Two for the Drive of One... Part Deux

On my return trip from the second junkyard, with power still in the camera, I mulled over the idea of returning to the first junkyard. I had missed taking pictures of all those amazing cars. I didn't know when I would return to the area. So I made up my mind and headed back to the first yard.

On my way back to the first yard I was going over in my mind what this guy is going to think. Here is some kid, not buying anything. Just coming in, walking around and leaving. He must think I am nuts! I guess I am a bit for doing it though.

I returned to the yard and walked in the main door. The older gentleman there says, "Weren't you here a few hours ago?" I nodded and said I wanted to take a better look at some stuff there. He said it was fine, another $2 to get in and away I went.

Sadly the yard had been crushing cars. A lot of stuff had been crushed from what I've seen and heard about. It had also rained for the past few days, so the entire place was just one giant mud pit. But I continued on.

With what power I had left, I would walk to a car, snap pictures of all the cars in the area, and turn the camera off to conserve power.

The first area had some sweet cars, Duster, Charger, 68 Mustang Fastback and a few others. They had obviously been sitting there for a while, so there must be more treasure in back.

I started wading my way to the back rows of the yard. Then I came upon a problem, the back of the yard was an actual swamp, with reeds and everything. It seemed hopeless to get to the good stuff I had heard about.

I decided to do the stupid thing, and jump from car to car, trying to get through the whole back area of the yard. And it worked fairly well; I made progress through the back rows. Slowly though at first, then I fell through a mid-70's Camaro roof, and decided to cut back my time out there.

That is when I found what I was looking for, the reason for me to come and almost kill myself. In the back of the yard, in the swap was a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, reddish orange, white stripe, white interior.

I was so excited to find the car. It had been there for decades from what I had been told. It now sat in the swamp, water all around it. There was no VIN number or fender tag to get anymore information about the car. But I was as happy as could be. It still retained some parts I needed for my 69 Charger.

I snapped all the pictures I could of the car without endangering myself and continued on my adventure out of the swamp. I made my way to the outer fringe where there was some semi-solid and began my final walk around the place.

I came across piles of classic cars, 50's, 60's and 70's car of all makes and models. In one row were a 69 Firebird, a Javelin and a VW Bug. You never knew what you were going to find out there and I stayed as long as I could.

I finally killed all the batteries I had in my camera and pocket. I explored for a little longer and then headed back to the front of the yard. I came back with the parts I had pulled from the Charger and a few other cars. The guy gave me a good deal.

I asked him if he knew when he would get to that Charger in the back row. He didn't know, and that he didn't answer the phone much and I would have to come back and see where he was at with the crushing.

I thanked him for letting me look around and said I hoped to be back soon.

I never did return to that yard though. I just never had an opportunity to get that far south with any real free time. I hope to return to that area this summer and re-investigate the car that I saw there, who knows. Maybe that 69 Charger is still there.

Too view all the pictures from this adventure, please continue to this web page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hemipwr70/sets/72157600546743312/

Ryan
HemiPwr70@aol.com

Two for the drive of one... Part One

I was browsing an online web forum when I came across a post about some junkyards in Illinois. So I begin reading the post and learn that there were some old junkyards south of the city with some real good stuff lying around.

After much researching the approximate locations, I finally narrowed down where the two junkyards were. I planned on a day in the next week to go. I got my camera all ready and my car all gassed up. The day came and I was ready to go.

I am on the road to the first junkyard and decide to check out my supplies, bottle of Diet Pepsi, map, print out of post of approximate location, and digital camera. I get to the digital camera and discover that the batteries were dead!

I didn't know what to do, turn around and return home? It took special AA batteries, would regular ones work?

I get to the approximate location of the first junkyard. It took me a while to find it though, very complicated area. By this time I still did not have a camera. So I just found the location and headed back to the highway to find the second one.

I come up to a gas station and needed to use the bathroom. I get in there and do my business, grab another pop for the road. I decided to grab some regular AA batteries for the hell of it; it might work in the camera.

I get in the car, get set to go and throw the batteries in the camera. I try to turn it on and SUCCESS! It worked, but only 25 minutes worth of power per set of batteries. So I would have to make them last.

I go through a bunch of small towns and finally come to the approximate location of the junkyard. I begin my normal search and question style. Hit up gas stations, auto part stores, etc... To see if anyone had any information about the whereabouts of this junkyard.

I get a lead on the junkyard from a young kid at a Shell Station in the town. I head out the direction he gave me and after a little drive and almost giving up hope, I found it!

I knew it was a good discovery when out front was a 64 Plymouth Valiant 4-door. I met the owner of the yard and he gave me free reign to look around, and I took full advantage of it.

Walking around was quite enjoyable to say the least. Mopars, Chevys, Fords, a little bit of everything for everyone. The first thing I came across was the enduro front end of what looked to have been a Firebird. The place was setup like a racetrack, with an outer circle and little roads between the outer drive.

I started with the outer circle to get an idea, and then began weaving in and out of the little roads. Around every corner was a different cool car. Road Runner here, 300 there. A smattering of Camaros and Firebirds.

The one that really made me stand up was a 1970 Cuda. It was limelight green, and was completely stripped. It had been there for some time, but it was in better shape then some of the other cars I had seen restored. I was able to grab the few remaining trim pieces on the car and documented it fairly well.

I came out of that yard with a sense of accomplishment. But something was missing in my day. The first junkyard was on my way home, I have a working camera now, why not go explore that one.

So after talking myself into another adventure, I went back to the first junkyard, too see what my camera had missed.

The rest of the pictures can be seen here-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hemipwr70/sets/72157600546430993/


Part Deux next week.

Ryan
HemiPwr70@aol.com

55 Shoebox in the Barn.

I got a call at work the other day for a guy looking for some brake stuff for his car. I ask him what kind of car, 55 Chevy 210.

I told him it sounds like a sweet car. And that I am big into those older cars. He starts telling me it has been in the barn for 12 years, the brakes are all fubar and needed to be replaced. I told him I would come out and look, see what all he needs and find the stuff for him the next day.

I go out to the farm, he is retired, but the son has an excavating company, the guys farm is nice, I will get pictures when the rain stops. So here in the barn was a nice 55 Chevy 210. 4-door, original inline 6, 2 speed auto, radio delete, manual steering, etc.... Nothing too special, the 55 needed a little work here and there, but nothing too serious.

Apparently, it was to be a nice cruiser those 12 years ago. It was sitting before that and the engine needed to be rebuilt. The owner and his son rebuilt the inline six and thought all went well. They started the car up, and it ran fairly well.

Sadly, though they didn't have time to break the engine in, and the car sat for a few weeks. When they started it up again, it was smoking the whole barn up. So they put a cover on it and put it in the corner for a rainy day.

It was last registered in 1995, but who knows how long it sat before that.I went through the brakes with him and showed him in our old car book that we can get everything he needed. So I ordered it up for him.

He doesn't know if he wants to keep it though, offered it to me for $5000. I cannot take on another project at this time though, my plate is full.The son seems pretty cool also, look at what was sitting behind the barn... When the rain stops, I will go and see this one again

Ryan
HemiPwr70@aol.com