Amphicar BUYER Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 While I was south of Denver today, I met a guy who builds Minis and had some other neat stuff in there too. Having 40+ Cadillacs in my life, I like Caddys! There was a nice clean '70 Ragtop with a built 500ci Caddy motor! Sweet sleeper setup! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />He told me of an Amphi that met a horrible end. Seems that this red Amphicar sat for who knows how long near there in the same industrial park. There ia a resevoir a 1/2 mile away. In or about 1992 the guy who owned it tried to give it to him. He did not have any interest in it either. What did they do? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />They DROVE it to the crusher that was a few blocks away, <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> removed the starter, distributer and misc parts and watched it get crushed. OUCH!!! That was a huge mistake! There was a time they weren't worth much like many other high dollar cars, but in 1992 a driver Amphi was worth about $5000 still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Think of all the 356 Porsches that were junked so that a VW fan could run a hot engine in his Bug or dunebuggy. I sold 10 Porsche 356s to a foreign car salvage yard. I owned them for one day. I doubled my money but have been kicking myself ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock_steve Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Think of all the 356 Porsches that were junked so that a VW fan could run a hot engine in his Bug or dunebuggy. I sold 10 Porsche 356s to a foreign car salvage yard. I owned them for one day. I doubled my money but have been kicking myself ever since. </div></div>I would respectfully suggest that VW fans may not be the bad guys when it comes to the relative numbers of 356 Porsches that may or may not be in existence these days. I doubt the scenario. I'd more suspect things like rust, and perhaps driving too fast for conditions (ref. James Dean, et al.--hard not to want to "see what she'll do"?) might've had an effect on the number of survivors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Whatever you say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock_steve Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Whatever you say. </div></div>Don't go away mad, Barry!As for the dune buggy builders in the '60s and '70s, I'm sure a fair number of decent original Beetles got sacrificed to that pursuit also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 There's one in every crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I do not come from a family of "Monster Garage" mad-men...But I do sadly remember the day in 1970 that my Dad DROVE our nice 1961 Rambler American CONVERTIBLE ( white w/black top) to a junkyard on Rte US 1 near Savage, MD. My older brother & I followed in Dad's '66 Beetle, to bring Dad back home.Dad disappeared into the yard office for a few minutes, came back out, removed the tag from the Rambler, got in the Bug, and we went home.There was nothing tremendously wrong with the Rambler that anyone can recall... I was about 3 years old when it went bye-bye... I remember not liking the sound made by the operation of the power top ( electric screw-jacks?); but I simply can't imagine Mom & Dad getting rid of a perfectly good car just because Junior didn't like the noise of the rag-top going up and down. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />Dad's recently(1971) retired '55 De Soto Sportsman 2 dr HT met a similar fate soon after... it went to Ed Vogel's junkyard on his farm along the B-W Parkway & MD Rte 175. (Vogel had the Sinclair (then BP) gas station right at the on-ramp to the Parkway.) It went away on the hook of Ed's wrecker... Dad recalled that the king-pins were sloppy and he "was afraid to drive it any more"... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />My Dad GAVE AWAY <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> his '49 Stude 1/2 ton around 1966 "because it needed a new wiring harness"... the uncles and cousins that remember the truck comment about "how nice and solid the body was"... which is really saying something for an E/R series Stude... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />There were points in history where our particular favorites were "just used cars"... think about how many brass and nickel era cars ( not to mention steam locomotives, steam shovels, etc ) went their final reward during the scrap drives of WWII... ?I have seen just TWO '61-'63 Rambler American convertibles since ours got junked 37 years ago... one was a nice survivor at the Nash-ional Nash/AMC meet in Scranton the other year, and the other was a rusting hulk in a junkyard outside of Hazleton, about 10 years back... "Woulda, coulda, shoulda.... didn't." it's a sad story, oft repeated.Fifty years from now, I wonder what cars we'll wish we'd kept? Any ? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontiac59 Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 50 years from now you'll see me post about the fairly rare even now 1987 Pontiac Safari wagon (full size, like a Caprice clone) that we scrapped a year ago December. In fairness, the frame on it was pretty bad in the back, but before we pulled it across the road where the crusher was operating, I stuck a battery in it, poured some gas down the carb, and started it up for the first time in like 2 years - it still ran.The tailgate on it came from a 1989, which is the rarest year and the last year for those, that a guy junked because the transmission was bad. I couldn't get it from the garage or I would have swapped out the trans, the body was in a lot better shape than mine. I kept the motor, transmission, and front seats out of the one we junked, though. And the tilt column. I sold a '59 Olds 88 with factory air to a guy around 1994, too, with an old car junkyard. He crushed it a couple years later. The motor turned but wouldn't run because the timing was off as close as I can tell, it was rotty but fixable. He scrapped out about 90% of his old cars... if I'd have known I'd have taken it somewhere else and sold it. FWIW, James Dean was killed because a guy