[geeteeohguy]

I remember in 1980 when my buddy bought a cherry '67 GTO from a lady neighbor who had gotten it as a HS graduation present. Cameo Ivory, gold interior, AC, Auto, 2.93 posi, rally gauges, car was mint. $1350. That night, doing a burnout on the way to the 7-11, he lost it and fishtailed, over-corrected, and drove it through a backyard fence and into a tree. First night. The neighbor who sold him the car was PISSED. That week, we went to Dorris Auto Wreckers in Hayward, CA, and there was a Cameo Ivory '67 GTO front clip on the shelves/pallet racks along the fence. It even had the AC Condenser. Hood, scoop, fenders, grilles, the whole thing, all together still. Cost? $100. A hundred bucks. We loaded it up, took it home, and had it on the car the next day. Had the AC re-charged and good to go. Hell, the pinstripes even matched up. When I toasted the 3.55 Posi in my '65 GTO in 1990, I went back down there figuring to pick another one up for $75, which was what the going rate was ten years before. NOPE!!! Had to have mine rebuilt for over $900. My driving got a lot better after that.

Still have the '66 GTO AM-FM radio I picked up at Dorris for $12 in 1979.

[sdbob]

I used to cruise the local junkyards back in the mid 60s through the 70s. Cars I remember 55 2 door Pontiacs,56 delivery, 61s,remember a 64 GTO convertible with rally gauges in very poor condition. Some of my deals I remember, 63 3.42 hd posi,65 421,4bolt 428, 72 455ho intake off a full size Catalina. 2-63 Lemans,one I kept 326 4bbl 3spd. Car is not completed 57 olds, had 400 RAIV in it then sold it. Then the unbelievable snow SR SD455 block,rods pistons,distributor. Block is in my racecar.

[goat69SD]

Originally Posted by sdbob

I used to cruise the local junkyards back in the mid 60s through the 70s. Cars I remember 55 2 door Pontiacs,56 delivery, 61s,remember a 64 GTO convertible with rally gauges in very poor condition. Some of my deals I remember, 63 3.42 hd posi,65 421,4bolt 428, 72 455ho intake off a full size Catalina. 2-63 Lemans,one I kept 326 4bbl 3spd. Car is not completed 57 olds, had 400 RAIV in it then sold it. Then the unbelievable snow SR SD455 block,rods pistons,distributor. Block is in my racecar.

When I was 17 I rebuilt an engine for an older couple. The guy asked me if I would rather have a car he had in the back yard or cash. The car was a 63 GP and of coarse it didn't run but I took it all the same. Red with beautiful red interior. I went to our local salvage yard and there was a 64 Bonnie 4 door hard top that had just came in and had been T-boned. I bought that car for 80.00 and even drove it home. It had a 421 tri-power in it. I put that in the 63 GP. It had 8 lug wheels I also used. Man that car would run! Yes back in the day you could get some deals at the local salvage yard for sure. That was 1974 and I remember so well.
I had a friend who was into the 57 Olds 98's His had the J-2 (3 duces) Nice car in a hard top.

[59safaricat]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

That week, we went to Dorris Auto Wreckers in Hayward, CA, and there was a Cameo Ivory '67 GTO front clip on the shelves/pallet racks along the fence. It even had the AC Condenser. Hood, scoop, fenders, grilles, the whole thing, all together still. Cost? $100. A hundred bucks. We loaded it up, took it home, and had it on the car the next day. Had the AC re-charged and good to go. Hell, the pinstripes even matched up. When I toasted the 3.55 Posi in my '65 GTO in 1990, I went back down there figuring to pick another one up for $75, which was what the going rate was ten years before. NOPE!!! Had to have mine rebuilt for over $900. My driving got a lot better after that.

Still have the '66 GTO AM-FM radio I picked up at Dorris for $12 in 1979.

Spent a lot of time in Doris back in the 90's and early 2000's. You'd hate to see what has become of it now, can't even pick your own part. Last time I was there was in 2019 and my quote about finding a vehicle older than 1995 is mostly in reference to this junkyard. All of the other junkyards that used to be around that area have closed down.

[Stuart]

I miss the days of cruising the old junkyards too but when I was doing it in the 1970s, looking for parts for my '61 Catalina, it was only a 15 year old car. It would be 62 years old today, so it's not surprising the yard don't have them anymore.

Extrapolating that back to when I was looking around the junkyards, it would be like if they still had Model T Fords on hand ready for picking.

[sdbob]

I havent seen any junkyards with even 70s cars in them.
My only option is my volunteering at local St Vincent DePaul store. We take donations. Then fix them or clean them then resale. Profits go 100% for the poor. I get to inspect all the mechanical, electrical articles. It's amazing what people throw or give away. I have a dumpster outside the door for garbage, yes they do give us their garbage. Any Old automotive articles battery chargers,timing lights,tools, etc. You never know.

