 Hudson convertible,'42 Lincoln Zephyr convertible,'39 Ford convertible sedan,'58 Corvette fuelie big brake car,'59 Olds 98 ragtop,'57 Studebaker Goldenhawk,'56 pontiac Starchief ragtop,3 '55 Studebaker President Speedster,'55 Bel Air ragtop,'41 and '42 Cad Fleetwood 75 Limos,'38 Chevy rumble seat roadster, and a lot more. He had a '54 pontiac 8 convert reportadly owned by Teamster boss Hoffa,a Kennedy owned'57 Cad 75 limo and '69 GTO ragtop. Unbelievably,Maine has a lot of old,rare cars sitting around. My next trip will include checking a lead on a guy with a big barn full of old muscle and classic Buicks in the Augusta area. A friend there restored a '65 GS Skylark for the guy,and gave me directions.

[EEE]

A few months ago I heard from a friend here who had come into a yard to see a 57? Edsel conv. complete, but in need of resto (1/65?). It had a sticker price on it of 2500?$, but it had been sold as soon as it was put up for sale. It went on ebay for 13k$ untouched to Sweden. I recently saw two 70-73 camaros back to back at a yard. Some good pieces were still left, but I didn't know what to take :Do No: . I'm otherwise still waiting to see my first boat tail Riv at a pick a part, I've only seen them at memory lane, pricey. I have seen about 10-15 71-73 electras/lesabres though, and a centurion or two in the last year and a half.

[jmccart]

I saw a nasty motorhome/van thing that someone crapped in. It was not cool, but it had to be rare.

[Junkman]

Here's another one! November,'04 I ran across a '55 Chevy Nomad wagon that was just hauled into a local RisingSun ,Md junkyard. The proverbial barn find. I offered the guy $1,500. for it ,but he said a couple of guys were looking at it in the morning.They were coming from Reading,Pa.a couple hour drive.Unfortunately,I had to head back to Fla. next morning. The Nomad was complete w/265 4bbl and P glide.They bought it for $2,400. which I would have gladly paid! How many yards have '55 Nomad wagons?!

[Bobsbuick1971]

Mike,
I will have to meet you to show you what is in EASTERN Iowa. I know of this farmer. He drove cars back to his woods/barns back in the 1960's. He has a dozen Roadmasters from 1946-1952 sitting under some pine trees, not to mention a 1946 Buick hearse in a barn (it still starts) and a '66 Buick GS. Lots of other GM and non-GM cars. I remember a 1964 Dodge Dart GT, pretty clean. Here is the sad part...Development is quickly going his way, and he lost his son to a car accident. I'm sure if nothing is soon done all will go to the crusher. Let me know when you can come with your camera!
Thanks,
Robert

[smokenm]

Sounds great, Bob. We will have to hook up this spring and make a day of it.

[upstaged]

Last Fall (2005), Near Muskegon Michigan. A shell/ carcass of an AAR Cuda. Nothing left to salvage but it appeared to be legit. The faded AAR letters were visible but what a shame. Oh well.... Upstaged.

[wwingsong]

Hello, in 1988 I found serial# 32 1953 corvette in a barn in South Dakota with the original engine laying on a palette under some hay bales. Still had title from 1957. I paid $7000 for it and resold it for 10K .I recently saw this same car for sale in Hemmings for $169K.

[1968_GS]

In the late 1980s, I used to go to a little salvage yard in Wisconsin with my dad - LOTS of 60s cars, and stuff going back to 20s!!

Got a posi rear out of a 68 GS 350 there (LAST thing left on that ride!)

So the unique vehicle I saw was a Ford pickup - must've been around a 1964, black - it had 427 flag badges on it, and inside had buckets, console and gauge cluster!!! Neat pick'em up for sure

Jeff

[IDOXLR8]

Guys don't rag on me its not a Buick....

[IDOXLR8]

Here is where I'm on it now... AL.

[Keith Seymore]

Al - what's the story? Where'd you find it?

K

PS - cut that grass, buddy!

[IDOXLR8]

Al - what's the story? Where'd you find it?

K

PS - cut that grass, buddy!
About the grass :laugh: ,done :laugh:. I was going home from a relatives house and saw a bunch of little kid using a 68 Corvette for a sliding board :blast: :af: . I told the kid to get off the car than knocked on the door and ask if the car was for sale and I bought it for $2000.00 around 1984. Since have been finishing a frame off restoration and has been a great car contrary to the Corvette owners that say it was the worst year, I must have got a good one! Its been a fun restoration because of being a numbers matching Corvette that has not been abused. :) AL.

