Sad visit to the boneyard

[Bruce Urie]

Saw some suggestions on going to the boneyard on this board to get parts and it reminded me of yesterdays' visit my brother and took to the boneyard. Went there in his '87 Regal to score parts for it and my wife's Lesabre.

35 acres...and not one Regal We spent all day there, got roasted by the sun, and burnt red, but I came out with the steering shaft from a '94 Jeep to fit my '87 GN. (after checking about 15 other Jeeps, all with the steering wheels locked and NO KEY!) So the bolts on the shafts were unreachable with tools, couldn't turn the wheel. Finally found one and got it off. Great! $12 bucks!:biggrin:

As we were leaving, we cut through an area we really weren't supposed to be, but they let us through anyway...BOOM!!!! There it was!! And TOO LATE! An '87 Regal Limited T-Top, and they just cut the roof off, busted the perfect T-Tops in a million pieces! It was in almost perfect condition! The dash, which I wanted, was gray, with the blue lighted Regal dash plaque, now broken in two! (The plaque, not the dash.) Dash was 100% perfect! Not a scratch. Oh, Jeez!!! I said to the guys..."WAIT, WAIT!!!!" Then my brother ran off to the office to get permission to get some parts from it. The yard was just going to put the Regal on a lift, run the engine without oil until it catches fire. The top cut off was for stacking. They had been doing this all day.

About 15 minutes later, my brother Jim got back and said the office will let us get parts, but not the dashboard, radio, etc because it was too close to closing time. So, Jim and I got the headlight bezels, with side turn signal markers, and the two front amber turn lenses, all in perfect shape!! And all for $40! I got the radiator cap and that's it. They were then getting the poor car to lift to burn the engine. This car had only 50,000 miles on it!!!!

The car was blue with a velor blue interior. On an honest scale of 1-10, with 10 being perfect, this '87 Regal Limited was a 9! I was just sick, no kidding, I got sick. I could have used those perfect T-Tops with the gray trim, and all the gray trim in the car. Plus about everything else I could get out of it. The interior was perfect and rip free. The bumpers were perfect! Everything on it was perfect! It was heavily optioned! Twilight sentinal, everything!!But, too late. Son of a bitch!!!! Too late!!!!

They lifted it up on a rack, drained the oil, and ran it until the engine caught fire and sized up!! What an awful smell. Then they lifted it off, slamed it on the ground and set a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee on top of it! Busted out all the perfect tail lights and trim!

We had to leave, it just made me sick. Such waste. If only we had found it in time.

Moral of the story is...can you just imagine how my G Body cars are being crushed and distroyed on a daily basis every day??

We have another junkyard about 30 minute drive from here with about 6 Regals, 85-87, but the guy who owns it charges top dollar for the parts! I mean, this guy ROBS us!!! I can get the parts on eBay cheaper, believe it or not. At least he doesn't crush them. But, highway robber prices.

Jeeze, what a sorry story. I hated seeing that beautiful, blue, '87 Regal Limited die. I really did. Well, I feel a little better, but not much, getting this out of my system. I had no idea how much I would fall in love with these cars until my late, beloved Dad gave me his '87 GN before he died. What a love affair this is! Seeing a G Body die is almost like seeing a loved one pass.

Anyone of you guys ever have an experience like this? If so, please make it sadder than my story. I can't stand it.

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

["Turbo-T"]

I think I too would be not only sicken with grief but saddened at the same time. However I think some people that work in boneyards are just complete idiots clueless to the outside world.

So they ran the engine until it seized up...I can only wonder if it had a n/a V6 or the 307 Olds...hopefully the Olds....which are good engines but we all know how the 109 blocks are the $$ makers.....even then so why blow up a running engine? That's a shame. CFC ended. That running engine could have been a little $$ there for someone.

And for smashing it up...well I don't know what to say....again these guys are idiots clueless to the outside world. The parts alone off that car are far more worth the scrap value. That's also why the prices are going up, with all the donks and lowriders being built. If they cared to get into the auto hobby to see what was hot and what's not, they'd find out real quick that car could have funded a few employee's paychecks and maybe even a little left over for the junkyard dog. But instead they probably figured "no one is going to want some 80's smog ladden grandma car".

