Go West for rust-free hot rod relics

Car guys and gals looking to score some vintage pre-war steel know about the legends of the West. Go West, take a walk out into the desert sand and start looking for abandoned cars. Classic cars will be everywhere and all will be rust-free, of course. Alabama hot rodder, Hal Lee, tested the legend and his luck by trying to find a 1927 Model 'T' coupe in the desert.

‘The Mercury Kid’ rat rod

Treasure hunt

Some guys might hop on a airplane, not Hal. He traveled 2,500 miles round trip, pulling a trailer, with the hopes he didn’t return empty-handed. Hal rode the border between New Mexico and Colorado on part of his quest. Along the way he met a hot rodder named Louis. A thirty-something character who had a bead on most of the vintage steel within 500 miles of his home. Louis' garage housed, 'The Mercury Kid', his rat rod project. A friend of a friend told Hal of a ’27 T that could be bought. That friend, once removed, required a finder’s fee. The '27 treasure that Hal sought was almost within reach. Hal had one last obstacle prior to receiving his road-trip reward. He had to dig the Model ‘T’ out of the desert sand before he could load the weathered shell onto his trailer. Hal used the long drive home to develop ideas for his Model 'T'. “It will be a chopped and channeled, low-slung street rod,” said Hal. “With the top of the roof 43-inches from the ground.”

1929 Model ‘A’

Western rod projects

Hal saw hundreds of potential project cars and met some unusual characters on his great adventure West. Hal took all of these great photos and was willing to share them. So, I'm not going to give away all of Hal's secret connections and locations. He found old mine cars and met a sculptor (the ponytailed guy in the photo with a 1929 Model A) while combing the backroads of northern New Mexico.

Junkyards, Western-style
Hal ventured into a junkyard in New Mexico which had a complete 1958 Cadillac Eldorado for sale. The mountains of chrome garnishing Cadillac's finest from 1958 made the $8,500 asking price seem reasonable. Inside a hangar-style garage sat two 1955 Ford Fairlanes, not for sale. The desert climate helped preserved these decades old, steel-bodied vehicles from the ravages of rust.

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1955 Ford Crown Victoria

1955 Ford Fairlane

1953 Chevrolet

1958 Cadillac Eldorado

1958 Cadillac Eldorado

1959 Ford Thunderbird

1955 Chevrolet original owner

Bobby Wood remembers that he got married on the last day of April in 1955. Wood is also quick to point out that on May 26, 1955 he bought a new 1955 Chevrolet. “I’ve still got them both.” Wood says proudly. “I was in high cotton with a new bride and a new car within a month.” 54 years and a lifetime of family memories ride in this one-owner classic Chevy.

History

Wood’s Neptune Green with Shoreline Beige topped Chevy was purchased at Al Dement Chevrolet in Birmingham, Alabama. Wood knows every inch of his car and it’s history. “I paid $2,400 for it and the salesman’s name was J.D. Lyle.” Wood really wanted to buy a Ford and trade in his black 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline 2-door. The Ford salesmen let one get away that day.

Economy V8

Wood’s 1955 Chevrolet was originally equipped with a 265-cubic inch V8 engine with a 2 barrel carburetor and backed by a three-speed, column-shift transmission. A few years later, Wood’s wife Ailene bought a new 1961 Ford Falcon. The smaller, fuel efficient Falcon was no match for the thrifty ’55 Chevrolet. Wood says, “the Chevy got better mileage in town than the lightweight Falcon. Around 21 mpg.”

Long-term parking, restoration

In 1967 Wood parked the 12-year-old ’55 with plans of a restoration. 23 years later, in 1990, Wood’s 1955 Chevy hit the streets again. A 350-cubic-inch Chevy crate motor and a Saginaw 4-speed transmission combined to offer Wood more power to the wheels. Wood’s ’55 has relatively low miles despite more than five decades and two engine combinations. “The speedometer went  out at 97,000 miles and I’ve put less than 3,000 miles on it since then,’ Wood added.

Future plans

You don’t have to ask. I did. It’s not for sale. “I told my wife to bury me in the car when I go,” Wood says with a smile.

Your guide to junkyard exploring

Junkyard explorers, your treasures await. That was my first thought as my friend Wayne and I drove to the local pull-your-own-parts junkyard. I needed a fender, front bumper, header panel and core support for my latest project car – a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice. From wrecked to redemption was my plan. Wayne was looking for a wheel for his dad's Saturn and some miscellaneous mid-1980s Firebird parts. We had a full day of junkyard exploring ahead of us. It is always good to have a list of several items when shopping at junkyards. You don’t want to come home empty handed.

Pull Your Own Parts
At most pull-you-own part yards you pay an entry fee and sign a waiver. The waiver says you won’t hold the business liable should you become injured on their property. Our usual plan is to roam the yard inspecting would-be donor cars for the best parts. Then converge on the best parts and begin removal. We were prepared to spend a few hours hunting and gathering. After lots of walking while wheeling a wheelbarrow full of tools, we narrowed our choices down and spent an hour and a half removing parts together. We needed a trailer to haul our cumbersome parts to the cashier. On this particular day, a Spanish-speaking employee transported us and our parts to the main building. We paid for the parts and attempted to fit them into my wife's minivan. After a bit of dismantling of the fender from the core support we got it all to fit. Luckily my wife didn't notice the grease on the carpet.

