It had to happen, sooner or later. The “Official CC Graveyard“, which became widely known after my posts on them went viral, is going to be liquidated. The first ten cars are on the block, and are struggling to find buyers willing to bid more than scrap value. Which doesn’t bode well for the rest of them. So if one of these cars is calling out to you, know is the time to take action.
Here’s a little back story first, before we plunge into the particulars. This was Scott & Sons Auto Wrecking, which closed in 2005. Obviously, Mr. Scott made a habit to save the cars that either had a particular interest to him, or thought would one day be valuable. So they’re arranged, mostly by brand and models. If I remember, Mr. Scott died at the time the yard was closed, or thereabouts. In any case, his daughter is now eager to liquidate the whole kit and caboodle.
Since the yard is on Airport Road, we’d driven by it for years, before I finally decided to stop in 2010 and look over the fence. I could tell there were some interesting cars in there from the little gaps in the fence when driving by, but looking out over the collected multitude was quite the eye-opener.
I wrote up and posted that initial over-the-fence shooting session back at the old site. The in 2011 I rode my bike out, stashed it behind a tree, and hopped the (tall) fence, relying on long-dormant skills honed in my youth. I walked around for a couple of hours, in a daze, and shot hundreds of pictures.
I wrote up my tour in five parts, the links to which are at the bottom of this post. And I may re-run them again here soon.
Anyway, the sale is being handled by Rogar Alvey at Copart, who is trying a mix of on-line auctions through Copart.com and Ebay, whichever seems to result in the best bids. Or by any other means, like a direct contact and negotiation.You can reach Roger at roger.alvey@Copart.com or call Copart Eugene at (541)689-3533.
All bids have to be approved by the current owner, and it appears her expectations for her father’s former field of dreams may be unrealistic. Not surprising, really. Which means none of the first ten have sold, at least as of my conversation with him on Tuesday. The bids were all at or below scrap value.
But these cars ended up here in the first place because they were being wrecked, and their condition hasn’t exactly improved over the decades.
I went out to Copart’s Eugene facility to look at the first ten cars that had been pulled out, transported and pressure washed. Here’s what I saw, a rather random sampling of cars that were most accessible at the junkyard. Few things are more depressing than seeing cars facing a possibly dismal future on a wet, gray Oregon late-fall day.
First up: A VW 1600 Squareback, and a pretty early one at that (1967 or earlier), given the lack of side marker lights.
A mildly-customized Beetle. Like all too many of these cars, the interior has been exposed to the elements, which alone is going to make these cars more challenging, never mind the unknown mechanical condition.
A genuine US-import Sunbeam (Hillman) Imp, and a car I wrote up in a full-on CC, since I was rather unlikely to ever see one on the street. This one tugs at me; I can’t bear to think of it getting crushed. Given how light it is, it wouldn’t take much to top its scrap value. Surely there’s someone out there willing to save an Imp?
A Flair-bird Thunderbird. Interior not hermetically sealed.
Another heart-strings tugger: a 1963 white Corvair Monza four-door, just like my first car, except for the Powerglide. Good thing, because if it had had the four speed, I might have done something irrational.
Plenty of rust, but the Oregon kind, which forms on the surface from rain and condensation.
Plenty back here too. A bit too much for my taste.
But anything can be fixed, for a price. What’s yours?
This ’66 Chrysler Newport was by far the best of this first batch. I suspect it may likely have been stored in one of the sheds.
This was the only one I could bear to shoot the interior. In relative terms, not bad.
What a handsome car.
A pink ’58 Edsel hardtop coupe, and one of the big-body 124″ wheelbase ones at that.
The body looks pretty solid, and most of the trim is still there. Gotta’ be worth well more than scrap. Of course, it does weigh a bit!
No Edsel, but then these early Zs aren’t exactly getting more common.
A Willys wagon, with four wheel drive too. I bet it had a hard life before it had its long rest.
Finally, a ’58 Chevrolet Biscayne, My brother once had one just like it, but his was a six. This has the big V on the back.
Well, there they are, the first of hundreds of cars that will be moving to their next plane of existence soon, one way or another. Perhaps I should have called it the ‘CC Purgatory’. They’ve certainly atoned for their sins long enough; now will they go to car heaven or hell?
