Cars in Yards: 1955 Chevrolet with 58,000 miles

1955 Chevrolet with 58,000 miles was discovered while yard sale shopping in Massachusetts.

Persistence pays off. In 2005, Keith Carnevale found this 1955 Chevrolet 210 Del Ray in Westford, Massachusetts while browsing yard sales with his wife. The '55 begged to be bought. Keith made his case to the owner, who was in no mood to sell the original, 58,000 mile, 2-door post. 
  "The '55 wasn’t for sale at the time but the guy took my brother’s number," according to Keith's identical twin brother, Kevin. "Four other guys were in line before him to buy the car. Five years later, and with much dedication, he talked the owner into selling the car."

Keith Carnevale's 1955  Chevy post (front) and Kevin Carnevale's '55 Chevy hardtop. 

The price? 

Keith paid $5,000 for the original, one-family-owned, 1955 Chevy equipped with an inline 6-cylinder engine and 3-speed manual transmission. "The owner's uncle, lived in Florida, bought it new and sold it to him in 1970," recalls Kevin, 40, a New Hampshire resident. "The '55 was shipped to Massachusetts from Florida in 1978. The low-mileage Chevy was placed in storage from 1978 until 1985. In 1985, the '55 was pushed outside to endure the harsh Massachusetts winters." It is surprising that this original, documented 1955 Chevy spent 20 years outdoors and looks this good. "All the paperwork on the '55 since it was purchased new came with the car," Kevin says.

Plans
The Carnevale twins plan to cruise in their '55 Chevys soon. "The gray primer hardtop is mine, says Kevin. "It is in a million pieces and I'm going to have it sandblasted soon. I hope to finish it by next summer."


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Wrecked and crashed cars: Jeep Liberty, Chevrolet Camaro are you safe or dead on arrival?

Feeling lucky? I'm guessing the drivers of this Jeep Liberty and Chevrolet Camaro would say no. I began to question the safety of some modern automobiles after witnessing the carnage at Weil Wrecker's storage lot in Birmingham, Alabama. Steel door beams and airbags seem over matched as a last line of defense when energy absorbing crush zones are compromised. My sympathies go out to the occupants of these heavily damaged vehicles. I hope they walked away.

Is your car safe?
For starters you can research your vehicle's crash worthiness on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's website. They just released their 2010 Top Safety Picks. New vehicles are rated by evaluating how well they protect its occupants in front, side, rear and rollover collisions. A Jeep Liberty, similar to the one I photographed, received a Marginal rating overall on 2002-2007 models (view complete IIHS data at this link.) Compare the IIHS tests to the damage inflicted on the Jeep Liberty in a real-world crash. 

Seeing is believing
"Do I want to die in this car?" That's a good question to ask yourself the next time you sit behind the wheel. Visit a local wrecker company's storage lot or go to a junkyard to get a first-hand look at crash results under real-world conditions. If your like me, you buy used cars out of necessity. But that's not a bad thing. Used cars are cheaper AND you can find more of them at salvage yards to evaluate their crash safety. Older models also offer more wrecked vehicles and cheaper parts when you inevitably bust up your 'new-to-you' ride.  Do your homework and be safe. Who says you can't learn anything at the junkyard? 


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BARN FINDS: 1970 Mustang Mach 1, 4-speed

Barn find of the day.  This 1970 Mustang Mach 1 was found covered in dirt and surrounded by clutter unworthy of its company on a dead end road somewhere in Alabama. 40,970 Mach 1s were built in 1970. This  one appears to have original Medium Lime Metallic paint under the dust and dirt. A 351-cubic inch engine and 4 barrel carburetor look original and match the wear of the 103k miles on the odometer. The four-speed transmission speaks volumes about this green machine's original purpose. Go fast and look good doing it.

Hood scoop, add stripes and hood pins. That equals a muscle car!

Barn find dreams are made of 4-speeds and good original seats like these.

Original 1970 Mustang Mach 1 deep dish hubcaps.

Somebody needs to oil the hinges.

Barn fresh rear seats in 1970 Mach 1.

In 1970 the Mach 1s had only 2 headlights, instead of 4 like the 1969 models.

Call it a Fastback or SportsRoof, its a Mach 1 in a barn!

351-cubic inch engine, 4 barrel carb in this 1970 Mach 1

Showing 3k on the odometer, I'm guessing it's 103k.

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CARS IN YARDS: 1969, 1970 Dodge Coronets not R/Ts or Super Bees

Muscle car alert! I broke the law when I spotted this pair of Dodge Coronets, 1969 and 1970 models, taunting me from a yard in north Alabama. R/T and Super Bee emblems were nowhere to be found after my improper u-turn. These cars appeared to be run-of-the-mill Coronets, but still worthy of a u-turn. You rarely see rough, 2-door Mopars from this era parked in yards, let alone, out in the open. The white 1969 Coronet with tattered black vinyl top wore its Magnum 500 wheels. The mostly red 1970 Coronet sported slot mags. The engine in the '70 may be gone, judging by the looks of the lifted front end.

Between 1965 and 1971, anyone could order the second generation 426-cubic inch Hemi engine in their Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth grocery-getter/drag racer. Mopar's Hemi legend was built around their 'elephant' engine that roared down drag strips. The legend has been retold by racers who proudly boast they raced against those Hemi-powered cars. Win or lose, people remember racing these cars. Now, non-Hemi V8 and 6-cylinder Mopars, such as Coronets and Belvederes from this era command big bucks on looks alone. 

After my first glance, visions of black, fiberglass hoods emblazoned with "SIX PACK" decals danced in my head. 426-cubic inch Hemi engines with pistol grip 4-speeds, turned these mortal Mopars into boulevard bruisers during my momentary dream state. I regained my focused and knocked on the door. "Would you like me to haul those two, old, junk cars out of your yard?," I thought to myself. My opening line went unused. No one was home. My Mopar daydream would have to suffice for now.

 

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