New Jersey, “The Garden State”, is probably better known for its auto junkyards–many of which are now disappearing. And of all junkyards, G.I. was perhaps the king! For over half a century, the sun rose and set on this enormous field of discarded metal, glass, plastic, and rubber. The golden rays of the midday sun glinted and gleamed off shattered windshields, dented hoods, and chrome bumpers formed into nearly every possible shape a designer could imagine. In winter, all was covered by puffy white snow. On rainy days, the land became mud. The seasons came and went, decade after decade.
View of the salvage yard, c. 1965.
The story goes that after World War II, two men (who were former G.I.s in the U.S. military) founded the auto salvage business in Pine Brook, N.J. where Route 46 crosses the Passaic River. Given that fact, it is reasonable to assume that since its beginning in the 1940s, nearly every make and model car from the ‘teens through the ’90s has passed through its gates of hell. One can only imagine thousands upon thousands of “curbside classics” and future collectables which came to their end in this horrific place.
Same view, 30 years later. Note island of trees at upper right corner.
Junkyards, I have realized, are actually a rather controversial subject. That’s because people in general can be divided into two camps which I will call “Normies” and “Junkies”–you’re either one or the other, and they are constantly at war. Normies (the vast majority) consider junkyards to be ugly eyesores, undesirable in any community, but which serve a necessary purpose, and are to be avoided whenever possible. Junkies on the other hand, get really excited about the prospect of visiting a junkyard because Junkies are antique car lovers, restorers, hot-rodders, treasure hunters, historians, explorers, and people who are probably a little bit nuts. I will admit it; I am a Junkie. And as a Junkie, I will tell you that it is very hard to explain to a Normie why I will hike through a quarter mile of mud and pricker bushes to get to a rotting hulk of a ’57 Mercury or a Goggomobil which has somehow escaped the crusher (even if I don’t need parts off said vehicles).
There was a 1957 Mercury hiding on the fringes of the yard, avoiding the crusher. I salvaged a “Turnpike Cruiser Engine” badge from the front fender.
In my teens to early adult years, I made many pilgrimages to G.I., sometimes with a friend and sometimes by myself. Occasionally I took my camera along, which is why I have pictures to share with you. I bought a lot of parts for my own cars at G.I.: wheelcovers, tires, and a bumper jack for an ’89 Chrysler New Yorker; a dashboard vent for a ’72 Mercedes; a pair of GM Delco horns from a 1992 Buick Park Avenue which I installed in my ’58 Cadillac; and quite a few other items. But the most fun thing was just exploring through the automotive wreckage which surrounded me.
One of the unique experiences of visiting G.I. was having the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of just about any kind of car you can think of. There was a row of Lincolns from the ’70s: Continentals, Town Cars, Mark IVs & Vs; and it was interesting to sit in the driver’s seat, study the interior, and imagine piloting this luxury cruiser with that enormous hood in front of you. I wondered at the time, “Could these be the modern successors to the big luxury classics of the late ’20s and early ’30s?” There were plenty of other vehicles to check out–Alfa and Fiat sports cars, Ford Pintos, AMC Pacers, a black Firebird with a rampant, fiery golden eagle on the hood, a Yugo (built with all the integrity of Barbie’s Camper!), plus taxis, delivery vans, trucks, school buses (which were used like giant yellow building blocks to wall off sections of the yard)–everything!
Stacked like cordwood. How many can you identify?
Bumper stickers visible: “Virginia Is For Lovers”, “WDHA: The Rock of North Jersey”, “Dump Florio” (Unpopular N.J. governor who raised the sales tax from 6% to 7%.)
In the junkyard, all are equal. A Mercedes is stacked on a Chevy is stacked on a Cadillac. It doesn’t matter. I would look at some vandalized old wreck and think, “This was someone’s new car once. Somebody picked out this model, in this color, and probably waxed it when he got it home. He got upset if the paint got scratched or the upholstery got dirty. Now look at it–it’s come to this!” Then there were the interesting things found inside the cars. One time I found a Cadillac with Newark housing project parking stickers (and a glovebox full of City parking tickets)! In the trunk was a stack of newspapers the likes of which I had never heard of: “The Final Call” (published by Louis Farrakhan). They made for some interesting reading, let me tell you!
But probably the most fascinating thing was watching the crusher in action–one after another the doomed cars were thrown in, and then the hydraulic rams went to work. The metal of the car bodies screamed in agony. I stood above like a divine guardian, witnessing the final moments of each car’s time on earth–a Toyota Celica, a Pontiac Bonneville sedan, a Chevy pickup, a ’57 De Soto Firedome (No! Don’t crush that……too late!)
