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Old Car City: Diamonds in the Woods

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“It’s history. I saved them when other people were crushing them,” Lewis says. “I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t get up every morning and look at old cars.” These are the words of possibly one of the last stewards of the old car junkyard profession. Here at Barn Finds, we noticed that a place in Georgia called Old Car City was garnering more press as of late, and then reader Blair D (and others!) sent us yet another article featuring the yard’s proprietor, Walter Dean Lewis.

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He’s not a hoarder, so to speak – he didn’t set out to have over 4,000 classic cars on his property. Closer to the truth is that the business simply stopped being an active parts yard and became a museum, with Lewis charging admission to visitors and photographers alike who want to stroll through the acres of forgotten finds at their leisure.

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On the museum’s Facebook page, it appears they used to sell cars in their inventory, but that hasn’t been updated in ages. Check out the website here for current information. And to view a gorgeous Flickr album with photos from the yard, click here. Have any of you visited this junkyard car museum? I’m thinking it’s time for a road trip!

Comments

  1. Avatar Mark E

    Was in GA (for the second time in my life) in June! Guess I’ll put it on the itinerary when I go again in (lets see, ’86…15) yeah 2045 would be about right… -_-

    Like 0
    • Avatar Mark E

      Just googled it. 1,033 miles. Just about average for anything I’m interested in on this site. Sighhhh,,,

      On a sidenote, I’ll be 89 in 2045. Wonder what kind of cameras they’ll have then? Will they be usable by feeble minded elderly car geeks??

      Like 0
  2. Avatar jim s

    maybe you can make a visit and then do a ” jeff in the junkyard ” for this site.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar don

    it’s about 1 hour from me, I plan on going in the fall when it’s not so Damb Hot here! i will take pics and forward.

    Like 0
    • Avatar David C

      Hey Don I’m about an hour away also (I live close to Stone Mountain) Me and my buddies are already planning a trip there when it gets cooler. Way too hot right now to go trekking around in the woods. Hey Don what part of Ga do you live?

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Mark E

    YES! Everyone who can visit if you’d PLEASE take lots of photos and post a link on here that would be GREAT! Then I can remove my agonizer that Mr Spock put on my chest for being only three miles away and just driving by… >_<

    Like 1
  5. Avatar George

    Toured part of it in the 80’s. Had one of Elvis Mk IV on display.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Fred

    Only 3 hrs 43 minutes from me. I’m a filmmaker and may make this my next documentary.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar sunbeamdon

    Ya know, they were running when parked! Its a shame there are no Morgans there, returning to Mother-Earth. Bless my ash!

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Nova Scotian

    Really enjoy the pictures of autos with trees growing up under them. Not something you see in Canada. Different to see mother nature reclaiming even the soil under these road warriors rest upon. In Canada, the deterioration would succomb every one of these to wonder what the bits of metal were.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar RoughDiamond

    I’d love to see that place, but my fear of copperheads and rattlers would keep me away. I’ll wait for the pics.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar roger

    Would sure like to go there.
    Our only old car junkyard was sold and everything crushed 3 years ago.
    It is now scrap metal yard

    Like 1
    • Avatar Mark E

      I’m with you, Roger. I visited my hometown and had some free time and decided to cruise around and look at the two old junkyards that were there but NO they’re both GONE! Stupid environmental rules, I’m certain. I have fond memories of the hours spent looking at (and sitting in) the old cars there. I have a collection of emblems and a few hood ornaments to remember them by though so not all is lost…

      Like 0
      • Avatar z1rider

        If the junkyard was a really old one (predating the creation of the EPA) they would be grandfathered out of the environmental rules other than fluid disposal.

        The more likely scenario was when the value of scrap steel rose so high a few years ago they decided to cash in. And that created a lot of new rules about having a title in order to sell an old heap to the junkyard. People were stealing cars and heading straight to the wrecking yard to sell for scrap.

        Like 0
  11. Avatar Eric

    I’m going tomorrow I live in Dalton GA so this is not a long drive for me at all. Can’t wait to get there. Ty for the tip.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Doug Cantley

    Was there august 5th. Had a great time…Dean was very nice. Take bug spray

    Like 1

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