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Saturday, July 13, 2019

WATCH: Crushing Junk Cars in Alabama

Big orange EZ Crusher has hydraulic cylinders that pull from top down to crush cars and trucks.

Crunch time! Cars get bashed and tossed around as a mobile car crusher tackles a storage lot full of junk cars in Alabama. The local "I Buy Junk Cars" guy was liquidating his inventory. A big, orange E-Z Crusher was helping him make money every time it flattened a car.






Metal money
Steve Argo, owner of the junk cars, was turning metal into money. Flattening cars means more mashed metal will fit onto a flatbed trailer. Packed trailers hauling more metal to the recycler means more money per load.
Metal prices fluctuate throughout the year. When metal prices are up, the junk car buyers are out hauling in junk to recycle and the crusher stays busy. When prices are down the storage lot stays filled with junk cars. The crusher is silent and grandma's junk car doesn't get hauled away.

I want a deal
Also, when prices are down it is a good time for your average Joe to score some cheap junk out of somebody's yard. Whether it's because the person is violating a city ordinance, by having an inoperable vehicle in the road or yard, or the family finally decides to let go of dad's old, rusty Chevelle, Firebird, Mustang, etc. The junk car buyers don't offer much when scrap prices are down. Grandma will gladly take your $300 instead of the junk man's $150 offer.
Argo crushed the majority of the lot (on this day several years ago) but saved a 1972 Chevelle, a late 1970s Corvette, and a couple of Firebirds to sell as whole cars.

I bought it for $800, non-running condition.
1980 Pontiac Trans Am in storage lot at "I Buy Junk Cars." I worked out a deal and had the non-running Bird delivered to my house.

I got a deal
I bought the primer-colored 1980 Pontiac Trans Am for $800. It was not running and I had to follow-up with a previous owner to track down the title. It all worked out for me. I got the battered Trans Am running and sent it to another home. It needed more work than I was willing to give. Too much Bondo and decades of abuse plus. In hindsight, I shoulda kept it.
At least I can say that I saved the car from the carnage of the crusher.
Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust


This red 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle with black vinyl top was not crushed. How it ended up in the hands of "I Buy Junk Cars" is anyone's guess? 

The round tail lights on the 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle are my favorite. A 1970 Chevelle front end looks great with these. Makes you wonder what happened at GM? Four round tail lights seem like a perfect match with the four headlights.

1992 Firebird waiting high in the air for its turn in the crusher.

Black third generation Corvette was also found on the "I Buy Junk Cars" storage lot. It was not crushed.

Side view of Black third generation Corvette on the "I Buy Junk Cars" storage lot. It was saved from the crusher.

Flattened cars are stacked and wrapped in netting to keep loose parts from flying off during transport on a flatbed trailer.

I'm guessing the car crusher was rented. Workers moved quickly to crush as many cars as possible.

A fresh stack of crushed cars is ready to wrap and get hauled to the recycler for money.




Have you saved a classic or muscle car from the car crusher Send us details!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com or Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.

1 comment:

BoH said...

Its sad to see oldies get crashed, still so many cars to get back on the road again......