This is a nostalgic-sympathetic post of a thirty-years-old Saturday stroll, heading into a junkyard with an aim to photograph specific classics. Oh, and accompanied by faithful Laish.
Laish Who?
Well, besides being a synonymous word for a young lion and a Biblical name (Googling returns it’s a Benjaminite and the father of Paltiel, to whom Saul gave Michal, David’s wife), he was also my family’s German Shepherd. Actually, he was the last of several Laishes running (quite literally) in the family. He lived throughout 1983-1995, and right along my formative years. I still miss that dog like crazy.
Here he is in all his glory, albeit older. Big too.
A slight introduction to the matter at hand: This was at about 1987. Living in Israel, there was no automotive culture to speak of at the time- most cars were regular A to B, small capacity engines’ stuff. If sports-cars or any other interesting vehicles entered the country, they were imported privately and therefore very scarce. So perhaps because of all that, and with the influence of my older brother, at the age of sixteen I was about to enter more and more into this world of classic cars.
Back to this junkyard-stroll; The main railroad line between Haifa and Tel-Aviv ran about a mile from my house, in my hometown. Back then, there were no fences or anything- you could cross the tracks freely. and at some point beyond them were lumps of rust, previously known as “cars”. Having been there before, I remembered seeing interesting shapes among the piles of rubble, so one Saturday morning (in Israel it’s a day of rest. So no trains are running and everything is quiet), I picked up the point-and-shoot Canon we had, took Laish with me and off we went to seek photographs of the most interesting bits.
Now keep in mind; I was nowhere near as knowledgeable in classic cars as I am now, so I disregarded most of the wrecks- I probably didn’t even know what I was looking at. I should have taken more photos, hence the somewhat depleted collection. But still, some can be seen in the background of the main “stars”.
So after crossing the tracks and climbing down from the embankment, I found myself facing this lovely thing:
Laish was duly tied to the door handle, and this photo was taken. And who knows which car rests next to the 57?
Rounding the 57, yet more is revealed. Also, Laish poses much better in this photo.
Lets try to zoom in and break it into two. Can you spot and identify the other wrecks?
Note the 57’s roof holds water; this was during the winter, and its been raining a few days before. Still vivid in my mind is the memory of fresh air and the greenery all around.
Moving further into the junkyard, I spotted this:
Here it is from the front. Again 1960’s door handles prove to be useful if you have to tie a dog’s leash.
Zooming in further- see that sedan and the panel-van in the background.
Laish seemed content to carry on, so I left that junkyard and headed to this small area which also held some classic wrecks- these were in much better shape than the ones photographed earlier. I mean, just look at this:
That Skylark didn’t look bad at all, and note the D100 in the background. Israel was full of these D100s back in the 1960s and 1970s. today, none are left.
As a side note, I managed to obtain some details regarding that Buick from one Mr. Shen’ar who maintains this wonderful website and has some access to an old Israeli classic cars registrar- note the Skylark had a 6 Cyl. engine, was originally registered on May 6th 1969 with a different color (Cameo Cream), and its MOT license has not been renewed \ valid since 1987. This means that it was recently taken off the road, just about when I took those photographs. Make what you will of this…
But I think, the best find was this:
This one was not just laying around in open ground for all to mess about- as you can see, it was kept behind a fence and a locked gate. Someone obviously had future plans concerning it, although you could make a point that keeping it exposed to the elements was not the right way to preserve it properly.
Looking at its photos, it’s hard to imagine this car survived the years and got to be restored. However, a few years back I was informed by a “source” that that’s exactly what happened. I was even sent a photo (which, for the life of me, I cannot find!). It was indeed a yellow 1956 Chevy Panel-Van, parked in a discreet underground car-park. Of course, this does not mean it’s the same car, but I choose to believe that it was saved and is still “alive”.
At that point in time, both Laish and myself were getting hungry, so we left the wrecks behind and headed home. This was quite a successful day and I think, remembering it this vividly some thirty years later proves it. So I can tell you this: go to your cupboards, dressers, attics or any other storing places you might have- and start going over your old photos and slides. I guarantee you’ll be surprised by what you might find.
As for this junkyard; a fire consumed all these wrecks sometime in the Nineties and later, any leftovers were evacuated to make way for an industrial zone that was built next to the train tracks. The area where the Skylark and Chevy Panel-Van were resting, was also flattened and a used car lot was erected instead.
And Laish? Well, after various old-age illnesses he joined his forefathers somewhere in the great beyond. I’ll leave you with one of his last photos, resting his old body- much like those cars in the junkyard:
Israeli classic car enthusiasts would kill to get their hands on the Chev and the Buick these days.
