Reader William H recently came across this large stash of classic cars near Greenwood, South Carolina. He tried his hardest to find someone to talk to about the cars and what is destined to happen with them but didn’t have any luck. So, he thought he’d snap a few photos of the yard and send them to us to see if one of his fellow readers knows the full story behind this junkyard. While there’s lots of rusty iron here, there are some really interesting finds that could be worth saving, or at the very least parting out.
It looks like this is a rat rodder paradise, with lots of these cars sporting some serious patina. We see a few vehicles that we wouldn’t mind having a closer look at, that’s for sure!
If you happen to know the story behind this stash, we would love to hear more about it. It looks like it could be a fun place to spend an afternoon, that is if the owner is open to visitors. Our thanks to William for sharing his sighting with us! If you have come across a great find, be sure to send us photos and the story of finding it via mail@barnfinds.com.
When I was building two gas turbine generators near Hartsville, South Carolina in 1997 I would drive around on my day off and yards like this one were all over the place. I still remember the one on U.S.52 near Society Hill that was full of A, B, and E- body Mopars.
I did meet the owner on a return trip, drove by many times. I pulled off and walked back he was mowing the grass. He was gracious to invite me in to chat, we spent about two and half hours talking
About cars and oddly dentistry. Local collector who really just enjoyed the hobby of buying, selling and restoring!
I then drove off with a huge smile on my face!
“We spent about two and half hours talking about cars and dentistry. I then drove off with a huge smile on my face!”
Must have done some work on his teeth!
…And getting a car from him was like “pulling teeth.”
Not to sound shrewd or smart-ass, but wish the owner did more “restoring” than collecting. None the less, would be a dream of a day to walk around and look at stuff there. Trying to come to grips with places like this going away, but I get it. Nice feature guys !
I partially agree with your point – but it’s obvious these cars have been there for a LONG time, way before most of them became ‘collectible’. If it weren’t for this guy collecting/ hoarding them back then I’m pretty sure these cars had been crushed decades ago.
Now at least they’re possible parts donors and some of them may even be decent enough to get a second chance in life
Right. Gee, we have a junkyard out back from grandpa’s collection. Lets flip them for big bux. Er, rather instead, the panty waist HOA bullied me into cleaning up the property per their brass-hat standards.
Not unusual to find abandoned junk-wrecking yards or vehicles in any state. Just the other day, I saw what appeared to be a 63 or 64 4 door two tone Chevy sitting out in a field. No kind of structure or housing anywhere in sight. Looked like it was in reasonably good condition, and I had brief thought of getting and restoring that car. THEN – I wondered how I could find out who – if anyone – owned that car. I also realized that taking it without permission would be auto theft. So, I just went home.
couldn’t you just try & track it down through the VIN number on the dash for the last time it was titled/registered in the state it is located most likely show who last owned it?
Leo – unfortunately, some states (like Colorado) purge all non registered vehicle titles after 10 years. My 58 Ford wagon was a one owner Estate sale car (well…traded fee for it for the appraisal I did on the property). But it had been sitting behind the barn for 45+ years. No one knew where the title was so I had to go through bonding the title for it.
Actually having to do the same thing on my E Type I have owned for 46 years. Lost the title in a house fire and the car had been off the road for about 12 years. Had to bond for a title to my own car.
David & Leo,
I’ve been hunting cars like that for years. My best approach is to figure out the actual plot number from the county land records, then you can get the land owner’s info. In doing this I’ve actually had land owners give me written permission to remove the car[s] from their land.
Just look in a plat book of that county. Because I own my farm in Iowa I get a new plat book yearly. It shows who owns the land and who lives on it…..often a renter. It sometimes shows a phone number but only if it’s a land line. A good place to find one for free is a grain elevator/feed company. At least that’s where I got the books from the counties surrounding mine. In my case, I use them in conjunction with online plat’s from 50-120 years old for my metal detecting hobby. Hmm, in a way ‘metal detecting’ is what we do when searching for old vehicles. In case anyone is interested, I’ve taken hundreds of pics of old vehicles sinking into the dirt at 3 yards locally. The pics I took are strictly older cars, pickups and one old wrecker. As far as I know, everything is for sale*. * at one yard he won’t sell his ’57 Chevy pickup nor his ’55 Chevy 2 door wagon. Would BF Jesse like to see them?
Fast forward 100 years to 2121… “He Joe, did you see that pile of cars on “Wheel Finds?” Joe Relies: “Yeah, the Junk yard that had cars with steering wheels?… you mean that one?”
How many times have we seen this, a well intentioned “collector” buying the cars of his dreams to restore them to his dreams specs. He keeps buying and by the time he realized that just buying them does nothing towards getting them on the road, that takes hundreds of hours of work! In to many cases by this time the dream cars have turned to rust and are now worth nothing! Just another repeat of the same sad story!
Current crop of politicians want no memory of such vehicles to survive at least not for the public. I wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t all destined to be crushed. Hope I’m wrong.
If things go the way they’re destined, you are probably right!
