Readers ride: 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon, 2-door classic stationwagon

When you see this 1959 Ford Ranch Wagon, your looking at a junkyardlife. Tyler Fleming and his dad Steve, of Gadsden, Alabama, live a junkyardlife. The pair buy old cars, wrench on them, drive 'em and sell them when another project comes along. More than a dozen vehicles from the '40s and '50s have crossed their path in the last few years. "We buy and sell cars," Tyler says. "We have an enclosed trailer that we keep pretty well stocked with parts. When we go to car shows my dad will take the latest project car and I'll take the trailer, loaded with parts to sell."  

1959 Ford Ranch Wagon 2-door 

The father, son duo know driving dream cars doesn't come cheap. "We figure since we are already at a show, we might as well try to make a little money," Tyler says, matter-of-fact. "It's sorta like killing two birds with one stone. Have fun at the car show and make few extra buck at the same time. Nothing wrong with that right?"

Tyler spotted this '59 Ford 2-door Ranch Wagon for sale on Craigslist last fall.  "The owner, in Russellville, Alabama, said the car came from south Georgia," the younger Fleming says. "I believe him, after laying under it and all the red dirt falling in my face, it had to come from south Georgia." The previous owner made it drivable and took it to a few car shows but was ready to move on to something else. That's where the Flemings went to work.

 

BEFORE: Original 1959 Ford 223-cubic inch engine

Engine swap, more
The Ranch Wagon's tired inline 223 cubic-inch engine with the 3-on-the-tree tranny got the boot. "We installed a 302 cubic-inch engine with an automatic transmission out of a '79 or '80 model Lincoln Versailles (aka the top of the line Granada)," Tyler says. "We've changed out the straight shift rear end gear for one that will work better with a automatic trans, reworked the brakes, put the shifter in the floor and had the front seat recovered." 

 AFTER: 1979 Ford 302-cubic inch engine now in the '59 Wagon.

Future plans
Since these photos were made, the Flemings have added a luggage rack to the roof, along with surf boards that were bought at a trade day. The father-son duo keep the wheels and wrenches turning. "The plan is to leave the paint as is and just make a cruiser, surf wagon out of it," Tyler says. The rear seat will be recovered this winter, providing they still have the car. "We plan on keeping it for a while or at least until something else comes along."

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Junkyard 1967 Chevelle Super Sport, SS 396

Have you seen a battered, big block 1967 Chevelle SS at your local junkyard? A reader from Mobile, Alabama sent photos of this rusty, abused, muscle car. All that is left is a shell of a beast that was factory-equipped with a 396-cubic inch, V8 engine. To say this is a basket case would be a compliment.  

 

The engine and rear end have found new homes. A distinctive 1967 SS big block hood, crumbling into a thin layer of rust, leans against a fender. The inside of the Super Sport looks as bad as the outside. Time is running out for this 1967 Chevelle. The crusher looms.

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Cars in Yards: Slick 60's 1964 F-100 flareside, a hunting truck full of memories

  Memories don’t rust. In 1975 the Brown family, of central Alabama, bought a used, green 1964 F-100 flareside. The Ford, with its 223-cubic inch, 6-cylinder engine became the family workhorse and hunting truck. 35 years later, the family’s eldest son, Travis remembers going coon hunting in the pickup with his dad. "Back before everyone decided you had to have 4-wheel-drive to go hunting. That 2-wheel-drive F-100 would go anywhere you wanted to go," Travis says. "We took it bouncing through the woods with dog boxes loaded in the bed." The straight axle, step side Ford remains in the Brown family despite almost being stolen, losing its engine and narrowly avoiding the scrap yard.

Can’t steal this 

  Brown’s dad was squirrel hunting in the early 1980s when a would-be thief was outsmarted by the F-100’s transmission. Travis’ dad swapped the 3-speed column shift to a floor shift during the truck’s hunting years. When the transmission swap was made, the shift pattern was reversed. The thief hot-wired the ignition but got caught in the act when he couldn’t make the truck go forward. Reverse was where first gear was supposed to be and vice-versa. A curious landowner recognized Brown’s truck and called the cops on the guy fiddling with the shifter. When Brown crept out of the woods, his squirrels in tow, he was overwhelmed. Sheriffs and a band of convicts were searching for him. Authorities thought the truck thief might have harmed Brown before he tried to make his escape in the Ford. Brown was relieved that the cops weren’t there to bust him for hunting. 