If the former, here’s the man to contact: Roger Alvey at roger.alvey@Copart.com or Copart Eugene at (541)689-3533.
The CC GraveYard Tour: Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five
I’ ll take a Corvair…..With that Red “Imp” to-go please…:-)
Always gets me into Catcher in the rye mode, wanna save’em ALL !
Too bad, in Europe these yards are disappearing rapidly, thanks to environmentalists, correct politicians and our fake EU save the planet awareness.
I’d say this yard deserves a UN protected status as an American Cultural Inheritance
I like Jeremy Clarkson’s name for them – “EcoMentalists”.
My favourite American car,the first Cougar and an Edsel(long time Edsel fan here) for starters.Some nice Chevvies and T birds,someone save that Chrysler please.
I’m an Edsel nut too, wish Oregon wasn’t so far away.
Oh , no ~
More classcis and parts vehicles to be forever lost if sold at scrap value .
I gotta get some time and look closely for projects I really don’t need but I can use a Morris Minor…
-Nate
Have a look on trademe ,co,nz Minors aplenty for sale mostly runners in good order.
I think it might have been you who hipped me to that back before I bought my ’61 Morry Minor Saloon earlier this year .
I burned out on R.H.D. vehicles in the early 1980’s as I’d imported some in the 1970’s fun and different , I never really liked driving them in traffic . IIRC (possible) all the Minors on there were R.H.D. .
I need to find some junked out Morrys in the U.S. of A. as I’m in need of parts .
Surprising huh ? an Old Car Nutter mechanic who needs spares for his 50 year old saved from the crusher beaters….
Those bullcrap T.V. Shows have ruined the hobby for those of use who’ll work on them just because .
Not everything that’s ” rare ” has value .
Seeing those jerkhoffs lie about how easy it is and how much $ they’ll get , burns my @$$ .
I like Sedans too , I no longer figure in any of the end value of the oldies I buy and repair .
Oops ~ ranting again .
-Nate
Wow, look at all that. I’m quite taken by the row of F1 pickups.
I looked at the Edsel on Copart, they estimated value is listed at $4,500. In the photos here I see a few vehicles that I’d pay $500 for if they were sitting in my driveway so obviously the economics aren’t going to work out for me.
Agree that most will be crushed for scrap value, the old car hobby’s biggest problem is not a lack of incomplete project cars that need everything, but a lack of people willing to take them on. Particularly on the west coast.
I haven’t read PN’s original posts on this so will have to go back and check it out.
$4,500.00 with get you a driver ’58 big series Edsel. They’re dreaming.
Location is the problem. Even a small car like the Sunbeam would cost more the purchase price to haul home. Even if it were free the economics would be hard to justify. It would be a real if it does get crushed.
If it were semi-local I’d snap up that Sunbeam and possibly the 240Z.
The four door Corvair is tempting until you start looking closely at it – that one is a parts car.
You don’t understand how Copart works, $4500 is the retail value in restored/good condition, not what they want for it or what they expect to get for it. Take a look at the Aveo link below they say that retail is $6200 and fully admit the estimated cost to repair is more than that which of course is why it was totaled and is at the insurance auction.
That car wouldn’t be worth $4,500 if it had $4,000 cash in the trunk.
The daughter is dreaming. None of those cars are worth more than scrap value. None of those cars could be restored and have their final value being anywhere near the money sunk into the car to get it there. Everyone is a money pit just waiting to suck your wallet dry.
I don’t know about others but the last two I bought were bought and restored based on what their final value reasonably was. I was able to do so and have that value within $1000 of what I spent doing the work. Unless there is a Shelby hiding in there then there aren’t many worth even $500 as so many look like picked over parts cars.
Most restoration projects are money pits. If you want to do it as a hobby that’s great. If you just want a nice “collectible” car, go to a local classic car auction. Unless you’re specifically looking for one of those rare ultra-desirable cars, you can pick up something nice for significantly less than it cost to build.
These things are unless you can do all your own work. The only things I can’t do are machine work on an engine and redoing seats from scratch, such as the Newport’s, and would have to pay someone.
