Junkyard Life: Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Barn finds, Hot rods and part news

1955 Chevy “Shadow” drag races during muscle car era (vintage pics)

2013-05-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

It was the wreck that didn’t happen that scares one veteran drag racer. Raymond Coulombe dug out old photos of the 1955 Chevy that he raced at drag strips across Alabama from 1969 through 1971. The ’55 was fast and known as the ‘Shadow’ by the gold leaf lettering, outlined in black paint, on each door. Many competitors feared the “Shadow” and its quick 10.6 second, 1/4-mile elapsed times. A

Wrecked BMW 325i wagon reveals head-on collision aftermath in real world 3-Series crash

2013-05-07T22:11:00.002-05:00

This is not a crash test. Gazing at the remains of a totaled 2003 BMW 325i sport wagon were a quick reminder of the hazards of road travel. A similar BMW sedan received a "Good" rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in 40 mph frontal offset crash test into a deformable barrier. The driver of this Beemer had little room to maneuver inside the cockpit after this crash.

Cars in Yards: 1970 Olds Cutlass 4-4-2 clone found on Craigslist with W-30 455 engine, W-25

2013-05-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Craigslist 4-4-2 project car has parts, profit. I make it a habit of reading through the Craigslists ads almost every morning, looking for that deal that just seems to stand out from the others. On most days, I see very little that actually interest me. Either the cars are priced too high, or they have too many doors, or both. On this particular morning, I noticed what was advertised as an

Cars in Yards: Groovy 1970s GMC Vandura van begs for rebirth at 41st Vannin' Nats

2013-04-25T23:30:00.001-05:00

How Junkyard Life got their groove back. Alright. That’s it. We tried to tell you years ago that vanning was alive and well. Vanning: The mid-1970’s van customizing craze that exploded and seemingly disappeared. Now it's proven to be alive and well with van events and gatherings all over the country. Just as we said it was, or at least would be. More of a way of life than an automotive genre.

Junkyard tour: Stinnett's Auto & Truck Parts, 1973 Dodge Charger 440 junkyard dream car

2013-04-12T23:02:00.001-05:00

Find your dream car in a junkyard. The Junkyard Life team was a hundred miles into a day-long, junkyard crawling road trip when we hit pay dirt in Woodstock, Alabama. Oddie Hubbard, the 72-year-old owner of Stinnett's Auto & Truck Parts, gave us a tour of his place, and the story behind a mysterious black Mopar that had been tucked away at the junkyard for decades. Make friends, find cars

Big Block Barn Find: Super Sport Chevelle roars to life for original owner after 30 years in storage

2013-04-02T20:02:00.001-05:00

Unlocking a 1970 hot rod time machine. The neighbors were startled when the 396-cubic inch Big Block Chevelle shook the walls of their home. The loud, blue, muscle car, belonging to Skip and Janet of Akron, Ohio, had remained silent and still for 30 years. The reclusive Chevy was purchased new by Skip in 1970, driven for eight years, then tucked inside a barn for safe-keeping. The barn, now

Cars in Yards: 1972 Dodge Demon 340, Mopar muscle gets 2nd tour of duty in driveway

2013-03-26T10:23:00.001-05:00

Veteran Dodge Demon owner finds another A-Body beast. Fresh from a stint in Guam in 1971, Mike White had the urge to plunk down some hard-earned cash on a hot-to-trot Mopar with a 340-V8 engine. The word on the street was that the 340-cubic inch could best many big block and 383-equipped muscle cars in a straight line and make them eat dust on a winding road because of their light

Cars in Yards: 1972 Chevrolet LUV pickup truck gets chopped by tree, bring a chainsaw

2013-03-21T11:33:00.003-05:00

A tree grows through a first generation Chevy LUV pickup truck. Chevy LUV pickup goes green the hard way. How often does a 40-year-old pickup truck get overlooked when its parked in the middle of a front yard. A first glance fail! I missed it! And it had a tree growing through the cab! Chevy's little trucks get no respect. The shot above was taken as I drove away from an impromptu

