Cars in Yards: Kudzu covers classic cars Part 2

More cars in the kudzu. Wrapped in blankets of vines, dozens of cars were uncovered for the first time in decades. We tripped on Buicks and climbed across acres of four door cars trying to find an unaccounted for 1967 Camaro. Take a look at more photos from the kudzu expedition just west of Birmingham, Alabama. Read the story here.

'60 Buick, '59 Impala and '72 Gran Torino to be hauled to a junkyard.

1960 Buick Electra 225, a ship in a sea of kudzu.

1972 Buick Skylark with 4-doors and a painted roof.

1965 Buick Electra 225 convertible - top was new when it was parked.

1965 Buick Electra 225 convertible, that's a fender skirt on the quarter panel.

1962 Dodge Dart, first year for the downsize and one-year-only design, offered with Slant 6 up to the Ramcharger 413 cubic inch engine. It managed to escape the kudzu.

1962 Dodge Dart instrument cluster - dig the Dodge emblem in a pseudo gauge. When style trumped function.

This 1962 Rambler American was tucked under trees shrouded in kudzu.

Emblem on the moldy but complete 1962 Rambler American.

My tour guide, Ron Kidd, tries to pull an invisible 1972 Gran Torino out of the vines.

1965 Rambler Classic Cross Country station wagon – makes a great storage shed.

1965 Rambler Classic Cross Country station wagon – full of hub caps.

Kudzu crosses over this '65 Rambler Cross Country station wagon.

1966 Corvair Monza (front), 1975 Honda Civic hidden near the kudzu forest.

 

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Cars in Yards: Hunting a 1967 Camaro in kudzu

Buy a classic car – trapped in a kudzu prison.

Find the '67 Camaro in the kudzu?I asked the question, already knowing the answer. "Not yet," said fellow gear head, Ron Kidd, who was waist-deep in kudzu vines. Armed with a machete, floppy hat and camera, Kidd led his friend Anthony and me, on an expedition to uncover some cars for sale just west of Birmingham, Alabama. The cars, which have been sitting for a decade, are part of an ongoing estate sale. "No one could imagine what we are seeing," said Kidd.  

Uncovering this '72 Gran Torino was a challenge despite the kudzu being sprayed with weed killer.

Selling them all
The seller, Johnny Baker, doesn't know what cars are hiding under the leaves. Baker, a retirement-age fellow, is the executor of his sister's estate. Her husband, James Ray, died several years prior and left a large assortment of automobiles. Ray, a mechanic by trade, acquired a lot of cars over the years.  Fords were obviously his favorite make. Baker introduced himself with a firm, ham-fisted handshake. "See what you can find," Baker said. He had an inventory list of more than 40 cars that his brother-in-law owned. "I don't know where the 1967 Camaro is at," Baker replied, when prodded about its whereabouts. "I don't even know where to begin to look for it." 

This 1972 Ford Gran Torino - hauled away by a junkyard for $400.

The search is on
Our search and rescue mission started by uncovering a green '72 Gran Torino that looked pretty decent. But the allure of finding a dream car in the weeds was too much. We headed into the thick mounds of leaves, aching to find something better. "Some of the cars, he pushed down the hill and covered with dirt," Baker said. We wanted to find some classics but the kudzu thoroughly blanketed the dry docked land yachts, leaving no path to maneuver through the clusters of mostly 4-door Mopars, Fords and GM vehicles. We resorted to walking on top of the cars, not knowing what was under our feet. To find out what kind of car we were standing on top of, we had to hack away at briars and the complex maze of vines. 

Ron Kidd ready to battle the kudzu and find a classic car.

Kudzu damages cars, team grows weary

Layers of dirt from years of decaying leaves covered roofs, hoods and decklids on top of the cars. The moisture-rich, natural compost piles caused the horizontal surfaces of most of the otherwise complete cars to rust. The 95-degree heat and frustration of fruitless bushwhacking wilted our enthusiasm.

Seen an AMC station wagon lately?

Junkyard buyer beats tire kickers

By the time we emerged from the brush, Baker had struck a deal with a local junkyard to buy 10 cars and haul them away. "A lot of guys have come out here and kicked tires and climbed around. I'm ready to sell, and this guy is ready to deal," said Baker. Ouch! The green '72 Gran Torino we uncovered was destined for a junkyard that deals in older parts. I wish I had jumped on that one for the $400 selling price. More than a dozen cars remain. Maybe I can still find that '67 Camaro when the kudzu dies this winter?

1967 Lincoln Continental, $1,000 gets it.

It that a VW bug and Karmann-Ghia tucked beneath a blanket of kudzu?

1960 Buick 4-door at the edge of the kudzu forest.

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Cars in Yards: 1955 Chevrolet with 58,000 miles

1955 Chevrolet with 58,000 miles was discovered while yard sale shopping in Massachusetts.

Persistence pays off. In 2005, Keith Carnevale found this 1955 Chevrolet 210 Del Ray in Westford, Massachusetts while browsing yard sales with his wife. The '55 begged to be bought. Keith made his case to the owner, who was in no mood to sell the original, 58,000 mile, 2-door post. 
  "The '55 wasn’t for sale at the time but the guy took my brother’s number," according to Keith's identical twin brother, Kevin. "Four other guys were in line before him to buy the car. Five years later, and with much dedication, he talked the owner into selling the car."