For example I bought a 1967 Mercury Park Lane, 4dr hardtop, 410-4V and power everything for $900. Smoothest riding car I have ever been in. Inside was perfect. Outside had four small areas 1″ x 1″ of rust. That will cost me nothing since I have always had the materials and tools.
The paint, the biggest cost, was $400 and I spray myself. The vinyl roof will be farmed out for $600. Then one day the engine will be rebuilt for around $2500. Suspension, steering, brakes and A/C I handle. Add the numbers up and they aren’t bad. If you can’t paint the cost goes through the roof on every car.
So in that mess I liked the Cougar. Interior materials are pre-made and of great quality so perfect for me. I could do that car over two years and the cost would be minimal to have it look like my current 68 Cougar.
Holy crap! All those are great project cars to restore to their glory, well, except for the toilet seat Edsel. Well, never mind, even those. I had never seen an American car with fender mounted side mirrors, like the before mentioned Edsel. I thought it was a strictly Japanese thing.
The Impalas from the early 60’s are my favorites. Here’s one with Ed McMahon and Barbara Walters from 1963.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4qzfEyJang&w=420&h=315%5D
My dad’s ’62 Chrysler had the rearview mirror mounted on the front fender.
Well, Ed McMahon went to the scrapyard some years ago but Baba Wawa is still rolling down the road…a little rust on her bumpers, some bondo on the fenders and maybe some leaks now and then… but still going strong.
Great. A ’66 Newport town sedan, with factory A/C too. That one makes me sad. I don’t think it was stored indoors though, Paul. I just went through your CC Graveyard series and there’s a picture of it in the 2nd installment, parked next to a contemporary Mercury.
Current bid on copart.com is only $200. (The listed retail value of $3500 in this condition is a joke though.) Their pics of the passenger side show it to be a lot crustier looking than the drivers side, but it would still be a shame to see it sell for scrap and get crushed whole. I bet some of the chrome trim on that is in better condition than what I’ve collected for my current restoration.
Sometimes it’s a good thing I live on the wrong side of the continent. It prevents a lot of potential arguments with my wife. 🙂 Especially when the Charles Kee Collection auction was happening back in May. Tons of big old Chryslers at that auction, and I hear a lot of them went for scrap.
http://murphyauction.com/Auction/Details/578
They don’t know what they are talking about. One, it has two doors too many as the C body folks like to say. Two, it is a sedan and no one wants them. So for that car/condition $500-1000 max. Anything more then it better be able to move out under it’s own power.
It probably has a 383 in it too, which is worthless to me. I gave away my spare 383 block because I never plan on building another 383. What for? Building a 400 or a 440 costs virtually the same amount for more displacement, fits in the same engine compartment with no modifications, and can still appear completely stock if you want.
A complete and running 383 is still an upgrade, depending on what your project has. If I had a Duster with a /6, a 383 would be a REAL nice upgrade til something better came along. I cant see kicking something perfectly functional to the curb, myself.
That retail value is in good/restored condition. Take a look at the other cars on Copart. Copart sells to wrecking yards and rebuilders and they provide the retail value based on a fixed and fully functioning car. They do not provide an as is value or what they think it will sell for. For the cars that came there through their normal channels they basically provide what the payout was based on and the estimate that caused the vehicle to be totaled.
My parents sold their home of 38 years in August and moved to the town I live in now to be closer to the kids and grandkids. Mom spent 18 months getting rid of crap, not just because they were seriously downsizing, but because she didn’t want me to have to deal with it all when they died.
Thanks, Mom. Seriously. But even more seriously, I’m glad you collected glassware, small bottles, paintings, and records — and not junked cars. Wow.
These people are delusional, they think that Newport is worth $3500? For a nasty, pillared Newport sedan?
See, sedans get no respect
I like sedans, but come on, even if that car was the most pristine pillared Newport sedan in the world, you would struggle to get $5000 for it.
I’m not arguing with you as I completely understand why they do. Now one day, 100 years from now, when it is the only Newport around then maybe it will be worth more but not today.
