One of Barn Find’s readers, Stephen Liebert, turned us on to a large collection of cars and trucks located up in the Northeast. It’s owned by Dave Rapp who used to be in the car business in Long Island, New York. According to Stephen, ole Dave purchased 300 acres spread across two farms some 25-30 years ago and began filling the landscape with what could be as many as 800 vehicles.
As we understand it, most of this accumulation is vehicles produced from the 1920s through the 1960s. Dave seems to have skipped the muscle car period of the 1960s, but there is some iron out from as recently as the 1980s. While there are tons and tons of cars sitting outdoors, some of the nicer ones and parts have been placed indoors on the farm. Dave is said to not be in the best of health, so if something were to happen to him, the family will have the arduous task of auctioning everything off.
We were taken by what we learned of Dave and his collection, so we decided to check on Google to see if anyone else has visited Dave’s property – and we were in luck. We found a post from 2012 here on AACA Forums that brought some additional details and photos to our attention.
Dave A. was on a quest to acquire a pre-war Crosley and found Rapp’s arsenal in Starlight, Pennsylvania. He, too, determined that hundreds of cars were scattered about. 75 of them alone are Hudson’s. At least nine years ago, Rapp was selling parts and cars – everything was for sale (we don’t know if that’s still the case). Supposedly he has a treasure trove of Pierce-Arrow stuff in his possession, too. The barns were filled with doors, engines, wheels, exhaust systems, and the list goes on.
We want to thank both Stephen and Dave A. for turning us on to Mr. Rapp. If you’re ever in his neck of the woods, you might try looking him up and see if you can get a self-guided tour!
Poor Mother earth is a dumping ground for junk.
…or another man’s treasure.
“Poor Mother Earth” give me a break. Every part on those cars came from the Earth.
Joshua is right, it all came from earth and will go back to it. In the meantime, let’s rev ‘er up !!!
– – – and is on its way back to becoming part of the earth.
UHH, correct. Every part on those cars DID come from the Earth. Not Mars. Hence, poor Mother Earth. You’re like the guy I knew who dumped his used oil in the yard because it originally came out of the ground.
Some should not be into cars, they would rather pollute “Mother Earth” by mining ingredients that by taking them destroy the Earth and pollute way more then putting gas in your car. (I’m talking electric), And those people see nothing wrong with sending all that (scrap metal) to China and as long as they destroy it, so they can feel good.
@DanAugust Go park your Leaf in front of Starbucks
Let’s clean it up we throw are bad batteries there!
Wow, it never ceases to amaze me, how these collections amass. No particular rhyme or reason, just a LOT of junk,,oops, I mean, used up cars. In case some might not know, city slickers, mostly, 300 acres is a BIG piece of land, and probably a facility of that size, I’m sure the locals knew all about it. Figure, he dragged in maybe 5 cars a day, for 40 years, here you go. Unless this is categorized better, most, if not all will be scrapped. While there is certain to be treasures beyond belief here, sadly, it will get tossed in a hopper by a disgruntled worker, and a shiny new Toyota will emerge. Just very little interest in a headlight bezel for a ’62 Mercury. And whether us old farts that grew up in these yards like it or not, Dan ^^ above is right. This is nothing more than a scar on Mother Earth, and while I don’t think it really endangers anyone, we’ve just moved on from stuff like this.
True words Howard.
Charge up the drone and do some sightseeing. There could be an air cooled ………. lying there.
300 acres. For perspective purposes, if it is a contiguous parcel, it would be slightly less than an half section which is 320 acres, which would measure 1 mile by 1/2 mile.
I believe I found the location on google, one heck of a parking lot. (41.9528609, -75.3274648)
Thanks, interesting to see an overhead view.
Too bad the camera can’t get a better focus.
I totally agree. These beaters are gone and will be crushed. I am sure if old Goats, Mustangs were amongst the scrap we would’ve seen them first. Its possible the old truck parts could see reuse if not slim chance not rusted-through.
Send in the metal bailers and get this area cleaned up for the real ponies shown.
Pa rust at its finest.
If they need someone to inventory and catalog parts on EBay, I’m available for hire. All I ask is for a bottle of suds for me and my coworkers.
Good luck to anyone trying to get one of those junkers out of that mess. I see some worthwhile cars in there, but everything’s so jumbled up you can’t get to it.
Someone call Mike and Frank from American Pickers.