in a '56 Ford either ran a stop sign or pulled out in front of him, not because he was driving recklessly in the Porsche. At least thats what they claimed on Rides when they did a show about the guys building replicas of those speedsters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 James Dean's car was a 550, not a 356. He did own a Speedster but the car he died in was a race car that was fitted for road use. In fact, he was on his way to race the 550 when he crashed with his mechanic by his side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I remember in the late 60's I had a 58 Ford that was always needing parts. We would go to a place outside of a drive-in-theater where the city of Providence would bring cars that were left on the streets to be junked. These were good cars that people didn't want. Back then we were a non-title state and you could take the whole car home if you wanted to. But in those years all we ever wanted were the parts just to keep our cars running. There were 55,56,57 Chevy convertibles, 56-58 Ford convertibles and cars like that. Boy, I wish I had taken alot of cars home then. Who knew????????? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest leadsled1953 Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 i think about all the nice cars we would drive through the woods hitting trees[a nice 64 chevy comes to mind] .and all the cars i killed doing demolition derby years ago.a lot of cars i wish i had now.but i tell everyone if it wasnt for people like me years ago we would be up to our armpits in old cars and they wouldnt be worth a plugged nickel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 FWIW, James Dean was killed because a guy in a '56 Ford either ran a stop signCarrying on with all the nitpicking, the other guy, Donald Turnupseed, was driving a 50 Ford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest leadsled1953 Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 but now i cringe everytime i hear about an old car being crushed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 I was looking in a junkyard in Aberdeen SD for Muscle car parts when I spotted a 1988 Buick Wagon that was in great shape. Interior was like new and all the parts were there. Only 100 K miles on it too.I bought the car and brought it home to Houston.After valve guide seals and new tires and a battery, I have driven the car 40k + miles. It has gone to Chicago and back and Minnesota and back plus lots of in Texas trips.I cant believe someone got rid of the car but I am glad I was able to save it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javabug Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Think of all the 356 Porsches that were junked so that a VW fan could run a hot engine in his Bug or dunebuggy. I sold 10 Porsche 356s to a foreign car salvage yard. I owned them for one day. I doubled my money but have been kicking myself ever since. </div></div>Given the cost of Porsche stuff vs. warming-up a VW motor, I'm prtty sure most P-cars were safe from that fate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_Irongang Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I sold a '59 Olds 88 with factory air to a guy around 1994, too, with an old car junkyard. He crushed it a couple years later. The motor turned but wouldn't run because the timing was off as close as I can tell, it was rotty but fixable. He scrapped out about 90% of his old cars... if I'd have known I'd have taken it somewhere else and sold it. </div></div>I was at a yard in Lemont, IL a few years ago and they had a nice looking '59 Olds. It had a Holiday top and power windows/locks/seat. The guy behind the counter said it had been in nice shape and driven to the yard to be dropped off the previous year. It was nice enough that instead of parting it out it sat out front with a for sale sign on it for a year. When no one would pay $600 for it it went into the yard and after the windshield, engine, trans and wheels were removed it went downhill fast. It was too bad, if I had known about it I would have bought it in a second. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />My dad <span style="font-style: italic">still</span> misses his '39 (?) LaSalle and '48 Studebaker Starlite Coupe that he got rid of years ago, even though he admits that they were well beyond their good days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drwatson Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I picked this photo up at Carlisle PA. "Heggies Scrapyard, Dorchester MA 1951". I "cringed" at all the sad stories in the string, I guess it's our way to bring 'em back a little...,or appreciate the survivors. Most of the cars in the heap were 10 - 13 years old when snapped, their most unloved age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Old car awareness is relative to the time and the person. $5,000 is not particularly a lot of money for an Amphicar or anything else now. If no one was interested in 1992 that simply indicates that there was a lack of widespread knowledge of specialty autos. Same holds for '61 Ramblers. If there is no one interested in purchasing a car, and willing to pour restoration money into a rusting hulk then it should be parted out running or not. At least some people will benefit.We must realize that the vast majority of people see automobiles with less enthusiasm than we do regarding particular marques or models. There was a era in all of our lives when decades old cars were seen for what they were relative to the time- just old cars. In the 1950s-60s when '40 Fords went for $175 dollars all over the place no one had time machine foresight in collecting. People that bought old cars then simply had a penchant for one particular car not "vintage" cars in general. Or they were kids with no money and a '39 Chevy was what they could afford instead of the '66 Fairlane 427 they desired.It's always been a matter of pairing up a buyer interested in a particular car whether it's a '59 Olds or a 2002 Impala. We can't save all the rotting hulks abandoned for well past the half century mark. We can seek out that nicely refurbished '51 Studebaker we always liked since we were kids. And that is the