Pulling a bunch of parts! We loaded up on $365 worth of BMW 3-series parts, including an M bumper at the Pull-A-Part in Birmingham, Alabama. As I stood back and admired the prize emerald green Compact Beemer, it wasn't long before parts vultures circled the green 1997 BMW 318ti with the Contour wheels.
I had just pulled the front bumper and started yanking seats. A crew of BMW drifting competitors from Atlanta shadowed my footsteps.
"You want those wheels?"
Yes, I thought, but my wheelbarrow was already loaded and my wallet overwhelmed by my enthusiasm to spend parts on my $845 wrecker auction find in Hellrot Red.
"You can have them, I guess. I don't need to spend more money," I laughed.
As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. The wheels were off the car in a matter of minutes and rolled away.
Time flies
I continued to work for about four hours. Koni shocks, struts, and rear springs joined the bumper and white leather seats in my overflowing wheel barrow. I made my exit. Forced to carry the seats about 25 steps, sit them down, then retrieve the wheelbarrow full of parts and tools. The see-saw approach to moving the big load would not have been needed had I rented a golf cart. Lesson learned. The PAP $5 rental fee would have been a good investment.
And...I shoulda grabbed those wheels!
Stay tuned!
Jody Potter
– Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust
We’ve been drinking the Hugger Orange paint theory for this video! Join us at the junkyard and a walk down Hugger Orange history, from 1969 to 1999.
Chevy revived Hugger Orange Paint for the 1999 model Camaro. 30 years had passed since the name and hue was first used on the 1969 Camaro. Maybe the paint reboot was due to the drop in sales after the model was redesigned for 1998?
1997: 60,202
1998: 54,026
1999: 42,098
We’ve made an unexpected discovery. How many hugger orange 1969 Camaros were built? Chevrolet built and sold 243,085 Camaros of 1969 design. Of those, a little over 20,000 of Chevy’s 1969 Chevy Camaros were sold new with Hugger Orange Paint. According to a memo from GM, that’s around 8.5% that were Hugger Orange.
But! Chevy did not have a monopoly on orange paint at GM. Pontiac used the name Carousel Red on their orange Firebirds and GTOs in 1969. Corvettes of that same year and hue were Monaco Orange on their build sheet.
Add this to your buried in numbers that may be true data: Less than 1% of 1969 Camaros were painted black from the factory. That’s less than 1,500. Now get this–only 4.5% of 1969 Camaros were equipped with the ZL2 option code Cowl Hood. Two rare things that are commonly seen on 1969 Camaros at the local cruise night.
Most of the feared and revered 1969 Camaros that I’ve encountered are black and wear a cowl hood. People like what they like.
Flashback There is no doubt in my mind, that in 20 or 30 years the last owner of this hugger orange Camaro will be wishing they could get this car back, bolt on a SS hood and drop in a LS1 engine. Life’s funny like that. You don’t know what you got until it’s gone.
Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the RustWatch more Junkyard Life on YouTubeIf you got time, we need your help hiring a cheap camera holder and dog food. Your views, and likes help us. Thanks!
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Dad shows daughter why a Pontiac Trans Am with t-tops and a 4-speed is the best therapy for the soul. First, he shows her how to remove the Fisher T-tops. Boring. Then talks about all the facts that makes this last year Pontiac 400-V8 rare. More boring for a 17yo. But, when it comes time to burn rubber and slam gears, the smiles are everywhere!
This sunset, cruise with the t-tops out shows you what a mild build Pontiac 400 can do. Torque, hugging corners, revs!
But wait, there's a surprise waiting in the garage. Watch until the end!
Jody Potter
– Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust
Red, white, and Cue! What do you get when you mix Bill Elliott, Barbecue and three Police Officers? The 2023 Shine Country Classic at Barber Motorsports Park! We didn't get arrested but we got the goods on all the junk car Lemons racers running laps around the Leeds, Alabama track. Some of these cars are so bad that I could beat them with junk in my driveway! Hey, that's not a bad idea! More on that later.
