5,000 mile Junkyard Adventure Vacation Western USA GNW and Canada

The 5,000 mile journey with the pickup early to mid October

Here's the deal need a 53 or 54 Studebaker hood for my coupe
what's a good vacation without seeing some yards along the way any tips on 1950's junkyards would be appreciated

Question about bringing auto parts you bought in the U S on my trip into Canada and going back to the U S with the same parts any problems at Canadian & U S Customs? or if you buy a part in Canada bringing it back to the U S? Thanks for any info on this

Were leaving on a 5,000 mile trip from Minnesota 1st stop Hot Springs, South Dakota on to Yellowstone Park into Idaho Falls to Salem Oregon to the Oregon central coast to Seattle up I-5 to Vancouver Island to Vancouver British Columbia, Alberta & Saskatchewan
leaving Vancouver on Hwy 1 going to Hwy 2 , Hwy 3 and Hwy 4 into from Moose Jaw down to Shelby Montana on to Glasgow Montana into North Dakota on I-94 & back to Minnesota on 94

post or pm what you have Thanks

 

remember to bring your passport and get a receipt for the parts you buy up there.

last time up I forgot both, US customs can be stringent.

 

If you dont have your passport they might not let you back into your own country.......but you can come into ours without it , no problem !

 

Let me know if you want to stop in MooseJaw and I will give you a tour of the tin farm. We have an extra room if you need it. Taking parts south shouldn't be a problem. Just declare your parts on the way up. Pat.

 

Passport for sure. US customs is anal about them.

 

When you coming through? I am In the Rapid City-Hot Springs area.

 

Thanks for the info and concern on the passports the last time we were in Canada was Thunder Bay Ont. just drive in and out with a drivers license

this time we had to put the rush on the Passports the expedite cost $60 each by the time we were done the passports total costs was $485 because we moved the trip up to Canada by a month

- update we applied for the passports on Aug 23rd they came today Sept 4th
the $120 charge to expedite them paid off

Paul my friend Rob in Seatac Washington has some bare seat springs for the 50 Olds he's giving me maybe a bill of sale would work?

Tman were going to stay in Hot Springs might look up the guy i bought the 61 Catalina from just down from the Mammoth dig in town, i think when i picked up the convertible we went to All Stars cafe? the food was good, going there again if that's the right place

Pat, that sure is a mighty nice crop of iron your growing at the tinfarm
might be able to swing by were going through Moose Jaw in to Shelby Montana then east to visit, a lot of where we go depends what time we come through

one thing guys have been telling me is don't bring a gas can with, was thinking about it for an emergency but not sure now

 

PM me with you details times etc.

 

IT is slightly out of your way (on the way back), but if you go almost due North there is a great yard, Va Va Voom garage, that has lots of good stock. I did two posts after visits - the second and most recent is:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490008&highlight=boneyard+lots+of+cars
The first thread is listed in my first post in this one, along with the owner's (Bill Harrison) telephone number (sorry, I don't have it to hand). It also lists his web site that has a reasonable list of his stock. In the first thread Boyd Who? lists another yard close by.
Va Va Voom is about an hour west of Winnipeg not too far from the US border. There are lots of 'photos in the thread but he also has an orderly stock of hoods, fenders etc.
There are about 500 cars there, early Ts, some '30s and 40s, more 50's and up to late sixties, one or two early seventies.

 

Geordie Vincent's yard is in Neepawa Manitoba, a couple of hours NW of the Va Va Voom yard hasty mentioned. If you ever make it up this way I can probably get you a tour of the yard.
http://www.northwestcoin.ca/gvcars.html

 

If you are a fan of the show "Corner Gas" the show was shot in Rouleau Saskatchewan, a small town on highway 39 between Moose Jaw & Weyburn
All the outside buildings are still there.