That car is best used for parts to restore a ‘better’ version of the same car. Convertible, 2 dr h/t, or even a a dr h/t. Theres a wealth of trim and good body panels on this thing. But why painstakingly restore the least desireable version of this car, while the ‘good ones’ languish and rot away?
The owner of the collection should be happy to get a realistic amount over scrap value for each car unless there is a rare “special” car in there somewhere. And the owner should know she would be doing something good by ensuring that as many cars as possible are going to someone who will preserve them and thus preserve a piece of automotive history.
I just took an inaugural look at the copart site, and wonder what the “est retail value’ has to do with what the vehicles will sell for.
For example they have an amazingly trashed Chevy Aveo up for bid, with an “est retail value” of $6,200 and an “est. Repair Cost” of $8,878.
http://www.copart.com/c2/individualLot.html?lotId=23873834
There isn’t enough metal to scrap on this wreck, and one only hopes that any occupants are lofty in heaven instead of being earthbound quads. Or that the crash test dummies were too obliterated to reuse.
Jesus. Thats one obliterated little shitbox, I can only hope that it was an unoccupied parked car when it was hit.
Wow, obliterated is right, nice choice of words.
So if I’m understanding these numbers right shouldn’t they be PAYING someone $2,678 to take this crumpled up tinfoil ball off their hands?
I think it means that if someone spends $8,878 to repair it, it will be worth $6,200. Of course, for that $8,878 someone would be buying a running Aveo worth $6,200 and using the wrecked one as roadkill target practice.
A $6200 Aveo? Oy vey, only rental I had that broke down on me. Died on Wilshire Blvd., on the way to the flight home I missed. Enterprise was nice enough to charge me for tank top-off: car no run- how me get gas? Took hours of calls, letters, only to be fixed by Amex. I do give them credit, they must use uber-super gas, it was almost $100 for that tiny tank.
Finally someone who gets it, the retail value is based on what it would be worth fixed or what the insurance agency based their payout on. The repair cost was what the insurance company thought it would cost to fix which of course is why it was totaled and ended up at the insurance auction.
Holy crap did that little sh*tbox get hammered! I do hope its occupants weren’t too badly injured.
That’s worth scrap metal. The only part that *may* be salvagable is the left front door.
Ouch!
The Low Tire Pressure indicator seems to be functioning……
The driver might have survived physically alright, but who knows and anyone else in the vehicle probably died. I see no blood though.
Those pesky closed head injuries and ruptured aortas don’t bleed, at least where one can see 😉
It might have been empty it, in a wreck that bad, the fire dept. would have usually cut the roof off.
True.
It’s a familiar scenario: Old guy collects more stuff that he can possibly do anything with, the expectation being that he’s going to make lots of money off his hoard. Old guy never gets around to fixing or selling ANYTHING. Old guy finally dies. Inheritor of his estate doesn’t want to deal with it, so it gets scrapped. The end. Message to grouchy old farts with a massive pile of stuff: You can’t take it with you! Sell it, and don’t wait for the mythical buyer who’ll pay a fortune for your crap; it’s not going to happen.
There’s a blog I check in on from time to time that sounds just like this. Two daughters cleaning up their deceased, dysfunctional, hoarding father’s junkyard, mostly full of VWs and Saabs…an emotional as well as physical undertaking. http://tetanusburger.blogspot.com/
Could not agree more. This guy has done nothing for old car enthusiasts but to quarantine a bunch of potentially useful parts vehicles and let them decay to uselessness in a field. This type of thing helps no one.
Yes….how many times has this scrapyard/hoarding scenario played out across the lands in the last 20 – 40 years. Only to be ultimately sent to the crusher in the end.
Well…Paul has done his part in trying redeem these relics from the past.
Just too bad it always comes to this…too bloody bad.
If you buy the Imp there are plenty being wrecked for parts on Trademe, they still arent as rare as my Minx in NZ, A VW nutter friend professed a yearning for a squareback I’m going to point him to this site though getting him another VW project will only hold up the two he already has.
The Newport can be bought for 800.00 and is in some of the best condition of them all.