We did see some excellent "race cars" among the more than 120 cars and spectacles that hit the track during the first weekend of February tradition at Barber. Our favorite was the number 9 Bill Elliott tribute backed by the Thin Blue Swine race team. Their 1986 Ford Thunderbird is a replica of NASCAR's record-setting, superspeedway Thunderbird. Car owner Bruce Jansen has always been a fan of Awesome Bill from Dawsonville. Building a Thunderbird to race in Lemons flying Bill Elliott's colors and number was a no-brainer. Jansen pulled in two of his fellow police officers from Huntsville, Alabama and driver Matthew Nance to complete the driving duties for the team. The number 9 T-Bird stands out among some of the grittier, or comical rides that are here to compete and have fun. Their dedication has paid off with numerous sponsors helping the team meet the needs/bills of running a small race team.
The name "Thin Blue Swine" was borrowed from Tim's, fellow driver and police officer, competition backyard Barbecue team. These guys eat well at the track. I can attest that the smoke bologna is out of this world!
Thin Blue Swine team loaded our plate with fantastic barbecue!
The red and white Ford made such a splash everywhere it went that Johnny Lightning created a replica of the car in 1:64 scale.
Look out! Junkyard Life spent the day annoying drivers and their pit crews and standing in their way as they tried to repair damage rear ends, eat their lunch, or get a nap. Drive your own Grab a steering wheel and $1675 and you can drive your very own Lemons junkyard jalopy around the track. Oh, don't forget the gas.
Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life
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Junkyard Life is always hunting for car deals. We shop driveways for dilapidated vehicles covered in tarps or dirty with debris or covered in tree sap. All telltale signs of a non-running vehicle. We bought this 2002 Honda Civic because it had a tarp covering the back window. The tarp was sagging into the Civic, showing evidence that the tarp had been there awhile. The reason for the tarp? A large tree limb fell on the roof, breaking the back glass and denting the roof. The owner, at first reluctant to sell, was ready to make a deal six months later.
For $300, the ran-when-parked Honda found a new owner in Junkyard Life. We needed to do some major cleanup. A junkyard rear window glass, seatbelts, new wipers, and a new fuel pump were the major items replaced. The Civic was back on the road after the roof was pushed back into place using Porter power hydraulic tool.
The lesson here is to look for a deal. They are parking in driveways and yards all over your town. A little sweat equity and little money add up to a profit if you decide to flip the project and not turn it into your daily driver. We see it as a win-win scenario. You may hit some snags along the way, but the more you practice the junk car craft, the more you will learn.
2002 Honda Civic in as-found condition, minus blue tarp that was covering damage.
How to buy junk cars and make money
Always look for a diamond in the rough. Scan driveways and yards for vehicles that have been parked for a long time. Dirt, debris on top, dingy with grime or damage?
Inquire with owner, and ask if the vehicle is for sale
Make your best deal. You will learn over time how to factor in the unknown expenses in the price or just offer scrap value. Many will be glad you took their eyesore away. Always another deal down the road.
Sweat equity: cleanup the vehicle, determine what need to be done to get it running. Buy junkyard parts if possible.
Mechanical: fuel systems, tank, fuel pump, brake lines, etc. Vehicle needs to be road worthy or sell as parts/project to make your money.
Keep a good attitude. You will encounter headaches. Besides the automotive grinding and busted knuckles, paperwork and trips to the DMV will become regular occurrences if you decide to hustle junk cars.
Don't try to hit a home run every time. Make some money and move on.
Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life
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Need a reason to visit a junkyard? Buy a busted Buick. Watch Junkyard Life put this grandpa-fresh LeSabre back on the road. We won the bid on a wrecked 2000 Buick LeSabre with $650 at a local Birmingham, Alabama wrecker auction. The Buick came home on a wrecker, but as a bonus, we had keys and the 3800-V6 engine runs. Well, sort of. The bent Buick has a torn up radiator, so we didn't let it run for long to avoid overheating the engine. This purchase would be prime flipping material – the Double Aught Budget Buick Build – if we could locate all the parts and put it back together. (Note: Save time, money, and headaches when you buy projects that run.)