Just call Mike, Frank’s business phone has been disconnected (if you are aware that Frank left the show)
WOW! SNAKES ALIVE!!!!
So cool, as a kid at 16, my friend and I would do “junk yarding” that was so much fun, we would grab some nice stuff for our Mustangs. That was 1976. I still have my Mustangs, my friend, BUT yards like that are gone!!
We grew up in Binghamton, NY Starlight is very close, never knew about that place, BUT back in the day off 81 near Hazelton, Pa was a junkyard that went for miles!!!
Fran you must know Gary’s U Pull It, spent many an hour there myself back in the day
OK Folks, here is the plan: 1. Hire an auction company that has experience with dealing with massive collections like this. 2. Negotiate a firm price for their service, especially taking advantage of advertising the auction nationally and noting it will be conducted on-site with a bidders non refundable deposit that is sufficient to cover the cost of removal of the car if the winning bidder doesn’t pick up the vehicle within 48 hours. That way you can sell it for scrap, bidders who do not win, get their deposit back of course. 3. What is left, cut a deal with a local scrapper for a flat price for each car that is not purchased, remember the cost of scrap steel is going through the roof. 4. Enjoy the benefit of cleaning up a horrendous mess.
Accumulated in an era when rotted car frames and blown drivetrains rendered late model cars as “junk” everyday and before widespread salvaging for used parts and recycling of the entire car (instead of recycling old materials they would just produce more new materials to build more new cars) and so likely this guy got these back in the day for a song as the dealers, shops, and owners were likely more than happy to unload their “junk” cars to this guy.
Reminds me of Kober’s in Washington, PA. That place was amazing!!
That big yard on Rt 81 in NE PA is DiNaples. He had thousands of cars. He cleaned out many, but some still remain. I live in Pike County and property near me is selling for $65,000 an acre. At 300 acres, this guy’s kids could give two craps about this junk. Do the math. To remove all these cars is not worth the effort. Watch the auctions. Restored 40s and 50s cars struggle to make $20,000. It is all part of time marching on. Today’s young kids want import junk with stupid loud exhaust.
It really amazes me how some people will get out of hand with a really large car collection like this one and many others that I have seen. They must seem to think that they will live to be 150 years old. Never give a thought that “something” may happen to their health one day at which time it will most likely be too late for them to get rid of all the cars themselves, thus leaving the huge task to other family members. I myself had to help out a good friend’s family when he passed away to try and clean up his car “collection” so they could sell it off. It taught me a lesson, I’m 65yo. now and in fair health and have already got rid of 95% of anything I had collected or had stored away, I come from a small family and if something should happen to me there is next to no one to clean up my affairs. Enjoy yourself but think ahead folks, we are only here for a fairly short time.
Junk yards are FUN until they ain’t anymore, and then it’s time to call the crusher guy.
The yard is far too disarranged to be worth anything for the whole collection.
It’s really just a contract for a scrap yard and their crusher. Steel scrap is at an all time high right now so I’d be calling the local crusher.
Bob
Talk about ‘carmageddon’!
When I was younger I would think this was cool. Now I just see it as a disgusting illness. I feel for the family and whomever else that will be involved in cleaning up this disaster.
Wow !!! I can’t believe all the negative comments about a parts stash that could help a lot of old cars stay on the road. Usually the comments are about what a shame it is that these kind of places are disappearing.
i heard of a yard that had old cop cars in that area, i wonder if that is the one
If there was ever a time to scrap them, the time is now. They are worth 10x what they were just 5 years ago, when you couldn’t get enough to pay for gas to haul them there. Unfortunately many yards now require title for each vehicle, and I suspect the titles are long gone.
Am a little older than many. Let them be…the toys belong to him and his family. They know what they are worth and what they are not worth. 15-20 years from now they will have done nothing but appreciate in worth for younger family members. Let sleeping dogs lie… :-)
looking for 1938 studebaker parts coup, passenger
or express coup pick up parts or the whole body
It’s basically a wrecking yard for vintage cars. It should be advertised as such. Here’s a chance to go into business!
I knew Dave Rapp in his hay day , owning Mineola ford .I built or more correctly converted an old or saline nun monastery on Long Island 86-87 , he was throwing around a lot of money , wasn’t a bad guy , a know it all . A player lots of toys , this was pretty big , grandiose ideas , he was quite the collector back then , looks like he’s out done himself .