Final Junk yard walk

One of my freinds is getting ready to crush all his old bug stuff He told me to get anything I want because after June 1 they will be gone.
I made a pretty good haul of some small parts 2 sets of heat exchander a saphire radio and some t-1 engine tin and some early 65 head hamps and tail lights. I wish I had a place to store doors, finders, hoods and lids I'd go get more. Tis a real shame.

Yeah, I found that same problem up here in New England, too......more and more yards are rounding up all the old iron and sending it to the crusher to "make room for more newer stuff". It's getting so that finding a decent junk yard Pan is just about impossible around here now.

Makes a real car person want to cry. Hell, they get maybe $70 per crush, and all that valuable and now rare tin goes to waste. When I was putting together the 54 3100 1/2T a few years ago I had a buddy spot a big (maybe 20-30 acres) old yard full of Chevy Iron between two towns in the boonies... Names of the towns? Wayne & DeWayne.... only in Oklahoma. Anyway I went out expecting to find them sitting in the field. Turns out the old man/owner had died and his kids wrapped up his estate by selling the trucks and cars in the yard to a crusher. Heartless.

I ended up signing a release to get in there while they worked. They had beautiful 47-54 Chevy trucks stacked up in twos and threes by a fork to make for an easier run for the crusher operation. I called damn near every Chevy Truck lover in the state and we paid daily "you don't see me $$$" to haul bumpers, hoods, instruments, emblems, window trim, caps, everything we could save. My bro in law and I got out there with a torch just trying to get to beds, fenders, and whatever before the straight ones were crushed. I bought two early 48-65/55 series outright and hauled them with cash talking. It was one of the saddest things I ever was around, car wise. I'll bet that at least a couple of hundred trucks, shoeboxes, and even some pre war stuff went at $80 (then) a crush.

Between that and the demise of Drive-In Theaters... it just some sad stuff.. that's for sure.

I hope you get another chance to save some good stuff.!

Jim
(15 days to launch for Knotts)

Jim,

Yes, getting close eh? I've got a few things under the hood already to see how things fit. Good thing the wife isn't going down with me! I'll free up a lot of room after Knotts so Ron Leonard you should fit OK, LOL.

The crusher thing is all over these days. When I was restoring my Studebaker I found a great Junkyard in Wisconsin. They has their cars lined up by make and year so all you had to do is ask, Studebakers and they would point you the way. The legislature up there passed some law that said a salvage yard couldn't keep cars older than 25 years unless they obtained a dealers licence or something like that. My last trip there I too got as much as I could from 20 or so Stude's. As I was walking back up the office a fork truck went by with a really nice 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie Htdp on the tongs. Car looked really good, but it was "too old". I heard later that a few weeks later all the Stude's were crushed. There was a lot of good stuff still on them. My heart ached and blood pressure skyrocketed. Then they wonder why people think politicians are a pox on the globe.
But we have the answer don't we, Replicars!

Bruce

I Just bought his super beetle two weeks ago and it go's into the paint shop monday. I want to keep it in tip top shape so it can avoid the same fate. as the others on the yard.

He is getting out of bugs, completely. and always said I had first chance at the super beetle .I don't like struts but it's to nice a car to let slip away, and he was the first owner. So I just had to have it. Neat and clean, But the Marina blue is flat.

Maybe I can still get the T-4 done it the speedster D this year, but I knew I would have to have another bug to replace oldyeler in bug form.

I just can't see me driving the D to work in the snow, or worse on Ice.

Hi Barry,
Any chance you are going back to your friends junk yard! Sure could use the end section of the wire harness that attaches to the horn and same for the stop light switch! Would be glad to pay the cost to ship it to N.Y.
Thanks Jerry White

I came accross something like that a few years ago here in Yellowknife. Guy was fed up with his air cooled and let me have everything he had for $600 CDN...much to the delight of my wife!

So there's an old 71 bus crammed with stuff like BN4 heater, couple of engines (ones a rebuilt type III with new progressive Weber), all new lower bodywork for the bus, boxes of tin, carbs, extra bus trans, etc. And there's 5 engines in my garage of various sorts and a couple of boxes of stuff. 3 engines in my shed plus a dozen or so boxes. The engines run (I don't mean they work...just parts other than the rebuilt type III) from the aforementioned rebuilt type III to a couple more type III's, couple early type 1's, type IV long block, some dual port type I's.

There's so much stuff. I sold off some on Ebay and more than got my money back. Problem is the shipping of the big stuff. Its so expensive to get out of here. When I move I'll end up taking it all to the dump. Its a shame but what else can you do?

Brian

I came accross something like that a few years ago here in Yellowknife. Guy was fed up with his air cooled and let me have everything he had for $600 CDN...much to the delight of my wife!

So there's an old 71 bus crammed with stuff like BN4 heater, couple of engines (ones a rebuilt type III with new progressive Weber), all new lower bodywork for the bus, boxes of tin, carbs, extra bus trans, etc. And there's 5 engines in my garage of various sorts and a couple of boxes of stuff. 3 engines in my shed plus a dozen or so boxes. The engines run (I don't mean they work...just parts other than the rebuilt type III) from the aforementioned rebuilt type III to a couple more type III's, couple early type 1's, type IV long block, some dual port type I's.

There's so much stuff. I sold off some on Ebay and more than got my money back. Problem is the shipping of the big stuff. Its so expensive to get out of here. When I move I'll end up taking it all to the dump. Its a shame but what else can you do?

Brian

JERRY ! There was a 65 that still had the complete colum and beam in it and even the steering wheel and horn button were intact.

Which year car are you wanting it from? If it's for a 356 kit? It would be cheaper to make up yor own harnesses. Just drop by a NAPA, or Advance Auto, they have the wire and connecters.

The rubber boots that cover the horn and brake switchs will most likely be to far gone (try CIP-1) for new ones.

If your restoring a beetle, and keeping it correct, which year?and what color codes on the wires?

Barry, forgot to mention. If you think about it there's lots of places to store stuff. Try under the bed. You'd be surpised how much stuff you can shove under there....doors, windows, etc. Just be sure that if you're shoving it under from your side that you go over to the wife's side once in a while. Mine didn't like it when she stubbed her toe in the middle of the night on the corner of door frame poking out of her side.

Brian

Thanks for the info Barry I was looking for the rubber boots. I have a VS car. The horn has a wide blade male connector and the way it came from VS the female connector is way to small and just kind of sits there. Just been lazzy to fix. Thanks again. Jerry

Brian ? I don,t want to go there again. OH boy!!! I got chewed the last time hid something there.


Jerry !I do know that Napa Can get you the larger connecters.

Mid America Motorworks, May have connecter repair kits. It surely wouldn't hurt to call and ask.