Running 6 cylinder engine sold for $20 bucks 

  In1983 the truck was parked. A few years passed and Travis’ brother, Clint, wanted to learn to drive the truck. It had not run in years and was languishing in the pasture beside their house. Clint, 12-years old at the time, was determined to make it run and he did. He fired it up and wheeled it around the field a few times before his hot laps caught the neighbor’s eye. The deal of the century was made. Clint agreed to sell the engine and remove it from the truck for a crisp $20 bill.  

   

Scrap yard calls 

  Ten years ago, the F-100 was headed to the scrap yard. Travis couldn’t let that happen to the truck that held so many memories. He hauled it to his house, unable to let go of a piece of family history. 

Travis riding his bicycle around dad's 1964 F-100 in 1979.

Future plans 

  Travis plans to return the weathered but beloved pickup back to it’s former glory. “I  made a promise to myself to fix up this truck when I was 13-years old,” Travis recalls. A fuel-injected V8 from a 1988 F-150 may soon

make its home under the hood of the 1964 F100. For now, trips down memory lane are just a glance away when Travis walks by his dad’s old truck parked in the yard.  

Ford F-Series pickup truck fun facts

1961-1964 models also known as Slick 60's.

1967-1972 models also known as Bumpsides.

1973-1979 models also known as Dentsides.

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Junkyard desert delight: 1951 Ford F100, more classic pickup trucks

Sand, sun and slow-rusting classic trucks can be found in the desert junkyards of the United States. What was left of decades old paint on this 1951 Ford pickup truck has been burned away by the blistering sun. The dry, desert air has preserved the F100's bare sheet metal. Wear items, such as interior pieces and rubber weather stripping have not held up as well to the sun’s abuse.  

These photos are from Hal Lee's search for a rust-free hot rod project along the Colorado and New Mexico border. Lee came away with tons of photos and one old car during his adventure. It looks like there are plenty of vintage trucks ready to be plucked from the desert. 

You might want to check out Desert Classics for more western junkyard inspiration. They have hundreds of restorable classic and vintage vehicles and tractors for sale in Butte, Montana.
 
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Cars in Yards: 1977 Pontiac Trans Am draws crowd, not east bound and down

A black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am tossed in the weeds like a used beer can? The car, that made Burt Reynolds and Sally Field famous in “Smokey and the Bandit,” has been parked in the same spot for more than a decade. Forgotten, neglected and hopefully for sale and cheap. I took the bait and stopped to get a closer look.


Look, it's Bandit!
From busy highway in north Alabama, this second generation Firebird Trans Am didn't look like a cream puff. But I cringed when I saw the condition of the sheet metal on the right side. The Rallye II wheels on the T/A's right side were sunk into the earth, bringing the rocker panel and damp ground close enough to kiss. Evidence of rust along the lower edge of the quarter panel meant the trunk seal or rear window rubber gave up long ago. A lack of T-tops may have left the floor pans in good shape - 10 years ago. This ’Bird is in bad shape but still tempts flocks of motorists.

Is it for sale? Multiply by 1,000
“It was my son's first car. The Trans Am is not for sale,” said the man on the four-wheeler. He offered the answer quickly. A stranger asking about the car is a common occurrence. “I guess a thousand people have stopped to ask about that car. The more popular these cars get, the more I get asked about it." I didn't question the man as to why his son was keeping it. He pointed down the road and said, "that's my sons place." Good enough for me. They want it, it's not going anywhere, so be it.

More would-be buyers will stop by
The popularity of these Bandit-era Trans Ams will continue to expand as new generations watch "Smokey and the Bandit" for the first time. The movie grossed over $126 million and helped Pontiac sell a record numbers of Trans Ams. A ton of them were painted black and their owners all dreamed of being cool and fast like Burt. Covering this once proud, black Trans Am with a tarp might save these owners a bit of trouble in the future.


