Barn Find: 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, vintage hot rod project is drag racing dream car

Striking barn-find-gold with a 1955 Chevy.  Finding a decent Tri-Five Chevy project car is rare, let alone finding one that was hot-rodded in the 1960s then parked almost 40 years ago — with all the go-fast goodies intact it's like finding buried treasure. Ron Kidd discovered this black ‘55 Chevy tucked away in a backyard and managed to work out a deal with the reluctant seller after several years of negotiations. Here is a barn find story that could happen to you.

This 1955 Chevy Bel Air was hot rodded and raced on Alabama drag strips in the 1960s.

Look what I found 
  I love barn finds. I adore barn finds. I love the history and the mystery that every discovered automotive treasure holds. I found this 1955 Chevrolet on a carport in North Alabama and it is a great example of what we at junkyardlife spend our days dreaming about. The main difference is once my heart stopped pounding and I regained composure, I said sternly to the Chevy “You’re coming with me!” And he did. Only not that day. It took a couple of years worth of waiting and pacing the floors until a deal was made. And here is what I brought back to Ron the "Earth Roaming Car Guy’s" Tangled Web of Automotive Euphoria-with the help of friends, of course.

Ron Kidd looks on in disbelief that he actually owns this barn find '55 Chevy.

It’s Not Easy Being Green
  So what is under the twenty plus years of environment?  I had to know! I am the numbers guy here at junkyardlife. Actually, its pretty even as far as numbers go. I (Ron) love to find out what it is, what it was, or how it rolled out of Detroit Michigan. Jody finds out how many were made and what the differences were. Anthony talks us into taking them apart. Junkyard historians and mad scientist we are! You know, we should really teach a class...

The first-time this Bel Air Chevy has moved in decades.

So what is it? 
  It is a 1955 Bel-Air Post Sedan. It rolled out of Chevrolet covered in a solid India Ivory White (code 593) with blue interior (code 509). It was a six cylinder with a manual three speed transmission. I learned that they did indeed make a Bel-Air with the post. They made 168,313 of them, and this one’s mine! It currently has a 327 from a 1964 Impala, a set of awesome 462 casting double hump heads and a Saginaw T-10 4-speed transmission!  Painted a classic black it makes you want to watch “American Graffiti” over and over.  It is missing bumpers, radiator, outside mirrors, the entire rear back seat, grill, the side Bel Air trim and what’s not missing may need to be replaced.  We don’t care. We are in love with this beautiful hunk of American street history.

The '55 housed a 327-cubic-inch Chevy V8 engine with #462 double hump heads.

History
  The ‘55 was purchased new near Birmingham, Alabama by an older lady who sold it to second owner’s family in the mid-to-late sixties. At some point in the car’s life, it was painted Turquoise and white with matching interior. During the second family’s ownership of the car, it became a lady name Dianna’s first car. Later, it became her husband Ronnie’s hot rod during the late sixties to early seventies. During that time it received the hot headed 327 cubic inch V8 and the four-speed. It was painted black and raced at Lassiter Mountain Dragway near Birmingham, Alabama. Ronnie’s brother-in-law, Curtis, who had just returned from Vietnam, borrowed the ‘55 and went on a date in it in 1970. Engine woes forced it to be parked under a shed, where I (Ron) spotted it about five years ago.

The '55's trunk had been left open, for who knows how long, helping preserve the quarter panels and trunk pan from the moist environment of its dirt parking spot.

Loaded up for trucking.

The 1955 Chevy slid, not so much rolled, off the flatbed wrecker.

Debris falls off Chevy after landing at its new home.

The wheels and tires were replaced soon after the '55 was dropped off wrecker.

The 1955 Chevy in "Two-Lane Blacktop" had a rear bumper.

Dig that barn find patina? Rims and tires added to help roll the Tr-Five into garage bay.

Ron’s ’55 Chevy facts

• Despite the fact that Chevrolet produced more Bel-Air 2-door Hardtops (185,562) than Post Sedans (168,313); the non-post Hardtop cars remain the most desirable.
• The Black 1955 Chevy street racer from “American Graffiti” was the same car used in “Two-Lane Black Top.” Driven in “Graffiti” by Harrison Ford and driven in “Black Top” by contemporary music legend James Taylor.
• The above mentioned movie car was owned by the studio and was brought back out to make sound effects for the 1977 hit movie “Smokey and The Bandit” staring a beautiful 1977 Special Edition Trans Am. I don’t know how I feel about that.
• 1955 was the first year for a factory dual exhaust option. Jim Wangers (Pontiac advertising legend) worked in Chevrolet’s advertising at the time and sent a novelty kazoo to dealers to give out with a tag reading “twin pipes to make beautiful music.”