Keith Carnevale's 1955  Chevy post (front) and Kevin Carnevale's '55 Chevy hardtop. 

The price? 

Keith paid $5,000 for the original, one-family-owned, 1955 Chevy equipped with an inline 6-cylinder engine and 3-speed manual transmission. "The owner's uncle, lived in Florida, bought it new and sold it to him in 1970," recalls Kevin, 40, a New Hampshire resident. "The '55 was shipped to Massachusetts from Florida in 1978. The low-mileage Chevy was placed in storage from 1978 until 1985. In 1985, the '55 was pushed outside to endure the harsh Massachusetts winters." It is surprising that this original, documented 1955 Chevy spent 20 years outdoors and looks this good. "All the paperwork on the '55 since it was purchased new came with the car," Kevin says.

Plans
The Carnevale twins plan to cruise in their '55 Chevys soon. "The gray primer hardtop is mine, says Kevin. "It is in a million pieces and I'm going to have it sandblasted soon. I hope to finish it by next summer."


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Wrecked and crashed cars: Jeep Liberty, Chevrolet Camaro are you safe or dead on arrival?

Feeling lucky? I'm guessing the drivers of this Jeep Liberty and Chevrolet Camaro would say no. I began to question the safety of some modern automobiles after witnessing the carnage at Weil Wrecker's storage lot in Birmingham, Alabama. Steel door beams and airbags seem over matched as a last line of defense when energy absorbing crush zones are compromised. My sympathies go out to the occupants of these heavily damaged vehicles. I hope they walked away.

Is your car safe?
For starters you can research your vehicle's crash worthiness on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's website. They just released their 2010 Top Safety Picks. New vehicles are rated by evaluating how well they protect its occupants in front, side, rear and rollover collisions. A Jeep Liberty, similar to the one I photographed, received a Marginal rating overall on 2002-2007 models (view complete IIHS data at this link.) Compare the IIHS tests to the damage inflicted on the Jeep Liberty in a real-world crash. 

Seeing is believing
"Do I want to die in this car?" That's a good question to ask yourself the next time you sit behind the wheel. Visit a local wrecker company's storage lot or go to a junkyard to get a first-hand look at crash results under real-world conditions. If your like me, you buy used cars out of necessity. But that's not a bad thing. Used cars are cheaper AND you can find more of them at salvage yards to evaluate their crash safety. Older models also offer more wrecked vehicles and cheaper parts when you inevitably bust up your 'new-to-you' ride.  Do your homework and be safe. Who says you can't learn anything at the junkyard? 


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BARN FINDS: 1970 Mustang Mach 1, 4-speed

Barn find of the day.  This 1970 Mustang Mach 1 was found covered in dirt and surrounded by clutter unworthy of its company on a dead end road somewhere in Alabama. 40,970 Mach 1s were built in 1970. This  one appears to have original Medium Lime Metallic paint under the dust and dirt. A 351-cubic inch engine and 4 barrel carburetor look original and match the wear of the 103k miles on the odometer. The four-speed transmission speaks volumes about this green machine's original purpose. Go fast and look good doing it.

Hood scoop, add stripes and hood pins. That equals a muscle car!

Barn find dreams are made of 4-speeds and good original seats like these.

Original 1970 Mustang Mach 1 deep dish hubcaps.

Somebody needs to oil the hinges.

Barn fresh rear seats in 1970 Mach 1.

In 1970 the Mach 1s had only 2 headlights, instead of 4 like the 1969 models.

Call it a Fastback or SportsRoof, its a Mach 1 in a barn!

351-cubic inch engine, 4 barrel carb in this 1970 Mach 1

Showing 3k on the odometer, I'm guessing it's 103k.

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CARS IN YARDS: 1969, 1970 Dodge Coronets not R/Ts or Super Bees

Muscle car alert! I broke the law when I spotted this pair of Dodge Coronets, 1969 and 1970 models, taunting me from a yard in north Alabama. R/T and Super Bee emblems were nowhere to be found after my improper u-turn. These cars appeared to be run-of-the-mill Coronets, but still worthy of a u-turn. You rarely see rough, 2-door Mopars from this era parked in yards, let alone, out in the open. The white 1969 Coronet with tattered black vinyl top wore its Magnum 500 wheels. The mostly red 1970 Coronet sported slot mags. The engine in the '70 may be gone, judging by the looks of the lifted front end.

Between 1965 and 1971, anyone could order the second generation 426-cubic inch Hemi engine in their Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth grocery-getter/drag racer. Mopar's Hemi legend was built around their 'elephant' engine that roared down drag strips. The legend has been retold by racers who proudly boast they raced against those Hemi-powered cars. Win or lose, people remember racing these cars. Now, non-Hemi V8 and 6-cylinder Mopars, such as Coronets and Belvederes from this era command big bucks on looks alone. 