During this time I always had the sneaking suspicion that G.I.’s days were numbered–that the Normies and real estate market forces would eventually put an end to the place. Since the early 2000s, several proposals have been put forth to redevelop the land–first it was to build a Lowe’s, then condominiums, but nothing materialized. The junk cars have all been cleared out now, and after 2012 the land was used to park vehicles damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Now it appears that new cars are being stored there, but I’m not sure for what purpose. The site is no longer open to the public.
So for now the sun still shines down on metal and glass, and the land’s ultimate fate remains uncertain. But I do know this–five thousand years from now, in the year 7000 A.D., someone will be walking along the same ground, and he’ll find a pitted metal circle with zigzags in it: a “V” and a “W”. And he won’t know what it means. Of course we know, but we won’t be around to tell him!
Yard tour:
There I am, circa late 1990s, showing off a slightly used Chrysler Cordoba. (Photo by Jim Davidson)
Oldest car in the yard (next to 1964 Chrysler). Can someone identify?
1953(?) Cadillac Sixty Special
1958 Oldsmobile in original gold color.
A rusty rocket.
Checker sedan, looks to be civilian. Failed inspection sticker on windshield.
1958 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop.
In the woods behind the junkyard itself was a green 1953 Oldsmobile 98 2-door hardtop which somehow escaped the crusher. Believe it or not, the vinyl dash pad was in nearly mint condition, despite severe exposure to the elements. I felt that if I wiped some Armor-All on it, it would look like new! I think there was a certain kind of vinyl made in the ’50s which was practically indestructible!
Crushed cars headed for a new life…somewhere.
“Heaven is the only place to live happily ever after.”
Love it! I guess I am a junkie too.
We junkies learned early to avoid the “modern” and “well-run” junkyards where stacks of radios and transmissions were lined up in the tin buildings. Those guys ran a business and cars went in and out quickly, with 7-10 year old stuff as the sweet spot.
Those of us with 10-15 year old cars learned to find the sleepy little yards where you could walk in with your toolbox and browse. I saw my first Frazer in a junkyard like this. Thanks for the memory walk.
And I think that mystery car is a 40-ish Chevy sedan.
Ah, for the days when people dressed up to go to the junkyard!
I’ve haunted an older yard in our area a couple times (several miles down a gravel farm road), but their billboard out on the two-lane has sported one of those PSA type ads for three or four years now, so I suspect they may be shut down now.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/junkyard-visit-others-died-that-mine-might-live/
Back in the late ‘80s, I went with my uncle to a yard south of Atlanta to find a front clip for his wife’s ‘72 Torino wagon. Lots of old iron from the ‘50s and ‘60s was still lined up in the back of the yard. It’s been gone for many years now, unfortunately.
One Normie who is a Junkie.
You captured the sensations of my extensive adventures and explorations pretty much spot on.
In 1983 I met a guy from the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia, he ran an auto salvage business like I had never seen before. Any vehicle written off in a large area of the city ended up with him. His crew would strip it down right away for parts, everything cataloged and stored in warehouses ready to sell. No ugly yard or valuable real estate needed. He would sell parts to many of the South Pacific islands and send loads in shipping containers to them. I had never seen anything like this at home in Western Canada at the time.
Still a number of “U-Pull-it” type yards here in the Phoenix, Az. area. Most are on line via “Row 52” So if in a hurry, you can see if the vehicle or vehicles you want to peruse is available. Sorta cold, as I and many friends have spent many an hour exploring for bits for our old iron. We also have Desert valley, in two locations, where the really rare bits might be sourced. But that is not a “U-pull it.” more of a “U-find it, we pull it”. Not as spry as we used to be. However, a good “yard crawl” is still possible.
Some of these yards with older inventory won’t let you pull yourself, not just for safety’s sake, but to avoid unnecessary damage to remaining parts. Nothing ticks those guys off more than a $50 fender ruined over a $2 emblem removal.
This is great stuff. There’s a small junkyard right near downtown Salem MA that I would tramp around & just wonder about the cars that ended up there. This also reminds me of something that Jean Shepherd once did about a NJ junkyard. I couldn’t find it on YouTube, but I did find this, which is just as interesting:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GX9nDyFMkc4
Would that happen to be Ferris’?
When I lived on the North Shore I would go there, thought it was shut down now, for the valuble land to build condos…
Lost my car keys in there once, couldn’t leave until I found them.
