VIDEO: Price Drop on Million Dollar Junkyard

Ray White: A Junkyard Story

Last of His Kind. It’s been a dozen years since I sat down in Ray White’s garage. The Korean War veteran drank a beer and looked out the bay door at his fleet of 200-or-so vehicles along Highway 157 in West Point, Alabama. Passersby often stop to gawk, chew the fat and waste Ray's time. I did all of the above but I had an agenda. I was soon-to-be unemployed from my job at The Birmingham News in Birmingham, Alabama and I was scrambling to find a new career path. My hobby, fooling with old cars, buying/selling along with writing stories and photographing crusty junkyard survivors of neglect. I had hopes that I could turn my hobby into a career. Building a junkyard roadside attraction might be the perfect formula for success. Ray shot straight and didn't pull punches. If I was gonna do it. Do it! Put up or shut up. I sat down with Ray, then 80 years young, and talked old cars, and my future. I was desperate for sage advice on a sweltering summer day in 2012. 

Hundreds of old cars along Highway 157 in Alabama belong to Ray White in West Point, Alabama.

My question to Ray: How did you make a career with old cars?

Background Story
Ray White's family farmed this 25 acres of land purchased in 1941. His parent's, Udores and Nannie Lou, raised six kids here. Tax records show that Ray took ownership of the property in 1964 after his dad died. Ray continued to run his father's business, U.D. White's General Store and gas station, next door to the family home. The store closed but the mechanic garage that fed Ray's automotive love stayed open. Ray kept busy. He cut hay, raised cattle and collected old cars.

Ray White stands beside his dog “Brownie” in the doorway of his garage.

Cars Multiply
Ray began by putting a few extra cars aside for parts. Their numbers grew and grew, turning the farm place into a junk car lot. Ray would sell whole cars, parts, and scrap out a few hundred here and there. He didn't go looking for old cars, people brought them to him. He laughed when he said it but it was true.


Price for All?
My request for Ray to put a value on his car collection and property were met with brusk replies. He knew what he had, and just because he got a good deal on most of the rusty relics didn't mean he was gonna sell them cheap. What's the storage fee on 50 years? I tossed out a $200,000 figure that he rebuffed with a "I got that much scrapping the last lot of cars I junked out." A million dollars was his final answer. We were not even close.

Ray's figure was closer to right than mine. Scrap values for metal were up in 2012. A car could bring $500 scrap price, vans or trucks as much as $700+.

Goodbye and Thank You Ray
It was hot. The dog tried to bite Ron. We said goodbye and went on our way. I'm sure Ray had seen many more just like us. All talk, no sale. It's been a dozen years since our talk. I found this video of that summer day long ago in my collection. It was good to revisit him and remember our day. There are so many other stories we could have learned from Ray.

A 1957 Chevy is engraved on Ray White’s tombstone.

Ray U. White passed away two years and two months after we met him, on October, 22, 2014, in the same house where he was raised.

Ray White’s cars are all gone.

What Did I Do?
I didn’t buy 25 acres along a busy highway to buy and sell old cars. Didn’t buy a junkyard, or hit the lottery either. But I did find another job and I learned that I could continue my old car adventures by making videos and writing stories about the people and the stories beneath the rust.

Thank you for reading and watching! Your comments and support is appreciated and drives us towards more adventures. 

Jody Potter

— Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

A new house was built on corner of Ray’s property that was lined with cars from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Watch Our Visit with Ray White

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Do you have a great story about a Junkyard or Junkyard Owner?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  
Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com

Lose Job? Buy a Junkyard

Watch: Pontiac Trans Am overload

A long way to go and a short time to get there! 

Imagine getting behind the wheel of your favorite car. One that begs for attention. It features a giant Bird screaming across the hood – an instant conversation starter at frequent gas fill-ups. You grab the steering wheel and hold on until you pull into an historic small town in Ohio. 

What is this place?

Your favorite car, the Trans Am, lines the streets in every direction. Do time machines exist?

Can't hide the excitement of landing in Tipp City, Ohio
during the Trans Am Nationals.

Largest Trans Am gathering in the world!

Tipp City, Ohio shuts down the roads each August allowing only Pontiac Trans Ams, Formulas, and Firebirds access to park during the Trans Am Nationals Saturday afternoon cruise-in on Main Street.

Crowds gather to Bird watch in the quaint town. Bustling with independently-owned shops, eateries, and art, Tipp City offers so much to explore, making it a one-of-a-kind destination for the ultimate Trans Am show.

Watch, drop a comment. We enjoy feedback!

Thanks for watching! 

Jody Potter

— Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Hood scoops on a second generation Pontiac Formula
abound along with hundreds of Firebirds and Trans Ams at the Trans Am Nationals.

Do you have a great story, a junkyard or a junky yard?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  
Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com

10 Reasons You Won’t Buy this 1978 Trans Am

Buy it? 10 Reasons Why You’re not gonna buy my 1978 Pontiac Trans Am. We rescued a W-72 Trans Am out of a field in north Alabama, where it had been parked for over 25 years. It sat under a tree with some other beloved Pontiacs.