Ron Kidd is fired-up about his project '55.

Future plans - Hot Rod Hearts Out On The Boulevard Tonight
  So what’s it going to take to make this '55 hit the streets where it belongs? I am going to take it off the frame and do floor pans, bushings, mounts, fuel lines, brake lines and frame coating to make this last another lifetime (mine hopefully).

Notice the Hurst shifter curling over the bench seat?

  I am going to replace the entire wiring harness to avoid any fires and add power brakes and air conditioning. The 4-speed will relinquish its spot for a 6-speed to take advantage of some good over-drive. As far as the engine goes... heck, if I know. Seeing as this 327 engine is locked up tighter than Fort Knox, something has to go in its place. Part of me wants a “Two Lane Blacktop” big block rat motor with a lumpy cam and a thirsty Holley. Another part of me says I can make huge power from a stroked small block Chevy. Pump gas and dependability are important.  I also want to incinerate both rear tires at will when the notion hits me or a pesky Mustang entices me.

An early-sixties Pontiac tach is strapped to the 55's steering column. 

  In this frame of mind today, as of this writing, the car will be repainted a nice evil black. Not quite gloss, but not dull either. As far as rolling stock – my first choice will be a set of polished aluminum slotted mags and a fat pair of Mickey Thompson tires out back. My second choice would be a set of black steelies with a set of poverty dog dish hubcaps and black wall tires. Third choice is a set of Chevrolet Rally Wheels with the small center piece and white letter BFGs all around. Hot Rod Hearts indeed.

Ron Kidd
— Junkyard Life 

Do you have a great classic or muscle car barn find story? Send us details and we’re on the way!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com & Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net

Simple Green, a pressure washer and a junkyard galoot willing to get soaking wet on a 40-degree day washing his barn find 1955 Chevy Bel Air.

After the first bath in 30-plus years, the "Two Lane Moss Top" turned into a black beauty.

Project '55 Chevy is in full swing. Wrenches are turning on it as we speak.

'55 Chevy Barn Find Rescue Team – (L to R) Joe Potter, Jody Potter, Jason Trammell Ron Kidd and Anthony Powell.

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How to Build a European Spec Volkswagen Parts Car into a Hot Rod VW Beetle

This junked 1959 Euro Spec VW bug received a new lease on life courtesy of a 3-year-old kid.

Aunt's wrecked Bug leads to rare VW find and Beetle fan for life. Adam Simpson, 25, of Bessemer, Alabama discovered his dream car when he was three years old.  The 1959 European Spec VW Beetle that his grandparents purchased for $60 in 1988 was just what Simpson wanted.  It didn’t have seats, the paint was peeling but it was the perfect playhouse for his imaginary road trips.  Now Simpson remembers those childhood road trips through the windshield of his daily driver. That $60 1959 VW Beetle.

Beetle-mania begins at early age
 ”When I was about a year old, my grandfather bought my aunt Stacy a VW Beetle as her first car, “ Simpson begins. The young boy was drawn to the distinctive round car and would point to other Beetles he saw on the road.  ”I called them ‘Tacy Cars’ since my aunt’s name is Stacy,”  Simpson recalled. His aunt wrecked the VW and it was parked in his grandparents' yard. “My Pawpaw took me outside during a snow, when I was about 2-½ years old and he says that I started squirming, wanting to be put down. So he put me down and I ran straight to Stacy’s wrecked VW to play,” said Simpson. “After they saw how much I enjoyed the VW, they let me play in it until it was sold. ”

Adam Simpson in 1991 with his $60 1959 VW.