Yes, that would be Ferris’ Junk Yard. It’s still hanging on, however the HMA Car Wash next to it has now left & I think it will probably end up as condos sooner or later (this junkyard is actually located right on the waterfront of the North River in Salem, MA)
I am shocked HMA is gone.
Some of their cars are so close to the water I thought they would have been cracked down on years ago.
Excellent article, that evokes many memories. Thank you. As a young kid in the late 70s, my school bus used to pass a salvage yard every day. Seeing all these interesting old cars from before my time, piqued my interest in CCs from an early age.
I was also an avid news junkie growing up. I’d read much of the local and national news in the local paper before school. And watched the evening news each night. My thoughts of a junk yard as a benign place to appreciate old cars up close was somewhat awoken into reality eventually, when I used to read of serious local car accidents, with descriptions of the cars involved. And in coming days, I’d sometimes see those same very badly damaged cars, left in front of the yard. Often involving brand new cars, with fatalities, as the news articles noted. I would recall a specific car from their earlier description from the news. It certainly opened my eyes to life’s realities as a child. And it gave me a much greater sense of the work of first responders and journalists.
They were going to put condominiums on this site? The site that had thousands of cars over 50+ years leaking gas, oil, antifreeze, lubricants, etc? I cant imagine the sort of cleanup that might be required
I recall seeing a salvage yard with a small river running through it. Knowing that communities downstream were consuming that water. Concerning, even if the water was treated.
Amazing article! I guess I’m a junkie.
Unfortunately self service junk yards are quickly disappearing from the Greater Toronto area. There was one on the way to Georgetown got converted to a storage locker place. Another one in Burlington on Bronte Rd. seized to exist 🙁
My older brother owns, and operates a “U Pull it” ..About an hour from from the East end of the GTA. He’s in his 70’s, and figures he will be the last owner .
A simple business plan ..Buy the vehicle by the pound. Let it sit ,and get picked over. Then throw it on the pile . When the pile gets too high ? He calls up another company they and they deal with it.
I wonder if a reality show based on buying a junkyard and then selling cars from it to make back the money would be interesting to watch. Imagine walking the yard with a crew to pick out a suitable car, picking parts off of other cars to fix it, enjoying the restoration of the car and then selling said car to a buyer. Sort of a combination of Wheeler Dealers and Flip It.
Next on Junkyard Jalopys: “Can this Hemi equipped ’57 DeSoto Firedome be saved? (lots of shots of sparking welders and rusty parts being flung about) Find out next time!”
I remember a show that lasted about one season. Desert Valley Auto Parts would find a reasonably complete car in the yard and then do a quick restoration on it and finally auction the completed car. This was supposedly done in a week, but I suspect they took longer. It was an interesting show but my impression was that they were not actually making money on the flips because of high resto costs and low auction proceeds.
That makes sense. Lots of time and money spent, and at the end you have a vehicle with a salvage title and therefore very low market value.
Great post. I am definitely a “junkie.” Even as a little kid, I used to beg my grandmother to drive me to look at junkyards (through the fence) and I’d try to identify all the cars in the piles. One time she got a huge laugh as we drove by a small scrapyard that had a big sign in front of the junked cars that said “We Sell Lingerie.” She took a picture of that one–I wish I could find it since it was hilarious. When I got older I started checking out yards myself, and now my 16-year-old son and I are junkies together, so the tradition lives on.
Love these pics and love the car spotting. Sorry that the yard is no more, but that does seem to be the wave of the future, especially in areas with higher real estate values.
I guess I’m a virtual junkie… I love these articles and their pictures here, but can count the number of times I’ve actually visited such a place on 2 or 3 fingers.
That said, as my 2007 Mustang ages, I’d better suck it up and put on my old jeans and Timberlands and get out there. The cover of my driver’s seat needs replacing, and is already obsolete according to the Ford dealer.
We still have a few U-Pull-It type places northeast of Baltimore. Vince’s Auto Parts comes to mind, as does this place that magically appeared in the banner ad for this very article…. weird, because while I know Google and Siri and Alexa are all reading our minds, whatever CC is using seemed to pick up on the subject of today’s article…
https://www.lkqpickyourpart.com
(Somehow my screenshot showing this did not come across, so I’ve attached the URL.)
LKQ appears to be a chain; they advertise on the radio with the catchphrase (cribbed from Capital One – I smell a lawsuit!) “What’s in YOUR garage?”… while Vince’s is an old fashioned place like the subject boneyard.