"Smokey and the Bandit" 1977

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Junkyard tour: King's Auto Parts in Birmingham, Alabama

Call it King’s Auto Parts in Birmingham, Alabama or the location of Job’s Junkyard Salvation for a family that has been dealt tragic loss. Lonnie King and his wife raised three sons and a daughter among a hodgepodge of buildings and vehicles that surround their homeplace. Decades of honest, hard work building a business was destroyed and became meaningless in 1998. One of King’s sons was murdered. Then an F-5 tornado ripped through their home and wrecked the junkyard in a span of two months that year. 

Lonnie King, owner of King's Auto Parts in Birmingham, AL.

King almost didn’t recover from the pain of 1998. “Daddy didn’t want to get out of bed or leave the house,” said King’s daughter, Lottie Green. The family worked together and pulled King’s Auto Parts from despair. “Mom and I started the junkyard back up. We ran it and got daddy motivated again.” The King family suffered through three murder trials while keeping the junkyard in business.

A 1970 Chevrolet is King's junkyard wrecker.

Starting from scratch

King has been buying junk since 1970 but started the junkyard after being laid off from his welding job in 1979. “I used to buy and sell cars and parts. Pull engines, you name it,” King says. “I had a real job and started doing this out of necessity.” After King was laid off, the family was down to its last $800 when he saw a truck for sale. King bought it for $750, built it into a wrecker and went to work hauling cars to his yard. Eventually, he got a business license so the local authorities would quit harassing him about the number of cars parked at his house. “I worked for a long time before anybody knew what I was doing. Sometimes, the police would sit out here and watch the place.”

Bread and butter years

King remembers years in the 1980s and 1990s when buyers from Ohio and Canada would buy cars from him and resell them up north. “In those days you could sell them a 1970 Chevelle SS or any other muscle car for top dollar,” King said. “Loads of rust-free, southern cars found new homes.” 

King's Auto Parts has tons of junkyard character. 

Can you find the Dale Earnhardt Wrangler model car in this photo?

Junkyard thieves

King’s business, like most junkyards, has been victimized by crime. One day while King was working alone, he was robbed at gunpoint by two men who left him tied up. On another occassion he caught a burglar in the act of stealing. King managed to fire a few warning shots at the would-be robber as he fled on foot. “There’s no telling what’s been stolen that I don’t even know about,” King said.

Lonnie King raised a family and operated a junkyard on this property.

Looks can be deceiving

At 10 a.m. on a recent summer day, the temperature was rising fast. Lonnie King, 66, stood on the porch of his house in the center of the automotive compound he rebuilt after the tornado. King, sporting a sleeveless t-shirt and Dale Jr. belt buckle, looks tough but has the heart of a true southern gentleman. King went out of his way to show me around what remains of his junkyard in western Birmingham. King’s Auto Parts unofficially closed in 2006 but it still looks like a junkyard, as dozens of cars remain. King leases a back lot to a towing company and the few vehicles that litter the red, clay hillside are for sale.

What’s for sale?

A couple of late 1970s Chevrolet Malibu Classics, a 1977 Nova along with some 1968-1972 pick-up trucks that can be bought. A 1975 Camaro and a destroyed, demolition derby car round out King’s upper yard. The older, collectible parts have all but disappeared but he does have a rare 1968 Chevy 302 engine and a 350 4-bolt main engine for sale as well. 

Junkyard vegetable garden

King now operates a produce stand called “Job’s Vegetable Garden” near the main road. In the Bible, Job’s faith was tested when he lost everything and remained faithful. The Lord restored all the things Job lost. It seems faith has not been lost at King’s. “Jesus loves you” and a dozen similar religious messages decorate the fence and front gate of King’s junkyard. Directly across the street from the junkyard is a church. If you make it out to King’s you may get a lesson in faith, the junkyard business and a basket of vegetables.

A first gen Camaro fender sporting vintage war paint at King's.

An old round-tracker, junkyard eye candy at King's.

A 1975 aluminum-bumpered Camaro bides time at King' junkyard.

King's 1966 Mustang convertible is for sale, read more.

1990 Mustang GT with parts to spare at Kings Auto Parts.

What? Where? Hours?