1978 Pontiac Trans Am parked in field around 1996.
Numbers matching W72 400 engine, 3.23 posi, auto.

Background
The previous owner collected several Firebirds and Trans Ams when they were dirt cheap. Age and the elements have tried their dang best to pull them down to the dirt. Flat tires and rotting metal are no match against Mother Nature. Give this one a look. Lots of good parts. But I know, you're not gonna buy it!

Load it Up!
This 1978 Trans Am field find followed me home. I call him “Rusty” even though he was born in Platinum Silver paint. This era of "muscle cars” became a staple of teenagers, midlife adults, and those just wanting to have a kick in the pants on a Saturday night. As the years wore on, the abuse a “Bandit”-era Pontiac Trans Am received is unmatched in my opinion. Either mechanical issue, wreck or the idea of becoming a spectacle at the grocery store parking, these Big Bird emblazoned V-8 monsters faded from the roadways. Many T/As received refuge in mobile home communities-as best I can remember that is the final location of the last found-in-the-wild Trans Am used as a daily driver in unrestored and running condition.

Why the love?

I love Pontiac Trans Ams especially the 1970 thru 1981 body style known as the Second Generation of the F-body. The Trans Am lineage reached the summit when Burt Reynolds slid behind the wheel of a black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am in “The Smokey and the Bandit” feature film. Anyone who loves to put the pedal to the metal feels the urge to set down a spell and watch old Burt, Sally, Jerry Reed and Jackie Gleason should they walk passed a television set when that classic is in view.

Talk is cheap
If you buy one of Burt’s black Trans Ams nowadays, they cost a pretty penny! Mine is cheap, $1500. I know, I know. You're not gonna do it. But you’d be a lot cooler if you did.

Drop a comment. We enjoy feedback!

Thanks for watching! 

Jody Potter

— Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Crash, Fire on Day 4 Power Tour 2024

Crash, Fire! We had a parking lot collision, Speedycop's Glitchy VW bus suffered a wreck and massive damage and a 1923 Model T caught fire on the engine dyno! Leaving Louisville, Kentucky was harder than we thought on Day 4 of the Hot Rod Power Tour.

Waffle House seemed like a great place to get a late start leaving Louisville, Kentucky on the way to Hebron, Ohio but we were wrong. A collision backing up simultaneously cost us a dent in the quarter panel of our 1985 Chevy Monte Carlo SS. We decided it was a no fault accident after swapping info. But before we could get down the road, we heard that Speedycop's custom slammed and chopped in half orange Glitchy VW bus was rear ended by a dump truck and pushed into the back of a station wagon. Oh my! We are glad all were reportedly unharmed. Sad to hear about that VW, it was a sight to behold!

Drive on!
Onward to HRPT Day 4 stop at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio. We would be pushed to make it because of our late start. Despite some traffic snarls, we arrived before 4 pm and interviewed several Power Tour participants and learned about their vehicles, including a 1970 Dodge Super Bee, 1923 Ford Model T, 1966 Chrysler LeBaron, and a 1951 Henry J.

That's not fast, but...

We were surprised to spot the 1923 Model T, wheeled by a teenager, on the MuleTown Mobile Dyno and jetted over to watch. What a show it became! The straight 6 Chevy engine churned out 69 horsepower and lit up into a small fireball as oil and gas burned after the vintage hot rod backfired. (Note: never throw water on an oil fire.) All were safe after some cooler heads used a fire extinguisher. The Model T was rolled to a safe spot to cool down.

The Hebron, Ohio stop seemed to end too soon. We were hot and ready for some Taco Bell and a Mtn Dew Baja Blast Zero to end the day and laugh about the Waffle House dent in the Monte Carlo. 

Drop a comment if you see something interesting or have a fact about what you on our Power Tour journey. 

Thanks for watching! 

Jody Potter

Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Watch more Junkyard Life at the Power Tour.

Your views, and likes help us. If you got time, hit play on more of our videos – Thank You!


Do you have a great story, a junkyard or a junky yard?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  
Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com

Watch: Late for Work in a 1966 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron

Late for Work! Steve, an Indiana native, sat in the back of the 1966 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron at the Day 4 Hebron, Ohio stop of the 2024 Hot Rod Power Tour. Steve shared his memorable Late for Work story in the back of the long, black, beauty while seeking refuge from the heat. Outside the car stood his grandson and son, Terry, who now owns the car that his dad purchased in 1985. Someday Steve's grandson will become the third-generation owner of the 1966 Chrysler Imperial in their family. 

Steve shared the history of the car dating back to its original Amish owner, who purchased two 1966 Imperials equipped exactly the same brand new. Steve thinks the thirsty 440-cubic inch engine may have been the reason the car was eventually sold. In 1985, when Steve bought the car, the Imperial became his daily driver until he retired in 1995. 

This family, three generations strong, was enjoying their automotive bond with thousands of others at this year's Hot Rod Power Tour. They were a great example of family that can be shared and strengthened by spending time together enjoying classic cars and hot rods.

Thanks for watching! 

Jody Potter

Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Watch more Junkyard Life at the Power Tour.

Your views, and likes help us. If you got time, hit play on more of our videos – Thank You!