HELP SAVE VINTAGE TIN!

I'm sure many of you have seen this carnage on the internet in different places, but here it is "from the horses mouth". For the past seven days, our vintage race team has frantically been trying to save as many vintage cars and parts as humanly possible from the crusher. One of the oldest salvage yards in RUSTFREE Montana is crushing EVERYTHING! The details are on my facebook page. Please read ALL of the posts from the past seven days BEFORE you ask questions! There are a very few complete restorable cars left (posted), but there is an AMAZING assortment of trim and glass from the 40s to 60s. If you want to help this weekend and are close to Whitehall, Montana please lend us a hand! moparmontana@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montana-Dodge-Boys-Fast-Four-Special/45553878706

Grab a Kleenex and watch this ~

It seems enough people knew where this stuff is.

If people knew why is there THAT MUCH of it?....... :confused:

They should have called VanDerBrink first.......THEN scrapped the rest.

It seems enough people knew where this stuff is.

If people knew why is there THAT MUCH of it?....... :confused:

They should have called VanDerBrink first.......THEN scrapped the rest.

He had a reputation for being notoriously over-priced the whole time the yard was open. He also could be a bit of a crappy fellow.

Yes, there are a lot of ways he could have handled this better. If I would have not heard about the scrapping through the grape-vine, it all would have simply disappeared quietly in the night...

Fortunately we've managed to buy some of it before it was crushed, albeit <.1%.

Here are some updates ~

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montana-Dodge-Boys-Fast-Four-Special/45553878706?hc_location=timeline

A terrible, sad, tragic day. We were able to haul off two trailer loads of pre-war parts, but the owner of the yard went ahead and crushed many of the whole cars that we had marked to save; including three '60 Desotos, two '61 Chrysler hardtop wagons, several late '50s Plymouth wagons, a few early 60s Imperials, and all of the A, B, and E body Mopars. We're headed back tomorrow, but it looks like all 20 acres of rust-free vintage cars will be stacked for crushing by Monday.

WOW.......I guess he really IS a.......oh.......never mind....... :mad:

Pity all around.

He COULD have made so many people happy and made a LOT more money having an auction with the added benefit of having others not only PAY but haul it away too.

I can understand his desire to "clean up" acres and acres of "scrap" but WHOA........talk about going about things the wrong way!

Sad...

That guy is a JERK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (to put it nicely) I guess he figured if nobody would pay his high price for parts then nobody will get them.

On a more positive note, here is some of the stuff we saved!

More Saved...

That guy is a JERK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (to put it nicely) I guess he figured if nobody would pay his high price for parts then nobody will get them.

I'm refraining from comment until I pick up the last of my stuff...

PS ~ I know of a VERY clean METEOR for sale in Butte if you are interested!

just a question

was this freman montana?????

I was there in 2012

jan

just a question

was this freman montana?????

I was there in 2012

jan

Jan

Yes this is Freman's. I don't know why the original poster can't just say they are referring to Neil Freman. I don't appreciate this in the poll: No, I'd rather be a passive-aggressive hater.

The fellow that posted the poll has a total of 149 posts, so he doesn't come on here often, then chooses a poll to preach to us. We can't all get up and go to Freman's in a heartbeat, especially the middle of winter. I traded a car with Neil, so I understand his character issues. I believe he was banned from Hemmings years ago and now has a negative relationship with ebay, apparently.

But there is nothing wrong with crushing YOUR OWN PROPERTY. This is America. He is a businessman that has to pay taxes on the land, and generally make a living.

In the photos I see a lot of four door sedans and misc parts. I would crush some of these as well at $225 per ton. Letting some 4 door sedans sit for next 50 years just so your reputation as a good guy is intact long after your dead is stupid.

These are EXCESS vehicles in the laws of supply and demand. Nobody wanted them at one time and their drivetrains are likely tired and the main reason they are in the yard.

I'm not a passive aggressive hater, I have owned and saved well over 200 + cars in the last 20 years, passing many on at a severe loss. I could have had 3-4 very nice cars for all the "projects" I have purchased over the years.

The original poster should consider buying the yard outright for $200,000 + and then he can "save" all the cars, and probably ask about the same prices Neil did.

just a question

was this freman montana?????

I was there in 2012

jan

Yes, this was Freeman's.

Jan

Yes this is Freman's. I don't know why the original poster can't just say they are referring to Neil Freman. I don't appreciate this in the poll: No, I'd rather be a passive-aggressive hater.

The fellow that posted the poll has a total of 149 posts, so he doesn't come on here often, then chooses a poll to preach to us. We can't all get up and go to Freman's in a heartbeat, especially the middle of winter. I traded a car with Neil, so I understand his character issues. I believe he was banned from Hemmings years ago and now has a negative relationship with ebay, apparently.

But there is nothing wrong with crushing YOUR OWN PROPERTY. This is America. He is a businessman that has to pay taxes on the land, and generally make a living.

In the photos I see a lot of four door sedans and misc parts. I would crush some of these as well at $225 per ton. Letting some 4 door sedans sit for next 50 years just so your reputation as a good guy is intact long after your dead is stupid.

These are EXCESS vehicles in the laws of supply and demand. Nobody wanted them at one time and their drivetrains are likely tired and the main reason they are in the yard.

I'm not a passive aggressive hater, I have owned and saved well over 200 + cars in the last 20 years, passing many on at a severe loss. I could have had 3-4 very nice cars for all the "projects" I have purchased over the years.

The original poster should consider buying the yard outright for $200,000 + and then he can "save" all the cars, and probably ask about the same prices Neil did.