Thanks for the pics. They’re all great classics.
I always thought NJ was famous for the Meadowlands and its most famous resident 🙂
I spent three years working in a wrecking yard. I was one of those guys who drove around in a beater car equipped with my tools and an air compressor to remove parts. It is interesting to see what gets left in a vehicle… Camaros, Firebirds and utility vehicles were the scariest. Stuff you wouldn’t want to touch and half empty booze bottles. Very instructional on how cars are put together (before there was YouTube to help, you had to figure out each car on your own…) There were a few decent cars here and there that were needlessly destroyed. Some C3 Corvettes, early Mustangs, one really nice 4X4 F-150 that I remember, I’m sure there were others. This yard was undergoing a change from where there were older cars to a yard that mostly had newer stuff that would be in service to local auto shops. The majority of the old stuff disappeared about a year after I started there.
As far as building on an old wrecking yard… they will build wherever they can. They may do some perfunctory clean up of the grounds. I don’t know. During my tenure there, three acres were sold off to a new pop-up neighborhood. An elementary school now sits there. There was a wrecking yard right on I-5 and Iowa street that somewhat recently became a Mercedes and Toyota dealership. Wrecking yards seem to becoming more scarce, like racetracks and dragstrips.
I’m so much of a junkie I visit junkyards if I’m on vacation if I have the time. Go to the Beach? Hike mountains? “They might have rust free cars here” I plead to normie friends and family as I gather the tools I packed with my clothes.
It’s funny how intact the 5mph bumpers are in the crush stack, the Cougar and Montego in particular in the center stack, the whole nose is sunken completely behind it.
The first post about the Mrs. Maisel series is great. The writer asks for comments. I was thinking of some, but at the end is a message never seen here before: “The comments section is closed”.
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I think I fixed that — thanks for letting us know.
Count me among the junkies. Cousin Ralph had a cool place when I lived in Vermont. Back in the early 80s, there were still a few Tri-Five Chevies that could have been brought back. Also a cool ’59 Plymouth two-door wagon in milky white from California.
And WDHA…that’s where I first heard Pat Benatar, Squeeze, Romantics and a host of others from that 1980-81 period when I lived near NYC.
In the black and white photo from 1965 the center section below the bus is British and French cars – Hillmans, Simcas, a Renault Dauphine etc. All were fairly rare in the US. One VW – even though they sold 10x more maybe they didn’t get junked a lot because they didn’t break irreparably that much and got fixed when they did.
I used to sometimes go to junkyards located in the industrial wastelands of San Francisco (yes, there was such a thing then, miles from the hilly Victorian parts) in the 80’s to ’90’s. One was a pick your part type operation, although not called that. You found something, removed it, and then the exit was through a dark greasy office where a fat greasy guy in a too small striped T-shirt told you how much it was. It was always a very interesting experience in many ways.
Another place had side windows in a rack instead of self-removal. That was the first time I got a side window broken for no reason, again decades later in Brooklyn. Both in “safe” neighborhoods. Both for no reason, with no breaking into the car to take anything. Both on the street side. Kind of shocking each time – WTF? But this time I went to an independent glass place and they found a side door window for my 25 year old minivan which was fortunately from back when they didn’t roll down. The internet has changed everything – I have no idea how they would have found something like that back in the olden days unless they had one in that rack, which would have been rather unlikely given the age of the vehicle.
Instead of crushing them I think that for a long time they have been shredding junk cars and then separating the various types of materials for recycling or disposal.
The Hillman Husky (I’m pretty sure) immediately caught my eye, as my Dad drove one when I was very young. I remember riding in the back – no seat belts because there was no seat!
I am told that, as a child, when we drove past an auto junkyard, I’d start to cry.
Hell, I still do !
My hometown of about 4500 people in the ’70’s had four junkyards each memorable in their own way. One was at the traffic signal (“the” as is in the only one) and it had a Corvair van parked next to the garage with the back doors facing out. It was the biggest mystery to me as to what the front looked like since it never moved and it looked like no other van. That side was fenced so it was even bigger mystery as to the other side. If I was lucky enough to have my parents come up the other road which was not fenced, I would crane my neck to get a gander at what I was missing. My eyes always went to the big ’57 Dodge tow truck (non-power wagon) and another bed-less big truck with a homemade fixed boom, much larger than standard, used for engine pulling. By that time, it had ceased to be a working yard so all those cars just sat and I had a quiet desperation to wander around in there. The other ones I frequented with my dad and brother and visited on my own plenty of times in later years. I would rather go to these than carnivals back then.