MAKE A LIST
We jotted down a list of damaged parts and a scoured websites, such as Facebook Marketplace and the local Pull-Your-Own yard. The key to a budget build is finding straight body panels that have matching paint to what you are working on. This saves big money.
JACKPOT!
We found Cherry Avenue's listing on Facebook Marketplace. Their Buick parts car was the same color as our car! That's a major bonus. Bolting on same color parts saves a ton on paint expense. Even with the saving, we did spend $450 in parts for a $650 car!
DISMANTLE
Cutting away the bent parts and removing the damaged pieces left the front end of the Buick nearly naked. We found color-matched hood, fender, grill, and bumper cover at Cherry Avenue Auto Parts. We also snagged a replacement frame horn piece that was crunched in the front end collision. The new boxed frame horn structure (unibody does not have traditional frame) would need to be welded into place. A few other parts, headlight, air intake box, and radiator were located at the local you-pull-it yard.
A FAMILY THAT JUNKYARDS TOGETHER...
I try to include my family in the many automotive projects that funnel across my driveway junkyard. This time my youngest daughter, Noelle, pitched in with some underhood wrenching to put the airbox and wiring back in place on the 3.8 liter Buick engine. My son, Joe, you may remember him from the Project $300ZX (https://youtu.be/kRqUlRAHbiQ), helped out at the you-pull-it yard grabbing a radiator and a headlight.
Teach them how to do stuff and they will do stuff. It's simple. And you're helping yourself, down the road, at the same time.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
The fun begins when you put the final pieces of a puzzle together. But there is always a few problems to solve. The Buick's factory aluminum hood did not want to line up with the fender edges. Metal against metal. Bam! No good. A degree in Alabama Auto Mechanics was needed. A chain hoist and a tree were used to pull the understructure into position. When all aligned, bolted, and welded in place, the fenders were mounted. The hood, headlight, grill, and bumper cover were easy additions.
Almost as good as new!
Grandpa-fresh
The Double Aught Budget Buick Build name is a nod to the 2000 model year, which introduced the redesigned LeSabre's front-wheel-drive, full-size, 3800-V6 to another decade of sensible transportation. You know your grandpa would give the Buick LeSabre a 4-star review every year. From 1992 thru 2000, the Buick LeSabre maintained a legion of buyers eager to hold the keys and place this full-size people mover at the top of the best-seller list.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Leave us a comment. Do you think we did ok? After all said and done, about $1,200 was spent to get the Buick back in shape for the road. Have you worked on a similar project? We're always under a budget constraint at Junkyard Life. We cheap because we have to be out of necessity.
Do you have a junkyard or a junky yard? Send us details and we’re on the way!Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com
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Follow is for more from our Junkyard Life Rusty Gold Rescue Team! We are always hunting, junkyards, old cars mysteries and stories from the cool people who keep the world from becoming boring.
Hunting for parts at Cherry Avenue Auto Parts in Birmingham, Alabama turned into a guided tour by "Baz" Sultan, the 19-year-old son of, Paco Sultan, the owner. "Baz" tried to show me, Jody Potter, and Ron Kidd all the old school iron on the yard. In modern day junkyard lingo, the "old" stuff is from the 1980s. Ha! We wanted more and despite the sweltering heat and tall weeds we did scope out a 1975 Datsun 280Z, and a 1971 VW Beetle. For those just joining us, in Part 1, we saw a 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix in Part 2. Go back and watch if you missed out.
Our main reason for visiting Cherry Avenue Auto Parts was to buy parts for our 2000 Buick LeSabre. We bought a wreck at the local auction and needed to find a replacement grill, fender, header panel, headlight, and support structure under the left fender. I found Cherry Avenue's listing on Facebook Marketplace. Their Buick parts car was the same color as my car! That's a major bonus. It saves a ton on paint expense.
The Buick gets repaired in the next episode. Stay tuned!
Watch Part 1Watch Part 2
Do you have a junkyard or a junky yard? Send us details and we’re on the way!Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com
