JunkYard Finds

[HighwayJunkie]

I have spent quite a bit of time in junk yards digging through crown vics and p71s because I was a fleet manager for a security company, I was breaking a seat loose from a crown vic one time when a fork lift rolled by, I didn't think anything of it, I was used to it. He picked up a camaro sitting next to the car I was in and lifted it over the vic. He had it picked up by the t-top bar and swung it around and the bar snapped!! The camaro fell on top of the vic nearly crushing me! I am ever so careful now.

On a side note I found an 87 Monte LS with 30 day tags still on it and valid in a yard the other day, it had been totalled because it was backed into at the mall! I scalped it of all it parts and walked away with a header panel, grill, taillights, and hood for 75 bucks!!! I am thinking about going back to get more!

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Sadly, that is a common problem with Fiat 850's and many other rear engine vehicles like VW's. I am saddened to see that one meet that end as it looks like it was in nice shape. My neighbor has one and it was in far worse shape than this one when he got it. It's just good that it did not reach the fuel tank which is located right in front of the engine. BTW, I would kill for the bumpers and reverse lights off that thing to help my neighbor with his...

Interesting side note: The Lamborghini Miura uses 850 sport tail lights, and early European 850 headlights too. The Euro models are covered with glass, like an early Bug. Those parts are worth a lot of money to people restoring a Miura, which is another Italian rear engined car with a reputation for engine fires...

 

[79gp455]

A family here in Upstate NY has 3 yards...one yard started at 1920s and moving up to present day metal...cars that stuck in my mind...;62 Catalina, Javelins, Gremlins, 60's Bonnevilles, Chevelles, 340 Demon, Rows of 1st gen Barracudas, Hudsons, Studebakers...I bought a '66 Tempest for $400 and they delivered it...bought some other items....guy is an old farmer and a big ballbuster....a really great old guy...I took my '69 Lemans up and took him for a ride...When scrap was high alot of old yards like these disappered for the quick $$....I took pics of everything I could and bought all I could, even in the middle of winter cars getting ripped out of the frozen ground and crushed,,,,,

 

[79GP6.6L]

What part of upstate NY? I saw the same thing here, when the scrap prices went up they started scrapping entire sections of cars. 😢

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Sadly, that is a common problem with Fiat 850's and many other rear engine vehicles like VW's. I am saddened to see that one meet that end as it looks like it was in nice shape. My neighbor has one and it was in far worse shape than this one when he got it. It's just good that it did not reach the fuel tank which is located right in front of the engine. BTW, I would kill for the bumpers and reverse lights off that thing to help my neighbor with his...

Last I heard of the little car it was at an Italian car specialty shop up in Charlotte. Hopefuly I will see it again.
Oh yeah it caught on fire right after I had filled it up with premium. I mean just as I was leaving the gas station. Fortunately someone grabbed the stations extinguisher and we got it out in time.

Anyone know where the junk yard full of G bodies that the OP refers to is in NC?

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I'll also post one more thing about the little Fiat ( believe me it's TINY!!!). If you have an older rear engine car, especially one that is air cooled, use factory Volkswagen fuel hose and not just standard parts store stuff. Why? It is engineered for a hotter environment than normal fuel hose. Many a VW engine fire is due to a cheap piece of parts store hose that breaks down quickly in a high heat situation. The Fiat is a little different as it is water cooled (radiator is on the passenger's side of the engine compartment as is the water pump and fan-really cool if you have never seen one!), but I imagine the same applies. Plus, in a Fiat 850, the fuel lines and pump are directly above the exhaust system which is quite hot because of it's proximity to the exhaust ports. I am not sure about other rear engined cars like the Renault 10 or the ZAZ 965/968 (or even the IFA Trabant 601 with the fuel tank above the air cooled 2 stroke and it's gravity feed fuel supply), but it would be a good idea nonetheless.

 

[lightemup2]

i was poking around the junk yard, stripping parts out of a 87 regal and next to me was a mangled 79 camaro, and in the front seat was a naked female crash dummy, with eyes, ears, mouth, and everything drawn on it lol, i found it pretty funny