What car do you regret parting out?
 

I'm sure there are plenty of interesting stories on this subject.

If you have pics that would be good too.

Being only 40 years old I was not active in the GTO or musclecar scene during the early to mid 80's when these cars could be bought for little or nothing. I have heard plenty of "horror" stories about a few rare cars being parted out back then by some older members of our local GTO club. The general consensus is that we are now restoring cars that are in worse shape than the ones that were parted out back in the 80's.

How about these cars: (all parted and scrapped)
67 GTO convertible factory Ram Air 4spd car.
69 Judge Ram Air III 4spd.
70 Hemi Cuda factory black/black 426 4spd car. :doh:

My worst transgression was parting a complete 70 GTO Pepper Green auto A/C car. Borderline restoration candidate even today but got lots of parts for my 70 Judge which was incomplete when I bought it.

Lets hear your regrets...

58 Chieftan
59 Cat conv. 3x2 3-speed stick
60 El Camino
61 Bonne wagon
62 Cat 4-door
2-62 Tempest6
65 GP
65 Bonne
67 GTO
67 Lemans
71 Cat
68 Cat
50 GMC
56 GMC
72 Grandville
68 Chevelle
65 GTO
72 Cat
70 Chevelle
73 GP
70 GP
69 Firebird
74 TA
74 Nova
79 Grand Am
79 Buick Regal
63 Tempest 4-door

SHAME ON ME

WELL MINE GOES
67 GTO
67 LEMANS
67 TEMPEST
78 CAMARO
67 CHEVELLE
66 CHEVELLE
70 CHEVELLE
64 GTO
74 GTO
04 GTO

71 Lemans Sport Convertible(bad Frame)
71 Mustang GT (Bad Car all together)
64 Comet Convertible (bad Everything)

65 GTO HTP/Maroon ext black int 389 4pd/rusty:mad:
65 GTO Conv /Red ext black int 389 4 spd/bad frame:gag:

Only one parted out but I regret it still. '63 Catalina/Ventura 2dr hardtop 421 376 hp w/4speed, 364 Dana posi rear. I bought it from a friend that got it with a broken 421. I got 2 421 blocks with it and a set of rubber rods. One was cracked in the rod cheek, hence why the engine had been torn down. It was originally raced but i never found out who owned/raced it. I eventually got a RAIII 48 headed 400 from a '69 Goat that I added a '65 tri-power to. I bought a house and had to part it out. The new house had been a rental and the garage was full of somebodies stuff. We could not find the owner and when we did we had to get a lawyer to get the stuff out. The owner claimed that he had signed a lease and it was the original renters responsibility to move it and store it for him. Lot of crap but I had nowhere to go with it so I had to scrap it out. I had it totally torn down for a partial restore at the time. Gone but not forgotten. Mark L

Please retitle thread, "List of People that are going straight to hell." :D

I get a pass to Heaven because I'm 33: anything I helped Dad part out was crap then and crap now.

64 Bonneville, 65 Catalina, 76 Trans Am, 70 Camaro RS, 66 Mustang, 69 428 Executive,

73 olds cutlass police interceptor.

early 69 gto

Oh my god!:eek:

John - have got to hear more about the million dollar car (Hemi Cuda) that you parted out. Please elaborate.

I haven't scrapped many, but do regret parting out a '69 SS396 Camaro, 325 hp, but loaded with options. It was rusty in 1985, but today that car would be saved. Also parted a 69 GTO 4 sp, Matatdor Red, white painted top, red interior car. Was too far gone to save.

Scott

here our mine
 

1966 mustang2+2 fastback 289 4speed traded in on a 1970 torino cobra jet then traded that in on a 1972 nova premium gas hit 65cents a gallon and the nova had a 307 and got 20mpg
scraped a 1966chevy2 ss and turned a 1966ss396 4speed chevelle into a hobbie stock stock car:stupid:
my current insanity is my 1972 gto that i run in nhra superstock thathas 20K actual miles:cool:

cars I parted out:
51 chieftain 2 door (frame bad)
58 bonne 2 door (bad frame, very rusty)
59 cat 4 dr (bad frame, broke in 2)
60 cat conv. (car broke in 2 pieces)
77 firebird (rust)
79 cat wagon
85 bonne
87 bonne wagon

most of these were my dads cars. still have a lot of his cars to part out when we get time...

Two come to mind...
 

a '68 GTO HO four speed and a '61 Impala SS from Florida...348 3x2 4-speed car.

Holy hell thats a lot of cars!

Would be what a wad of metal a friend of mine turned his 69 GTO into. but the Ponitac engine found a good home, in a 68 ss396 chevelle!!!:D :D :D

Didnt part it out but regret selling/getting ripped of on my red 72 ventura,would be a perfect car for my 540 Jim Robertson is doing the heads for.Greg

Parted a 70 T/A in the early 80's, it was a Fl car all of it's life and I beat the livin' life out of it. I had so much fun with that car that I bought another one a year later...:D

Mike

All parted out:

An original red/white interior 69 Parisienne convertible, factory 427 car. All I have left to show for it is the cowl tag showing a 427 ragtop...

67 Grande Parisienne wagon original 396, factory air car.

72 Lemans 455 HO 4 speed ram air $41 nose job car. Got it without the engine and M22, but I hear they are still in the area.

I've owned 117 vehicles to date, so the percentage ain't too bad. Is it ?

First parting out... 1978 '68 GTO Convertible.. loaded w/options, triple red.
(donor for my '68 GTO Conv.)

After that, I went to Calif. (USMC)... Junkyard heaven...

(3) '64 GTO coupes
'65-'67 GTOs (several)
'67 Lemans Sprint 4spd (loaded)
(2) '69 Judges (yep, in a yard)
'73 Grand Am with functional Ram Air hood
'64 Grand Prix (4spd- red interior)
Several 428 full-size Pontiacs
'68 Tempest Wagon (factory 4spd; Radio delete)
'69 SS Chevelle
(2) '70 SS Chevelles
'69 Impala 427
'68 Road Runner
'64-'66 442s (several)
'70 Mustang.. forget which engine but it had a shaker hood
'71 Cuda (Rally Guages, 8-track, etc)
+ others I can't even remember. Did save Broadcast Sheets, Trim Tags for most all.

After USMC tour....

'71 GTO 455HO (w/Broadcast sheet & BH- still have)
'70 GTO 4spd, Silver
(3) '68 Firebirds including a 400 HO (ouch!)
'64 GTO conv. TriPwr, Cus.Sprt.Strg.Wheel
'69 Firebird 400 RAIII w/functional RA hood (very rusty car)
'67 GTO factory Ram Air car (still have the block)
'65 Tempest Wagon (from Royal)
'65 Bonnevillle 421
'68 GTO 400 HO (Red) original owner, 4spd, 3.90
'68 GTO 400 HO (Grn) original owner, 4spd, full pwr options (still have engine)
'66 GTO (red) 4spd bone stock
'65 GTO conv w/pwr windows, 4spd

And the worst of all...
'68 GTO Conv. Grand Marque factory show car
Owned by my wifes cousin... very rusty.. every option...Engine died in '77
I went by and pulled several options for my '68. Car went to the crusher in '81
(Had no idea how rare this car was until late 80's when cousin gave me one of the 'Grand Marque' emblems that was on the fender... UGH!!)


Who knew:noidea:

cars parted out
 

Plenty of them through the 90's. However the one I wish I had kept was a good one.

1970 RA IV Judge, M-21, 3.90 posi, Orbit Orange with a black interior.

Interesting story about this poor car. I saw it when it was painted red with no decals and only a Judge emblem on the glove box. Some kid had it and mentioned he had a factory aluminum intake he would trade me for my Torker. Such a deal. When I got the intake I checked the part number and guess what, it was for a 1970 RA IV. That's when I tried to track the car down. The kid could not keep the motor together (said something about a 455 engine in the car, turns out they had the #614 heads on top of a 455 and were trying to run pump gas). He sold it to another guy who had a local Pontiac "expert" build a motor. Three weeks later it broke a rod. The guy parked the car outside with the windows down and dismantled the entire drive train. By the time I tracked it down it was looking rather sad but still restorable. However at the time I was only after the RA IV heads for a race motor I was putting together. I ended up buying the entire car and hauled it to my friends body shop to see what he thought about putting it back together. He recognized the car from years earlier when he painted it red. He told me some 16 year old kid put it in a ditch and he replaced the fender, door and painted the car but never put the stripes back on (they were still with the car when I bought it).

Here's where it gets even more interesting. My brother-in-law is down for a visit and remembers this kid from his high school (around 1980). At that time I remember seeing an ad in the Auto Trader for a 70 RAIV Judge with a spun main bearing for $1,600. Guess what? It was the same car! The story is a high ranking officer at PAFB bought the car for his son. The kid spun the main bearing in the 400 and they sold the car as is. Now that I discovered all this I am trying to figure out how to restore the car back original. I stored it for a while as I figured up how much it was going to cost. I was already in the middle of a race car project and had just finished a nice resortation on my 69 GTO. I simply could not see how I could afford to restore this car in the near future so I tried to sell the car. I got tons of calls from people wanting to buy parts but not the entire car. I eventually boned it out but some of the parts went on a very nice silver 1970 RA IV Judge owned by a collector in the 80's and early 90's.

But the story does not end here. I sold what was left (just the body and frame) to a guy in my neighborhood who made a drag car out of it and put a cage and BB Chevy in the car. I saw it a couple of times then lost track of it for a couple of years. I moved to another town nearby and one day while driving by a junk used car lot I saw the nose of a red GTO sticking out of the back row. Needless to say I went in to check it out and it was the same car all beat to hell! I thought about trying to get it but the car lot owner had the PHS on the car by then and knew what it was. I still go by that lot but have not seen the car in years. I suspect the VIN tags may have been removed.

Poor car never had a chance. Everyone tried to make it into a hot rod and ended up beating the crap out of it.

And then there was the completely original 67 Catalina 2+2 428 car that I drove home and would have been an easy restoration. How about a 69 Bonneville Brougham 428 HO car that had more factory options than I have ever seen on one vehicle. I drove it home too. When I got done with those cars they both were hauled away on a flat bed (I pulled the tilt wheels and posi rear ends).

Who would have ever thought a Judge would bring well over six figures?

MarkC

Cars we regret parting out
 

1 '79 4peed 10th Anniversary
3 '79 auto 10th anniversary
3 Indy pace cars
2 Nascar pace cars
4 '78 Gold editions
I lost count of the Bandits/ 3 were 4 speed cars
2 '76 455 4speed cars
1 79 4 speed silver T/A it had been rolled

I think that the car i most regret parting out was a 69 grand prix sj. The car had some dents in it but was loaded. First it was an SJ, 428 390 horse, Leather interior, power windows. tilt, disc brakes, posi, power seat, load lever, rally wheels, console, gauges, wood grain wheel, amfm, reardefroster (in the window). This car would fly, it would beat a 5.0 musturd light to light, Smoke (and I mean smoke) both back tires. I even talked to a guy worked at the dealer when the car was new and he loved it then. This was back in about 1994, I still have the 428. That car was a kick to drive, i still miss it!

mine would have to be my 71 formula 400 4spd with air.actually made in 9of 70 but titled as 71..wicked fast .being a stupid 18 yr old in 82 ,,i beat the hell out of it then traded for a 71 buick gs350 when the 400 started knockin. stupid kid:eek:

in '90 I bought a '62 GP from a local guy who is into early '60s lightweight MoPars for $700, no title.

Optionswise, the car was a manual steering, manual brakes (non 8-lug car), 318hp 3x2 389, power antenna car...oh, and it was a THREE SPEED STICK, as in NO CONSOLE from the factory!

I saved the stick stuff, 3x2 setup, power antenna and the coolest '60s aftermarket wheels I have ever seen for my 'main' GP (the wheels look just like the wheels on the first series of Hot Wheels). I sold/traded the interior to a friend building a GP and the front grilles to a friend in the U.P. (yah, hey-dare!) and a couple of tough guys from somewhere in New York drove to Milwaukee and gave me $500 for the carcass.

to this day it is the ONLY 3 speed stick (on the floor) GP I have ever seen.

cars gone cheap
 

1965 gto-burgandy/black interior 1968 corvette convert-red/white soft top-427-3x2,factory side pipes-435 hp

28 of 117 parted out. depends on who your talking to if that is bad or not...

I parted it ou about 100 cars between 1988 and 2001. I have no regrets on any of them. They were fugitives from a junkyard, and they helped probably on the order of a thousand cars.
none were rare, because I knew once I got them, I was boning them out, so I avoided ending up with anything rare.
Of course there were some others that I should have boned out, but they ended up going to good homes.

I parted a rust free Barrier Blue 66 GTO back in 1990. Had parchment interior. I kept the WS (tripower) block and sold it for a tidy profit. In 1989, I bought a RUNNING 68 Buick GS 400 convertible for $50.00 that was abandonded at a garage. Drove it to the junkyard where the owner paid me $500 cash for it without the title. I was 17 and rich!
I've always prayed that it got restored.

silver 1975 455 4speed TA. black interier rallys and 26000 miles car was a theft recovery in 1986 and was missing console , shifter, heads, intake front seats and trim rings and caps from the rallys. i had all the stuff to put the car back together but the windshield was shattered and would have cost more than i paid for the whole car.( car was 100.00 windshield was 125.00) I was a teenager making 4.65 an hour.

67 Firebird 400 Deluxe interior
71 Trans Am
71 Trans Am
That's right, two of them.
Who knew back then.

a 63 dodge dart 4 dr sedan with a slant six:gag:

OH I THOUGHT THIS WAS WHAT CAR YOU DON'T REGRET PARTING OUT:D

1.1971 firebird
2.73 formula firebird
The 73 wasn't that bad,i can't believe i cut it up!

So far I dont regret parting out anything..........then again I have never parted any of my cars.

in 78 my dad
 

parted a 54 star chief that was a factory air car coral color 4 door.... junked the car with the air set up still in it. LOL i was about 5...

Parting my first car I built up,1955 2 dr with 1960 389 hydrostick,traction bars,upside down starter,4.30 axle.1963 GP 4spd no option car with std steering and brakes.1961 cat 2dr for the 389.

Just 1 a 1970 trans am 27,000 org.miles auto ram air 3 blue with blue int. very loaded up car..

I regret wrecking my first 66 GTO...totaled it and parted out the good stuff that was left. I also regret selling my 2nd 66 GTO.

And also my 79 Formula FB. It was parted out for me... as in stolen. :mad:

I regret trading in my 66 Nightwatch Blue 326 Tempest in 73. Frontend was disguised as a GTO. Ah to have those parts today for what they cost back then. :-ohwell:

IM not ****tin you im 23 years old and this thread makes me a little misty and sick, i was born in the wrong generation...........:(

Well now, I'd be glad I was 23 if I was you. I'm 58 and that ain't all that great. look at all the hot young chicks 'm missing out on. Wanna trade???? LOL

"actually made in 9 of 70 but titled as 71."

Start dates for Model Year builds are frequently in the previous calender year. To coincide with fall introductions.

I miss my 71 Cutlass Supreme, sold it for $350 when it was 8 yers old.

All deserved to die except one -- I helped a friend strip and junk a '59 Cad Barritz convertible in the early 1970's.

I stripped a 69 Firebird 400-4 speed. It was a new england car, sao it was REAL bad. The complete black deluxe interior interior was saved along with the drivetrain. Oh well

73 Cutlass police interceptor.

Mike

:) :) :)

Yeah I had forgotten about the GTO, Red on red car, dash emblem, P/S, Disc brakes, Auto Posi, HO 400 With 3:90's and a posi. No other options except rally wheels.

THIS IS AN OLD THREAD!

Mike
I just got a kick out of it that you posted on it a year ago, then forgot and posted again when the thread was revived.
It caught my eye because my first car (bought in 1979) was a 1973 Cutlass.
I wouldn't mind having another one, even though I had lots of problems with that one.
When I traded it in the salesman told me that they were going to junk it.
Jeff

If you expect me to remember what I posted a year ago You'll be sadly disappointed.

If it's not customer related I'm lucky to remember yesterday!


MIke

1972 GP SJ 455 TH400 12 bolt rear. Body was trash, frame was broken in 2 places; the car was better off in pieces and almost nothing was wasted. All the other cars I parted were too far gone.