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.