Last year the family and I did a drive from Alberta, Canada right down to Texas, USA in our family minivan. We did this in four days so there wasn’t a huge amount of time for sight seeing, but we did manage to see some of the usual tourist traps like Mount Rushmore. My favorite spot along the way was Cawker City in Kansas. Never heard of it? Well, they claim to have the world’s biggest ball of twine, which is interesting, but not what I liked best about it.
It is a small town with a population in the five hundreds, but absolutely chock full of fantastic old vehicles. There are rows of cars, vans, and tractors with an emphasis on trucks. Not all in one place, either, but spread over the town. Every vacant lot seems to have been taken over by old vehicles.
I talked to a very friendly employee at the biggest site and he said they all belong to one man who is in the antique and scrap metal business as well as dealing in old vehicles. There was another, larger site outside of town with even more vehicles but only accessible by 4×4. Given the loaded nature of the family minivan I choose to just enjoy what was on display in the town.
Quite a few heavy duty trucks as well. Here is an International and a Mac H63.
How about an Advanced Design GMC in school bus guise?
Or an early Chevrolet delivery truck?
There are a few cars here and there too like this 1948 Packard Eight sedan.
A Dodge “Job Rated” truck with a step side box along with a International Metro van.
Some vintage stuff as well. Apparently a lot of the vehicles were acquired through farm clean ups over the years and they save and sell the best stuff.
This Diamond T lacks any paint but the body still looks nice and solid. A 1938 Ford sits next to it in similar condition.
I could go on all day but I’ll end it with a closer look at the Chevrolet Corvair Rampside truck we saw earlier next to the GMC school bus.
Cawker City might be most well known for having the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, but its amazing selection of classic trucks is well worth celebrating too.
Meet me by the ball of twine! Just doesn’t roll off the tongue…
As much as I love living in Pittsburgh…I wish old cars lasted longer here.
You just. don’t. see. stuff. like. this ’round here, at least not in anything approaching restorable condition unless it’s a barn find or brought here from the South & West.
Thanks for the photos! It’s interesting how one’s life experiences change the view of things. As a kid I used to love finding old vehicles like these and dreaming about getting one and fixing it up. My dream came true in 7th grade when my dad bought me a 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe 4-door sedan for $250 (the previous owners were completely thrilled to have found a buyer and even towed it 20 miles right to our driveway for no extra charge).
I commenced a complete disassembly and rebuild during high school, with the most fun part being the collection of parts I was going to use to upgrade it: Chevy 283, Turbo 400, Firebird posi rear end, Corvair front suspension, Riviera power split bench front seats, GM tilt-tele steering wheel, 1960s aftermarket A/C, I had acquired it all!
After the entire car was disassembled, and 2000 lbs. of sandblasting sand had mysteriously disappeared somewhere in our back yard, I metal-etched and epoxy-coated all of the metal parts, covered everything up with a tarp, and drove half-way across the country to attend engineering school.
Eight years later, after having transferred schools, graduating, and having found full-time employment, I realized that there was no way I would ever have the time to complete the project (and no garage either, which was a big issue as you can imagine). I spent the next couple of years setting up shop at local and regional swap meets and selling all of the parts I spent many years gathering up. It was sad, but realistic and I don’t really regret any part of it.
Now, when I see vehicles such as these, I think back to the sandblasting part of that project, shudder, and think “never again!”
I imagine with the price of scrap steel, fewer and fewer of those will find a home other than the crusher.
Great collection the other yard must be amazing those old trucks all look rebuildable.Why did they bother with the string they should be promoting the junkyard.
Bryce, I’m pretty sure the string started because someone decided to do something besides burn the twine on the hay bales.
David, you hit home with me here. I grew up a few counties south and west of here (Dodge City). Always old cars around because the tin worm doesn’t care for the environment. Around 1964 or so the urban renewal monster reared it’s ugly head and we had to be like folks elsewhere.
They tore down the truly historical parts of Dodge City over the next few years and put in replicas of an older one that is probably at least in part mythological. The worst for me is that they couldn’t mind their own business and the farmers were expected to clean up all the old cars and trucks in the field.
As a teacher I taught my kids to frequently just take an MYOB. (mind your own business). You just can’t tell that to the government when they are here to help.
My parents moved to a little town named Ford when I joined the Navy. Took me forever to find them. Full of old cars like this. Much less so now.
You are dead on about the ever-encroaching nanny state resulting in less vintage iron. It’s been the case in urban areas for decades, but more recently, has been expanding out into rural areas as well. I’m thinking of rural Franklin County in Eastern WA where the county has been going out and telling property owners to clean up their “junk” (even if nobody is complaining about it).
Cawker City, abbreviated to CC. Maybe we should move the CC headquarters there.
It certainly has the right scenery
Simply gorgeous. Let then rust in peace.
By the way if anyone wants to see the pictures in high resolution I have them here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveseven/sets/72157625501338619/
Pick a photo and right click on it to see all the sizes.
Any contact info. for the owner, or know how to contact them? Thx
jamiebritton3@gmail.com
Nice! I’ll take the Ford pickup in the foreground of pic #2
Mrs DougD automatically says “no” whenever we pass an old car at the side of the road. I don’t even have to open my mouth. I need a bigger garage and more free time..
Haha – my wife does that as well. If I was single I’d probably own a whole field of automotive crap. The man equivalent of a cat lady I guess.
Im looking for a 1947 -1948 gmc 900 long nose truck diesel. ..does anyone know where to find one or has one?