If anyone here is a member, the best place to announce this is on the HAMB forum, there are a few people there who would save such cars (assuming the seller is prepared to be realistic). http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/the-hokey-ass-message-board.5/
DIY car restoration went economically upside down in the late ’80s. Before then you could buy parts for a reasonable amount, the paint materials didn’t cost $2000+ for one car, and if you had to pay for body or mechanical work it wasn’t $125 or more an hour like today. Now you have $30K into a car that will sell for $15-20K and that doesn’t include the 1000+ hours of your own labor in it.
Today it’s buy one already done or a 90%er that the owner lost interest in. 90% car is probably the best deal if you have the skills to finish it.
Yup.
While In high school I still vividly remember reading a Hod Rod magazine article where they did a street/strip restoration of a 1967 Chevelle (IIRC) including a rebuilt drivetrain, new paint and interior for a grand total south of $5K (including the initial purchase price of the car). This was in the early 1980s.
Oh how times have changed! I started working on my 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe in 1982, and abandoned it (scrapping body and frame – I couldn’t even give a 4-door body away back then) ten years later after realizing that I was never going to have the time to finish it. And I didn’t want to pay somebody else tens of thousands to do it for me.
As ugly as it is, I’d take the Edsel just to be a contrarian, or the Willys (leaving as much original patina as possible).
+1 on the Edsel, for the contrarian part.
So how much is the Imp?. $10k as its a rarity?.
If she won’t take a few hundred over scrap value that’s just stupidity… If people won’t bid a little over scrap value, a non-interested person will certainly choose to scrap. I agree that it’s a shame but economics is a B—ch !
The destruction of these cars is just morally wrong. So much sheet metal and rare parts never to be had again…sigh.
I remember seeing this as my folks and I headed toward the Flight Museum that is also in Eugene. The 58 Chevrolet Biscayne and the Chrysler Newport are the two vehicles that most catch my eye, but I have no money to spare nor time. Also, I am not actively looking for those models of vehicles. Hopefully some of this will be saved, but I have a feeling in that a 100 or so years many vehicles from the 20th century are going to be like wagons and steam engines; stuffed and mounted in a museum or lost to the sands of time.
Although I prefer original parts by far, just for the fact they’re historical-like my furniture, art and HiFi equipment (vacuum tubes rock!) But in the near future potentially, 3-D “printer” type technology will be applied both to specified metallurgic alloy and organic chained polymer object fabrication, and those parts could be made in minutes at reasonable cost, better than new. And based from these innovations, one may predictively surmise advanced robotic systems able to shape sheet steel into any shape the material can hold, like a 59 Caddy tail fin.
3D printing tech is in its infancy. Maybe its wishful thinking, but the idea of being able to synthesize pretty much anything to any specs is like a dream come true for me. Imagine being able to take any exisiting design and mod it to any purpose. Like the current 300 C reworked into a pillarless 2 door hardtop. With a hellcat hemi. Or taking a 2nd gen Ram 1500 4×4 chassis/running gear mated to the 390 hp 5.7 hemi and combining that styling with the open top sport utility style of a 1st gen Ramcharger. All at the touch of a few buttons. Makes my head hurt just imagining the possibilities!
Part of me is sad, I’ll be ancient or in hopefully in Jew Heaven- hopefully it’s not just Fort Lauderdale..when this is fully realized. I do think it will be big, though. The high end cars will revert to coach built based only on the owners’ imagination, the computor does all the engineering- you could see Modern Duessie, Packards, or modernized 250 GTOs, and Bugatti’s
Can you imagine something like a light weight unibodied CAD and engineered 66 Fleetwood, built with Lexus LS running gear, equipment and standards, with two UZ V8 fused into a V16.
3d printing is not in its infancy, in various forms it has been around for a couple of decades. It is possible to “print” in metal, even titanium, though it is not done like the machines that DIY machines that print in plastic. For plastic they can now do carbon fiber reinforced printing.
Also Ford already has CNC machines that can “stamp” out sheet metal w/o dedicated dies. They use it for prototyping, just like they do with 3D printing, or one off creations. All you would need to replicate that 59 Caddy fin is a 3d scanner, which is readily available in industry, the machine and the patience to wait for the machine to do its thing.