Junkie here. Out my way one can only find Pick n Pull which generally doesn’t have much from the 70s or 80s so forget the 60s. However, I have managed to pick up some trim pieces for my 91 Mazda 626 along with a spare hood, bumper cover, and two front fenders just because they were in excellent shape. That along with a 1998 Sable right front fender.
Saw one 1966 F-100 there once. What a surprise. I didn’t need anything as my 65 was in fine shape. However, when was the last time you didn’t see on of those front fenders without that typical dent at the top front edge? No, dent so I took the left as you never know. A hood with no dents! So I took it as you never know. That was fun manhandling it out to the front. The 66 grille in great shape. I have a 65 but what the hell I took it as you never know. Oh, also took the bumper and it is to be chromed for my 65 being a Custom Cab.
Ah, G.I. ! Thanks for conjuring up some great memories. Outside of the multitute of junk yards in Elizabeth and Newark, this one was kind of out in boonies on Route 46. I remember back in 80’s seeing a lot of old iron there. A very clean, but sad Olds Starfire stands out in my memory. There was another salvage yard across them on 46 eastbound where I spotted a few early 60’s Datsuns and 50’s Buicks.
Geez, I remember when WDHA was broadcasting out of an old house on Route 10 – Back in 1991 I heard that Nick Lowe was in studio and tried to catch him for an autograph. Nearly ran him over when I pulled into the parking lot!
Two interesting local tidbits:
— Within sight of G.I. there was an old dirt race track, abandoned for years. They built a Home Depot on the site in the late 90’s.
–The road that crosses over 46 adjacent to G.I. has a concrete median and during some road work on it just before the overpass they discovered the remains of a native indian campsite in 1992.
That looks like a 46-47 Chevy next to the Chrysler
This article brings back fond memories.
As a NJ native who drove crappy cars for many years, I spent a good bit of time in junkyards back in the day, when they would let you come in and browse.
After, or perhaps before, finding, or not finding, what I came for, I would peruse the aisles, feeling sorry for the cool old cars whose fate I could foretell. Out behind the main area, where the forest was reclaiming the site, were the oldest, most skeletal wrecks, some with trees growing through the engine bays as though to keep the cars captive in their adopted environment.
Some of the best, in my opinion, were the small operations, found by luck or word of mouth. These seemed to grow out of the forest. Though they lacked the breadth of selection of the bigger places, they were generally friendlier, more welcoming of junkyard tourists, and had a nicer vibe to them.
Times changed, and I moved away, to CT, a state that long ago stopped allowing browsers in junkyards, but has recently removed the ban to allow U-pull type junkyards. These, as far as I can tell, are sections of more typical yards where they place a few surplus vehicles for the public to pick over. It’s a step in the right direction, but does not quite capture the feel of the junkyards of my youth.
There was an old junkyard near where I live now, closed for years (perhaps since the 70’s), but only recently cleared out. I made several trips there as an illegal tourist, and enjoyed the feel of having the place to myself. This place was a time capsule of automotive history, with vehicles going back to the 50s. Most memorable to me was the selection 67-72 F100s that caused me to dream up unfulfilled schemes by which I might appropriate some of their parts. Also notable was a bunch of Edsels, including a pink one that really stood out amid its oxidized neighbors. They also had some old fire trucks that reminded me of ones I saw in cartoons as a kid.
Junkyard economics have apparently changed, with modern ones selecting for newer vehicles and scrapping out the old ones rather than keeping them around. Parts for my own F100s are nowhere to be found in junkyards near me. When I buy junkyard parts for my modern vehicles, I just go to the counter and pick them up, which deprives my son of the opportunity to wander and wonder.
Will we be the last generation of junkyard aficionados?
Ahhh…great memories. Monmouth & Ocean County still have some decent u pull it yards to chose from – that’s how I kept my cars going during my teenage years..including a new to me front clip for my 84 deVille after a telephone pole wouldn’t get out of my way 🙂
As a kid I would explore one of the “recycling center” junkyards in Central PA whose owner was friends with my Pap – I would pull radios, manuals, etc for fun and wire up the car stereos to listen to.
And even with G.I gone…WDHA is STILL “The Rock Of New Jersey” – I worked for their sister station WMTR and it was a cool place to be. The walls were lined with rock & roll history..
Some high-level libraries are “closed stack,” meaning you request and receive books—but don’t get to browse the shelves. I guess that’s more and more the trend in the “auto dismantler” business, too. But gee, Poindexter’s essay today makes me want to find an “open stack” yard to prowl, even if I don’t NEED a thing.
