Over the last month or so I have been taking pictures of cars I spotted on the way home from work to post here. I thought about posting these on the end of Sled's thread but that's his thread so I thought I'd start my own and not hijack his. Not quite of the caliber of what Sled has posted but old iron and just on the other side of the river so much easier to get at. This first part is from a junkyard right next to a machine that eats cars and spits out little tiny chips. Fortunately, the owner seems to have some sense and has picked out a few to be saved and sold. The junkyard next door uses the three cars on poles to attract attention. The coolest of the three is one of those 30s wood paneled hearses. When I first saw it I though it was a LaSalle but it isn't. There is no make on the car anywhere, it just says "SS" on the grille. Anybody know what this is? Whatever it is, it's for sale. Problem is guys in Mexico love cars too and think they are worth bars of gold. When I asked the guy told me $10,000 for it. That of course is negotiable so if anyone really likes it I'm sure he could be talked down if you flash the cash. The Caddy was priced at $5000, again not worth it but I'm sure he'd negotiate. The next batch are in the very back of the lot, you have to walk about 1/2 a mile through the wrecked VWs and Toyotas to get to them but they are also for sale or parts. It was getting late so I didn't ask how much but they are much cheaper than the other three. I like the pair of 59 Impalas, looks like the two would make a nice one. All of these cars are engineless except the Dodge 440 and the caddy. Some of the engines are probably in the rebuild block pile in the front of the yard. I saw alot of the Mopar polyblocks in this pile. It's late so I'll post more of them later. I took alot of these starting right before the last tech week. Just too lazy to post them.
Here's a few more from the junkyard. When's the last time you saw a Power Wagon in the boneyard? Looks like it had a hard life.
the hearse is a 38 lasalle, I'm thinking... although the conversion companies often replaced the name badge with their own...superior, miller, etc
Those hearses are just TOO cool.Always did like that body syle.And the sidemounts are still there too!Had I not just bought the Fairlane....
The LaSalle looks like it. I think the coach company must have added the curved bars to the grille. Here's a couple more before I go to work. 1st one has been sitting in the`same place for at least 4 years, a Chevy I think. Looks like it's in great shape. I bet a knock on the door and an offer would get it. This Pontiac is just sitting out in the middle of the desert at a place that sells fenders and bumpers from the piles you see in the background. It looks like it was repainted not long ago, has a straight eight that looks clean and is a bit weird that it's there. I stopped and an old man came out of the remains of the building that are there. I started talking to him and asked if it was for sale and he said he'd ask the owner. He showed it to me and most of the bit you see missing are in the trunk in a box. Cholos had stolen the radiator for the copper. Went back the next day and he said the owner didn't want to sell, which is sad because now that the thieves know it's there, they'll probably strip it for scrap. I decided to try an experiment so I bought the (53?) Caddy fenders in the photo for $20 and stuffed them in the the little van I drive to work. These are about 4-5 feet long and completly filled the van. I drove up to the border and passed them no problem. No papers, no nothing other than the usual weird look you'd give a guy with old sheetmetal crammed in his car. I'll post some more later.
No, I didn't. I thought I saw a shadow of the Caddy "V" on the front. I have to confess, I don't know much about early 50s Caddilacs or Desotos for that matter.
It still has a desoto grille....and a mopar shape to the body...and caddy wasn't the only company advertising their V8 engines
Here's a few more: A Falcon Wagon, and tons of trucks. These 50s trucks are everywhere still in use. Mostly Chevys but you see some Fords and Dodges too. The nice red was was sitting in front of a house and took a picture as I drove by. I probably see 10 a day driving around. Check out the Suburban, I really like that one (what, about 55?) The Caddy hearse is probably a bit new for this board but I thought it was pretty cool. I love the roof line on this one. This has been sitting out in the desert in an area where squatters are taking over. There's no buildings around to ask who owns it so probably it's fate is to get stolen in the night for scrap metal. That's pretty common around here now that the price of steel is high
the suburban looks like a 56, notice the fender trim is above the body line...unlike the red truck, which is a 55. We used to travel in mexico a lot when I was a kid about 30-35 years ago, I really liked it, you'd see all kinds of "old" cars on the side of the road, abandoned, and then stripped for parts as people needed. "old" is relative, back then they were mostly 15-25 years old.
