Jon37 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Greiner Auto Parts in Cold Brook, NY, is one of those wonderful, legendary junkyards that time forgot. For many years local car enthusiasts had been under the impression that this was one of those "junkyard dog" places, whose owner hoarded his cars and angrily turned away potential customers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. Greiner (whose father started this yard many decades ago) is cordial, and happy to sell parts from the hundreds of vehicles that lie rusting within.I visited the yard this past summer (2014) in the company of three other car enthusiasts. We discovered a rusty paradise of cars and trucks, mostly produced from the late 1940's up into the mid-sixties. Needless to say the vegetation has taken over and it's doubtful that any of these cars could ever be restored. However, there are a lot of salvageable parts, and the handful of mid-fifties convertibles there could yield up some rare convertible-only components, trim or top irons. My search party did spy occasional 1920's vehicles and there was even a 2000's Ford Focus. There are a lot of vines and trees (many of them growing up through cars!) but generally, in early July of 2014, we were able to navigate the entire yard. There is no immediate danger of the yard's closing, but Mr. Greiner said that at some point he'll probably clean it out, so I would advise a trip there sooner rather than later!I've put some photos in the member's album, along with captions. You can see them HERE. Just keep clicking NEXT IMAGE to cycle through the whole bunch.Contact information: Greiner's Auto Parts, 681 State Route 8, Cold Brook, NY 13324. Dan Greiner, 315-717-3032 (cell). Best to phone during the week after 7 or 8 AM. Cold Brook is on NY Rte. 8, 18 miles east of Utica, NY or 93 miles northwest of Albany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LI_BENTLEY Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 The engine with the generator on the front could be a Nash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 jon37, is the 59 ford convert restorable or is it shot? thanks for your reply. i am 1000 miles away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uh6077 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 How where the prices. I know some of these places, especially in the east think every rusty piece of metal is a gem. I go to Utica often for work so it would be fun to visit the yard. I don't "nned" anything but I would live to find some cool wall art or little decorative pieces for the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon37 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 (edited) As to prices, I cannot answer that question. None of the four our us needed anything, so the subject of money never came up. My impression of the guy is that while he isn't giving the stuff away, he's reasonable. Then, too: where else are you gonna find some of this stuff? It is a matter of supply and demand. I'd say that, after lying around in the open for probably 40 years, that '59 Ford is shot -- at least as a restoration is concerned. As is almost every other car in the yard. But there is a whole lot of salvageable stuff there, especially stainless steel, and quite possibly the folding top frames on those convertibles.If nothing else, it is really nice just to be able to walk through one of these "historic yards" again. It had been years since I'd been in one with cars this old. Of course I wish they'd had a car like mine so I could have bought some parts, but just having the experience of being there was enough for me. Edited March 21, 2015 by Jon37 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks for posting, Jon. I really like touring these yards thinking "What if". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarredKnightfan Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Wow ... would love to visit that place. Love walking through yards & wondering about the history of the vehicles.....Cort www.oldcarsstronghearts.com1979 & 1989 Caprice Classics | pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve"You know we'll have a good time then" __ Harry Chapin __ 'Cats In The Cradle' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Too bad there are no photos.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uh6077 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 The original posting has some links to pictures. Towards the end of the posting where it says "You can see them HERE" just click on the word HERE in blue font. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Oh....I see that now. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Nice. The Crawler looks like a Model W Cletrac. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capngrog Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 There appeared to be several steering wheels with intact horn rings, which, I'd imagine, somebody could use.Grog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 If I had that stuff in my back yard I would be building rat rods full time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 It's upstate NY. One thing I will tell you first hand. Anything outside is ROUGH. Even the stuff that looks solid is so thin if you blast any of it, it will disappear before your eyes. Things around here get so thin from rust that they actually just crack and fall apart. My 25 year old galvenized metal roof on my shop actually has holes rusted through it. About all that survives around here is stainless steel trim if it doesn't have special steel fasteners welded to it to hold it on. those of course will be rusted off as well. Old yards are fun to visit around here but the reality of finding much that's any good is pretty slim. I've driven by this yard several times. If it's the one that is on rte 8. It is a huge yard that's really overgrown. I do remember seeing a row of cars from the late 20's on one end from a side road. Pretty much just shells but neat to see as you don't see stuff around here that old in a yard any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 (edited) It's upstate NY. One thing I will tell you first hand. Anything outside is ROUGH. Even the stuff that looks solid is so thin if you blast any of it, it will disappear before your eyes. Things around here get so thin from rust that they actually just crack and fall apart. My 25 year old galvenized metal roof on my shop actually has holes rusted through it. About all that survives around here is stainless steel trim if it doesn't have special steel fasteners welded to it to hold it on. those of course will be rusted off as well. Old yards are fun to visit around here but the reality of finding much that's any good is pretty slim. I've driven by this yard several times. If it's the one that is on rte 8. It is a huge yard that's really overgrown. I do remember seeing a row of cars from the late 20's on one end from a side road. Pretty much just shells but neat to see as you don't see stuff around here that old in a yard any more.Totally agree. Even old farm tractor hoods and sheet metal rot away if they are left outside for years. Even if is not a rainy day, we get dew on many spring, summer, and fall mornings here never mind the damp ground. Things that survive the best were kept in the second story of an old barn with a good roof. The recyclers around here that are really heavy into selling used parts did not use to keep any old vehicles around that were over 10 years old. Not sure if that is still true or not, but that is what I was told about 20 years ago. Good stuff was stripped off of what was left of wrecks and unsaleable parts were crushed. A lot of these vehicles were in wrecks and totaled by insurance companies so not everything was salvageable. I know some of the locals that did body work would buy a good back half of a wrecked car and a good front half of another and weld the two together. One friend had a Mid 70's Monte Carlo that was red up front and green to the rear. Even after he painted it red you could see a difference in the tint of the paint from front to rear as he did not sand the original green off to the rear. The Monte was a fairly new car at the time and had the rare swivel front seats. Dandy Dave! Edited March 24, 2015 by Dandy Dave (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 (edited) New York weather is as rough on cars as California sunshine is on real estate agents, the ones with the leatherette cleavages. I always tell people that car dissolve in water. That's what rain is.It sure is a timely post. I am suffering from cabin fever and know my way around that area pretty well. Maybe we'll take a ride up to Rome, hang a left and spend a night at the Edge Hotel I know a nice little restaurant in Lowville and I know how to get disorientated by the wind farms so we can get lost on the Tug Hill Plateau.Bernie Edited March 24, 2015 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Say Burnie, That there looks like my kind of place. Maybe we should meet up, Find us a couple of Honeys, and have a good old hoe Down kind of time on the town. Then go looking at recyclable automobile parts the next day. :cool: Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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