Howdy, I need to find some good iron to start a new project here in New Mexico. I am interested in anything from the early 30's to early 40's cars or trucks. Does anybody here have a good line on salvage yards or other places to start my hunt. Also looking for a few like minded Hambers in the state. It seems that Hamb members are a bit thinner here than in Mo., so let me know the skinny. Thanks, Kurt
Heck get on I40 and scout the right of way... seen a bunch when I went through there last summer! Plus there's less rust than MO has!!!
Used to be the Unsers was the place to go....we were in pretty good with em til Jr. moved his shop (his shop was next to ours) I actually got my 50 merc from him....last I heard though was they had crushed it out...
whoops I didnt mean to do that... anyway there used to be a yard off 2nd and giegos in abq that was owned by.....hmmm richard? nope thats not it....alvin? hmmm I dont remember diffinitavly I've been gone too many years, anyway it was 8 acres of heaven, newest thing in there was a 63 mopower....really heavy into the teens through the 50's, the problem, he wouldnt sell anything... when he sold his land a few years back for a couple mill, he towed it all out and transplanted it into belen I believe... lotsa good tin out there, me and pop been hauling two at a time to the east coast to support our habit a few times a year now...
Almost all the good old boneyards I ever knew of are long gone, I've been all over the state looking for old cars for 30 years. Too many of the small towns have force them out and crushed everthing. There is a yard in Alamagordo that still going, mostly 50's some 40's and a few very rough 30's. Did have a couple 39 Zyphers. Best bet around here is word of mouth, still a lot lurking in garages and backyards. Just bought a sweet 39 Ford Tudor, all there, DROVE it home, it was hiding in a garage 3 blocks from my shop. Give me a little more info on what you are looking for, being a rod shop I get leads all the time.
Unsers yard is gone, they sold the cars in this wierd way but at least they didn't crush. The other one Salty was thinking about was Lewis'. He moved to Morarity (30 miles east), does sell some but want major $$$ if it's any good.
Yeah I remember old Archie Lewis - got a '50 shoebox from him & a cab for my '46 Chevy pickup - everything else seemed about double the real value...used to be off Montgomery west of I25 near the old Biker's Paradise (when that was around)... I got my stuff from him probably 11 years ago - just back in town now - had heard he moved it all. Know where in Moriarty he is??
Can't remember the highway number, but, the road from Pie Town over to Alpine Arizona just before you get to the Az border on the north side of the road. Springerville Ariz on the east side of town, just before the curve going into town
Archie....thats the bloke... I couldnt remember his name...back 10+ years ago he wouldnt sell ANYTHING, hell you couldnt even get into his yard to look....If I'm remembering his yard correctly he was the one with attack ostriches...mean ****ers.... metalman, you work at mild to wild? (or are you the man himself, tony the man) I used to have a tan 50 chevy business coupe with a nose bleed front end I used to run around with for a number of years in Abq...ahhh those were the days, I got popped by RRDPS for doing 110 on a 45, only reason I got off was I was a firefighter there (and it was 3am) used to be a really sweet bone yard with reasonable prices about 45 min away from farmington in cortez CO...that yard got crushed out after they were nailed by the EPA a few years back (so I'm told)
Your best bet nowadays is to head down around Bosque Farms/Belen, south valley area. The boys down there have culled a lot of the hidden stuff and the best of it is around those towns, either for sale as-is or fixed up some to get them rolling or even running. You may pay a little more but you don't have to dig it out of an arroyo or flush the snakes and spiders out of it. I've also heard that there are tons of trucks down in oil patch country, Artesia, Lovington, etc. Probably lots of bullet holes in anything left sitting for long anywhere you go in the state...
There's a couple in Alamagordo, just north (?) of town off whatever the main road there was. If you do a search for the "Hot Rodding is Dead" thread on here, I filmed the junkyard stuff in there, and bought a bumper for my truck. I don't know what whole car prices were, but the parts were reasonably priced.
The one in Alamagodo I was at is on the main street just east of town, Has a 30 something Hudson on a pole for the sign. The yard next to it was closed when I was there. Unfortunatly the one west of town that had a lot of stuff was crushed over a year ago. To bad old boneyard don't get put on a historical register or something to save them. One man's eyesore is someone else beuity.
If you drive north of Alamagordo you come to Tularosa. There's a super nice couple there that always has old cars and parts for sale (and cool antiques). This place is visible from the road and that's where I bought my old tin. The fella's name is Glen Dunivan and his digits are (505)585-4425. Don't buy anything from him though because I want it all for me.
Yeah, that's who we were talking about in post #7 & 8. That pic looks like I remember his yard... It's said he'd never sell anything - usually because when you asked what he wanted for something, it was about 3 times it's value. I actually bought a '50 Ford Club Coupe from him back then (11 yrs ago) & a cab for a '41-46 Chevy/GMC truck (I'm pretty sure it was GMC). Probably paid slightly too much for the '50 - $2500 & the engine was shot, but got a deal on the cab $200. I was happy with both deals though. I'm going to have to drive out to Moriarty & visit!
Tularosa. Met a little old lady ( in her 80's atleast) from there. Told me she has a 35 Ford in her garage her late husband bought in 1957 and she wants to sell it. Like to died when I asked her if she knew what body it was and she said "oh yes, 3 window coupe".Unfortunatly she must be watching Barrett Jackson.
There are still some good projects around - I've had better luck finding them from private sellers than bone yards. Autotrader, ABQJournal, driving by, etc. Good Luck.
I was going to talk about those yards. I think the one your talking about is North 54 auto salvage. That place is incredible with a gang of old stuff! I used to love just to walk around that place. He had and probably still has rows of old trucks there. Also old fords, kaisers, lincolns, etc. A great place to find old stuff. The guy is kinda pricey and definately knows what he has. But a cool place indeed! There is also another yard on the other end of 54 that is apparently a gold mine of old cars. Apprently the old man p***ed and left it to his son who has no interest in cars. Unfortunately I haven't made it out that way since last summer. _T
I've seen a few places up north that seem to have plenty of stuff...One I can remember is on NM-68 somewhere in the Velarde area between Espanola and Taos...Might be one of those guys that don't want to sell anything though...You know how some guys are around here...There's also a few place on 4th Street in Albuquerque that I've seen...near Los Ranchos....I have a few friends here in Santa Fe that know a lot of people too that may have the things you are interested in....
Hey Kurt, Another NM member here; Just keep cruisin around..........you'll spot something soon! Are you looking for anything in particular? Take it easy, Dave
This guy is impossible to deal with. He'll sell stuff real cheap but he has no way to move anything and you can't get to it. He's never there either (go look at "Von's trailer sales" in town). If you buy anything from him rent a forklift or something and get it out right then and there. Otherwise, you'll never get up with him to get your ****. Ask me how I know this. Nice thing is that almost all of the cars are 40-50s. Not sure if "Wild Bills Wrecking" is still there on the other side (north)of town but he has some cool stuff and a running forklift to help you get it. I bought several cars from him. Somebody said Belem, there's a bunch of stuff up there too.
It may not be there anymore,but there used to be a good one in San Miguel NM.You could see it from I 40 if you looked down the mountain on the right as you went up the mountain.Had quite a few 30's at the time.But that was years ago.
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