3-year-old gets first car

 Simpson wasn’t happy when his VW playhouse was sold. Grandparents tend to spoil their grandchildren and Simpson’s grandparents were no different. They decided to buy 3-year-old Simpson a non-running Beetle to replace the one he loved to play in. “We went to visit a man that had a few Beetles sitting around and I got to pick the one I wanted,”  Simpson said. “My grandmother says I took one look at a faded red VW with peeling paint and wouldn’t look at any of the others. It had mismatched white doors and no seats.” He remembers pointing to it and saying, “That one.” My grandfather paid $60 for it and had it towed home. A couple of five-gallon buckets were used for seats and Simpson was good to go. Over the years he sat in the VW and drove everywhere in the world without ever leaving his grandparents' backyard. Simpson’s interest in Volkswagens never went away. “I was always ‘that kid who loves VWs," said Simpson. ”Even my kindergarten teacher remembers that about me.”

Simpson's VW has a budget-minded rattle can paint job.

European Spec VW in Alabama? 
 An article in ‘Hot VWs’ magazine clued a then 12-year-old Simpson into the fact that his old playhouse was a 1959 European Spec Beetle. European model VWs were equipped with semaphores, flip-up turn indicator lights on the door posts. U.S. cars stopped using these in 1955 but in Europe VWs had them through 1960.  Also, in 1958, the rear window on VW Beetles  went from an oval to a square shape along with many other big changes.  Simpson says his VW is rare because there were only three years for big window VW semaphore cars. He sent the VIN number to VW in Germany and received his Bug‘s birth certificate. “It was built on June 29, 1959, with its original home being Freiburg, Germany,” Simpson said. “How it ended up in Bibb County, Alabama, in 1988 is a mystery.” An old Marines sticker on the front bumper might offer a hint. Many European VWs made their way stateside via servicemen.

Time to work on the $60 VW
 Not long after Simpson reached driving age, he began tinkering on a pair of VW buses. He gained valuable hands-on experience working on the buses, which had been sitting for over two decades. By 2008,  Simpson had become proficient at wrenching on VWs, so he decided to get serious about resurrecting his old ‘59 VW.
 Simpson dug in and discovered his ‘59 Bug had very little rust but had sustained some heavy wreck damage. “It’s had a pretty hard hit in the left front at some point as well as one in the right door,” Simpson said. “I know this bug hasn’t lived a pampered life. I’ve had to junkyard and swap-meet it back together. Basically, if it’s bolted on, I’ve replaced it."
 Simpson maintained his sense of humor throughout the VW’s rebirth. “I joke that ‘it’s a ‘58/’59/’60/’61/’62/’63/’64,’ like that Johnny Cash song about building a Cadillac.”
 Simpson replaced the brakes,  cleaned out the gas tank and and fought gremlins in the modified electrical system. “I stayed with the original 6 volt system. The headlights are plenty bright and it starts up without an issue,” said Simpson.
 A large VW parts stash helped Simpson make short work of overhauling his basket-case Beetle. By the fall of 2009, he had the Beetle in driving condition.

Simpson's 36 HP aircooled Volkswagen engine hasn't set any land speed records yet.

36 HP Engine  
 Simpson’s $60 VW had a 1965 model 40hp engine that was seized with a big crack in the case.  Simpson replaced the engine with a correct 1959 VW 1200cc 36hp engine. That engine ran well but developed a bit of end play after a few months. Simpson bought a running longblock out of a ‘58 VW from a friend in July, 2010. He transplanted engines and tested the limits of the V-Dub's 36 hp powerplant. “She’ll do an honest 75mph and that’s GPS verified,”  said Simpson. “Who needs to go fast to have fun anyways?"

1959 Euro Spec VW interior in plaid.

Paint, interior 
 Krylon brand Jade satin paint now covers Simpson's ‘59 Euro Spec Beetle. “Being pieced together, the VW was about six different colors and looked horrible,” Simpson said. “I don’t have the money to get it painted but with the Krylon, at least it’s all one color. ”
 Simpson’s can-do attitude carried over inside the VW as well. The door panels are made from a plaid tablecloth, with tan vinyl and plastic Coke signs as backing material. “Being poor helps you be creative,” Simpson says bluntly. “My headliner is a plaid flannel blanket.”

What is negative camber? When tires are angled inward at the top just like Simpson has on his '59 VW's swing axle rear suspension.

