Yesterday I had to make a run to pick up an electric fan motor for the heater and I stumbled on a bunch of interesting stuff. I decided to go back out today and I had writtern this list of things I wanted to take from the cars I had seen there. It's also half price next weekend, so this was going to be a pre purchase raid to stash some goodies for a later pickup. My first target was this 67/68 Electra which I had figured out might have the big port heads which supposedly flow a couple extra % right out of the box.. I took one valve cover off and the numbers matched against this list I had written down, so in we went.. The first exhaust manifold bolt broke and that was that I thought :rant: . But I decided to continue and lucky me no more bolts broke, so I figured that one bolt can always be fixed. I took the intake manifold, heads, exhaust manifolds, and then began looking at anything else that might be of interest, the whole light panel in the pack came off and so did the emblems on the quarters.
Target No.2 was this burnt '72 LeSabre conv.. I was hoping to be able to cut the whole quartes off of it, but of course it had been bondoed and the section behind the rear wheels were also rusted. The car had been completely burnt except for the trunk area, and the fire had stopped right in the middle of where the top is. This was the first no a/c car I have ever seen at a yard here, but I didn't take the no a/c box, since it was burnt, and the plastc fan is probably melted inside the box. I focused on the rear bumper and took the lights, and the metal panels underneath. It was also equiped with a scew on hitch which was giving me trouble, but out it came too. It might come in handy at some point I thought. I then began looking at the top itself and there was still some good weatherstripping that had not been burnt. I also took the front bown with the handles, and the second bow which is giving people trouble. The motor and cables was all toasted.
It was now getting late, and I had a few more parts to take from the mystery car, an Electra with a '71 bumper, '72 headlight bezels, and being marked 5/73 on the door sticker o No: .. It has a complete engine except for the carb which someone had snagged since the day before. It looked like it had been a fire through the primaries I remember, so I didn't miss it. I was planning on taking some pulleys, the timing cover, and some interior pieces like the am/fm radio etc. but I was kind of exhaused. I grabbed the air box lid which looked good, needed that, and the dip stick and tube, always good. The radio knobbs and some other small parts. I then had to help this older guy get the heat shield off the driver's side exhaust manifold, he needed it to pass the emissions on his '76, which still needed a yearly checkup. I stashed all my stuff in cars where the trunk would close and I could open it with a screw driver, then headed for the exit. It had now been a 9 - 4 deal, and enough yarding for me..:sleep:
There was aslo this '76 ? Electra in there that I've seen the first time like a month ago, someone has taken the whole drive train, engine, tranny, drive shaft, rear axle from it.
The last boat is this '74? LeSabre, it has some nice door panels, that might fit my car.. Someone has grabbed the timing cover from this one.
Harvest day is the 25th... if someone wants me to look for something in particular from these cars when I go back, please let me know. :Comp:
I wish there was a yard like that near me. all the parts yards make you ask for what you want. and they don't have much by way of oler car pars these days... -Brendan
We have Crazy Rays out near us, He has God only knows what. Since the monsoons have stopped here for now maybe I'll venture out there with the digital, & a machetty. See whats hidden..
I thought you were going to say you went back the next day and everything had been crushed. The way things are these days. :ball:
my buddy was looking for his 70 gs and had stashed a bunch in the trunk of a car with the key in the trunk... closed the trunk and took the key. went back the next week and it was gone. he asked about that car and they said it went to the crusher the day before. :blast:
This is my experience 20 years ago. Searched high and low for a 425 for my '66 Riv. Wanted ads in ROA Riview, BCA newsletter, etc., etc. with no luck! Then, I came across a '66 Wildcat in a yard with a nice running 425. Went and made a deal with the yard office to buy it for $200.00. Cool, I'll be back tomorrow to pick it up. Came back the following day, and found the Wildcat in the middle of a stack of flattened cars on a flatbed trailer. I walked over to some guys that were working at the crusher and asked them about it, and where that engine was because I didn't see it laying around amongst the others they had pulled. "Oh! that thing? we didn't pull it because we figured no one would want an engine that old!" Sure enough, I looked closely at the flattend car and could see the engine in it! :af: Anyways, didn't mean to do any hijacking here Kimson.
I do kinda need a timing cover-- you want to pluck one of those for me if it's perfect? Can an old timing cover even be perfect, or should I just buy a TA cover?
I haven't been in a real junkyard in about five years,I'm glad someone gets to do it.I still have my old yard box with the tools at the ready,it's been sitting in the corner waiting patiently.Glad to hear that you scored.
That 1st Electra is a '67.....looks like it still has the front tri-shield emblem on it. I'd grab that and the mounting plate. I don't need it....but people are always looking for those, so you could resell it if they don't charge you a fortune.:dollar:
That '67 is also probably packing a Switch Pitch 400 tranny. Nice to have for the future. Aluminum drums also on front? They can fetch $200 to $300 from the Ratrod crowd. PM sent. :beers2:
The drums are gone, the emblem is shot, and the tranny I'd like, but the flywheel? is all bent up underneath it. I'll take look at the timing cover, often the bolts start breaking, and it's done.
Hey chief. Im after a few parts for my 76 Electra. If you can get them, could you post them to me in Australia? Of course I will pay you in advance (paypal ok?) the pics are: LHS 'limited' badge on rear quarters RHS small 'shield' badge beween rear windows front badge - spring loaded Interior light cover one of those plastic clips, and the LHS coat hook. Cheers. PM me for my info -Joel - leoJ -
I looked at the pics of the cars neatly lined up on their stands on a paved surface, and was thinking "He's gotta be in SoCal". There's only two yards around here that even put the cars on stands, and even then I've had to work around ankle deep mud on some cars. Then there was the day a buddy and I had to drop a transmission out from under a car that was sitting on its floorpans in a foot of snow with a zero degree windchill.
