junkyards are CRUSHING everything-get it while you can !

Sure, the old style junkyards are going away. Here is a sampling of what I saw in my 175 mile drive today to retrieve my A frame and banger.

29 Closed Cab Pickup
31 Closed cab Pickup
53 Desoto
Several tri Five Chevies
Dozens of 40s-60s cars
31 Sedan
35 5w coupe body

These were all in various places between my house and a pals farm. All privately owned stashs. Kinda blew me away wehn I realized how much is around.

 

Dunno about the US, but up here in the Great White North another contributing factor is that the enviro-nazis are making life ugly for guys with yards. They're sooo concerned about what might leach into the soil and contaminate the ground water... Hell, in most of the old yards the cars have been dry for decades. But the yard owners are afraid of big fines and with s**** prices high, crushing makes sense.

A big old yard east of me (Elliot's) was crushed a couple years ago. They kept a collection of restored cars (inside a pole barn) and a couple dozen pieces from the yard (military vehicles, V12 Lincoln) and s****ped the rest. Much of the stuff in the yard had deteriorated pretty badly (comon up here), but it was a shame to see it go.

 

Good things come to those who wait...

 

As Arnie from Cali would say: I WILL CRUSH YOU!

Good thing I don't live there anymore!!!!

 

I just hope I don't end up getting a recycled 32 ford Chinese bomb dropped on my head ... I'd much rather go out w/ my ashes released from a top fuel wing at 300 mph...

 

I like to look at the flip side, those of us that have secured true pieces of history will be glad to see the values go up, uP and UP as old iron is pushed flat & melted down, yeah it's sad but thats life. alot of the old timer's that own yards that I know collected all there lives and although they are constantly told "man your sitting on a gold mine" by local hot rodders & car nutz, they have yet to be millionairs or sitting in the lap of luxury. And to boot most guys want to steal the stuff for pennies on the dollar. so in a way I'm glad the old yard owners are getting some well earned cash and if some car guys don't like it they can step up to the plate and save all the cars on any given lot and save them from crushing.
I'm not a fan of exporting the s**** steel it should atleast stay here in the USA, china may just be using it to build there military to fight with us one day????

these are just my opinions, not trying to step on other hamb'rs toes or start a fights, nor will I debate with anyone.

 

Boys, you can't save em' all. Just be thankful for what you can get and don't spend time worrying about stuff you have no control over. Ther are still lots of cars not being crushed, you just gotta look.

 

This is an interesting post. We have just hauled 22,000 pounds of random s**** steel in due to the high prices. This is just for junk sitting around here and there at work, but after loading the car trailer up several times, we made almost $3,000.00 on the junk.

The place we take it to here has a sister company in China and they ship most of it out...

At least we didn't s**** any cool cars or parts...

 

This Yard is 15min away from me and I am going next weekend I will have a good look and report back. Rob.

 

if anybody is crushing a 1939-46 chevy/gmc truck let me know?thanks

 

Sounds like my last trip to Washington, to visit my inlaws.
Had an old yard out there like that with probably 500+ cars (75% were 20+ years old in the mid 90's).
Went back looking for Comet parts and all cars, older than the mid 80's, were crushed and gone.
Second yard I went to was closed with ALL cars crushed.
Made me sick as walking around that yard was a step back in time.
Hell, half the cars on the road out there, in the mid 90's, were 20+ years old.
Now its all Mercedes, Lexus etc. with the huge influx of yuppies from California.

 

The Comet below was on the side of the road here a week ago.
They didn't even put a for sale sign on it.
Sat 6 days then went to the crusher.
I was going to put a note on it asking for the windshield, but didn't get the chance. Only was able to snap a few pics.
Later I found out that the guy is pulling the cars, out from the back 40, and the s****per is picking them up one at a time.

If you see a nice car for sale cheap, you better pull the trigger. If you lollygag too much the s****per will drive by and offer cash.
Especially if you need some hard to find parts off it such as gl*** or trim.

That's what is starting to happen here at an alarming rate.

 

her in our area im getting about 150/ton for our s**** cars, about to start kutting and spliting grades apart

 

Even that might not be an option.

As more people are starting to find out about these prices, they are dragging the old cars out of the woods, and the s****per is picking them up. Check my previous post.
You better buy what you need now, especially if you can get a ***le.

I just decided to keep a car for a father son project, that I was going to sell with a great body, and he's not born till June.
Just thinking ahead.
I already have about 75% of the parts needed to restore it and I'm actively looking for the rest.

Some naysayer will tell you all this has happened before, but it hasn't and once they're gone they're gone. Period.

There are signs everywhere, around here, saying
"We'll haul off any car for $50 or We buy old cars for $75."
Pretty enticing for an old woman with "junk" cars in and behind the barn.