Right stance, wheels 
 Simpson wanted his Beetle lowered or slammed to the ground a bit. He had a friend build a 5-inch narrowed axle beam with adjusters and drop spindles to lower it 2-½ inches. For the rear,  Simpson turned the spring plates up one notch to give it some trademark VW swingaxle camber. Simpson chuckles when ‘those not in the know’ ask if his VW’s axles are broken.
 The wheels are stock with 145/65/15's in front and 165's out back. Simpson likes VWs on stock wheels. You get the vintage look and it’s cheaper than buying rims.

Future plans 
 Simpson is not finished building the VW that was his childhood playhouse. He wants to replace the interior with factory 1958-’59-only interior and eventually paint it Mignonette Green, its original color. Replacing the front apron clip and installing a ragtop sunroof clip are also on Simpson’s to-do list. A correct “split case” transmission may someday find a home in his VW as well.

Adam Simpson, (center), with his grandparents, Susan Simmons and Gene White.

On the road again 
 “I got a little wet eyed after I drove it for the first time and it hit me what I’d just done,” Simpson admits. “The reaction on my grandfather’s face, when I asked him if he wanted to go for a ride, is something I’ll never forget.”
 Simpson’s grandmother loved it and his grandfather was impressed that it was roadworthy but wasn’t too keen on the lowering part. “My grandparents really understand what that car means to me.” Simpson has owned six VWs and a BMW. “I have a list of cars I’d love to have,” Simpson says with a smile, “but my dream car is this Beetle.” 

– Jody Potter, junkyardlife

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Historic Pennsylvania junkyard closing, cars being crushed

Complete 1970 Dodge Challenger for sale at Baughman's junkyard in York, PA.

Crushing end for historic junkyard, mystery solved. The soon-to-be closed Baughman's Auto Salvage near Dover, Pennsylvania has been home to 21 Tri-Five Chevys and more than 900 other vehicles ranging from mid-1930s to late 1970s models for several decades. Junkyardlife recently posted photos and requested info about the 1957 Chevy Bel Airs and 1957 Chevy station wagons rusting in the woods. John Baughman, the junkyard's owner has the answers, some of which may be painful to learn. 


They call it progress
 Seven years ago Baughman purchased C&B Salvage, a rural salvage yard with a vast inventory of classic domestic cars, including the Tri-Five Chevys, in Dover, PA. The Dover yard, surrounded by farmland, for the better part of its 45 years of existence, was recently targeted as a nuisance by new residential developments. A battle with city government combined with the influx of white collar homeowners who didn't understand why they should be subjected to living near a junkyard forced Baughman to close the junkyard. "They're trying to yuppify the whole town," Baughman told 'Old Car Weekly' in a November 2010 article. 

John Baughman, owner of Baughman's Auto Parts in York, PA. John's other yard, Baughman's Salvage Yard in Dover, PA., is closing, 900 cars will be crushed and cleared from the property.

Another junkyard closes, dreams crushed

 After Baughman's cars are crushed and the land is cleared of all traces of 45 years of salvage yard scabs,he plans to sell the property. "The land is worth more to developers, so I'm selling it." 

Salvage parts sales up as the end nears

 Business boomed when word spread that Baughman's Dover junkyard was closing by the end of December 2010. "We sold a sh!t load of stuff," Baughman said. Car enthusiasts searching for rare parts flooded his Dover yard as closing day loomed. Hard to find parts for obscure domestic models such as Edsels, LaSalles, Hudsons and Studebakers were scavenged by old car mavens. About 100 foreign cars, including a 1950s MGA, could be found by diligent junkyard nomads in Baughman's yard.

Aerial map of Baughman's Salvage yard

View Larger Map

What happens to the classic cars?
 Baughman plans to save the most valuable cars and parts from the Dover yard and move them to his other yard, Baughman's Auto Parts in York, Pennsylvania, which he opened in 1985. "We've got 21 Tri-Five Chevys and a guy just found a 390 cubic inch V8 Mercury Marauder engine with solid lifters and 11:1 compression," said Baughman. The York yard, comprised mostly of late model vehicles, will see a few of the complete cars from the Dover yard. A couple of complete Mopars are for sale on Baughman's website.

1973 Dodge Challenger for sale at Baughman's York, PA. Auto Parts.

Money to be made scrapping cars

 A car crusher has been working on the Dover yard for the past two weeks, crushing over 200 cars. "We have 700 more to crush and tons of parts to pick up off the ground. When you crush cars, parts fall all over the place," said Baughman. "Its a big job that we are doing as fast as we can." Current scrap prices are bringing Baughman $14 per hundred pounds. Scrapping out the entire yard should net more than $200,000.

