Visted two long-forgotten junkyards this week after work and hacked my way through the head-high weeds until I was matted with*****leburrs and every other kind of burr --- BUT, I literally "discovered" a*****pot full of vintage parts that I am sure haven't seen the light of day in decades: - A circa 1930 Auburn front beam axle with knock-0ff spoked wheels (no visible lugs or lugnuts) and WINGED, 5-inch hubcaps (#1 find) - Several 24-stud Flatties, including 3 Mercs - several Y block engines - a Pontiac flathead inline 8 engine and******* - a flathead Caddy V8 engine - A Ford 4-banger engine complete from radiator fan to transmission bell housing and having some aftermarket parts - Two Stromberg 48 carbs (and several 94's if I want them) - A pair of nice, complete 37 Ford truck headlights - A 1940 Ford Deluxe grill - a 1946-48 Ford grill - a nice 59 Chevy steering wheel, column, guages, etc - Bunches of old original T and A axles, wheels etc. I hope to go back this weekend with pickup and trailer to load up. The owners are friendly and pretty nonchalant about their vintage stuff since no one ever looks through these forgotten yards, and I expect it will come pretty cheap - especially at the one yard where they just want everything GONE ---including the weeds! Anybody know anything about the Auburn knock-off wheels, and how they work? It appears that the wings on the hubcaps are tapped and pivoted one way or the other to remove the wheels from the hubs. That vintage Auburn axle with those spoked wheels and winged caps might look pretty cool under a 26 hiboy roadster --- don't ya think?
And what would you put them under? Finding a set of matching rears might be a problem. But what the hey--- I'll just run 16 inch kelseys on the back.
I'll take a closer look at that Caddy engine when I go over again. I think it's been sitting on the ground for around 30 years though, because I remember seeing it when I went to that old yard a dozen years ago. No bell housing or trans with it, though.
The Jalopy Journal
