One more thing I remembered. The town I was hatched in down in Texas has that "City Beautification" Law and sends stuff to public auction. Well stuff 1967 and earlier is only sold to those with a salvage license! Oh, and it always goes CHEAP! I hate beaurocrats!!
If you want to know where all our scrap iron is going a shit load of it is just going to offshore refineries and getting shipped right back to US!I worked for several years for Buffalo Tank Company they had 5 different plants across the country and at one time were a division of Bethlehem Steel before the "Monopoly"break ups took place eventually Bethlehem Steel sold off the rolling mill tooling to Japan and closed the plant our steel came from in the US.This happened long before I went to work for Buffalo Tank in Greendale Mass.All our steel was imported ,NOT because we wanted it that way but because the steel sheets we needed were now only produced in Japan!At one time Buffalo Tank was the biggest manufacturer of storage tanks on this continent.Chances are EXTREMELY SLIM we will ever see a new steel refinery built on U.S. soil The "not in my back yard" crowd will see to that!Not long ago one of the biggest U.S. steel manufactures attempted to either reopen an existing plant or build a new one and met so much resistance they ended up going off shore to build a new facility.The U.S.powers that be also helped kill our company at one point restricting the Import of steel We were at the height of production around 88 when the laws got passed to replace every underground storage tank nation wide with double wall tanks.We had so much work a company called Clean Harbors that we had 20 flat bed trailers going constantly a tractor would come in drop an empty and hook up to a loaded trailer and get right back on the road leaving empty trailers for us to load was faster than waiting for us to load a truck as it came in.Remember now most of our materials were coming from out of the country because it was no longer made here.This is right about the time our Government decides to restrict Importing of raw materials.Our company had it's supply of materials frozen at the height of production !We could not Buy our imported goods with orders good for more than 2 years production we got shut down because we couldn't get materials.there was a Canadian company that opened a facility in Vermont shortly before this that was taking orders away from us and our company tried to fight the fact they were buying their materials from the same suppliers we were and were therefore importing steel when we could not!Through all the legal action we learned that they were not "Importing" merely moving materials between their facilities!The fact that the Canadian parent company imported it didn't matter they were not under U.S. import restrictions.SORRY! kind of a long winded explanation of how I/We that worked there know that most of what we scrap comes right back to us here in the U.S. and why.All of the metals being used by us in Iraq is driving up the need and the price !there is an engine builder here that has offered 800$ a piece for "Good cores"for GM 5.4? diesel engines they can't get enough of them to fill their government contracts as none are coming back from Iraq
Wow, I've never heard this explanation before. Anyone else have any other views? I think these posts are a small but important part of getting a grip on what's happening to industry in this county and ultimately the American lifestyle.
Yes, yes, and correct. Even the "conspiracy theory" holds some water, but keep in mind that its not just us guys with old rusty cars. I know it "feels" that way but thats just bc thats what affects US, but "the man" looks at a wrecked 95 lincoln in a front yard just the same as he does a rusty 55 lincoln, they're both crusher bait to him. Dont believe me, just go get a couple of old non running Berettas or something and drop 'em off in the yard and you'll see what I mean. My father has worked for Commercial metals Corp. for years and I know where all this steel goes....overseas. And yes, the "not in my backyard" crowd IS the reason that so many companys leave the U.S. It sickens me to listen to people constantly complain about rising cost and how nothing is made in America anymore, just dont ask these same people if they'd approve new industry in their hometown!!!! Alot of the scrap fever out here is fueled by a slow economy as well, its "easy" money. Sooo...we combine the effects of a slow economy with the push by local, state, and national governments to "clean up" alot of people are suddenly consumed with "community pride".
I've got 5 or 6 cars here that I need to finish picking clean and then they'll get scrapped as soon as the snow melts. $220 a ton this past week for sheet iron/car bodies, that's amazingly high. When I go to a junk yard, I buy as much stuff as I can afford, whether it's to use it or resell it. Those yard owners need to be making money on the shit or it's not worth it for them to sit on the stuff. And if there's something valueable laying around, then get it now or it'll be gone the next time. I'm with RustyNewYorker, I have hoards of shit and I try to buy and sell constantly. The more good parts that get pulled and resold, the more cars that can get finished and parts that stay in circulation.
absolutely the way to go. i have junk in three different places,the largest being 1.5 acres. sometimes i can't afford the asking price at the comercial yards but i'm constantly on the look for interesting stuff everywhere i go . i never sell to comercial yards unless the only use for the metal is a ride to the smelter. always keep the good stuff to use or sell to other people with the same affliction for old stuff. if you really want to be able to keep playing in the future, save what you can and join organizations like SEMA ACTION NETWORK to aid in the fight against mandatory scrappage programs.
Some scrappers came by fellow HAMB'r Splinter's house (We live two blocks away, I like to go bug him to do work.) while he was gone. Some of the mexican guys are pretty nice about it, asking if stuff is trash or not.. Didn't even realize his '29 ford was sitting next to a couple pipes.. I hate the street address painter people, the ones that offer to paint the numbers on your curb.. I went around with a striping brush and some one-shot and did a few of my neighbors. Spent about 45 minutes on each and made five bucks.. Oh well, atleast it's better than running around with stencils for 20 bucks like said painters.
There is a new thread titled bad day in montana. We need to be aware of the behind the sceines events taking place wich if they continue on the present course will destory america as we know it
Hey guys I'm all about supporting the yard owners who sell the good old parts but I don't blame them when they sell out. After-all, WE are killing THEM. Everytime we find a stash of cars or parts or know of a cool yard and don't tell others about it 'cause we want to keep it all for ourselves, even if we don't have 2 nickels to rub together, we ruin it for each other. This "my little secret" attitude will be a huge cause of small yard failures and parts costs increase. It is a given. Also when you know a guy with a pretty solid car for sale and won't tell your friend who is looking for one 'cause you are waiting for your ship (which is already sunk) to come in so you can have it......You get the point here? I ain't talking about keeping a secret if you want to and are trying to buy something. That's cool, no need to increase competition. Just when you know you aren't gonna try and don't say shit about it. I don't blame an old guy for selling out at $11.00/hundred lbs. or more maybe.
My 2 local yards are pretty good. The popular one leaves the cars in the yard for aboout 2 months before they crush em leaving plenty of time for scavengers and yes they do get gutted. The other keeps all the old iron hopefully they wont change their ways. And the popular one is expanding which is awesome. Anybody know of a website with up to date metal prices? Iv got quite a bit of copper im sitting on.
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