 Recent snow storms have not cooperated with Baughman's plans to clear the land of the multitude of metal. "We just got 6-to-8 inches of snow covering everything up, which is going to slow us down." 

Classic junkyard closes, a moment of silence please
 Thousands of desirable parts and dozens of restorable project cars will be lost amid the acres of vehicles being crushed at Baughman's. Older junkyards are a glimpse at a simpler time when cars were repairable and worth remembering. Each day a junkyard closes, the number of salvageable parts and vehicles diminish. It will be a sad day when the last load of '50-era parts leaves the junkyard on a scrap truck. 

Baughman's Auto Parts in York, Pennsylvania will be home to the "good stuff" leftover from Dover junkyard.

Baughman's Auto Parts
440 Eberts Lane
York, PA 17403
Call 717-846-3944 or 877-200-4056
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.


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Junkyard find: Iconic 1957 Chevy Bel Airs, Two-Tens and 150s

1957 Chevy with fangs? Not really, just factory bumper guards on this Tri-Five in a Pennsylvania junkyard.

More 1957 Chevrolets to lose sleep over. Ron Kidd's mid-summer trip to Pennsylvania resulted in the discovery of a long-forgotten junkyard. The junkyard, 24-miles south of Harrisburg, in Dover, Pennsylvania had been closed for decades. Rumors of the salvage yard's demise and sell-off of all cars and parts spread like wildfire across the mouths of Carlisle-bound car enthusiasts. Kidd sacrificed a day at the GM Nationals in Carlisle, PA. to bring you these photos of final year Tri-Five Chevys.

Two 1957 Chevys flanked by a 1964 Chevrolet Nova and a 1964 Impala. 

1957 Chevy 4 Door Sedan. Not much remains to identify it as a Bel Air, 210 or 150 series.

Tropical Turquoise paint is revealed underneath a dark blue repaint (Harbor Blue perhaps?) on this 1957 Chevy 4 Door Sedan.

 If you know more details about this Dover, PA. junkyard send us the news at junkyardbull@gmail.com

Fin-tastic! A 1957 Chevy's vertical fins sits next to a 1960 Impala's horizontal bat wings.

This 1957 Chevy 2 Door Bel Air sat among dozens of dilapidated classics in a Pennsylvania junkyard in July 2010.

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Junkyard find: 1957 Chevrolet station wagons

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Townsman station wagon.

1957 Chevrolet wagons are hidden in the backwoods of Pennsylvania junkyard. A mid-summer trip to the GM Nationals in Carlisle, PA., by Ron Kidd and fellow gearhead road-tripper Anthony Powell, took a slight detour to a long-forgotten junkyard. The duo followed a tip that an old junkyard with acres of 1950s-era Chevys was ripe for picking. The defunct junkyard reportedly closed in the mid-1970s and sat untouched until the summer of 2010. That's when the property was involved in a land dispute with the nearby township of Dover, PA. The final result: the property deed was changing hands and the land would be cleared of all old cars and parts. Everything would be sold off before December 2010. Ron and Anthony found a junkyard jackpot!

A graveyard of '50s and '60s Chevrolets includes this 1957 Bel Air Townsman station wagon in Dover, PA.

GMs long roof 57s
 Ron and Anthony sacrificed a day of Carlisle's GM Nationals swap meet/car corral utopia for a chance to haul home some Pennsylvania junkyard artifacts. They found examples from GMs finest automotive decades – the 1950s and 1960s. A handful of 1957 Chevy wagons littered the property. Prized Bel Air Nomads, 2 door sport wagons, were nowhere to be found. 
 A four door Bel Air Townsman (above) featured a hot rodded hood. Umm, make that butchered and destroyed to make room for a high rise intake and air cleaner. Other wagons fared a bit better. A pair of windowed Two-Ten Handyman wagons were mostly in tact. These 2 door wagons are relatively rare as GM built only 17,528 examples in 1957. Many of these lower priced Handyman 2 door wagons were used as business delivery vehicles.

1957 Chevrolet Two-Ten Handyman 2-door station wagon.

Mangled front view of the 1957 Chevrolet Two-Ten Handyman 2-door station wagon also pictured above.