Peugeot 403. Oh, just one more thing, sir….
Mrs. Colombo is a huge fan of Laish.
Yes, Pug 403. A great car in its day
Laish looks like a great dog. They never live long enough.
+1 I still miss my Boston terrier & my French bulldog is approaching dog middle age.
It’s hard to believe my last two have been gone over 3 years now. I doubt I’ll ever have another dog. I can’t walk them since I got injured/disabled, and it’s not fair to a dog not to walk it, so I’m doing the cat thing. It’s a poor substitute, to be honest, even though they are about the friendliest cats I’ve ever seen. I really miss them:
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/734x545q90/673/LmBkrT.jpg
Nice looking dogs though 1 at once is enough for me!
The 1969 Skylark – I’d be hesitant to venture out with that number plate… also, though it’s dwelling in a shadow, it looks like the left front wheel is a Pontiac Rally II. A quick search came up with another ’69 wearing the same:
As for the condition of most of those old relics, “That’ll buff right out”.
This is really neat. So interesting to see junkyards/car collections from around the globe. Hard to believe these pic are nearly 30 years old.
Or that a 1987 car would be roughly the same age today as the “tri-fives” were then!
it never ceases to amaze me where north American cars turn up.
and I agree with the majority…you had a wonderful companion growing up!
+1
It’s amazing that one would see so many Chevies, plus a Ford and a Buick in a scrap yard halfway around the world from their origin.
Like Laish, the Buick was quite the handsome one in it’s day. Thanks for sharing both with us. 🙂
Thanx for this glimpse into Israel .
That yellow ’56 Chevy is a Sedan Delivery , not a panel van .
I too hope it got resurrected ! .
In the 1960’s my brother had a Belgian Shepard , wonderful dog she was , got stolen along with his ’54 Ford Fairlane two door by a hitchhiker in a snow storm….
My current dogs are rescue Chihuahuas , smaller dogs tend to live _much_ longer than big ones and they’re like Children to me now my Son is grown and gone .
I’m waiting for ” Re-pet ” to be a real thing ! .
-Nate
Sedan deliveries like that 56 Chevy were never made in great quantities and are seldom seen even here in their homeland. Therefore it seems highly probable to me that the restored car you saw was the same one you photographed.
OOI interest, where is the line between a sedan delivery and a panel van? Is the former a panelled in estate, and the later an unambiguous van?
Sedan Delivery is passenger car based , Panel is light truck based ~ totally different except engine choices .
-Nate
Handsome dog. 60 Ford wagon for me.
US-Made cars were very popular in Israel all through to the 60s and even after that they had strong presence on the upper end of the market. Then came the malaise years:) The pic below (via Zohar Cohen) is of the front of a motel in Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, sometime in the early 50s.
Thanks for all your comments. 🙂
Indeed, those German Shepherds have a rough time growing old- and the thoroughbreds (which Laish was) suffer the most, with pelvis problems and pains. That’s besides the usual cataract and hearing loss… But I take comfort in the knowledge that at least he had a good life mostly.
As for the photos looking so “new”- yes, I did some magic in Photoshop, but I had a good basis because those are originally slides, not negatives. Slides had always better resolution and colors than negatives, even these 35mm you see in that post.
Truly Laish was a good looking pooch .
One of the reasons I have mongrel mutts is the lack of genetic defects that plague pure breds .
Smaller dogs live longer too .
I was looking at a working (hauling trash) 1946 Chevrolet 1.5 ton truck to – day , the owner cut the top of the cab away leaving only the windshield and closed up the open B Pillar area so well I thought it might have been a ex Fire Rig ~ he laughed and said , no it’s just crazy Biker welding…
He was driving ’round picking up the local trash bins with his mixed Chihuahua bitch riding on his left shoulder , happily enjoying the Desert sunshine .
Gotta love a good dog .
-Nate
The sedan in photos 8 and 9 has mighty familiar-looking bumper and taillights…a Ford Taunus 20M? Loved all the photos; Laish was handsome, made me misty-eyed thinking about our previous dogs.
Taunus spot looks likely to me
In photo 4, the blue and white car beyond the 57 Chevy has a distinct BMC Farina (either A40 or Farina saloon) look to it, and the estate next to it is, I think, a Peugeot 403 estate.
I like dogs, though I am always of wary (ften unfairly of course) of a large dog like Laish, but for various reason to do with the commitment they need, it’s a cat currently.
After reading this I imagined you and Laish touring this auto graveyard in the mid eighties, and the bond you two had as an adolescent and his dog. It looks like Laish was a great companion for a good while, and I’d enjoy any other stories you have about you two and the cars you’ve encountered.