I still remember 15 years ago walking thru the boneyards of Indianapolis and there was a steady population of G bodies. Haven't been back but I'll bet it's mostly FWD's by now.

 

[Grumpy]

well "yards" need to make $$$$ !! You have one yard thats crushing them (to old to keep to sell off parts for cheap) and the other that wants $$$ to sell off parts. They only have so much space an if they get a new car they make MORE $$$$ off that car. Not a demand for 25 year old regals.
..Ya should have offered $500 for the Limited and took it home !! I bet they would have sold it

 

[robertmee]

..Ya should have offered $500 for the Limited and took it home !! I bet they would have sold it

That's what I was thinking.....You should have offered them more than scrap value and they would have held it for you 'till you rented a carrier from u-haul and took it home. Hell, you could have offered them $50 to hold it an extra day until you took off the parts you needed.

 

[streetknight]

When scrap prices got high, a LOT of cars got crushed. They're fewer and farther between. It is sad though.

 

[novaderrik]

why would they blow up the engines? that just makes no sense at all. the cars stack and crush just as well if they don't waste the time to blow up the motors. and why waste time cutting the roof open when they can just crush it down with their loader? do they take the gas tanks out of the cars before piling them up? if not, they should, since the scrappers want the gas tanks removed before they get crushed and shredded.
sounds like this place is run by a bunch of idiots.

 

[Little6pack]

Your killing me with this story.

once upon a time there were many regals in the junk yard around this area THEN GRUMPY SHOWED UP and has them all stored in his attic.

 

[Grumpy]

Your killing me with this story.

once upon a time there were many regals in the junk yard around this area THEN GRUMPY SHOWED UP and has them all stored in his attic.

attic, basement, barn, garage in NH. You forgot a few places I did go to the junk yard for a MAF for an old beater I had.. While I was there I did look around for regals .. NOTHING !!

 

[toomanymodz]

Sounds to me like it was a 'cash for clunkers' car. A friend of mine manages a recycle yard and he bought around 250 cars. He could sell parts off of the cars, but each body and engine had to be destroyed completely, similarly to the way described above.

 

[Bruce Urie]

"Should have offered more than scrap value"...you know, I just don't know why I didn't think of that. But I'm pretty sure this yard will not sell the cars to the public, just the parts. I'm going back next week and will find out for sure, as you've got me wondering, too.

The engine was run without oil because the Regal was a "Cash for Clunker" car, which the yard HAS to, by law, distroy the engine so it can never be used again. Again, I have to agree, sounds like idiots. Pisses me off, I see everyday people driving around aimlessly in big pickups, SUVs, etc. that I know damn sure gets horrible gas mileage.

The engine in this '87 Regal must have been the 307 Olds engine, as it had a four barrel Rochester on it.

Yes, they take out the tanks after emptying it. After they run the engine with no oil. The other sister yard of this one was sued by a homeowner who lives next to it for draining gas/oil right onto the ground. It was in the paper. The yard owner says he doesn't do that...totally a bunch of crap, as when my brother and I were there a few months ago, we WATCHED some sap undo the line to a gas tank and the gas gushed all over the ground, ran like a small stream to the woods. I immediately offered to light my brother's cigarette. So, I do know this guy lies. Maybe they are idiots, but this guy is making money right and left with this yard. The one with the Regal in it was just opened by this guy about 6 months ago.

You wouldn't believe the luxury cars I saw here...Caddilacs, Lincoln Continentals. Mercedes, Range Rovers, lots of Buick Park Avenues and Lesabres, lots of Lexus's, Jeeps of all kinds, big Chevy Tahoes, Broncos, quite a few Jaguars. I mean, what a holy hell of a waste. Lots of these cars don't have much parts taken out, and they are crushed with their beautiful leather interiors, etc. I mean, it makes me cry, it's so sick.

I have to agree with Grumpy, as he has a very valid point, they are out to make money, that's it.