Parts bought, Chevys disappear?
  The junkyard duo ended their Pennsylvania junkyard adventure without hauling a rusting Chevy wagon 800-plus miles home. The original destination of Carlisle, PA. was pressing them for time but the guys didn't want to leave empty handed. Anthony negotiated a deal for some trim pieces from a '65 Buick Riviera. Not much of a treasure trove to bring back to Alabama but the memories and photos will endure. Stay tuned for more photos.

 No word from Dover, PA. on the status of this junkyard. If you know more details about this place send us the news at junkyardbull@gmail.com 

A windowed 1957 Chevrolet Two-Ten Handyman 2-door station wagon.

Is that a 283-V8 under the hood of a 1957 Chevrolet Two-Ten Handyman 2-door station wagon?

1957 Chevrolet production

1957 Bel-Air Series Body Styles

• Bel Air Convertible (production - 47,562)
• Bel Air Sport Sedan 4 Door Hard Top (137,672)
• Bel Air Sport Coupe 2 Door Hard Top (166,426)
• Bel Air 4 Door Sedan (254,331)
• Bel Air 2 Door Sedan (62,751)
• Bel Air Townsman 4 Door Station Wagon (27,375)
• Bel Air Nomad 2 Door Station Wagon (6,103)

1957 Two-Ten Series Body Styles

• Two-Ten Sport Sedan 4 Door Hard Top (Production - 16,178)
• Two-Ten Sport Coupe 2 Door Hard Top (22,631)
• Two-Ten 4 Door Sedan (260, 401)
• Two-Ten 2 Door Sedan (162,090)
• Two-Ten 2 Door Delray Club Coupe (25,644)
• Two-Ten Beauville 4 Door Station Wagon (21,083)
• Two-Ten Townsman 4 Door Station Wagon (127,803)
• Two-Ten Handyman 2 Door Station Wagon (17,528)

1957 One-Fifty Series Body Styles

• One-Fifty 4 Door Sedan (52,266)
• One-Fifty 2 Door Sedan (70,774)
• One-Fifty 2 Door Utility Sedan (8,300)
• One-Fifty Handyman 2 Door Station Wagon (14,740)

Source: 57classicchevy.com

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Junkyard find: 1974 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442

1973-75 Oldsmobile 442s sported louvered hoods as part of the W29 Appearance & Handling package.

Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2s have vanished from the streets! Before you get your Dr. Olds lab coat in a wad, I’m excluding cruise-ins and car show sightings. I’m talking about spotting true Cutlass 4-4-2 daily drivers, of the 1964-1979 vintage, guzzling fossil fuels. I’ll settle for something simple. Have you pulled alongside an Olds 442 in a parking space at your big box retailer? I say, not a chance! 

Oldsmobile built 7,204 Cutlass 442s during the 1974 model year.

Where are the 4-4-2s?
 You don’t see 4-4-2s driven on public roads and I think I may know why. Maybe, on that fateful day in April 2004, when GM sent the Olds brand their walking papers, 4-4-2 fans began hiding their own pieces of Oldsmobile history. Locked safely behind garage doors or imprisoned in Uncle Bob’s storage building to keep prying eyes away. Could it be Olds 4-4-2 owners fear damaging their Olds-badged asset as they hedge their bets on a future payoff? 

Rust and rot around the 442s back glass leads to rust holes in trunk and quarter panels.

Junkyard 4-4-2
 That’s why I was astonished to find one, even though it’s a smog-era A-Body, at my local ‘pull-your-own parts’ junkyard. This 1974 Olds 442 with it’s non-functional louvered hood, looked fiercely neglected. For less than $40 I could have walked away with the unbolted hood which was a prime example of easy parts picking. Major rot inside the rear window glass channel is a sure-fire sign this fastback Olds has spent decades in the rain. Despite the disintegrating body panels, dozens of useable parts remained on this 4-4-2. Heavy duty 442-specific suspension parts, exhaust manifolds and swivel bucket seats are hot items to swap into any GM A-Body.

