We hit the junkyard today in search of a new steering wheel for Buford T Justice, our 1987 9C1 Caprice project. We came up empty handed on that search as every car we found with a suitable wheel had been picked clean or had a steering wheel we wouldn’t touch with welding gloves on. This was not a wasted trip, though. We found a literal pile of awesome cars that are soon to be crushed. The Buick LeSabre in this story needs to be saved. It is complete with a 401 and minimal rot. They are all bitchin’ and they will all be flat soon.
It is EXTREMELY rare to find this much old, cool stuff in a small eastern Massachusetts yard. We were freaking out and running around like mental patients on speed when we saw all this stuff. Sorry about the photography, this was an all iPhone affair.
All the cars and trucks you see below are located at:
| BROCKTON USED AUTO PARTS 511 Thatcher St, Brockton, MA 02302 |
|
| Telephone: 508-584-4001 |
Call them to save these things from being squashed flat!
This Monte Carlo was jammed at the back of the yard, right up next to the fence. It is ugly, but totally complete, including the interior. This one had a steering wheel but it was nasty and we passed on it.
Did they really put Buick engines in these things or did someone else swap this one in. If so...why?
We dare you to buy this, fix it, and fail to paint it. Seriously. Do it.
These early 1970s Chevy trucks are some of the coolest ever. This one had decent front sheel metal but the bed sides and cab floor have dissolved.
Small block motor and a manual transmission. This was built as a work truck, clearly.
The owner went heavy on the primer, but that wasn't enough to stop the steel worms.
We thought about buying the hub cabs off this truck and sticking them on eBay, but we didn't.
I am a freak for old snow plows and this vintage Western unit had me all hot and bothered.
Ahhhhhhhhhh....early 1970s Western plow goodness. You don't see these around anymore. It actually still had the cable operated control box in the truck.
This LeSabre coupe, complete with 401 Nailhead power, needs to be saved. It is a 100% complete car with minimal rot that we could find.
The guy at the desk said the only problem with this car was a stuck valve. It would be shameful if this one met the crusher.
The Buick's dash and interior are all intact.
This car is cool as hell.
Apparently the guys at the yard used their deft touch to smash the 1965 T-bird into the rear quarter of the LeSabre.
Here's the FE mill in the front of the T-Bird
This thing is had, but the motor and trans are worth saving.
I have been unsuccessfully searching for a big block core to built for Bufort T Justice and my heart rate quickened when I found this truck, which was a heavy duty model that I spotted across the aisle
There was a 454 under the hood, but the yard wanted a mint for it, so again, my search continues.
Another bitchin' Buick and this one has a 455 in it. Don't get your hopes up.
Yes, there is a truck parked on this car.
Yikes.
Buick guys...avert your eyes. This hurts to see. The interior in this thing is absolutely perfect and there is no rust to speak of. Tragic.
This Caddy is in tough shape.
This Old 'vert looked great from the front but...
there is nothing left of the rear quarter and probably the rest of the underside of the car.
Soooooooooo bitchin' and 390 powered. SAVE IT FROM CERTAIN DEATH!
This thing rules and the rust situation appears to be mostly cosmetic.
Interior is minto.
Does it get neater than this?
I never cared much for Dodge trucks.
Summit sells chrome chain steering wheels. What happened to the small block you bought a few weeks ago?
how much for the country squire? waay cool!!!
“Did they really put Buick engines in these things or did someone else swap this one in. If so…why?”
Yea, GM was sharing engines between divisions for a few years back then. I had a 1978 Delta 88 Royal that had a Pontiac 301 in it from the factory. The engine code in the VIN was not in any books.
Ooops, the “Yea,” should have been “Yea, possibly”. I regret the error 🙂
They never put any thing but Chevy Motors in those Montes. Someone put that Buick motor in there and the car looks like it caught on fire. THe shame there is the black Buick Electra that is crushed ,What a waste.I hate seeing cars ruined
I have a serious love/hate relationship with junky stuff like this. I cringe to think of them being squished, but I know many are too far gone to save. It’s too bad that it’s so hard to start a salvage yard these days, so many lots of land are zoned against it.
Cryin’ shame, really.
Although I don’t know if the Buick is a factory installation, mid 70’s chevys did have buick/pontiac engines and chevy engines in buick/pontiac. GM had a class action suit against them over non-divulgence of this. I have personally owned/seen several examples of this. This later led to the term “corporate” engine when in the 80’s chevy engines were used in firebirds.
Just called the yard, price was $3000 on the wagon, but he was very negotiable. I may have to go look at it. Anyone interested in a ’64 Ford Falcon wagon? I’m probably going to need to room…
It would RULE if you bought the wagon. I can zap some more photos of it today if you’d like.
I would love more photos. I just poured a bunch of money into the Falcon($400 in steering stuff is on its way to me right now). But I can’t deny the siren song of a country squire.
How close to drivable would yo say/guess it is? Any obvious issues it had/stuff it needed?
On the steering wheel front, try Henry’s Auto Parts in Blackstone MA. They just recently crushed all their classics, but I know last time I was there there were a few 80’s vintage chevys scattered around the yard.