Restored 1963 Lincoln Continental set adrift, wrecked after restoration

2013-03-13T20:44:00.001-05:00

Big hit in a 1963 Lincoln Continental. This poor guy. The police knocked on his door at 4:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. That’s usually not good. The startled owner of this ’63 Lincoln Continental thought it had to be a mistake, and all was okay, when an officer asked him if he owned a 1976 Cadillac. “No,” he replied, while thinking “whew.” Then a voice on an officer’s radio crushed his

Rebel with a Prom Date: 1974 AMC Matador coupe

2013-02-26T00:28:00.001-06:00

Bathed in Hai Karate cologne and looking for a fight. You smell him before you see him. The guy taking your daughter to the prom. He drives the red AMC Matador, parked in your spot, in the driveway. Pimples, sideburns and a polyester leisure suit. Unassuming, but he's got no good intentions. He smiles, a bit too assuredly, as he thinks of the fun times ahead. Your face reddens and the

Barn find 1941 Stovebolt Suburban served as funeral home flower truck that could "carryall"

2013-02-15T23:02:00.000-06:00

Serving those six feet under. A 1941 Suburban "Carryall" has resurfaced in Alabama after decades of duty at an Atlanta, Georgia funeral home. The winding road of rescue led to Alabama, but not without a few bumps along the way. This retired, flower-hauling, pre-war SUV was headed for a bath of fluorescent paint and chrome during the 1980s, when the second owner got his hands on it. Luckily,

First Turbo Buick: Legend of the Buick Century that spawned Grand National, Indy Pace Car

2013-02-05T23:02:00.000-06:00

Gary Bryson, Molly Designs and Buick Special Products Group, led by Herb Fishel, developed this 1976 Buick Century turbo. It was the first, black, V-6 turbo Buick — heir apparent to the Grand National. Just call it Darth Vader's father with attitude. Before black Buicks were famous, a teenager held the keys to a sinister Century. Dan Bryson was a grunt working at famed Molly Designs in

1970 Chevelle SS 454 barn find found in New York

2013-01-26T19:33:00.001-06:00

King of New York barn finds. Gary K. of Long Island, New York, a self-professed "Chevelle nut," and master of dozens of successful, search-and-find, muscle car missions, is always on the hunt. Gary has learned that discovering a prized, but neglected (cheap), big block Chevy muscle car is like finding a needle in a haystack. It requires keeping your head on a swivel, covering a lot of

Hot Rods in the Holy Land: American muscle cars find fans in Israel, used parts needed

2013-01-17T10:01:00.000-06:00

Don't be surprised to find a Pontiac on your pilgrimage. Dozens of V8-powered, American muscle cars, from immaculate show stoppers to the project variety, can be found on the streets and dirt roads of Israel. I found out about the abundance of hot rods in the Middle East from my new junkyardlife facebook friend, Transam Ali. Ali, a 30-year old, from Northern Israel, was in need of

Beware of craigslist! You may find your dream car or a 1973 Pontiac Grand Am for sale

2013-01-09T23:54:00.002-06:00

1973 Pontiac Grand Am bites new owner online. The Junkyard Life Colonnade Coupe score card could read: Anthony-1, Jody-0, Ron-0. Fellow Junkyard Life Galoot Anthony has scored one of our dream cars via craigslist. A 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. Actually, the three of us happened upon this car on a past Junkyard Life adventure about two years ago. This unique Pontiac changed hands a couple of

Dad's 1963 MGB returns home, restored again

2013-01-03T23:20:00.000-06:00

Charles Haynes' father ordered this Iris Blue 1963 MGB after seeing one just like it in a sales brochure. The prodigal 1963 MGB. A son restores, then sells a classic, 25-year-old MG that belonged to his father since it was new. Twenty years later, the son, Charlie Haynes of Guntersville, Alabama rediscovered the 1963 MGB, that his dad bought, in a Hemmings Motor News ad. As fate would have