One of the members of the Board of Directors for the orginization I am involved with actually owns a company that sells a number of lines of 3D printers and scanners and I have toured his facility where he has demo machines set up and an entire wall of items that could not be fabricated by any other method than 3D printing. One of the display items is an adjustable wrench that was produced by 3D scanning it, importing that file and filling in the missing areas where the scanner can’t see, and then it was printed on the same machine that we have at my local HS. Here is a link to his 3D Poly Jet and FDM lines. http://cimtech3d.com/
In the automotive industry there are manufactures that are in the process of investigating remote printing of low volume/obsolete parts at a local distribution centers.
I actually totally forgot about the replacement part for a vehicle that we 3D printed. A couple of years ago on July 4th my son had a bunch of friends over to set off fireworks and then game all night. Because there were a number of people that showed up they had parked their cars out on the street. The next morning I was heading someplace and noticed the fuel door open on one of the cars and the cap laying on the ground. The problem was that the car had a remote locking fuel door and the pin that locks it was made out of plastic. I suggested that he 3D print the replacement. We dug around on the ground and found the broken piece. He took that went home disassembled the release, got out the calipers and fired up the CAD software. A couple of hours later he had the replacement part in his hand, installed it and it was working just like new w/o ever leaving his house. It was done with one of the home 3D printers his brother has.
I have a Brother all-in-one and it can’t seem to do any of that shit. Is there a driver update?
As I stared at this I smiled at the fact that all of these classics are sitting in one piece (or at least mostly one piece). And then I read “Being Liquidated” and my smile disappeared. I scrolled down, looked at the pictures, and… I-I gotta admit, I screamed at the thought of the 260Z (I think, I can’t see the front bumperettes. Might still be a 240Z with the missing rear bumper) being scrapped. If I had $2000 bucks I’d drive my truck up to that yard, buy the Imp and the 260Z, and walk away knowing I did a great deed for humanity. Actually, how about Paul makes a list of the cars, we vote on the top 3 or 5 we like, and we put money toward saving them via Kickstarter or something? ‘Cause that Imperial needs a good home. Seriously.
I passed this along to Rust-T-Rodz, out of Longview, WA. Maybe someone will save at least one. The idea of that Willys being crushed just sickens me. As rough as it is, its definitely saveable. If not a full on resto, then definitely a rat rod style 4×4.
I followed the link back to the Dodge section. The yellow ’63-ish pickup looks like its got a nice cab but that CarryAll (yes, PN…that’s what those are. Suburbans were early 50s Plymouth wagons before Chevies) looks ripe to be snatched up. Looks really straight except that dent on the roof with gorgeous patina. Rat rod with a modern Hemi? Could be. Mounted on a 4×4 Cummins 2500 frame? Absolutely. Or something in between. This is why I wish I woulda went to WyoTech instead of college!
Here’s your chance, Paul. Buy ’em all and start your own salvage yard!! 😀
No thanks. Look but don’t touch; that’s my motto.
We keep hearing an offer must exceed the scrap value be considered, but here’s the crucial point: WHAT IS THE SCRAP VALUE? Is it $200 per thousand pounds? $250? $300? What would that big Edsel bring at the crusher?
The owner may be so irrational that she’d rather sell cars for scrap instead of getting maybe $100 over scrap value (the most that realistically can be obtained). Some people are that way.
Scrapping all the cars is not irrational. Assuming $100 per car over scrap value you still have to factor paying for the machinery and labor to drag each car out, do some minimal cleanup, then pay whatever the auction fees are…plus the hassle of dealing with the public. Or you call the scrapper, he gives you a check, and you are done with it.
Taking a hassle free check in this case is a rational thing to do. Somewhat sad, but understandable.
I haven’t check the local pricing recently but the last time took a car across the scale I was getting $145 per ton. Of course that varies, sometimes on a day to day basis, and fully processed cars bring more per ton and I could get more taking it directly to the shredder at the port where the shredder’s output goes directly into a ships cargo hold and then it heads to China.
Scrap has fallen to under 100 a ton in these past few months
That Squareback is in the same color and condition as the beater ’64 I drove for a couple of years in the early 80’s. Lose the roof rack and add a sunroof covered in duct tape and it’s the same car. It may be a ’66 judging from the wider side molding’s, that was the first official year they were imported into the U.S. The side moldings may be aftermarket, they almost look like they have a vinyl insert in the middle. I don’t think many of these cars will be saved.