After my first glance, visions of black, fiberglass hoods emblazoned with "SIX PACK" decals danced in my head. 426-cubic inch Hemi engines with pistol grip 4-speeds, turned these mortal Mopars into boulevard bruisers during my momentary dream state. I regained my focused and knocked on the door. "Would you like me to haul those two, old, junk cars out of your yard?," I thought to myself. My opening line went unused. No one was home. My Mopar daydream would have to suffice for now.

 

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WHAT'S IN MY GARAGE? Firebirds, Trans Ams and more

Pontiac heaven? No, just Tommy Simmons' garage.
 

Garage envy? Your fellow gear head has a cool collection of cars, tools and stacks of NOS parts safely tucked into your dream hot rod garage. Want to take a peek inside those giant, garage mahals and intriguing old barns but don't have the nerve to ask. We've got the scoop on real man caves - the garage.

Tommy Simmons, 48, of Pleasant Grove, Alabama has a garage, make that an airplane hangar, any gear head would crave. Lots of space, more than a handful of vintage cars and a built-in lift to work on his vehicles like a pro. Simmons got bit by the car bug early in life. "I have a picture somewhere of me in diapers at 3-years old sitting on the 283-cubic inch engine in my dads '55 Chevy with a wrench in my hand," Simmons says proudly.

Floor pans for a 1967 Firebird are sitting on top of Simmons' 1987 Pontiac Trans Am GTA.

Simmons has owned more than 30 muscle or pony cars from the golden years of Detroit. "I have never owned a foreign car and as you can see, I'm pretty Pontiac heavy. My first car was a 1967 GTO that once belonged to my granddad." Chevy fans get ready to groan. Simmons held on to all of his Pontiacs but parted with his 1957 Chevrolet 4-door. (left, rear of top photo) "I sold the '57 to buy my oldest something newer to drive."

Current cars in garage
1967 Firebird convertible - Project from Illinois, found it online on Performance Years site in 2001. "It has a 400-cubic inch engine with a 400 tranny." Simmons also has new trunk and floor pans to replace the rusty ones.
1987 Trans Am GTA - “The red GTA was bought around 2000. A shop had told the owner it needed an engine and a wiring harness. I tuned it and replaced the missing and blown fuses and it ran fine. All three of my kids and one son-in-law have used that car at one time or another and it shows."
1979 Trans Am - "The black '79 was a 301 powered, one-option car when I bought it in 1997. I have found and installed every option you can think of since then, including WS6 suspension, 400-cubic inch engine and a 4-speed. I don't know why but I just love that car."
1981 Trans Am Special Edition - It's the red car on right in back of top photo. "I bought it for parts but it was so straight and I had so many parts stored, I decided to build it. This was THE ONE we all dream about, the one we FINISH. The car still had the nice, factory Recaro interior, so I went all in. I built a stroker 455 engine (now 472-cu. inches), super strong tranny, rare 12-bolt rear from a '70 Formula. I added a '73 Formula Firebird front clip, then painted it Dodge Viper Red. I finished it in the summer of '05. 3 days later it was stolen from my driveway in the middle of the night. I didn't see it again until 2007. I'm really just now making myself work on it any." 

1996 Trans Am - its all one color now.

1996 Trans Am - The black '96 (above), originally bought by Simmons' daughter, was totaled in an accident in Montgomery in '08.  "My son and I used parts from three Firebirds, of different colors, to make what it is now."
1978 Trans Am - "The burgundy Bird, (left, front in top photo) actually belongs to one of my brothers. It's really a 1980 base Firebird but we used some of my stash to turn into a '78 T/A."

You can't have too many Trans Ams.

You know your serious about your garage when you put a bathroom in it.

Garage facts
Simmons found his garage inspiration at a gas station. "I actually bought my building out of that little, free ad magazine in convenience stores. The building is made by American Steel Span and was intended to be an airplane hangar." The building is 40'x50' and it took Simmons almost two years to build, doing almost all of the work himself.

A look at Simmons' American Steel Span garage under construction.

Cool stuff
The surfboard on the back wall isn't real. "Its a display piece from a beer company." What airplane hangar would be complete without airplanes? "Me and my brothers were pretty heavy into the remote control airplanes in the early '90s. As my basement empties into my shop, things get hung wherever they can go."

Why so many cars? 
Simmons would buy junk cars with blown engines that someone wanted out of their yard. "I fixed them and drove them as cheap transportation, then pushed them into the back of my yard when they needed more than I could afford to do to them," says Simmons. "My three children came along, and most of the cars  turned into school clothes, household needs, or whatever was needed. Dad's toys had to go when momma's babies needed something." By the looks of it, Simmons has plenty of toys since his children have grown up. "Most of what I still have, has been bought since the kids got older or was in too bad a shape to sell."

Got a cool garage? 
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