1975 Camaro Rally Sport; rock star in a tuxedo finds drugs, Jesus and the junkyard

2012-12-23T00:42:00.000-06:00

Rock star 1975 Camaro RS is Ready to Scrap. It's time to say goodbye to this disco-era road warrior. After serving time on death row at the local pull-your-own-parts, the crusher beckons this classy, two-tone, somewhat rare Camaro. Blessed with the unmistakable ’75-’77 Rally Sport appearance package that featured low-gloss, black paint across the hood and over most of the roof. A Rally

LOL Cars: Transformed Jeep Cherokee hides under Ferarri Testarossa body kit, ‘Miami Vice’

2012-12-15T00:54:00.001-06:00

Transformer meets ‘Miami Vice’ in homebuilt tribute to the 1980s. Crockett and Tubbs may have taken a new job with the police department in Birmingham, Alabama. A co-worker called me and said 'you've got to see this car.' I grabbed my camera and headed to the street. That’s where I saw what used to be an ordinary, two-door, Jeep Cherokee Sport transformed into a Ferrari Testarossa, via a body

Life with a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon

2012-12-04T22:26:00.001-06:00

Driving back to 1976. My garage find Cutlass Salon really isn’t pure me. But, you know, it grows on a guy. Then, after I put some thought to it, I realized it really isn’t that far off. It’s from the seventies. That’s me. It has a V8 with a Rochester Quadrajet. That’s really me. It has 15-inch Oldsmobile SS3 Rally Wheels. That’s totally me. The more things I list, the more Ron Kidd

Junkyard tour: Loner's Salvage & Car Crushing a source for classic cars, parts in Pennsylvania

2012-11-13T01:11:00.001-06:00

Rust in his blood. John B. of State College, Pennsylvania sent us these images from his trip to Loner's Salvage & Car Crushing in Port Matilda, Pennsylvania. John is only 16-years-old but has a passion for classic cars. "I've taken hundreds of photos of rusty cars along the roads and at junkyards." John shared a look behind the scenes of Loner's after he spoke to, Bill, the owner

Cars in Yards: 1970 Olds F-85 Sport Coupe

2012-10-24T10:20:00.001-05:00

So you think you have seen it all before? You think that Cutlass in that backyard out in the country is just another standard issue, run-of-the-mill Oldsmobile? Think again, newbie. I must say, I myself am somewhat guilty. When I saw this '70 Cutlass in a backyard, I may have actually thought something along those lines. Especially, after Jody, Anthony and I met a guy in the Deep South

Car hunting season begins: Dig into the woods for classic, abandoned cars – 1933 Ford, 1951 Victoria

2012-10-17T22:22:00.001-05:00

Classic Fords don't grow on trees, however, you may be able to find some rusting automotive diamonds buried deep in the woods this fall. Cooler temperatures and falling leaves signal the beginning of car hunting season for adventurous gear heads who keep hiking boots beside their toolbox. I recently stumbled upon two iconic Fords, a 1933 Model B and a 1951 Victoria, during a trek

The ’57 Chevy man’s favorite and last 1957 is sold

2012-09-18T14:59:00.003-05:00

1957 Chevy man. “Buck” Hitt, of Blount County Alabama, was known for his love of 1957 Chevys. Buck owned more than a dozen 1957 Chevrolets during his decades old love affair with the iconic symbol of American automobiles. Convertibles, hardtops and sedans could be found surrounding the home where Buck lived with his wife, Wanda, for more than 50 years. It was no accident that his

That Fad "T": T Buckets were the original hot rod rage, where are they now?

2012-09-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Buckets of love from days gone by. I love cars. I really do. The Junkyard Life Guys will go to great lengths just to see a car in any condition. If you’re a frequenter of Junkyard Life, then you know just how extreme we can be. Or so we thought. The car guys from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s make us look like the Harper Valley Chess Team. More specifically, the T-Bucket guys. Those

Junkyard Life Find of the Day: Car club's classic stash for sale in Pennsylvania field

2012-08-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

Field of dream cars. More than 75 classic cars are for sale in Watsontown, Pennsylvania. Two Mid-Atlantic-area car clubs folded and decided to sell off their collection of cars. Their vintage iron has occupied a remote farm for decades. Most of the cars were hauled in to save them from the crusher many years ago. Property owner and manager of the sale, Stanley, says everything is for