I’m sure someone has said it but the rare trim pieces on some of these cars is worth a pretty penny.
Heard reports from a car guy friend who checked out the inventory that the Edsel sold for an unknown amount and the Sunbeam Imp sold for $800
Previously Scott & Sons had an ungodly number of late B-body, F-body, J-body and R-body Mopars, which are now in pretty high demand, but oddly they and a bunch of other stuff, including the Citroen Traction Avant Paul captured, have all been crushed.
And cluing you all in on what S&S knew about its cars: a 1978 Dodge Magnum in a ghastly Malaise Era color scheme that started and lot drove was priced at $700 in 2003 before Magnum prices went sky high and they called it a 1980 Dodge Magnum. And I tried to buy the Traction Avant before it went to ruins. They called it a 1947 (it was a trunkback, so would have been 1952-57) and wanted $1500 for it
Chris,
I don’t know of any of the vehicles in these pictures that have been crushed especially a Citroen. The Edsel walked out our door heading for Georgia for $1,000.00 plus buy fees and the Imp is still for sale and is on next weeks auction at the Eugene Copart Yard 104.
I will take the credit for not doing a very good job of selecting the first run of these cars and went at it just trying to show that there is a little bit of everything available. I should have gone with some of the 40’s and 50’s era trucks and Mustangs and vehicles with the highest collector and retail value.
I disagree that this collection of vehicles has done nothing positive for collector car enthusiasts because if nothing else its bought everyone of us some time to become financially comfortable enough to take a swing at a few of these. It would be the easiest thing in the world for the seller to call the crusherman and say “take them all” and be done with it. Instead they are giving everyone with an interest the opportunity to take one home at a reasonable cost. I don’t speak for anyone but myself but it is clear to me that they donot want to be in the used parts business nor do they want the general public rummaging through 50 years of accumulated treasures. If there is anything specific you are interested in at this yard feel free to shoot me an email and I will see what can be done.
I also disagree that the sellers are too proud of these cars and are asking too much money …I have found them to be extremely reasonable but weary of being insulted with low ball offers and talk.
Does this mean there’s a link somewhere to where they’re being sold off ? .
-Nate
I wonder if a scrapyard full of Toyondissans and Hyundias will ever stir as much emotion?
No there is no link other than the link thru the copart website to the Sunbeam Imp we still have out at the auction.
I’m not sure what the plan is for the rest of these cars and unless I am successful getting the opportunity to run some of the trucks and a few others our participation in selling these cars will be over. What I do know is that the owners are not going to tolerate for even 1 second having someone jump their fence again with a camera or for any other reason. After the classic car graveyard series ran several years ago identifying the best place to get into their yard etc etc etc they experienced a larger than normal number of break ins. Please respect their desire not to have their names, addresses phone numbers and easiest ways to break in published anywhere. This yard isn’t open to the public at all.
Thanx Roger ;
I understand .
I hope they don’t all get crushed for scrap , that happens so often these days .
-Nate
I hate to tell you but COPART is good & bad. I am a regular buyer at Copart facilitys. They will draw a huge amount of buyers for the seller, but what the buyer has in store for them is a Big Shock. The Big Shock is called “Buy Fees” They have a buyers fee, an internet bid fee, a load fee, & some other fee. An individual buyer can expect to pay around 60% total buy fee on a $1000.00 purchase, resulting in a $1600.00 car instead of the $1000.00 purchase you thought you were getting. Buying cost is less for a salvage yard or what they call their Premium buyer. Check them out, it is a fact. So be aware of what the bottom line out the door cost actually is.
Actually the buy fees on a $1,000.00 purchase would be $200.00 plus a $59.00 gate fee and a 49 Internet Fee for a total of $1,308.00. (30.8%) This is the worst part of the rate card and a $35,000.00 car that fee drops to 2%
I loaded the address for this place into Google Earth Pro and did a little aerial spying on them.
There does not seem to be much left in that yard.
Sure would like to walk this yard any 30’s chevy trucks