 

US/Canadian Customs - As far as parts

I'll be buying and getting auto parts for free in US and taking them into Canada and bring the same parts back into the US

any problem with hand written bill's of sale? and a statement for the free bare seat springs?

never had to deal with customs before, i'm not sure if i'll buy parts in Canada

 

Thanks for the tips and info, were making a manifest for our U.S. items were bringing into Canada and bringing the same items back to the U.S. might be overkill but well worth it then time at border if that's required
big time traveler as you can tell

I'll be stopping at some Hamb'er all depends on the time of day
Tman i'll give you a call when were near Hot Springs are first stop
upper Western state & Canadian guys on the route will see how that plays out, Thanks for all the invites & pm's

Four days and a wake up still haven't unloaded the truck from the last trip

 

If you will be getting down near Phoenix Arizona here's one:
http://www.dvap.com/
Don't let their home page fool you, it is not near Four Corners...
Some pix I took there three years ago...
http://lakeboon.com/dvap.htm

 

On your drive back hit up Minot N.D. Hwy 2 east side of town. Some interesting yards with a lot of old stuff & easy to spot on the north side of the road.

 

beware.....kustom & customs are different.
be safe & enjoy . Post pix .

 

Since your coming thru Yellowstone and Idaho Falls you'll pass by with in a mile from my place.
If you are going from Pocatello to Boise on I-86/84 there is a great yard in Wendell Id. They have over 10,000 cars from the 30's to the 90's. Wendell is between Twin Falls and Mountain Home. I spent about 5 hours there one day and didn't see everything.

Their site;

www.llclassicauto.com


Here is a link to the pics I took
http://rides.webshots.com/album/574438529ygwcoU

 

Two days & a wake

Off we go on our trip at 7am Central that's the planned departure time to Upper Western States & the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada

I really want to Thank all you guys who have posted and pm'ed me with information on yards and guys to contact along my way

Many South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington & Canadian guys many others not on my route this trip, printed your phone numbers & contact info

there will be Hamb stops new friends to meet and old friends in the Pacific Northwest
parts to pick up and hopefully i'll find my 53 Studebaker hood in the ditch making a stop in S.D. to square away the 53 coupe title

Got help on the Hamb & the Studebaker forum, where to go for adventure and sightseeing, not sure if i'll have online access along the way?

Again I Thank all of you

 

Most hotels out here have free wifi

 

Indoor plumbing also. LOL

 

Update

With 15 hours to go before we left on this epic journey that was planned for a year
months of finding places, route & sights to see

it Happened

My wife sustained a old disc injury some how
pain and numbness set in, sitting or laying down was not a option

off to the first ER for 8 hours then home only to head to the second ER in Minneapolis were she still is
pain pills are helping but there no clear cut answers

5,000 miles of sitting in the truck would now be impossible


Just canceled all the reservations

bummed out can't stop and visit with some of you guys
should be sitting down talking to Tman right now in South Dakota

Got to take care of what matters her health and well being come first

maybe next time?

 

Next time, best wishes to her..

 

Tough break, offer still stands any time. Give me a shout. We are 11 hours out of St. Paul. Hope your wife recovers ok. Pat.

 

Aww damn, that really sucks! I hope your wife has a speedy recovery.

 

There will be another time. You've got your priorities straight. Good luck to your wife.

 

A Big Heart felt Thanks guys

5 MRI's so far & a lumbar spinal as of today 9/30/10

going down to see her tomorrow they might have some answers?

Thanks again for the offers along the way on the trip, maybe next time


latest update Saturday 10/02/10

with a mixture of dozen MRI's, Cat scams & Ultra sounds everything so far has been Negative

her doctors now believe the FLU shot she got 4 days before leaving on the trip caused a severe reaction

again they just think this might be the cause, there are some tests that take a week or two for results

she still in the hospital most likely will get out Monday the 4th?

 

Hey ZZ-IRON,

You've got your priorities straight. As for now, please take the advice of one of my favorite mentors: "Just keep doing the next dumb thing in front of you."

After the sun comes out again, all of us HAMBers will still be here with our free advice, and our favorite tin farms, museums and destinations will still be ripe for the pickin'. We can still bench-race right here for the time being.

Best of luck to you and yours!!

mr50s

 

If you looking for a 53' Stude hood, there is a guy in the KC area that has TONS of post 53' Stude cars and parts. Pretty sure that he will not ship, but it shouldn't be a big trip for you from up north.

Chris

 

just got the word

going down to the hospital to pick up my wife in a couple of hours

as far as the trip, we received refunds on all lodging that was non-refundable and this is a big deal

will see how recovery goes, with luck we can set out on this adventure sometime next year

 

If you come thought Gillette, WY on I-90 look me up. Even have a junkyard, but most of the old stuff is just mine or my brothers personal collection, but still entertaining to walk though.