Any good salvage yards left in Mo?

Anyone know if Johns Auto Salvage is still going

 

All gone. Crushed. Little town called Passaic south of Adrian on 71 highway

 

I think Passaic gone too Lookin for a 1950-52 Olds 98 rear bumper

 

Good question. I haven't been there for about 15 years when I drug this Power Wagon out of there and the fuel tank out of this '55 panel truck. I left the panel truck and many other treasures behind. If John is still in business, I could post some photos from the 90's that would have people beating down his door. It's Missouri, so everything was rough, but some neat stuff nonetheless.

 

Dad bought this at Riediger's in 1981. Shortly after Dad bought this '32 Franklin, a photo of it at Riediger's was published in a book about how to collect and restore old cars. The photo was their example of a car that, while rare, might be beyond restoration. The second photo proves how stubborn Dad is.

 

Schollmeyer's in the 90s

 

Photos from the 90s when he let us tour his yard and one when I just happened to see his tow truck at McDonald's

 

In 1988, I looked at a couple hundred cars on the east side of Fulton (past the state mental hospital). I think everything was gone by the late 90s. There were some step down Hudsons, but they were rough. I also remember a Wayfarer Roadster in there, but these are the only photos I have.

 

The best yard for buildable cars was Beck Motors in Freeburg. Old man Beck had a farm south of town where he would store used cars that he took in on trade. There were hundreds of cars from the 50s and 60s there. They started selling out around 1988. Within a few years everything was gone. There were no exotics and few sporty models-lots of four-door sedans, but you could drag a car out of there for $250 and be driving it around the pasture with little work.

 

One place that is still a going operation is Vance Auto Investments in Sweet Springs, right on I-70. He used to operate out of Bates City, where his inventory looked like this:

 

How about the one in Holt Summit?
All Type they had a bunch of car across the road from the main yard.

 

Yup. Still goin. Was there a few months ago.

 

That's good news. Is the Caballero still there? I always thought that was one of the coolest wagons.

 

Nope, never saw it. As I was looking at the 58 buicks anyway since that is the current project and I need stuff for it.

 

Nothing much to report of up here in KC area. Local yard did just crush a ton of old stuff in their "way way" backyard that had been sitting there for some time. I honestly didn't want to go there anymore cause every time I went, I saw more and more old skools getting crushed to make room for the newer stuff. Very sad.

 

When I was stationed at Altus AFB in OK back around '88 there was a huge salvage yard somewhere between Altus and Lawton. I forget the name of the place, but they had it divided into different makes (GM, Ford, Chrysler, import). More than I could see in one day. It was quite a place.

 

I'm glad. It deserved to be saved, and I already have too many projects.

The first thing I bought from John was the gas cap off this '63 S-22.



Then I went back for seats out of some of these Dodge trucks.

 

Gomad, so theres still a lot of old stuff? Lookin for 1949-52 Pontiac front bumper and 1950-52 Olds 98 rear bumper!

 

There's definitely a bunch of stuff left however usually the bumpers are junked from either wrecks or tow chains.

 

How 'bout an early El Camino?

 

LoL! Don't remember that one. But there was a 54 Caddy flower car sitting in the back.

 

Yes my grandfather John, still runs John's Auto Salvage in Cabool. He discontinued his Saturday hours, but it still open 8-4 Monday-Friday. 417-962-3237. He still has many treasures waiting to be discovered. I have many fond memories growing up in the yard. Digging thru the cars, and "pulling" parts. Grandpa John definitely instilled in me the love of chevys and hot rods.

 

Sure is