Long ago and far away, one of the first steps to completing a restoration was finding a parts car. Sometimes a restorer bought a parts car and put it out back for the purpose of combining the best pieces into one show winning vehicle. The parts car often ended up being unceremoniously hauled away to what we used to call a junkyard. Other times, the parts car was found in a junkyard and was picked clean in a few trips. Trips to these junk yards was old school fun, and hours could be spent looking at the world’s roughest car show. Not many old school junkyards are left, as the constant demand for scrap metal and space in what is now called an auto recycling center has driven out nearly all of the antiques. Fortunately for us, there appears to be one left, but it doesn’t appear that we have much more time to see it. This old school junkyard is selling out, and they are offering all of the cars at $1200 or less for each car. Found here on craigslist, this junkyard is in the little city of Milan, Tennessee.
Let’s play a game of car identification. I’ll spot two cars in each picture, with the introduction picture being picture number one, and you readers see if you can correct me, and/or identify the other cars in the picture. For the first picture, I see a 1956 Packard and a 1955 Chrysler. In the second picture, I see a 1968 Pontiac Firebird and a 1980 Oldsmobile.
In the third photo, I see the cab off a 1968 Chevrolet C-10, and a 1972 Chevrolet Nova that closely resembles the infamous Death Proof Nova. Of course, there is no drivetrain or front end. There isn’t even a hood to put the duck hood ornament on. Someone already picked that!
For picture number four, we see a 1977 Jaguar XJ-S and a neat little 1949 Ford coupe. It looks like there is enough of that Shoebox Ford left to start a gasser project! I am sure a straight axle can be found somewhere on the grounds.
Picture five has what I think is a neat looking 1966 Rambler coupe, and a 1956 Buick, portholes and all. The Rambler and the Buick look to still have enough parts left on them to make a restoration possible, but it would likely cost you a bit to complete them. You may even have to raid another junkyard!
Just in time for Halloween, picture six looks to have a 1971 Cadillac hearse. Also hiding back there is a heavy duty 1955 Dodge dually that looks to be pretty complete.
Finally, hiding in plain sight in picture seven is a 1986 Porsche 944, complete with a set of very nice factory wheels! I also see what looks like the cab of a 1974 Dodge wrecker, complete with over the cab running lights.
Once again, write in the comments section what you see in each photo, from #1-#7, and feel free to correct my guesses. Oh, and if you are in northwest Tennessee, you may want to stop and take a gander at what the seller has to offer. The prices are right, and he seems to be quite motivated!
Looks like alot of used us scrap metal.
No,that is so wrong !
Finally,someone who knows how to park old cars…
I am always wondering why,when people collect old cars like this they just drop them off in their yard all over the place,sideways..cars facing any odd direction and dropped off in a forest and/or tall weeds…
At one point I had 62 old cars that I kept as at the point in time they were not valuable,so I held on to them…I didnt let rodents or tall weeds or tree’s claim the vehicles either..
I sold them off over the last few years and have a collection of driveable restored cars in my warehouse and garage all now kept out of the elements..And also several projects..
Very nice and organized.
I’m wondering what’s in the trailers!?!? Rare parts??
Fun little exercise for a Tuesday after noon! In Pic 1, I spy a 68-69 Buick Riviera and a 66-67 Ford Fairlane. In Pic 2, I believe the 2 hulks in the foreground are a 68 – 69 Chevelle and a 68 Firebird. In the row with Mercedes i see an 80 Olds, 67 Buick, 67 Ford Galaxie and behind the Buick appears to be a 71 – 72 ElCamino. Pic 3has a 66 – 67 AMC behind the VW bus, a 64 Ford Galaxie and an 80 Ford Pinto. Pic 4 has 2 1980 Cutlass coupes and a 62 Pontiac. In Pic 5 I see a 72 Pontiac, 65 Fairlane, 55 Buick, 50 Chevy, 64 Pontiac and a 71 – 72 Mustang. The most interesting car in pic 5 is the 1964 Chevy. I can’t tell the model from that angle, but it appears to be a 4 door sedan going by the shape of the windshield and it looks like it may be complete. Someone should check it out. Pic 7 shows a 69 Buick, 53 – 54 Chrysler, a 54 Chevy a 46 Chevy and a 67 Chevy.
I see the El Camino now, appears to have a 71 grille in it, looks pretty much complete on the exterior.
54 Chrysler six, probably tip-toe semi automatic. A very fine and durable combination.
like always no 442. But i did see a 63-64 chevy . Don’t know what you get if your not there .
Ugh. I would own that 944 and R107 Mercedes w/ the Euro lights if this were closer to home.
You’d have to fight me for the 944…Mercedes-wise, though, you can have the R107, I’ve got eyes on that W111! Looks like there’s a ’72 or ’73 SL in there, too—put the two together for the full Euro look.
I think the interior of the 944 is gone baby, gone considering the sunroof is missing.
I have the back window and the Targa top/sunroof for that 944 that is getting rained in (somewhat pun intended (-reigned in).
Too bad they are (or I am) in the wrong place 2000 miles apart.
In picture six I would love the Econoline pickup to make a wheel stander for next years Wheel Standing Nationals at Byron Raceway in Byron, Illinois. Was just there last Sunday. Wait that might be a van, eyes not too sharp anymore.
I’ll take the Ford wrecker in the third pic for $ 1200
I think that I’ll go out to the shop and cry for a bit. Another dying hobby. Touring through junk yards was not only fun but nessessary to keep my 36 Chebby running. The hours spent dragging my wife through brush and multiflora rosebushes in order to find a gold ‘V’ for our 56 Plymouth was usually met by my wife dragging me through an arboretum. Isn’t a multi flora considered a flowering bush? What’s a little blood from time to time?
That may be the neatest, cleanest wrecking yard I’ve ever seen. There’s a lot of good stuff there. I don’t see anything I need personally, but many of the older cars look complete enough that $1200 or less seems like a good deal.
Packard is a 1955 Clipper sedan. The front bumper is missing, but if you look closely at the location for the large bumper “Dagmar” uprights [look it up], these are closer together than the 1956 Packards & Clippers. The ’56 cars had the Dagmars located directly under the headlights.
Speaking of parts cars, back in the ’70s, there was a mailman who lived across the street from me who was restoring a 1956 Corvette, and he had a second 1956 Corvette as a parts car. The parts car was another decent 1956 Corvette and it would definitely not be used as a parts car today. Most likely, both have since been restored the right way.
Here is a pic of a sweet Caddy with “Dagmars” and that’s Dagmar in the pic behind it. Imagine feminists walking in there and seeing such patronizing of women!
Oh my!! If this was about 1000 miles closer….this is almost 1600 miles away!
No one mentioned the Mercedes Fintail in the 2nd picture?!? Likely a 220S. Fantastically robust car that’d prolly drive home!
Thank God I only have a 2 car garage…
That looks like a fun place. Wish it was closer.
I see a yellow chevy pickup , no tires with a Ford grill.
Just went today bought a rampside truck
Is that a 69 Toyota Corona in yellow next to the Corvair? Any pics of it? I had 3 of them back in the 80s.
Does anyone no the name of This place the craigslist Ad was flagged and removed was interested in the 54 chevy he has
Almost 1600 miles away. If it was about half of that, yep! I’d be there!
Where in milan.my old man lives in milan and cant figure out where this is in town.weve got multiple mopar muscle cars along with a few gm’s.love to take a walk through with dad.hes 74 and loves this stuff.please if anyone can let me kniw where it would be greatly appreciated.