difference. It's all about the money. Is it smarter to spend $8,000 for that nice, driveable Stude or sink twice that or more resurrecting a rusted through example that sat in a cornfield for 50 years no matter how complete it is?For $4,500 one of the guys on the Packard forum can buy a very nice, cosmetically and mechanically, '49. Should he buy that or spend the same amount on a '49 Chrysler woodie that has sat outside since 1962? None but a few had any interest in a '49 Chrysler with deteriorating wood attached in 1962 so since a suitable buyer wasn't paired up with the car is sadly went to hell like the Amphicar.This is the reality of special interest cars. At least today with the internet and Ebay people from far way places can find that car whereas in 1962 the owner was constrained by the geographic limits of potential buyer in his neighborhood alone and more cars are finding warm homes instead of sitting. If Ebay had existed in 1992 the guy would have probably listed it and someone would have snatched it up if the sometimes ravaged cars we see for $500 there now are any indication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 57wagon Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Iheard one today that made me sad...called an old guy off of ebay in outhern Iowa that runs an old parts yard. Buys a lot of old stock stuff from dealers or parts places, as well as a few cars now and again. Met him as he was trying to sell a 42 Sedanette model 46S. Saveable car, but beyond my abilities to persuade the wife...anyway - asked him if he had any 57 Buicks...told me no but had seen one somewhere, then mentioned a name of the place he saw it - it was a 2 door hardtop 57 Roadmaster - he said it was decent would have been restorable before being plucked off of a trailor by a claw!!! Been crushed by now - he thinks. He then told me he has just about crushed out his whole yard - 500 + cars due to the price per ton he is getting...sad.Here is the clincher: He hauled a 51 Hudson in to the crusher and on the way out BOUGHT a 40 Ford COUPE that someone had hauled in from a barn...he told me it was a really straight car and was all there!!! Somebody hauled the car in for it's scrap value! $450 for a COMPLETE 40 Ford Coupe!!! I offered to triple his money on it sight unseen...at least he knew what it was before the crusher did. He did NOT take me up on my offer!There is more bad news to this story though: he thinks that the scrap prices will be bringing $750 to $1000 for an old car just to shred in a months time...it is going to be hard to find parts cars at those prices. People will be hauling them in just for the scale weight. Our automotive heritage is leaving quicker than we think guys... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontiac59 Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Scrap normally goes down in the spring. Scrap was never up so high we got more than $200 for one vehicle, best I saw was $170 for a 72 Ford F350 with a bunch of lawnmowers on the back. Someone would have to really live under a rock to scrap a '40 Ford coupe, given a good solid one aught to bring 10 times that money.Then again, I need a good Hudson front clip for a long wheelbase car - China's demand is the only other thing that will push it in any direction. In the meantime, if you have the space to save even one car, now is the time to be buying it, because next year it may not exist.I have no nice cars because I've saved as many crappy ones as I can afford. I even got a '53 Buick Skylark that would have been crushed by now had I not picked it up. It's going to Australia to be restored.I probably should add the Hudson that needs a nose, I bought from a u-pull-it and flat-towed 125 miles home. It had a 1996 inspection sticker in it. It's set up to take a Chevy motor, but otherwise all stock. I just need a parts car to piece it together again. But I couldn't see it being crushed, and had I not found it, it would have been the day I took it home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEACHY Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I'm sorry. I'm not responding to your post. I need to know how I can start my own post. Cheers,WINSTON2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgmets Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 After reading about the Safari I'm glad I'm holding onto my 86 Ford Crown Victoria Wagon. Bought new in 1986 and hasn't been driven since 1998. It's waiting in line to be restored after the 73 Chrysler Wagon I have gets finished. It's intersting to readabout some of the cars that have been scrapped on here but its something I hope I never have to do, (scrap a car) I usually just stick it on ebay to save myself the grief. John Gambo 61 Nash Metro Conv 69 Lincoln Mark III 73 Chrysler Town & Country SW 89 Ford Crown Victoria Thacker Funeral Coach 86 Ford Crown Victoria Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter J.Heizmann Posted March 4, 2007 Share Posted March 4, 2007 Wintson2...Welcome to the AACA Forum.To start your own "Post", you will notice within the General Discussion "header" the icon "Post"followed by Previous, Index, Next, Expand.Click on "Post". The screen will appear. Be certain to enter a "Subject" or it will not go through. Enter your context and click on "Submit".Regards,PJH... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Twitch,I understand the "perspective" thing... I have a couple of copies Hemmings from around 1962, and love reading the For Sale ads for Model A "drivers" for $25 to $100...I'd feel better about Mom's long-lost '61 American rag-top if it HAD been a rusted-out hulk when it was driven to the junkyard... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />It seems quietly tragic to me that a running, driving, presentable car was just summarily scrapped when it was only 9 years old (c.1970)...Oh well. I was too young to do much about it at the time ! (Nobody listens to a 3-year-old !) <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />I hope the "salvation-ists" are still out there when I have to clean-house, in the near future... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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