King’s Auto Parts
1432 Huron Pl N
Birmingham, AL 35224
Hours - Closed in 2006 but King still has cars and parts he will sell. You might catch him in person or call, (205) 786-3256

Know of a junkyard I need to visit? Send me an email here.

View Larger Map to King's Auto Parts

Griswold's "Vacation" station wagon completes third Hot Rod Power Tour

The Griswold's Wagon Queen Family Truckster, a tribute to the station wagon made famous in the "National Lampoon's Vacation" movie, completed its third Hot Rod Power Tour this year. The car's builder, Eric Wise of Independence, Missouri, was spotted taking a break from the heat inside the modified, green 1985 Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon. It's hard to look cool in a replica of inarguably the ugliest vehicle to grace a movie screen. Camera-happy onlookers peppered Wise with questions, giving him little chance to rest inside the back of the distinctive station wagon.

Why ask why?
Building a quality, custom station wagon is no easy task. Wise removed sheet metal from a donor station wagon and welded it to the top edge of rear quarter panels on his Truckster. This created smaller side windows and a place for the snazzy Wagon Queen crown emblem. The movie wagon also had the gasoline filler door in an odd place – on top of the hood! Not to be outdone, Wise crafted a mock gas door on the hood of his wagon and placed the "real" gas door behind a custom-built, swing-out driver's side tail light. The factory gas door was located on the driver's side quarter panel. Wise welded it up and smoothed it out. Leaving no trace. Some guys love challenges to test their skills.

Crown hood ornament, nice woodgrain.

Griswold wagon gets better every year
Wise completed the Truckster in time for the 2008 Hot Rod Power Tour and posted his progress on ls1tech.com. That exposure garnered rave reviews as well as some helpful suggestions. Wise added green wall tires, "honky lips" graffiti and "Dinky's" dog leash now hangs from the rear bumper. To top it off, the correct luggage ensemble rides on top of the super-long luggage rack. "There are three of these wagon replicas in the U.S. that are close to this quality," Wise said proudly. "But, a lot of them don't have this much attention to detail." Power Tour crowds loved Wise's wagon. The spot-on movie car clone was like seeing a Hollywood celebrity in person. 

Ouch! Not Ford powered, a GM 5.3L LS engine is under this Truckster's hood.

What makes it run?

Wise, a true hot rod enthusiast, installed a 5.3L GM LS engine in the Truckster. He's managed to get more power and better gas mileage, 22.4 mpg on the highway, with the updated drivetrain. That fuel economy dropped a bit on the Power Tour. "It's hard to keep your foot out of it when there's so many other people haulin' ass!," Wise said. Despite the modern engine, Wise claims he hasn't spent much money on the wagon. "I don't have that much in it really, it's a $700 car. I sold the 302-V8 and automatic overdrive transmission for $300, and I do all my own work," says Wise.

When 4 headlights won't do, a Truckster has twice the light!

Truckster history

The original Griswold wagon was designed by custom car guru, George Barris for the 1983 "Vacation" film. Barris was famous for creating the original "Batmobile," "Munster Koach," "The General Lee," "KITT" and many other iconic  vehicles for television and movies. Legend has it that the three Trucksters used in filming "Vacation" were destroyed and/or parted out several years ago. Recreations like Wise's keep the movie's memories alive and on the road for all to see.

What's a Wagon Queen Truckster without a crown molded from the original movie emblem?

Why do we like it so much?
Crowds laugh out loud as the Truckster draws attention away from show cars costing ten times as much. Families crowd around it for photos. Everyone wants to get a look at the over-the-top, goofiness and excess of the dare-to-be different Truckster. Viewers knew Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, could be suckered into a bad deal, just like anyone else. He was imperfect, the everyman, who could smile through it all and we could laugh with him and at ourselves. Ride on Griswolds, everywhere.

FYI – In the "Vacation" movie the hubcaps were stolen.

Aunt Edna and Dinky were not harmed during the building of Wise's wagon.

Wise placed a Lou Glutz window sticker in the back seat of his Truckster.

(In the movie Eugene Levy sold the wagon to Chevy Chase at Lou Glutz Motors)

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