[694.1]

An old hoarder pal of mine had compact disks full of salvage yard photos from about '85-2010. A stack of disks of yards that are long gone.
But they were impossible to look through. Worst photographer I have ever seen! Cars in shadows, pictures looking into the Sun,
Craziest composition I have ever seen. Just horrific! Sigh.

[turbo69bird]

Originally Posted by Jay S

There are some rural salvage yards around with some vintage stuff. Getting to be fewer and fewer around though. I have an one hr and a half from me in southern Nebraska that has around 400 Chevelle’s, as well as other A bodies and a lot of vintage GM stuff. Kind of mind blowing, the pics were taken by a friend just a few weeks ago.

Around here people would fox half those cars

Nothing like that in the north east anymore

[ta6point6]

I am lucky there are about 4 junkyards within 20 miles of my town. In Denver there are maybe another 4-5, I haven't been to any of those. There is one in Wyoming that used to be one of the best with older cars but like someone mentioned 50's-60's stuff is priced differently now. Although the guy at the counter is kind of jerk. I have had to correct him several times on prices of parts on their price list.
I recently had seen a article on a junkyard I went to as a kid with my Dad. Martins salvage was filled with old cars and that distinctive oil soaked ground smell. Well he was bought out recently from another local junkyard and brought with them more reasonable prices. Martins prices were way to high and that is what did him in IMO, that and his BIL that was another jerk. This guy wouldnt do a thing, would not quote prices, take money, look up parts or even help the owner Carol with moving cars. Anyway here is the article, kind of sad the new owner got rid of all the cars that were there for years. He probably had to clean up the yard to comply with some city ordinance. I am actually surprised the city let him put junkyard back on that land, as houses are going up everywhere here.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enth...17KB7w#image=5

[kingbuzzo]

They are always jerks however I have always dreamed of owning/running one...have a three legged dog in the back...goldmine

"you have a nice face...20 bucks!" lol

[Cerberus]

For me it was Ostrom's junkyard NE of Cambridge Minnesota. We would wander the yard without scrutiny as the Owner was a very cool guy. Reasonable prices, lots of muscle cars, too.
I don't think it exists anymore.

[Jay S]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

For me it was Ostrom's junkyard NE of Cambridge Minnesota. We would wander the yard without scrutiny as the Owner was a very cool guy. Reasonable prices, lots of muscle cars, too.
I don't think it exists anymore.

Ostrom’s auto parts is still in business, they have a decent Facebook page.

[Mr Anonymous]

I should charge admission and let folks wander around in my barn for a while. then I'll have to get all old and cranky and run everyone off.

[kingbuzzo]

There is one yard here with really old stuff however nobody ever goes there or buys anything.

I think its a front for the biker gangs and suspiciously named "Midnite Auto"...lol

['ol Pinion head]

Still work a half dozen or so good sized older car auto salvages every year when have a reason to roadtrip. Have pulled parts in yards from WV to AZ, as far north as N Minnesota, far S as the Houston area. Yard with the rustiest cars I've run across was just 2 years ago in inland South Carolina.

Scrapyards/Crusheryards are what many in my parts call "Junkyards". Junk is the bottom of the food chain, NOT to be confused with the offerings of many Auto Salvages. Know of quite a few yard owners that would ask you to leave their business if you called their 75-90 acres & 8,000+ partscars a "junkyard".

Mid 80's -mid 00's, there were over a dozen crusher yards that I heavily frequented in OK, AR , Texas. Took a few introductions to get in a few, the rest were straight forward. Many are gone now, basically their metal volume was replaced by crews with mobile crushers & semitrailers. During that 20+ year span, it was fairly common to score good to great partscars & nice solid rollers for double to triple scale weight. Such yard owners knew they were the end of the line for many an older car, & though they did not have dismantlers licenses, money talked.

[goat69SD]

There is a yard in western Kansas that advertises old cars and parts on our S.D. craigs list . By the pictures they post they have a lot of old iron from the 50's on up. Never been there but looks like a time capsule of by gone years.

[Jay S]

Originally Posted by goat69SD

There is a yard in western Kansas that advertises old cars and parts on our S.D. craigs list . By the pictures they post they have a lot of old iron from the 50's on up. Never been there but looks like a time capsule of by gone years.

Nobody’s auto salvage. Just north of Great Bend on 281. I have drove by it, never been there either.

https://www.motortrend.com/features/...ard-parts/amp/

[59safaricat]

Originally Posted by Mr Anonymous

I should charge admission and let folks wander around in my barn for a while. then I'll have to get all old and cranky and run everyone off.

[bulletpruf]

When prices got high for scrap, didn't a lot of cars get crushed and sold for scrap? Same with cash for clunkers -- lot of vintage iron got crushed.

Whatever the reason, the old yards that I used to frequent in the 1980's are long gone.