GMs Colonnade cousins
 GM’s 1973-1977 Cutlass 4-4-2s were built on the A-body platform, also known by the Colonnade nomenclature. These were GM’s popular rear wheel drive, mid-size vehicles which competed in-house against Chevrolet Chevelles, Pontiac’s LeMans (GTO or Grand Am depending on year) and Buick Gran Sports. The sportier versions of these A-Bodies, packing big cubic inch V8s and manual transmissions, are becoming harder to find for cheap. As these mid-70s cruisers continue to gain in popularity as affordable alternatives to "true" musclecars, perhaps fewer will end up meeting the crusher. 


 Try finding a 1973-’77 A-Body the next time your scavenging at your local junkyard. Send your photos and you might become a junkyardlife star.


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I Buy Junk Cars makes for good business

One man's junk car is another man's dream car.

 I buy junk cars. Don't we all? If you cruise along Highway 79 through Tarrant, Alabama you can't miss the island of misfit cars at 'I Buy Junk Cars'. Owner Steve Argo has been in the junk car and automotive repair business at this location for nine years. I pass by regularly and marvel at the ever-changing landscape of discarded vehicles. A white Porsche 944 caught my eye on a recent weekday, so I stopped in to get the lowdown on what appears to be a junk car dream job.

Steve Argo, owner of ‘I Buy Junk Cars’ in Tarrant, Alabama.

ONE MAN'S JUNK
  Argo lives a junkyardlife. He is a hard-working man who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. His business is hauling cars that are abandoned at apartment complexes or forsaken on the roadside. Many of the vehicles he encounters have been sitting in yards for years until the owner or city decides it's time to remove the rusting relic.  

 "All the cars are in need of some repair," Argo says. "The owners usually find it easier to buy a new car, rather than put money in the old one." 

 Often, some dusty but outdated imports arrive from the over-the-mountain (wealthy) crowd. Callers from Mountain Brook or Vestavia, who ask Argo for a few hundred bucks to haul away their old Jaguar, Mercedes or Porsche. I'm not kidding. 

  Many of the cars he hauls from rental properties have had their title pawned. This inevitable headache requires Argo to send in paper work and make calls to lien holders. Sometimes he is reimbursed a repossession fee and the price he paid for the vehicle by a lien holder. Occasionally they don't want the car at all. Argo often times gets stuck amid the red tape. He currently has about 60 vehicles at another location waiting for paperwork to clear.

$150 CORVETTE
  Argo advertises and has a phone number on the side of his building. On more than one occasion, some too-good-to-be-true junk cars find him. Recently a guy pulled in and said he had a Corvette that he wanted to sell for $150. Argo thought, "Yeah right, a Corvette for $150." He followed the man to an apartment building and there sat a black, manual transmission 1986 Corvette. It ran but needed a clutch and some bodywork. The owner was moving to a new town and had to unload his neglected Vette. 

 Argo didn't flinch when I offered to double or triple his money on the spot. No dice.

 Another good deal turned into Argo's daily driver, a 2003 Chevrolet Impala for $250. The Impala needed a fender and a door, but had only 54,000 miles on the odometer. The owner left it at a repair shop but never got the work done. The repair shop wanted it out of their lot. Argo was more than happy to help.

WAITING LIST FOR JUNK DREAMS
  The hard work involved in dealing with junk cars that are truly junk probably outweighs the glory of landing a vintage collectible. Argo has a waiting list of buyers looking for specific makes and models of vehicles.  These are buyers hungry for one of Argo's 'good deals' on an older American classic.

 I mentioned that I would like to be on his list for early model Firebirds and Trans Ams when Argo said, "My favorite is the 1979 Trans Am."

 I'm willing to bet that Argo will remain at the top of his junk Trans Am list. No need for me to even try to get on the top of that list. How about a Tri-Five Chevy? ’69 Camaro? Deuce coupe?...

 Argo grins and doesn't say a word. 

 I know better than to ask for the top picks on everyone's dream car short list.

NO CRUSHER FOR THE CLASSICS

 Argo is a true car guy who hates to see classic cars ruined. He often hauls rusted-beyond recognition junk cars and bashed-up, late model tin cans to the scrap yard but refuses to crush late 1970s and earlier vehicles that could be candidates for restoration. "I'd rather store the classic American cars until I find somebody willing to fix them up,” Argo says. “They just don't make them like they used to.”

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This well-worn 1984 Porsche 944 was spotted outside 'I Buy Junk Cars' in Tarrant, Alabama.

Interior of 1984 Porsche 944 seen at I Buy Junk Car's lot.

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