Junkyard finds
 

I didn't start combing the junk yards until the mid 80's. I never really found anything good. What was it like in the '70s when you could find pure gold?

Was restoring a 1967 396 Camaro SS convertible auto. For some reason it didn't have the correct trans cross-mount. Went to the local yard, had two to choose from, took out the one with no engine in it - easier. paid $20.

we came across GTO Judges, AMC 'The machine', 409 Impalas, all kinds of rare stuff in junkyards in the 70's

I got a 66 Nova 12 bolt for $100 from a junkyard car that I put in my 63 Nova. 1978 or so.

Phoenix had some amazing cars at the yards when we went.

There was still stuff around in 15 years or so ago. I remember I found a wrecked 70 L78 Nova in a yard, totally original and 100% all there, cleaned a ton of stuff off that car when I was doing my 70 L78

I think a lot depends on where you go. Junkyards in the south and west have a much greater chance to have unrusted or at least less rust vehicles than the northeast. I grew up around Pgh and my dad was an insurance adjuster so I got to go them on a regular basis in the late 70's and early 80's and I got emblems off a 68/69 GTO and a 68/69 SS396 Chevelle, but the cars were rusting away and long for this world. Roadkill and Steve Magnante go to yards out in the southwest and there seems to be a fair amount of muscle left in those.

Acquired my 1st 69 Z in 1975. Yards were full of them then, not at all unusual to see SS and Z/28s. None of them still had engines. Two best finds: '67 Z/28 N236606 in PA 1983. Front brakes still there, nothing else.

#1 score was '69 Yenko Camaro N579434 here in WI 1981. Bought the BE axle and dash cluster for $75. Could have been restored but was completely stripped. At that time a nice one was $15k. Last time I saw it the floors had been cut out.

We started attending the Pomona swap in CA 1984. Used to arrive a few days early to shop the Pick A Part yards out there. Think I saw one '69 Camaro in all our trips. There were a few yards there that specialized in Chevs; they had many 1st Gens. Would not sell a part off them.

At least one ZL1 Camaro was bought out of a junkyard. Sold him the BE axle out of the Yenko.

mid 80s was still very hot around the mid west junk yards..most of the good stuff i ever pulled out was mid 80s to mid 90s..

My uncle found a '63 409 Impala in the late 70's in a scrapyard. It got involved in an accident and was totaled. He worked on it for a year and he got a nice ride. Too bad he had to sell it in the 90's. I'm coming over this weekend to help him install the suspension from 4Wheelonline onto his Wrangler. I'll see if he still got some photos of his Impala.

I bought my 68 RS/SS L35 auto - Lemans Blue over blue deluxe bench - out of a junkyard for $1250 in the mid 80's - Complete car with matching numbers, fenders were gone at the bottom... I paid an extra $200 for 2 NOS RS fenders to go along with it... Those were the days.

I was stationed at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, Tx ... there are a gazillion salvage yards in that area. I was walking through one of them and spotted a Taladaga Torino under some Mesquite trees -- and it was pretty much all there including the front end. Got done scouting the yard and went back to their office and asking them what them wanted for the Torino ... they asked which one? I said the Taladaga Torino and they wanted to know what the hell that was. I told those good old boys and they said they've never heard of those Fords. Went back to the base and told one of my friends and the next Saturday we went to look at the car again ... it was gone. Guess I should have kept my mouth shut.

A yard by me once had a Black '70 Elcamino roll in on the back of a flat bed around 1998.
I watched it being unloaded into the mud at another end of the yard.I walked over to it after the flat bed left.It had 454 on the fenders,no engine in it as the front end sat really high,but the Hood wouldn't open.The windows were closed and full of dirt,like it had been sitting for 20 years.I managed to wipe off some of the crud and noticed it had a 6500 redline tach.
I walked back to the office and asked how much? It was getting dark and they were getting ready to close,so a young kid employee was working the desk.He told me $500 cash buys it.
I came back the next afternoon with $500,and the Elco was gone.Owner now working the desk said he sold it and the $500 quote was wrong.Never told me how much he sold it for..Wish I bought it for $500 the night before.

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s my Father and I would get up Sunday morning go have breakfast and cruise the back roads looking for old iron laying around on peoples property. Two that really stand out was a 70 olds 442 w30 car and a GSX! I watched that GSX for years not for sale then one day it was gone. Talking to the owner he said someone jumped the fence stole the wing off the back the hood tach off the hood and broke the glass out of it so he got discouraged and gave the car away. I almost fell over