I found two cars way out in the woods and snapped a few photos

I was Mountain biking where the old Mayberry Sanatorium that was is Northville, MI. The trail was muddy so I was cutting through the woods and ran into these two cars rotting. I checked the history of Mayberry Park to see how those cars might have got there. William H. Mayberry built this Sanatorium back in 1917 when 100 out of 100,000 people died from TB. He was like a Hot Rodder but with buildings. When the quote came in too high for the windows, Mayberry found glass X-ray plates would work for windows and got them for free from local hospitals. The window frames and doors for all the buildings came from the demolition of the Ponchatrain Hotel in Detroit. These were just two of the hundreds of ways this guy got the place built for hardly any money. By 1940 the death rate dropped to 41 per 100,000. The ironic part of the story was William H Mayberry died of TB at the Sanatorium he built. I think one of the cars was a early fifties Pontiac. I couldn't identify the upside down car. Sorry about the quality of the photos. I shot them with my phone. I figured the HAMB could tell me what kind of cars these are.
Mike TPG

 

dude are you running some old SCOTT A2's and a rock shox seatpost on that bike???


Thats a Yeti!!


Cheers and beers
Hodge

 

The upright one is a Chrysler,

 

My 51 year old back requires the Rock Shoxs seat post. I'm not sure what Scott A2's are. The bikes about 15 years old and has a Fox 125 RLC front fork and Mavic Crossmax Wheels. It's got a five year old XTR group on it. The frames got over 14,000 miles on it. Next to shooting cars it's my second favorite way to spend a day.
Mike TPG

 

I wonder if there is any chance that engine would be of interest to anyone?
Mike TPG

 

I'd put money on it that it is a 50 Chrysler Windsor and thats a 235 spitfire strait 6...not a money engine but they last forever and I bet it wouldn't take it a lot to get it running....lol

 

sorry flathead 6

 

Looks like a Yeti with loopstays? Oh! You mean the cars!


Try a Thudbuster, better than the RS post. And IMBA don't like you bushwhacking

 

Looks like you found a 265" Chrysler 6 from the front bumper the car looks like a '52 -'54. The car model is a Windsor. If the block is not cracked there are some Mopar guys who would like a big 6.

N B R

 

I've only been up that way once. I didn't know what it was but thought it was a cool assed old building. Thanks for the history lesson, Mike.

 

I wonder how it got out there. It was in a really strange location. There are no roads anywhere close today. If some one wanted it. I could drag it out of the woods with a sled and a come along. It would take a while, at least 12 beers.
Mike TPG

 

I didn't want to ride, I had to ride. I didn't want to mess up the trail. I'm not good a following rules, ask my ex-wife.
I'll have to try the Thudbuster, the RS post is played out.
Mike TPG

 

I ride down Hines Drive all the time but I've never ridden at Mayberry. You'll have to show me the trails there this spring.

 

no wonder the flipped one is shagged,it has a 9" in the rear or is it? Pontiac maybe?

 

Here's some shots of a 47' that's been restored.
Mike TPG

 

They've got some crazy trails there. I've seen you cross country ski. You'll like them.
Mike TPG

 

Yeah, but why LEAVE it after all the effort to flip it?

 

It looks like it could be dragged out of the woods.
Mike TPG

 

I'm going to say possibly 57-8 Ford Custom by the rear end, leaf hangers and the rear bumper guards.

The one on its lid.

 

Here's a Buick that I shot while warming up to shoot Johnny Rotten's Chevy II for Hot Rod. Johnny's barn cats sleep in that car.
Mike TPG

 

Just picking on you Mike! What is your seatpost Dia.? I may have a spare post for you to try.

 

It's a 27.2 That would be pretty cool. All my friends have dual suspension bikes. I'm the last hold out. I'll bet you have some good riding in the Black Hills.
Mike TPG

 

Something tells me you know a lot about six cylinder engines.
Mike TPG

 

I've always wanted to find some old car while out MTB.....

Stick with the hardtail!...unless there's some really rocky downhills around your parts full suspension's are for pussies.

 

I had been ridding within 100 yards of those cars for 15 years without seeing them. The trails were muddy so I was free ranging.
Mike TPG

 

The Chrysler is a '53

 

Thanks, you saved me a trip to the Detroit Library.
Mike TPG

 

I have to agree...overly complicated, expensive and heavy too. A couple of my old school steel trail bikes don't have a front suspension either.

Whatever happened to just lifting up off the seat for a sec when you saw bumps coming? That's what cyclists have been doing for years and your legs are the best suspension you have. When you see a bump flatten out your pedals to the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and lift a bit.

Suspension seatposts can do more harm than good. They change the pedal to seat relationship and that could cause hurt knees. Whenever you pedal with your seat too low it's not good.

 

I'd think that it would be worth the effort to get that smooth-back 9" Ford and put it to good use.
r

 

Great guess!? The photo says Spitfire on the cylinder head........