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Field Of Project Cars: 1940s To 1970s

Located near Bakersfield, California is a field of automobiles that the seller describes as a collection of project cars. Some are in better condition than others and some would likely best serve as donors for other projects. Twenty vehicles are specifically pictured, but there could easily be twice or three times that many cars out there. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern to the collection, i.e., it’s not focused on certain brands or model years. So, it looks like a little bit of everything. These cars are available here on craigslist for a minimum of $1,500 each. Thanks, numskal, for bringing this to our attention!

There is at least one car from the 1940s, five or more from the 1950s, nine or more from the 1960s and five-plus from the 1970s. Alfa Romeo, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Dodge, Jeep/Willys, Mercedes, Oldsmobile and Volvo – they’re all here and likely more. Here’s a list of them and don’t hold me to a specific year on a few because the photos are of only one view each.

1940s Ford: 2-door coupe in primer red with broken glass and a dented fender

1950s Jeep or Willys: missing glass, body looks solid

1955-56 Buick Special: 2-door hardtop, broken hood, missing grille and front bumper

1955-56 Oldsmobile 88: 4-door sedan, missing grille and bumper, body okay

1957 Buick Special: 2-door hardtop, missing back glass and rear bumper

1957 Chrysler: possibly a 300? Busted windshield

1960s Convertible (Dodge or Ford?): can’t be sure what it is

1960s Mercedes-Benz: 4-door sedan, looks mostly complete

1960s Volvo P1800S: mostly complete with sunroof

1962-63 Ford Fairlane: 2-door sedan, looks solid

1963 Dodge Polara or Monaco: 4-door hardtop, sunbaked

1963-64 Buick LaSabre: 4-door sedan, white, sunbaked

1967 Buick Skylark: 2-door hardtop, may be complete, hood different color than body

1967-70 Cadillac Eldorado: missing side skirt and hood

1969 Buick Skylark Wagon: missing front bumper, back window broken out, NOT a Sport Wagon

1970s/1980s Alfa Romeo Spider: convertible, looks solid, may be the best here

1970-72 Chevrolet Camaro: orange and cream in color with rust

1971-76 Chevrolet Vega: mostly complete, peeling paint

1975 Chevrolet Vega: grey in color, not bad

1975-80 Chevrolet Monza (or Pontiac Sunbird): sunbaked blue, may be complete

Comments

  1. Avatar Fahrvergnugen Member

    Must be a first here, when an Alfa Romeo Spider convertible “…looks solid, may be the best here.”

    Usually they’re the first to convert into powder, but only when in use. Maybe they like captivity in an impound.

    Like 6
  2. Avatar Steve Clinton

    Field of Dreams? No, a field of nightmares.

    Like 12
    • Avatar Phlathead Phil

      More like, “Field of Broken Dreams.” But hey, ‘parts is parts,’ ‘ya know??

      Like 2
  3. Avatar Steve R

    There are more than a few $500 parts cars shown in the pictures. It’s unlikely there are any good deals at this point, and may never be.

    Strve R

    Like 3
  4. Avatar A.G.

    When I was younger this sort of grouping of used cars wasn’t considered a collection or from a salvage yard or from an auto recycler. Junk yard was term used and that term fit this lot of over 250 tired, used up vehicles.

    Like 10
  5. Avatar Mark C

    The ’57 Chrysler is no newer than a ’56, and the car identified as a ’63 Polara or Monaco is a ’64 Custom 880. Also, they’re overpriced.

    Like 3
    • Avatar RNR

      Agreed on the Custom 880; the white Forward Look car with the hole in the windshield is a ‘56 Dodge.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar AMCFAN

    The Volvo you just featured. Seems its at a different location and now $2800.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Richard Isenberg

    Does look like some decent parts cars here in the field of dreams.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Bellingham Fred

    That 40’s car is not a Ford, and it is not a coupe. It is GM, probably a Chevy 2dr sedan. Looks to me more like surface rust than primer red. Yes, the fender is dented and it is probably more project than car. I really can’t see enough of it to tell more than that. I wouldn’t bother to go look at it unless I lived near by.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar rex m

    There are junkyards much closer to me than this.

    Like 4
  10. Avatar dogwater

    pop cans

    Like 1
    • Avatar Steve Clinton

      You leave my dad’s butt outta this! ;-)

      Like 4
  11. Avatar ChingaTrailer

    What is the bluish real colored sports car with roll bar next to the nearly hopeless P1800??

    Like 0
    • Avatar HelenaNOLA

      Same thing I was wondering. Perhaps a Fiat Spyder or I’m leaning to it being a Triumph Spitfire? Also what you can see of the white trans am looks decent. Photo 16, what is the blue/white vehicle to the rear right? It looks decent as far as what is visible.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Steve RM

        The blue and white car in photo 16 is definitely a Ford product. Hard to tell exactly which one from the small view. I’m thinking 70s T-Bird or one of the various vehicles that shared the same main body. Lincoln? Cougar? Something like that.

        Like 0
  12. Avatar Steve

    The “monza” , I’m pretty sure, is a sunbird Had the iron Duke 4 banger in it. Came with a wheezing rev limiter that kept it from being able to get out of it’s own shadow. Wouldn’t give a plug nickel for it.

    Like 0
    • Avatar bone

      Its a Monza coupe , basically the same as a Sunbird coupe – it does have Monza emblems on the fenders

      Like 0
  13. Avatar Karl

    What is on the truck lid of the Camaro, is it attached or just laying on it? Hopefully just trash laying on it I would sure hate to think somebody would actually attach this, whatever it its?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve Clinton

      It looks like a giant cheese grater.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Gary

      It’s a Sunshade maybe off that Camero ? Just missing to 2 side pieces. After all, it is in Bakersfield . Most of the rust is just surface rust from just setting ..

      Like 0
    • Avatar DON

      Its one of those cheap aftermarket stick on rear window louvers that were popular in the late 70s -80s

      Like 0
  14. Avatar Lou Rugani

    I’m reminded of the Neil Freman case in Whitehall, Montana a few years ago. He crushed countless parts cars, saying that restorers didn’t want to pay his prices.

    Like 2
  15. Avatar Graham Bailey

    I am amazed at how many people on here just call them junk, I know people who would love to get hold of a lot of these cars and restore them because they can, weres people’s sense of adventure

    Like 0

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