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!