That's some impressive ID'ing there. I love the look of that truck. You still see abandoned cars a little bit but now a car disappears in a few days or weeks. I remember there was about an 88 Celebrity Wagon that was wrecked on the side of the road in the desert. I stopped to check it out and found a false panel in the trunk. All of the tires had been cut open and there was a couple of bullet holes in it. I guess someone really wanted whatever the driver had in it. Over the period of a few weeks the car gradually got stripped, the PJF would stop and just shoot at it and finally someone set it on fire. A week or so later you could see where someone had finally drug the carcass off for scrap. Most of the cars here are still 15-20 years old. I think 95% of the surviving cars from the 80s are here in Mexico. The old ones are usually ones that either don't get much use or have been behind a house for years.
If there are any 4-bbl or multi-carb intakes (or finned aluminum valve covers) for those polys, snatch 'em up - they're like freakin' GOLD here, fetching $400 - $600 per unit! ~Jason
OK, last little bit for a while (people around here expect me to work or something) I went to check on this Vespa scooter-truck on a stick I know about that's in front of a closed resturant (place was decorated with old cars, someone made off with the Model A and the 53 MG that were also out front) and I found an old shell sitting behind it I never noticed before (what is it, about a 25 T?). I took these photos and the ones of the green Pontiac showed them to the Customs guy on my way back and asked him what I had to do to cross them. He told me that all I had to do was cross in the "truck" line and they would inspect them to see if they are stolen and I could import them. He also said something about that they would give me paperwork to get a title!!??? I have seen people in line at the bridge with junkers on trailers so I know you can cross them. I had no problem crossing the parts.
That LaSalle hearse might be worth the ransom. Sure it's a lot, but damn that thing is cool. Looks complete too.
hi fiat128,looks like i started a trend here on Hamb,postin the mexican junk public... thanx to choose your own way,wich is cool anyway cause you're covering the very far north of the republic...don't go there often,anyway... Mexico is so big,there still stuff and places to be discovered.... just my humble opinion here about the cool hearse on the pole.... almost sure that is a Buick 36/37 hearse....99%....because i know a very similar one here in town in SHOW conds...cannot find any pic now,but will try to post it if i get some shots..... bur the hearse expert Revenend grimm 13 knows for sure...Rev,we neeed ya here.....post the truth,man.... hey ,keep postin the good stuff....SLED
Your post reminded me of a bitchin tow truck that I drive by every so often in Juarez. I also just realized I think this is an International just like yours! Let's go get it man!
Car hunting in Mexico is a blast isn't it? There is so much stuff over here laying around. I've got a ton more of these but I'll wait until Tech week is over to post the rest.
Hey, The Carved Panel Hearse, the one on the poles is a 1938 LaSalle. The "S&S" on the die cast grill, stood for Sayers & Scovill of Cincinnati Ohio. Professional car builder Sayers and Scovill built carved hearses , off and on, from the early 1900's to the post WWII years. Of all the proffessional cars collected, with the exception of flower cars, the carved panel is the most collectable. "IF" that vehicle could be returned to the U.S. ,10K may not be a bad value. A 100 point restoration would run in excess of three times that. Man, I hope it gets saved before it gets destroyed! Swankey Devils C.C.
I don't think it's in danger of being destroyed (other than sitting outside in Mexico on a pole) as the owner knows it's worth saving. I got tons of requests about it and will try to go over there on the weekend and talk to the owner and the US customs about what will be needed to repatriate it. There is no engine in the car and the sills are rusty but other than that it looks OK (I didn't see inside it because it's up in the air). Will update once I know.
The boom on that tow truck is so freakin tall that maybe we can get the truck running, go pluck that hearse off the pole it sits on and make a mad dash for the States and jump the Rio Grande ala Dukes of Hazzard. Man, I need to ease up on the tequila on my lunch break!
Damn dude, your cafeteria is better than ours! All I got was freaking flautas. I will be finding out exactly what it takes to bring a car over and then probaly buy a $100 junker and try it out (then I'll have something for Tech).
Did it have the same carving on the back door??If so,this is what it is,except stripped for some things like the carriage lights.. http://www.classicdreamcars.com/38LaSalleS&SHearse.html
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