 

I have posted about this before. We have about 300 old cars trucks. I dont intend to crush any for a number of reasons.Mainly i hope to use them to retire with. We are trying to sell projects and some parts. We have decided that in 4 or five years to have an auction and sell all but a few keepers. That way hobbist will have a chance to buy them all they will have to do is outbid the crusher man. However i have become quite jaded at guys that just want to buy for nothing or want to come look and waste my time when they dont have a pocket full of cash. Remember the next time you see an old car or a collection. Dont even bother to stop if you dont have cash or dont intend to buy that day. The old saying cash talks bull walks is now more true than ever. That crusher man has plenty of cash OldWolf

 

You sound like me.

I still have about 200, with a third of those being complete donor cars (pre 1975 big engined cars), it's really tempting to s**** all of those. 60 cars at $500 is $30g, that'd be nice.

 

I just crushed a junk 60 merc comet and a 71 ford truck today, got a 64 galaxie on the trailer ready to go next. I'm keeping the good projects and crushing the rusty junk. Ron

 

And, for those of you who don't want to share any information about your favorite "private" s**** yards, please at least let fellow HAMB'ers know where they are, because you are only "saving" those rare parts for the Crusher.
We should put together a list of the few remaining s**** yards, so we can all try to salvage whatever parts we can.

 

I have allthe cl***ics left over from my wrecking yard that I left. That will be closed in a few months I think. there are at least 15 different people advertising locally to pick up junk cars, and they are paying $300-400 for complete ones. 2 years ago, I would be able to buy 20-30 junkers at the police impound for $150 each. Now the same **** is $400.

There are probably hundreds of guys combing my local area looking for s****. Cars, appliances, etc.

I look at my 100 or so cl***ics, and I see how much I could get to mash them, but I won't until all of them are completely stripped.
The thing is, if I said I was crushing, and everyone came to save stuff, they would want to pay pennies for it.
Not that I would not let it go like that if someone needed it, or to save it, but MOST ****ERS SIT ON THEIR HANDS until it comes to that, and its too late. The vultures are always circling looking to pick up stuff for nothing.
If you want it, step up and buy. A local guy is crushing somewhere around 1000 cars real soon. Not too much cool stuff there, but there is some. I'm trying to save the old stuff, mostly trucks.
Save what you can, but you cannot save them all.

 

It doesn't help that most localities now have laws on the books that restrict the outdoor storage of unregistered vehicles. Even if you want to save a decent old car from the crusher....some PITA neighbor will report you to the authorities and you'll be forced to get rid of it.

If ia vehicle is 25 years old or older, it should be considered an antique and not be subject to the outdoor storage restrictions. If it is 40 years old or older it should be protected...kind of like endangered animal species or historical buildings. Someday, historians will be sorry more of the vehicles of yesterday were not saved from the s**** crushers.

 

Why, are they to rough to sell? The Comet and the Galaxie are two cars I'd like to have if they're 2drs and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

****, I don't even mind four-doors.

 

Man people who s**** usable cars for 300 ill never understand . At least strip them or try to sell them. . If there junk and smoked then i can see it and i do it to , But when there good i always can get them sold

 

the old cars and parts are valuable- someone just drove in from out of state New Jersey, and gave me $550 for a 1968-72 A-body (Lemans) frame I saved, it was sitting outside for 15 years- it was starting to get pinholes around the back wheel area on one side. I also had a second A-body frame, cut off at the front door hinge area on each side- to make an engine cradle on casters from the K-frame. He bought the back part of 2nd frame for $50 and threw that on top of the first on trailer.

$550 for a frame and a half.

if the yard owners were smart, they'd pull all frames/engines/trannies, organize/inventory them, and sell- the problem with the old yard owners is, they are not net savvy- can't blame them they are used to bricks/mortar business- but if their stock was advertised and marketed aggressively on the net, they'd make MORE than crushing the cars. The last place I was at, I was tempted to make the yard owner a business offer, I'd list his cars on the net, to save them from crusher- and we'd both make more money than him crushing them. My friends and I easily make $2000-2500 parting a complete pre-1970 car, we Ebay all the parts, and box them up and ship them worldwide.

the guys that crush hundreds of cars, are actually leaving a lot of money on the table in most cases, but don't realize it- by taking the quick fast money. I think they may regret it someday, when an engine block is selling for $2000 for a seized one, and a frame is selling for a grand- the money they got for crushing out is going to look like chump change then. Reality flip side is, everyone has to live and eat now- these guys are paying bills and taxes and car payments on this money- it's their livelihood. To many, if they did not crush every year at least a few hundred cars, they'd have very little income. One local yard crushes 30 cars a month regardless, it's what they live on- do the math- they are making $8-10K/month gross, then paying taxes/overhead/bills, and the family gets by.

the guys that hold out and keep their stuff, are going to make the really big money when the market comes back.