Have you ever been to the yard? Take a look at the reaction on the forwardlook.net site to judge whether "no one wanted them". There was no "preaching" on my part. I was only trying to get rare parts in the hands of those who appreciated them. Judging from the 18,000 hits that the post received on our Facebook page, and the hoards who came out to buy parts and complete cars in the two weeks before they were crushed, it seems you are in a very small minority. Obviously my poll did it's job. It certainly got your attention. It's all gone now, so you can relax and get off your soapbox.

Have you ever been to the yard? Take a look at the reaction on the forwardlook.net site to judge whether "no one wanted them". There was no "preaching" on my part. I was only trying to get rare parts in the hands of those who appreciated them. Judging from the 18,000 hits that the post received on our Facebook page, and the hoards who came out to buy parts and complete cars in the two weeks before they were crushed, it seems you are in a very small minority. Obviously my poll did it's job. It certainly got your attention. It's all gone now, so you can relax and get off your soapbox.

Ignore the poster, he's in the minority. Obviously he didn't look at the viral results on social media. I think most people realize that it was the guys property and had the legal right...not the point:rolleyes:

You weren't preaching and obviously this scrapyard guys legacy will go down as someone who destroyed history. Thanks again for all of your efforts!!

A few years ago I watched a small but wonderful yard get run through the portable compactor. The old couple who owned it were both slow and they had a son who was very mentally challenged. They sold it all to a recycling company. I knew the couple and I knew they had little choice. They were no longer physically able to take care of themselves and their son. I remember people coming from all over the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> to get parts from this yard and the owner loved the chance to talk with collectors. He had a lot of nashes and super nashes<st1:PersonName w:st="on">, </st1:PersonName>henry Js<st1:PersonName w:st="on">, </st1:PersonName>1920s 1930s 1930s 1940s and mid 1950s that’s when he quit buying cars. I was unable to save but a few of my favorite cars and one truck. I could not be there when the crusher was running because I was so upset about what was happening. I have some pictures that I might share sometime.

Your poll got 11 hits here. I guess social media helped, but I don't have a Facebook account. 99% people on forums are lurkers and won't put their name to their comments. I do.

I know I am not a passive aggressive hater and I know I would never call Neil a jerk. Maybe he is, maybe not. I used to live in Montana and I know Montanans are proud about not having someone tell them what they can and can't do with their property.

As for "have I ever been to the yard"? Yes, Neil and I agreed to a trade. I had a 64 Buick Electra convertible with 2x4 425 and factory posi. He had a 1964 LeSabre convertible. We agreed to a straight trade. I wanted the 64 LeSabre convertible because it had the 300 cid 4 barrel motor and the Electra I had, though rare, had a VERY TIRED motor and body.

I paid $800 for a new convertible top on the LeSabre convertible. I drove the Electra out from Missouri. I had a blast but it was dicey. The 425 used a quart of oil every 100 miles. When I got there in Whitehall, I actually saw the LeSabre being tuned. It was a mess, a total inaccurate description. They had stuffed a 401 in there because it had no motor, and sat on the ground until a week before I arrived. The back seat was springs only, the thing tilted to one side.

He didn't have a title like he said. I did and gave mine to him. He said he would send the title and never did. This got him in trouble with Hemmings.

I didn't want to take the LeSabre, but I wasn't sure the Electra could make it back to Missouri and I had already paid for the new convertible top. Oh well. the car broke down in the eastern Montana flatlands and in South Dakota and in Missouri.

While I was there, I did look around some. I agree Freman is tough to deal with, and I am not sure he is out of business.

You weren't preaching and obviously this scrapyard guys legacy will go down as someone who destroyed history.

No, his legacy will be what he makes it, his family and friends. These are just cars, not life or death. There are many who would probably say, he did a lot of good. These were used cars that nobody wanted years ago, and Neil follows hundreds of eastern yards that allowed cars to decay to rusting hulks that couldn't even be picked up with a forklift.

We don't remember all of those yard owners as "people who destroyed history."

You have an interesting post on the forwardlook website which covers all the issues. I read it and all of the comments. YOU are to be commended for what you saved and hopefully that will lead to some cars being restored or maintained for years.

I agree Neil handled it poorly. We can all agree to that. Someone on the forwardlook website said something about him giving it away and being a hero. Wouldn't happen. What you would see are a bunch of 'his' parts on ebay shortly after for max $.

It's a hobby as much about greed as it is love of the cars, it's human nature. Why do you think Neil asked crazy prices all those years?

You do not need to be on Facebook to see the page. Here is the link ~ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montana-Dodge-Boys-Fast-Four-Special/45553878706

Also, when I handed Neil a huge wad of cash for the cars and parts we've saved over the past few weeks, he thanked me. Apparently, everyone won!

I posted a bone yard of Henry J for sale two years ago. On the kaiser site..

Now the link

http://www.henryjcars.com/hjc81/cb/cb.html

They are all gone...

Fast Four Special....Thank you for the opportunity to get those parts and for trying to save as much as you could.

Fast Four Special....Thank you for the opportunity to get those parts and for trying to save as much as you could.

Thanks John! Looks for future posts regarding this. We'll need some help identifying some of these pre-war doors we saved.

Thanks John! Looks for future posts regarding this. We'll need some help identifying some of these pre-war doors we saved.

We look forward to identifying some of your items.

It's a shame, and an auction surely could've garnered higher prices....on some items. As far as having an auction, you have to take into consideration auctioneer fees which aren't likely to be waived on something because it brought scrap price to the scrap man.

How many cars and what kind of paperwork did he have on them? Someone I was talking to recently was telling me about an old big yard that had 8 tall filing cabinets full of titles, but of course when shop got closed up they were just considered scrap paper and not even recycled.