(Words and photos by Scott Liggett) – This past weekend, a buddy and I jumped into my ’64 Galaxie 500 to see how it would hold up on a road trip. Tour Nebraska is coming up soon and I needed to know if the old girl could make a 900 mile run over three days and survive. So, we took a jaunt out into the country here in Nebraska to see how it would do.
In a small town of barely 250 was this old junkyard that we knew about that had been closed for more than a decade. We had met the owner of the place a few times over the last few years, and while he was not in operation as a business anymore, he was still buying and selling old cars. He had since cleared out all the new, boring stuff since he closed up shop and just kept the vintage iron that we BangShifters love so much.
On this day, he was there loading up a big flat bed trailer with three truck cabs and a Model A five window coupe body in a deal he had made to a buyer, he let us wander around the salvage yard with the camera to take some pictures of the literal god. We found 390, four speed Mercury Comets, two 409 powered Chevys, 1950’s Chryslers with their hemis, and a bundle of Tri Five chevys two doors. He even had a 63 Bel Air 2 door post that was a running driving car powered by a built 454 and four speed.
Because this person isn’t running a business anymore, he isn’t easy to find, or get a hold of anymore. We just lucked out this day. Please don’t ask where this is at, or who the owner is, I was asked not to say. Just enjoy the pictures of the patina. PS, I did try to buy the 409 powered ’65 Impala and got a very quick no. So, he isn’t willing to part with everything these days. I will keep him in mind and maybe nudge again at a later date.
Editor’s note: Around here in Nebraska, if you need a clean cab for a 1940’s to 1960’s pickup, you look at farmer grain trucks. Unlike pickups, these trucks spent most of the year just sitting around. Only actually getting used to haul grain a couple months of the year. They rack up very little mileage too. So, it is not surprising to see a flathead V8 powered early 50’s Ford grain truck with less than 60,000 miles on it and still running like a top too. The best part is in that era, the medium duty trucks had the same cabs as the pedestrian pickups. Often times you can usually get the whole truck for less than a rusted out, engineless pickup of the same year.
There is a lot of “want” in those pics!
You got me dreaming again……
What town in Nebraska, I need some fenders
I was born right in the middle of the baby boom, so I can recognize most of these, but I’m stumped on one.
The next photo after it is the baby blue 57 chevy post that’s missing the front clip.
It’s a 3/4 angle photo from the front driver side. The car is mostly faded to the red primer, looks like it might have been white once.
No marker lights, so 67 or older. Rear fender line is too prominent for a chevelle, and the vertical section on the back of the passenger window doesn’t match up either.
Although the rear fender and back window could match up, the leading edge of the front fender sweeps down and back, so that rules out a marlin.
Front fender might match a fairlane, but the window wouldn’t fit any of the photos I could find.
I finally determined that it’s an Impala, 65. That fits the body line on the side, bulge over the rear fender, and front fender. Also, the vent windows. That rear window still bugs me though, the only Impala photos that I could find with that shape of window were convertibles and four door cars, this one is a hardtop.
Thanks taking the time to share these photos!
The photo right before the baby blue ’57 Chevy 2 dr post, sans front clip is a 1966 Caprice sport coupe. The roof line is similar to that of the 65-66 Bel Air and Biscayne, but that is it.
Thanks for helping me, Scott. Obviously, I wasn’t going to figure that one out!
Also, I wasn’t aware that the Caprice name had been in use at that time. I started out thinking Chevrolet, but that odd roof really threw me.
Typical hoarder. Better to let it rot away sitting on the ground than to sell it to someone who’ll actually USE it. What a waste.