Steve Clinton, go ahead and deny the truth. Too many people are in denial for whatever made up reason. I DO hope old vehicles get saved, restored or rat rodded. I’ll always love old vehicles but that doesn’t change the FACT that climate change is happening and is only getting worse. Scientific FACT. Gee, maybe it’ll even touch your own life enough for a wake up call. Of course it will.
Cycle Salvage Kevin, lighten up, will ya? ;-)
No memory? Yeah, right aint gonna happen. Crushed? Not in my lifetime. Something MUST be done though to mitigate climate change. Personally, I think we’re already beyond the tipping point. Case in point, right now in the deep south where people are clueless about cold and snow. Climate change is an immense global problem and we’re all going to need to get used to big changes taking place in the coming decades. Sure, I’d miss riding my vintage motorcycles but I can get used to driving an electric pickup or swapping out the engine in my ’40 DeSoto for an electric unit. Do we want future generations of young folks to greatly suffer? I don’t have kids but NO, I don’t want any kid to suffer because we failed them. It’s just common sense.
You’re entitled to your opinion, but the world would be a boring place if everyone shared your opinion. Thankfully there are plenty of collectors and restorers that will hopefully save these treasures.
CycleSalvageKevin:
I have a book written in 1895 by an English Physicist wherein he proved through mathematics the earth’s magnetic poles were shifting from the mid 1600’s. This is the true reason WHY climate change is happening. He shows where every say 10,000 years or so the earth rolls on its axis and everything goes ‘Topsy-Turvy.’ If this did not happen the earth would be shaped like a cigar. The earth is a marble rolling through space. We are ALL stuck on the blue ball. Stop reading science fiction and start reading works like Sir Isaac Newton. You can start with his treatise on the refraction of light. Newton invented calculus and measured the circumference of the moon at age 16. His calculations are still used today.
Now, I may live in a “Phlat” world, but you don’t have to. Let the hood times roll 🌎 !!
Steve Clinton, this should help but they have a long way to go before most people can afford an EV.
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2021/01/22/amid-the-car-industrys-ev-transition-an-aftermarket-has-emerged-to-electrify-classic-cars?refer=news&utm_source=edaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021-01-22
There is No Way at least that I Know
To just Track down an Older car by its Vin Number
From what I was Told If it Wasn’t Registered in the Last 5 Years
It Falls off the Dmv Files and the Information With it
I’ve heard about Googling just the Vin and Several Other Things
But I’ve been Looking for My Old car for Over 30 years and I’ve done Everything to Find it
Even Police and Private investigators
Nothing Shows in Any Database
The Newer cars with a 17 didget Vin Has Much more Access
Than a pre say 1973 vehicles
If Anyone Has Any Other Tricks on Tracking down a 1968 Car
Please let me Know
I’m Willing to Try Anything
Thank you
I lived in South Carolina for 20 years. And I would go fishing at a place about 20 miles from me near the shore. And there was an older gentleman who had a 1957 ford hardtop convertible. It was black & yellow sitting in his front yard and the chickens were living in it. So I stopped in oneday and asked him if he would contender selling me the car. And he said no because the chickens would not have a place to lay their eggs. So I said to him I will build you a fine chicken house and I will pay you a fair price for the Ford. He said he would think it over. Well, the next time I went by his house the chickens were gone and the car was not there. It seems the old gentleman passed away and the son called the junkyard and had the car taken away. He did not remember the name of the junkyard.
Get the VIN and go to your local Police Dept. Mine have always helped me. Don’t forget to try the States close to yours, as well. I’ve scored a car that way a few times.
If any of you who come across a yard with a 53 or 54 De Soto Firedome Wagon, could you put them in touch with Barn Finds.
Thank you, Vincent
Vincent, I don’t know if this yard has one but it is a possibility. I was there for just a couple hours back in 2015 and took pictures of vehicles that I found interesting, maybe 125 pictures. None newer than around 1970 and the oldest around 1920. There were several wagons, mostly 1950’s. As I love old wagons myself, I took as many pics as I could. “Could” meaning they were parked so closely together making it impossible to get to most of them without walking on hoods and I was NOT going to do that! I was there searching for parts for my ’40 DeSoto S7 Deluxe 4 door. No luck but, I’m sure I missed seeing hundreds of old cars. They have a list that in a word is a ‘joke’ as it in no way is complete, hundreds missing from it. I hope to go back this Spring before the grass gets too tall. It’s Oakleaf Old Cars a few miles south of Hartford, South Dakota. Note, there are two yards, the north is the largest and contains the oldest vehicles and the south which I care nothing about, is late model.
http://www.oakleafoldcars.com/index.html
Accumulating vehicles to restore someday is a dream that keeps folks alive. I would never disabuse them of that dream. I’ve been to three auctions in the last few years where the dreamer had died – all in their late 80’s – and the family was selling off their collections.
We have them too…..some the owners just closed the door.
I would crawl Under that 55 Chevy Pickup….I would like one to tinker with beforw I retire, while I physically can….I really want a 55-56 GMC , but whatever..
I hear you loud and clear. I have Parkinsons and for months now have been looking for a 53 or 54 De Soto Firedome Wagon while I still have full mobility. Would like to find a project car preferably but not necessarily. I hope Barn Finds finds one or two. Vincent Ciernick