Looks like the guys at the yard used their blind eye to park the Dodge truck over that black Buick…
– Hey, Mr. Magoo… to the left… to YOUR LEFT!!! Oh, crap, just forget it…
For the most part, the people who run salvage yards are IDIOTS! ONLY A DUMB@$$ would crush some of these cars.
Dealing with the MORONS and JERKS in the salvage business is simply the WORST PART OF BANGSHIFTING. At least at the (mostly useless) self-serve yards, you don’t have to deal much with the MENTAL MIDGETS who deal in junk. I could probably tell fifty first-person stories about the UTTER STUPIDITY of salvage yard dealers.
HA! the monty has a 400
the blue c-10 allready gave up the power booster/master and pushrod 😉
the primer buick is a nailhead not sure if it’s a 300 or 401
the black buick is a 455
the ford wagon is toast..
the olds is fair
the catty, is 472 powered(iirc)
everetes had a b body they just crushed it yesterday..
try frera’s in carver.. middleboro has zo b bodys
and zions don’t let people in there yard no more..
stoughton on rt28 might..
or take a trip through the j/y in rockland near the rink
oh and you missed the black with red guy granada.. thats a 2 door and running..
the 75ist olds vert..
Brian I have 3 wheels here maybe a 4th
1) mid 80’s monty (same wheel as the b body)
2) a gmc truck 3 spoke
3) a grant 4 spoke( sliver with black rim)
4) 72-81 g.m. chevy camaro wheel(have to see if that ones still there..
these are the ones with 4 spokes in an “H” pattern
if you see a fiero in your j/y crawls. let me know..
looking for some parts..
if you want to stop by advanced today I’m there till 6
or text to 5083455128 I also have ’78 tail panel/tail lights and pass side fender, some interior trim(woodgrain iirc) not the silver faced..
your welcome to any of those wheels.. let me know.
You guys at BangShift really need to understand the difference between classic cars in need of restoration and just plain old junk. That’s all I saw in those photos.
amen.
Wow; my heart aches.
Dad had a ’65 Ford Ranch Wagon w/ 390 4-bbl, med. blue/med. blue, very nice condition. Bought it used in ’67 w/ 45,000 miles (iirc). Kept it for 5 years or so, taking it from Peoria, IL to Phoenix, AZ-area to visit Grandma & Grandpa each year with zero problems. The only reason he sold it was because of the miles (over 120, 000). He always regretted it, but I understand his reasoning.
Beautiful car; roof rack, third-row, rear-facing seat, black walls on matching blue wheels w/ Ford-script poverty caps. I would LOVE to have that car today. The only real maintenance he ever had to do to it was the usual: R/R fuel pump, water pump, power steering pump, alternator, starter, plugs/wires, etc. Nothing ever that he wasn’t able to do himself. Never had to tear into the engine. Never any rust, either. Nice car. *sigh*
If money and space allowed, (along with the distance) I’d TOTALLY drag that sweet ass wagon home.
Pre-’81 monte carlos came with buick V6s, even turbo charged ones in 79-80.
That HD chevy looks like it actually had an 8.1L instead of the 454… Look at the pictures of the malibu feature a while back. The 454 in the HD trucks had TBI.
I had no idea that stash of cars was there. Go to Carver and look at Fereria’s, but they’ve crushed alot in the past few years. I used to get all my GM stuff there, they had tons. After that, continue north on 58 and bang a right at the next major intersection a few miles up. There’s a hole in the wall yard there, he had quite a few next-gen 9C1 cars from the state police. Some parts interchange between the 2 generations.
I can’t say for sure about Buicks in Chevys, but the ’78 Electra Estate Wagon with which I was fortunate enough to grow up featured an Olds mill. I remember my mother mentioning it in the ad when she sold it…for $600.
The current dream is to open an indoor parts warehouse much like a junkyard, just without the mud and disrespectful treatment of classic steel. Could always use a business partner…
I have two of those Monte’s I assure you none of them ever came with anything but Chevy Motors,That BS with corporate motors started with the 77 B-body’s I also had a Buick with a Pontiac 301 a 1980.
About that Monte, I admit that I’m no expert , just a old Gear Head . But I’ll be damned if I can remember any mid 70’s GM with the distributor in the front . What the hell is that. I did have a 79 Buick Regal with the original 301 Pontiac motor and it was the biggest dog I ever owned . It couldn’t pull a old Lady of the pot . Hated that car!!!! It also had the dreaded 200 metric auto trans . Damn it so much !!!!
Or being the idoit I am , is the cap just laying there ?
I have seen 3 78-80 montes with buick V6s. One turbo, 2 N/A cars. That was the only V6 they had in them at that time. They made 3- and 4-speed manual montes back then also, but good luck ever finding one in the wild. Just because you never saw them, doesn’t mean they didn’t exsist. This stuff was all in the options chart in the dealer brochures too, you can find those on Ebay.
If someone gets back out to that salvage yard grab the engine code off the VIN of that Monte please.
It’s really a great and useful piece of info. I am happy that you just shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.