[gs_jimmy]

Found a 1970 Challenger T/A, Panther Pink, rotted bad. Still had the 340, but no trans, heads,intake or hood.

Early 50's DeSoto with the hemi still in it

A Ram Air III GTO/Automatic (rolled)

2 W-30 442's (engine fire)

2 '65 GTO post sedans

396/375HP '66 Super Sport Chevelle (well picked over)

1969 Coronet R/T - 383/4 spd
1970 Super Bee - 383/Auto (compete & very rough)

1965 409 Impala

1970 & 1971 GTO Judge's

1969 Charger Daytona - 300 miles on the odometer. Now is part of Elmer's Auto Salvage museum. Word is that Leno has tried to buy this one, Originally was being sold thru a Winona MN dealer, and didn't sell, so Elmer took it to the junkyard, stored it for a while, then stuck it in the museum. Don't know if it's still around.

Mid-60's Sunbeam w/ 260 v-8 - now is dead under a very large pine tree.

70-73 Vette - arguement with a bridge at high speed, guess who won!

SS396 ElCamino ('69) - Hugger Orange/auto - rough by Kentucy Standards

Jim Sailor

[Bryan C.]

Back around 1990 I saw an 1987 GNX at a junkyard. It was a theft recovery. The owner fixed it and I believe still owns it today.

[MikeM]

About the grass :laugh: ,done :laugh:. I was going home from a relatives house and saw a bunch of little kid using a 68 Corvette for a sliding board :blast: :af: . I told the kid to get off the car than knocked on the door and ask if the car was for sale and I bought it for $2000.00 around 1984. Since have been finishing a frame off restoration and has been a great car contrary to the Corvette owners that say it was the worst year, I must have got a good one! Its been a fun restoration because of being a numbers matching Corvette that has not been abused. :) AL.

Al, I've had a bunch of corvettes of various flavors. Mid year coupes, convertibles, T tops, etc. 65, 66, 71, 80, 95 ZR1. You got nothing to hide here. The 68-69 may not in the lime light like the mid years but they are terrific cars. First Stingrays as opposed to Sting Rays. Fast and furious.

You had vision when other people did not. Finish it off and be proud of what you did, eh?

[IDOXLR8]

Thanks Mike!! :beer When I got her over 20 years ago all the mid year owners ragged me on the 68 and told me it was worth more in parts, there was a lot of truth in that but that car was not going to see that. And then one I deceided to do a frame off on a small block 68 I got the same deal but your right I guess your right I saw the big picture and its been a great car and no doubt a keeper for I got my wife the same year I got the Corvette over 20 years ago, AL.

[pick62]

[QUOTE=smokenm]What is the rarest or coolest car you have ever seen sitting in a junkyard? E.G. Anyone ever seen a Z-16 or Daytona or such? :3gears:[/QUOTE
Mike this is off the subject man but do you actually have that card of Mark! Man he was an awesome pitcher! Couldn't believe it when I seen that card! :shock: :cool:
Tim

[smokenm]

Tim,

Glad your home and hopefully ready for your big endeavor. Still praying for you! No, I downloaded it from the net. Mark and I are the same age, had the same nickname and I pitched in College in Tennessee during the time he was drafted. When he got called up to Detroit I had moved to Flint and was playing semi-pro ball. He became an instant icon for me because of that connection. I was in the stands the night he beat the Yankees on national television 2-1. It was a great experience. :TU:

BTW..l still have all my ballcards from when I was 10 years old.

[staged70]

We have a MOPAR yard near me , I went there and man what a sight . Almost evry car you can imagine 367 GTX , RR converts , Cuda , challenger he owne 3 wing cars . ALso not in the junk yard but a 69 Daytona hit hard in front still sits in a garage 1/2 mile from my engine house . The original owner was playing around after getting it for a graduation present and has never fixed the thing and so far will not sell . I sent a bunch to the grave yard as well . 69 Charger RT , 68 BB Mustang fastback, . I have a friend here that owns a junkyard and he says the time when you could find a really rare car in the yard are gone . EBAY is now the KING!

[copperheadgs1]

I found a 70 Stage 1 convert in someones front yard in Boston, MA. The chain link Fence was built around the car and in the summer the rose bushes would arc over and completly cover the car! Ther was a big gaping hole in the top just behind the left rr qtr window. I rang the bell inquiring about the car many times and spoke with the owners father who said he would tell his son. This went on for years and I never talked to the son who lived elsewhere. One day I drove by and there was a for sale sign on the house! I rang the bell and finally spoke to the owner who said his father died and he was selling the house but not the car which he was taking. No amount of begging could convince him otherwise. He did not tell me where he moved. I have no doubt it was a real car as I first saw this car around 1980 before anybody was faking them. The car was there for at least 18 years! The sheet metal was in pretty good shape for a car left out for so long. I have the VIN for the car so I still have a chance to locate it. Never say die! To me this car would be the holy grail! I would prefer it to any Hemi or Ferrari for that matter.