The prices are just unbelievably low for all the parts. I bought two 6x9 JBL two way speakers with very heavy magnets out of a Lincoln Continental for $6 each. They work perfect. I got two G Body radios, with cassettes, for $20 each. Any radio, any car, with cassette..$20. Any radio, any car with cassette and or CD..$40. I picked up a CD/Cassette AM/FM Stereo, with TheftLok for my wife's '99 Lesabre for $40, and it works great. (got it for a backup.)

The steering shaft that a guy sells here on this forum for $40-$50 I got for $12. Any seats, $40 each. Some sap picked up a pair of beautiful Cadillac leather seats for $80 and not a scratch on them. Any engine block, no heads..$100. Complete engine,no accessories...$175. Any sunvisor...$6. Just a sample here. The deals there are just a dream, I just don't like seeing these cars killed.

I'll report back after my next trip there. I'm anxious to see if I could have bought that Regal like you guys suggested. I could have missed the deal of a life time. If I did, I'll come clean with you guys and let you beat me with a wet Turbo.:redface:

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[Bruce Urie]

Your killing me with this story.

once upon a time there were many regals in the junk yard around this area THEN GRUMPY SHOWED UP and has them all stored in his attic.

I heard the rumor around here that Grumpy got all of the parts...so it IS true, right? No wonder they are hard to find.

Please warn me if he ever shows up in Virginia I will DOUBLE guard my '87GN and warn my brother also:biggrin:

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[Bruce Urie]

Sounds to me like it was a 'cash for clunkers' car. A friend of mine manages a recycle yard and he bought around 250 cars. He could sell parts off of the cars, but each body and engine had to be destroyed completely, similarly to the way described above.

You got it, buddy....you're absolutely right!

And I see you have a Viper...let me tell you this...today, while out in town, I saw THREE Vipers, all in one day. A record for me....a red one with white stripes, a blue one with white stripes, and a silver one with blue stripes. My God, are they a beautiful work of art. They are just the coolest fast car I've ever seen. Can't wait to make the mistake of racing one!!!!:biggrin:

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[Little6pack]

I heard the rumor around here that Grumpy got all of the parts...so it IS true, right? No wonder they are hard to find.

Please warn me if he ever shows up in Virginia I will DOUBLE guard my '87GN and warn my brother also:biggrin:

Bruce '87 Grand National

Grump has a new dog that he is training to sniff out regals..

He will be taking the dog to most east coast junkyards :tongue:

 

[Bruce Urie]

Grump has a new dog that he is training to sniff out regals..
He will be taking the dog to most east coast junkyards :tongue:

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[novaderrik]

hate to break it to you, but junkyard have always been crushing "good" stuff. the junkyard i used to go to back down where i used to live had over 100 acres full of cars- one of, if not the biggest, junkyards in the country- and they knew which cars to keep around and which cars to take straight to the crusher. a lot of the cars that got crushed were nice- but they were cars that no one was buying parts from, so they got crushed and hauled out first. 15 years ago, it wasn't out of the ordinary to see perfectly good looking 5 year old Cadillacs or Lincolns sitting next to the crusher. i even saw the occasional early C4 Corvette shell with no suspensions or drivetrains in the piles of crushed cars. there were times when they'd have about 5 acres just full of crushed cars piled 10 high- then when scrap prices would go up, they'd haul them all out.. and yet the yard is always full.
there used to be a lot of cool cars from the 50's to the early 80s out there. i picked a LOT of parts of those cars 20 years ago, and even contributed a bunch of them to the yard myself to get picked over. they have an entire section- about 10 acres- of late model domestic, another section of imports, about 30 acres of pickups and heavy duty trucks, and about 100 old school busses that they use to store radiators and whatever other in demand parts they pull off cars they crush. there is about 5 acres of 30's and 40's street rod/rat rod material sitting out there- and they know what everything is worth.
back before they were worth anything, they had a row of about 30 Laguna's with solid bodies just sitting there and getting picked over. i even saw a couple of Monte SS aero coupes out there before i knew why they had that goofy back window. i think i grabbed the horn cap off one once. back when they were disposable "late models", there were rows and rows of g bodies- a few of which had 4 speed transmissions and standard heaters. they are almost all gone now, since they are so damn popular with the dirt track racers.
that place is just awesome, and i've killed many an afternoon just walking around out there. i need to make a trip down there just because...