They Pull It
Most big city salvage yards have a knowledgeable counter man or woman who acts as all-knowing gatekeeper of the junkyard. The counter man should know if your part is on the yard and where it is located. The cars and parts in the junkyard are the business assets. They don’t take request to wander the yard lightly. Part pulling is reserved for their employees. If they have the car with the part you need, negotiate a price. If it’s a sheet metal part, you should inspect it first. Soak up the atmosphere on a stool at the counter. You may be in for a wait until a veteran part dismantler reappears with your junkyard gem.


Tips for junkyard trips 

• Bring tools 
• Have a list of what you need 
• Wear gloves 
• Wear long sleeve shirt 
• Avoid rodent nest if possible 
• Be prepared to get USED parts, these aren't new by any means 
• Negotiate the best deal 
• Bring a camera if allowed (you probably won't see the same car again) 
• Have fun looking, you may discover a new old car to love 

Why am I a junkyard junkie?
I have fond memories of junkyards. My dad once owned one and it provided us the means for food and clothes. Most of all it gave me the chance to explore a world of automobiles. My day exploring brought me the parts to turn my $400 project car into a daily driver. Take a trip to a junkyard. Explore the past and build your future.

If you have any junkyard photos, tips or junkyard memories email me here.

Nameplate scavenger hunt

1975 Mercury Montego MX fender nameplate

Look around any junkyard and you will find nameplate emblems. The shiny signage that tells the world what your driving or were driving before it landed in the junkyard. Chrome-plated die-cast or stainless steel nameplate emblems can often last decades longer than the vehicles themselves. I spent a few minutes scanning the local salvage yard for nameplates. Some clean, sparkling examples were found but most revealed the tell-tale signs of abuse and neglect that led the vehicles to the junkyard in the first place.

1952 Dodge Coronet fender badge

COLLECTING
Unique examples of dead nameplates are the most sought after. Manufacturers will resurrect successful names and attach them to new vehicles for immediate name recognition. I found a rare Chevrolet Nomad nameplate. Not the Nomad emblem that began in 1955 but one that was still used in 1979 on Chevrolet’s full-size vans. Painted yellow and dulled by years of exposure to the elements. A far cry from 1955-57 Nomad that was used on Chevrolet’s 2-door station wagons. The Nomad name continued on top of the line 4-door station wagons from 1958-61. Four-door wagons continued to rule the nameplate with the 1968-72 model years. I was surprised to see the Nomad name and wished I had added it to my collection.


Got a cool emblem/nameplate collection? Send pics to me here and I will post them on junkyardlife.

1979 Chevrolet Nomad - full-size van

1963 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight

1951 Ford truck hood emblem

1971-1972 Chevrolet Vega

1963 Ford Thunderbird dash emblem

1968 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door station wagon emblem

1950s Ford F100 V8 emblem

1952 Dodge Coronet trunk emblem

1961 Dodge D100 emblem

1963 Ford Thunderbird emblem

1976 Chevrolet Malibu Classic emblem made of plastic. Ugh!

Junkyard dreaming with a 1955 Chevrolet station wagon

Hoping to discover a mythical junkyard overflowing with hundreds 1950s and 1960s automobiles? Rumor had it that an old junkyard in north Alabama was full of tri-five Chevys - 1955, 1956, 1957 models. I knew the possibility existed, so it was worth investigating. My directions were sketchy but I found the dead end road that led to what I hoped was junkyard utopia. At the end of that road was a house. Just passed it, a closed gate. Behind the gate sat a 1948-ish Chevrolet truck, crafted into a home built wrecker. It was parked parallel to the gate, possibly to protect the bounty of old cars from being scavenged, I thought. I walked back to the house to knock on the door. As I stood there waiting for someone to answer, I looked across the road. There sat a 1955 Chevy station wagon covered by privet bushes. Virtually invisible to an untrained junkyard scavengers eye. This was confirmation that Tri-Five Chevrolets could be everywhere behind the gate. I waited and knocked again. No one answered the door at the house.


WHAT NEXT?
Finding out what was in my junkyard utopia had been delayed,
so I crossed the road and tip-toed around the '55 relic. I inched around the station wagon and spotted its original 235 cubic inch, inline six cylinder engine. The 1-barrel carburetor was in place but missing its air cleaner. For 54 years the Blue Flame engine has survived virtually unmolested. Judging by the depth the rocker panels have sunk into the earth, this old Chevy has been sitting in this spot for decades The blue paint remaining on the pitted, rusty shell looks original, as does what's left of the interior. The tailgate and rear bumper are missing along with the dash gauges. I’m guessing the 4-door station wagon was the signpost to locate the
junkyard at one time. With no one to answer my questions or let me in to roam the junkyard, my trip was done. I’ll definitely return.


SEE THEM BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR
How long before all the 1960s and older vehicles disappear from junkyards? You can see the value of vintage parts rise with each passing year. Today’s rusty 1955 Chevrolet station wagon may get scrapped and recycled into a washing machine. Get out and save some cars and parts or at least take some photos to show your kids. These old cars are part of our country’s history. I plan to go back and find the junkyard owner and post more photos from his place soon. Unless it disappears.


Do you have photos of old cars in the weeds or junkyards? Send them to me at junkyardbull@gmail.com with your story and I will post them here.