Say, what would be the interest in a CC meet-up being someplace where there are great prospects for automotive prospecting?
I remember back in the ’70s the dismantlers (you asked for a part and they would pull it and sell it to you) in Southern California had a “squawk box” system. If the lot didn’t have what you asked for, they would put it out as a closed-circuit sort of voice system to the other lots in the area, to see who had one. The ongoing banter sounded like the police dispatchers, except the conversation was littered with make, model, and year references.
Hey I saw it on an episode of Adam-12!
We used this system during my tenure in the wrecking yard 1999-’02. A couple of us had fun pranking the counter guys with toys we found in cars. The best one was a squeezable Barney doll. They would ask a question and get answered with “I love you” or “Can I have a hug?”
Thoroughly enjoyed this post! All of the thoughts and questions you presented (i.e. “somebody picked this car / color / etc.) are similar to those I might have had. What a fascinating piece of history.
I’m a little bit late to comment on your article but someone just sent it to me. I really want to thank you for the trip down memory lane. As a lifelong junkie and the owner of GI auto your story and pictures really touched me. I couldn’t have written a more beautiful and touching obituary for GI Auto myself thanks you, thank you, thank you!
Stumbled across this thread after finally remembering the name of the the junk yard where I pulled the fender off the 59 Belvedere I needed for my first car in 1979.
Could still remember Frank and at least 1 or 2 German Shepard’s behind the counter .
Started to wonder what ever happened to Frank .
I Left jersey 30 years ago and headed south
Then saw his post .
Thanks for the memories Frank !
Interesting to see that someone else was a frequent GI Auto visitor. I’ve been following their “end of life” story since 2007 in this forum thread…
http://forum.merkurclub.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=8911
This brings back a flood of great memories! Great father / daughter days were spent at this junkyard, as well as the Pine Brook Auction across 46! Thanks for keeping this story alive and online!
Just learning about their demise. Sad to say the least. I remember gi salvage yard distictly. Rule #1- your boots better be tied well after a rain bc your shoe will get stuck and you will step in mud. Rule #2 watch out for the forklift/escavators. They will run you over and you will buried on site not a bad way to go lol. The good ole days. 9ne of the last junkyards that were putting classic cars to pick on in the yard… great article and took me back.
Just an update, A Lowe’s WAS built on this site, you’d never know GI Auto Salvage was there. Many fond memories, some great finds along the way, including a Meyer top for my CJ5 Jeep, nose for Georgie the “K”s Dodge Aspen wagon, Pinto parts galore and many 60’s mustang parts. Going there was like a trip to Disneyworld for me, instant up, always came home with a “Trophy”. A little known fact, a body was found in a car that had been crushed, somehow law enforcement connected the murder to the Russian Mafia.
Sorry Mike, but you are incorrect. A Lowe’s was initially planned for the site, but that fell through about 10 years ago now. As of today, the site still sits undeveloped. Most recently proposed is a Senior Apartment complex.
As for the Russian mobster, he was dumped in the parking lot. It’s listed on-line somewhere as an unsolved homicide.
Looking for horns from a 1980 Cadillac preferably with the 4 horns if not with 2. Thank you for your helping time
You won’t find it at GI’s any more!
My husband and I would have Junk Yard Dates to pick up items we needed for our cars … and always explore!
hello all looking for a trunk emblem from Larry Smith Chevrolet Dealer in charlotte NC. any ideas ty
Myself, my buddies and my Dad loved yarding at GI’s from the late 80s to the early 90s. I can still hear that loudspeaker..”Get off da caaars…get off da caaars…”. I raided a full dual exhaust from a 69 GTO for my 69 Lemans convertible, an alternator for my ’79 Bonneville, brown cloth bucket seats from a mid-80s Cavalier to go in my beater ’83 Chevy Citation, and even a rear 1/4 window from a Buick/Opel which happend to fit the ’83 Isuzu I-Mark coupe my high school science teacher sold me for $100. Lots and lots of memories made in that mudpit. I escaped New Jersey for Texas after graduating from High School in 1992, but still remember this and Kobers out in Washington Township as my “go-2” yards.
Now it is “Luxury Apartments”. Surrounded by water catch basins for the flood waters from the Passaic River. Can’t imagine the insects.
Wow, they actually went ahead and finally built something there. It took 14 years from the time they closed GI’s until they built something on that site. Damnit, we could have had a local junkyard for another 13 years!!!