[cstanley-gs]

A upull it yard in Bradenton ,Fla had a '70 GS Stage 1 hardtop,around 1998.Complete automatic car w/ rebuilt original engine. The dumba$$s there hacked the 3.64 posi out with a torch.Cut the eyelets on the rear end ,where the control arms attach.That wasn't working too well,so they torched the control arms,including the rear swaybar. I tried in vain to buy the whole car,but was told NOT,due to rear being sold. I did manage to get a nice grille and some emblems off before being told to leave the holding area.The following weekend,I returned to find the car had been put into the crusher.Bye,bye Stage 1 motor and dozens of other good parts. And yeah George N.,it was a Copher yard. SUKS! Another rarity was at a yard in Narcoosee,Fla.(near Orlando). Airport Towing.1985.LOTS of old cars! '58 Cadillac Eldo Biarritz convertible,'56 T-bird,a few 55-56 Ford ragtops,'70 Riv GS,Coronet RT ragtop,'60 Tbird with factory sunroof ,a/c,430 motor.Some Skylarks,but no GS cars. A friend told me of a yard in Blairsville ,Ga with a GSX,Stage 1's,W-30 442's,Many bigblock Chevelles, GTO's and a few Judges,Lots of Mopars,including the H word. Around '99/2000 ,the whole yard was crushed after the owner passed on. Was told by another friend in Ga. this weekend,during a conversation about this yard,NOTHING was saved.All in the shredder. Now I am depressed again...



Well until this month, that yard was still there. Still had 60-80 "oldies" out back. I pass this place every day on my way to work and drop in all the time. However, new construction takes over, you can see from the road that all the cars are gone... even the old ones. So I stopped in to see what was going on, and they said that the salvage yard was closed and all cars were crushed :shock: , at which point I said "even the old ones!!?". Well it turns out they kept all the oldies. :beer They were all moved to another one of their locations.

Park Ave Auto Parts Incorporated
2932 W Park Ave
Edgewater, FL 32132-3009
(386) 428-4934

[seamistlark]

Last year I was building towers in central Ga. and was in Moultrie the week before Thanksgiving. Meet a local car guy that is into Impalas and asked if he could tell me of any yards locally. He drove me to a body shop to talk to the owner about "some" cars he had on his property. I spent the next 6 hours walking around this guys house looking at car after car. Some were under the pole barn others just sitting in the field. He won't sell any of them , he said he was waiting for the "Big Payday". I did notice 5-6 Boattails two had GS markings on them, 2-4 70-72 Skylarks, and a couple Wildcats. I have talked to the Moultrie guy since and his friend still will not sell any cars or parts. What a waste of good cars. :ball:

[Geeto 67]

I found my 1967 GS340 in a junkyard. It had been abandoned and the yard was using it to store tree branches. MY friend bought it for $450 and then I bought it from him later on.

When I lived in louisiana there is this yard called knippers. In knippers there is (was) a 1969 olds 442 w-30 convertible and a 1969 ss396 camaro. The camaro is just a floor, firewall, and subframe left, but the olds was a complete and rust free roller from the firewall back. They also had a lot of weird mopars like station wagons with push button trannys and wedge motors. neat place.

[EEE]

Saw a mach 1 mustang down in Long Beach a week ago. It was just a shell left, not one screw was still on it. It still had the fenders and the hood, but they were dented pretty badly.

[Dan K]

My friends, Danny and Scott took me to a Cairo IL yard back in about 1992, and while looking for Buick Ford and Poncho parts, I noticed a red/white/blue AMC Javelin with 390 tags and a rear wing in the back seat. We got home and I went through "Son of Musclecar Mania" book and found it: a 1970 Javelin Trans Am. 1 of 100 built. I had to work the next day, so they called to ask if they could buy it. The owner of the yard said they were crushing cars back there, but would check. He called back to say he'd put a big X on the hood and to come with 150 bucks. When they drove over there, the crusher had passed it by, and the car was all by itself in the empty back lot. It was missing the drivetrain, but we were able to track down both owners, oine who had the original motor, and the other who kept the trans and 3.91:1 posi. We got it back to Danny's, and I think it's still sitting there in his garage.....Dan

[smokenm]

Great story, Dan. :TU:

[EEE]

Great story, Dan. :TU:

agree, there should be one of those for all of us- once in a lifetime :TU: