Arizona- exploring old abandoned wrecks, hiways, mines, etc
 

For years, I have kept records of cars, equipment , wrecks etc when I would find them while exploring. Last dec, our Arizona Pontiac Power Group started actively exploring them further.
When I found this wreck, it was through binoculars at a fair distance. I spent considerable time trying to ID it that way. After some time, I was convinced it was a '58 Pontiac conv! What an unusual find. A few months back, we hiked down to locate it and document exactly what it was. Here are some pics-

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/583.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/582.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/582.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/584.jpg

Here is a 1956 Star Chief I also found a few years back.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/561.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/562.jpg

the 316 and hyro still sits in the frame rails.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...cars/56316.jpg

If anyone is interested in joining us, we have these exploritory hikes planned from time to time. We have also been discovering old mines and exploring them as well as sections of old, abandoned hiways. Most of the cars we have found have been from the mid 20s to the early 60s. About 3 dozen so far.
There is a detailed thread I started here if you want more info and pics. Lots of adventure here for the right people.

http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=669534

It's another reason for joining the Arizona Pontiac Power group. Our photo section has dozens of photos of the 7 adventures we have completed since December. Our next one is Thursday.

Cool.

Look at 'em and weep, rust-belt guys! Those things have been sitting outside for decades and they're in better shape than some of the project cars I picked up in Michigan (other than the dents and dings).

Steve, I can't wait to join you on some of these expeditions this fall/winter.

Around here the tin worm isn't as bad as it is up north but the big caliber boring beetle eats them.
I've run across old wrecks as I've been out and most of them are so shot up its unbelievable.

Here is a picture of an old abandoned hiway tunnel that was used as part of hwy 60 from 1921-1952. I found this many years back and it was quite a surprise.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a..._108190502.jpg

We have found lots of cars/parts from the 20s and 30s

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a..._107675032.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/283.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/286.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_85249392.jpg

We have been going through several abandoned mines as well. neat stuff.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a..._108191232.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a..._108191072.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_92246152.jpg

Every once in awhile, one of the group causes some issues and we have to lock 'em up for awhile....

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_92247972.jpg

Here is one of the roads we have traveled.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_92247492.jpg


and the views are just breathtaking! This is Arizona

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...s_97490362.jpg

Subed; awesome stuff.

That is one of the main reasons I've wanted to move to AZ for the past 20 years. I love the country, and the open area to explore just brings out the little kid in me. :D

Anyone want a house in Florida?

Thanks for posting, Steve. Our "group" has been going out into the desert in CA and NV for the past 20 plus years doing the same thing...I took my '67 GTO convertible up Goler Wash in the Panamint Valley in '90 up to Barker Ranch (where Charles Manson was caught)....the road is totally washed out now, 4x4 only. Each year, we try to make two trips to Nevada to explore ghost towns, mines, and 100 year old garbage dumps. We leave everything as found...the solitude, beauty, and appreciation of the sweat labor of the old timers is overwhelming. California locations are all shot up and vandalized, for the most part, but Nevada has a lot of neat old places, just gradually fading away due to nature, not to vandalism. It's refreshing. Last year, found a rear fender to a 1912 Model T Ford at an early site, and tons of stuff from the '10's thru the '60's as well, much of it still usable. If I could figure out how to post a pic or two, I sure would! Thanks for posting..it's a great hobby!!

Very exciting stuff...wish I lived near you because old highways and things really get me going.

Steves are some of the coolest threads!

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...s_97490362.jpg


This one reminds me of the Sedona area. Beautiful! Later tonight I'll see if I can find and post some of the shots I have from Arizona.

Surprised the scrap guys haven't made off with those cars. Around here if you put scrap metal outside it'll be gone in under an hour.

Most of these wrecks took over an hour just to hike down into the canyon to get to them!!! Not accessable from the roadway!! You are talking about tin that has been down there since the 20's-30's.

Cool fun stuff!

That'd be a blast, I wish Oklahoma had stuff like that, if it does I haven't seen it.

Aint that the truth. We have cars 5 years old that are rusty.

Wonderful pics Steve. Thanks !

It brings me pleasure to share these pics and glad many of you are enjoying them as well :) . Today was a nice day to work outside here in the Phoenix area as it is probably the last mild day with a high of about 75. We will not have weather this nice and mild now until November, 7 months away.
However, we do have milder weather in the higher portions of Arizona. If any of you are planning a trip here, try to visit in early April when we have Pontiac Heaven. there is plenty of time to explore things. Definately look us up.
Our next trip will be this Thursday. We'll continue to cover the areas we left off this last time. Plus, there are many abandoned cars and wrecks yet to visit up close.

I would love to come also, but im to old. Very nice photos.

Great Pics. Like Matt that stuff turns my crank also.

MIke

that is cool, the mines would be adventerous to say the least. how often do you encounter rattlers?

We have not encountered any. All of these trips have been in the winter when they are dormant. We will be moving our explorations to cooler parts of AZ for the summer.

Here are some more pics in these mines.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a..._107722602.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a..._108191782.jpg

and some very rugged, and incredibly pretty country we have been hiking

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20cars/12.jpg

and some more cars we have found

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20cars/q1.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_79867592.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20cars/aa.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_99463552.jpg

Thanks for the pictures. :D

why & how did all these cars get out there in no mans land?

Thanks for sharing~!

Looks like some fun hiking and cool discoveries in your canyons ~!

Gee, you used to be able to find some wrecks like these in the coastal canyons of Calif, Oregon, and Wash, but they rust too fast compared to Arizona's climate

This pic you took here is my favorite, that's a piece of artwork right there I'm telling you!
What kind of car was this Steve? Also, what kind of plant or tree is this, it it a Yucca ?

Those mines look like fun to explore... Are there generally any portable objects left, old lanterns, mining cars, etc?

Here are some more pics of stuff we have found. Not all these finds are in the same place and many would be difficult to reach for the scrappers. We can only guess these cars were stripped and dumped many decades ago when they were worthless. People just dumped them over the side and watched them tumble. Some may have been stripped after they were dumped. Hard to tell for sure.
This we concluded is a 1937 Ford 2 door

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...pphpUZ9yKb.jpg

This appears to be a '53 or '54 chev Bel Air

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...pphpbRHdKk.jpg

This is another section of an abandoned hiway. We guess this overpass was built in the 1920s. It probably has not been used in 60 or more years.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_79867462.jpg

Steve, what kind of mines were they? Around here there are several iron ore mines that were abandoned in the mid-sixties because it was cheaper to mine it elsewhere. These abandoned mines are on an island and extend under the ocean. During the war, a U-boat sank three ships tied up at the wharves of the island. From what I have heard, there are millions of tonnes of the iron ore still in the mines............too costly to obtain. That picture of you in the 60' Pontiac..........what's the sccop on the letters "KC" on the firewall?

Most of the mines in that area was for asbestose. It was being used in the morter for the building of the dam at Roosevelt lake. Largest masonry dam in the world. Nothing but brick & morter. Some mines in the area were silver mines.

Where do you get that info Keith? The Roosevelt dam was finished in 1912 or there abouts. These mines are all newer than that.

That is the info from the ghost town site we had been reading through. Several places on that site said these were asbestose mines used for roosevelt dam. According to that site, the Mule hoof bend town was from the 50's.


EDIT!! MY mistake,,,Went back & found the info,,,The asbestose was used for Hoover Dam, not Roosevelt.

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/az.html

Hmm... I guess that puts guys like me with the walking dead...

That Bridge is cool. Like to see more of that and what is left of the road.

That's my thought too. Are these roads passable or simply abandoned?

These are sections of abandoned hiway that became outdated. These roads were built in the 20s and 30s and, as they made improvements, they simply built newer sections and than abandoned the old ones. Most sections are short but, some are well over a mile. One of them I know may be a dozen miles. The road was shortened when a bridge went up as an example.

Here is the west end of the hiway tunnel I found from yesterday...

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...ute70pc069.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...ute70pc070.jpg

..and today

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_79857922.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...pphpjJ8Zql.jpg

It is not practical to drive these sections with a car as there has been considerable erosion and growth of trees, schrubs, etc but, you can walk/hike all of them. some can be riden on a mountain bike or trail motorcycle. so far, all exploring has been on foot.

Here is another section of hiway, this was built in the early 30s.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...0cars/hwy1.jpg

About the letters "KC", I do not know, could be factory markings or something someone wrote here.
Interesting story on the Uboats for sure, thanks for sharing.

What's that stuff on the ground?!? I'm not going on THAT hike! :)

Spent the weekend just outside of Black Canyon City. My buddy has a 4 seat Razor. We took it up into the hills and valleys. It was a great time. It actually snowed in the Bradshaws on Saturday at 5000 ft. It snowed hard. Was 85 on Sunday. Arizona is awesome for scenery. Sure has some historic interests as well.

AZ is on my bucket list of places to visit. I always thought I'd do it in a vintage car, now I'm considering a Scout or fullsize Blazer as the transport.

Mike

From our research, this is a 1934 Ford sedan. Here are a few more pics of it. I doubt that more than a half dozen people have seen this car body in decades. This was a yet another great find while exploring!

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...20cars/341.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...pphppPcSxt.jpg

More of the old hiway showing some erosion here.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...pphpcq9zNA.jpg

It has been a lot of fun doing this with the Arizona Pontiac Power Group. We will go back out day after tomorrow.

Not sure what the plants are.

C'mon now 'lightweight'! :) Nothin' is more fun than playing in the snow. I am still bummed that the ski area is now closed. I had so much fun this season snowboarding my heart out. It is soo fun and exilerating! What a blast to play on the white stuff.
If it was in the budget, I would be in Colorado now riding the season out.

Looking forward to having you back in Az and you will have to hang with us some.

Hey Jack, We would love to have you back in Az for a little adventuring/exploring. Gosh it is fun! Hoping you are doing well. :)

That may be but, Hoover dam was built in the 30s and these mines ran several decades after that. I am sure some of these mines were in use in the 30s but, remember the hiway to these mines was not in place until the early 30s so, it must have been a trail or something to get to them. there are so many in this area. I read close to 90 of them.
Indeed, there is much more to learn about this area for all of us.

Thanks for posting up those pics! I really enjoy looking at those sorts of things.

Yeah, I am envious, Steve. But I like seeing how much enjoyment you guys are getting out of your "explorations". Keep the photos coming!

Steve as a Jr High kid I went with my dad on a trip a little north of Pheonix near the Superstition(sp?) to install seismographs. I think to monitor for nuclear tests in Russia-not all the seismographs are for earthquakes and oil exploration.They were putting them deep in some old mines. There were several other abandoned mines on the hills one of the other boys and I explored-just had to dodge the rattlers and bats!

Pretty cool. They used the old acetylene lamps-water and some calcium carbide crystals that react and produce it for light.

Interesting Skip

We ventured out on another exploratory hike and found some interesting things.

These appear to be natual wells, there are 2 of them.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...d%20cars/7.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...d%20cars/6.jpg

Then, we found some more old cars and parts. Not sure what this is off of but, it looks WWI era to me, perhaps 20s.

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...d%20cars/3.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/a...d%20cars/4.jpg

more pics coming from this trip

Are you gonnalet some of us retire, as ranch hands, or wrenchers, and live on the back 40?

Hey Steve, I've explored some of the Neveda desert, old mines, hot springs, ghost towns Indian petroglyph, wild horses. There is so much history there. I look forward to bringing my dirt bike down to explore the Arizona desert, if you'll have me.

Great post!