I hyper-extended myself already, saving what I could. With what I spent on junk cars and engine cores in the past 3 months, I could have paid someone to paint my GTO and have it really cherry looking- oh well... I forgot to mention, I also saved a '66 Riviera with 425 nailhead/th400 switch pitch- that one cost me $650 total, after ***le/towing.

anyone need a 425-4bbl nail w/Qjet/intake and th 400 ? well I got one complete carb to pan, fan to tailshaft- it's seized but is rebuildable- PM me if you need one

the problem is this- the economy is down, energy costs are hurting everyone, so not as many hot rodders are building cars now- the ones that are built, are not being driven as much- and not as much money around to save cars/parts from crusher- but the crushers have plenty of money to scoff it all up and press it out flat

 

how right you are,my friend,.i may be young,but that dont mean im lazy and stupid .these yards hold the history of the past,the 1st owner's dream.people dont know what theyre doing by crushing these things that were once beatiful m***es of iron,steel andlike most cars dont have today,STYLE.thats right people,these cars have that now-forbidden s-word.look around the damn s**** money,look at the history.please for the younger generation.
Troy

 

C'mon kids, lets get real here. It's about the $$$$ isn't it. How many of you truely lose sleep over a bunch of unrestoreable 4dr, low option, low-dollar, couldn't begin to ever make sense of saving, rotted out, rodent-laden cars? "Oh man there's a 39 so-n-so about to get crushed and..." and it needs to. Probably not a 39 Packard, 39 Zephyr, or really a 34 Ford. No it's a low-buck 39 Plymouth with no grille, bumpers long gone, engine sized and rotted through head, carb is almost dust. Most cars were cheap low end models that were commutors for the average family. How excited can one get trying to go after a clapped out 4dr post model 63 Ford? They're not all 63 1/2 fastback Galaxies. They are what they are...JUNK!! Once in a while those of us that do restore and keep these things get lucky and get our mitts on some cross-over parts from the granny versions. Sounds like some of you on this post make a habit and some hotrod funding doing just that. Thank you. I'm glad you have the time and I'd gladly pay fair market since you put in the time to gather "inventory". But I can't see waxing nostalgic about what's getting crushed. Ever since my 1st trip to the 'yard with dear ol Dad they're mostly the ones nobody wanted then let alone now. Sometimes we gotta do what needs to be done.

And I wouldn't be concerned with China dropping bombs on us. They'll be happy to have an economic war. WTF do you think they're trying to do now? And since so many of us think that way, keep it here, push it in your local communities. It's called democracy, right?

FWIW I make a living saving old cars. Have 2 of my own and soon to get another. Some of it is future resale fodder to pay for the others. None of em are 4dr post cars. Not wanting to **** on anyone that has one, but I'd wager not many are frame off restored specimens. Just clean survivors. Getting back to the $$$$ end of it, you can't even paint a low dollar car for what it's worth done unless you do it yourself, and even that's a stretch in some cases. Thanks for saving whatcha can but don't worry 'bout whacha can't stop or change...worry about whacha can change.

 

im just happy that i have a good selection to pick through at my farm.

 

you hit the nail there, even a rusted out '48 Chevy sitting down low in the mud, looks majestic to me with that front grill chrome and long fenders back into the doors- how could anyone even watch while that is being crushed ? to me crushing that is a crime and a horror

if everyone for today, they'd have taken down the Pyramids in Egypt and melted down all King Tut's stuff too, to get the gold

some things are worth keeping regardless of value as metal- I'm with you on this

there is one upside to this- the yard owners seem to be very negotiable on price lately. If you just want drivetrain parts, i.e. engines, the average engine weighing 600-700 lbs.- well they know they can get between $60-100 for it crushed. So they can be reasoned with, saying hey- you can get $100 crushed, I'll give you $200 or $250

same with cars- look up the weight of the car, if it's 3500 lbs.- that's $350-500 crushed value- offer $600 and he's making more than crushing it

and don't offer $200, or he'll laugh at you, or throw you out- they won't argue with getting more money than s**** value on anything now

 

Just have to chime in,couldnt let it go any longer.If everyone is so concerned about saving this stuff,why is there a post about Desert valley charging so much ($75) for a door gl*** and everyone is up in arms what a bunch of ***holes they are? In Canada where I am at we pay $20-25 per hour for dismantlers,so if I send someone ouy to remove a door gl*** for a customer we need to charge $ 75 to maintain ANY profit in doing this.We have 2500 vintage cars in our yard so crushing them makes way more sense,but I wont do it because someone needs to save these thing for future generations . If people are looking for old parts,accept the fact that they may have a higher cost than in the past.The EPA regs are crazy .Insurance alone costs us $ 1500 a month.I am not meaning to sound like a big whiner,just that this is the way it is.
As far as ebay goes,you can make money seeling small parts if you dont factor any labor into it,I have done it and done the math after with labor factored in and it barely broke even.There is no easy answer to any of this,no right or wrong.Whatever the market will bear and right now the market is in s****.Thanks for listening,sorry if I sound negative.