Throwing away gold
- Thread starter Dart Frog
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For example when I got my Dart the year was 1978 it was all original but the wheels and tires. Within the first couple of years in the garbage went the very desirable 1970 340 air cleaner followed closely by the 1970 exhaust manifolds also right off the top of my head I can remember tossing a set of 273 high performance valve covers that were in perfect shape or maybe I got 10 bucks out of those LOL
I can't count the number of hp exhaust manifolds that we threw in a dumpster... who would ever want them when there were headers? 40 years later all my street cars are back to manifolds and a nice set of 68 - 70 340 manifolds are $6-800
I once took a load of 12-14 crankshafts to the regrinder and sold them for $10 each because I got tired of looking at them taking up space.
Took a really nice 64 Fairlane Sedan (Correct for Thunderbolt replica) to the junkyard because I didn't have any room for it.
Tom
Took a really nice 64 Fairlane Sedan (Correct for Thunderbolt replica) to the junkyard because I didn't have any room for it.
Tom
You know how you're out driving your classic and while stopped somewhere, a dude comes up and starts telling you how he had one of these years ago ?
He asks what these are worth now and he is shocked at the spike in prices when he practically gave his away in 1984.
I had a few trucks that were just daily drivers at the time but have skyrocketed in price since way back then.....
1971 Chevy C-10 shortbed 2 wd.
But wait, then there was this one:
I bought the '84 truck in 1993 and sold it in 2002:
They call these "SquareBodies" now and they are priced WAY higher than you'd think.
More often, I've bought something at a swap meet and brought it home to find that I already had 2 or more stashed away....
OR
I saw something at a swap meet and PASSED on it because I thought I already had 2 or more at home and....I didn't have any at home.
He asks what these are worth now and he is shocked at the spike in prices when he practically gave his away in 1984.
I had a few trucks that were just daily drivers at the time but have skyrocketed in price since way back then.....
1971 Chevy C-10 shortbed 2 wd.
But wait, then there was this one:
I bought the '84 truck in 1993 and sold it in 2002:
They call these "SquareBodies" now and they are priced WAY higher than you'd think.
More often, I've bought something at a swap meet and brought it home to find that I already had 2 or more stashed away....
OR
I saw something at a swap meet and PASSED on it because I thought I already had 2 or more at home and....I didn't have any at home.
missing linc
Loose nut behind the wheel
I threw out or gave away parts worth thousands of dollars, but I try not to think about it because it just gets depressing.
And yes, square body GM trucks have gotten insane recently, and I had at least 6 of them, all sold cheap or scrapped.
And yes, square body GM trucks have gotten insane recently, and I had at least 6 of them, all sold cheap or scrapped.
I'd sell a guy a part on March 1 that he needed, and I did not at that time.... then on April 1, I needed it for a new project...... then 5 hours on the road and paying twice for a replacement part over what I sold mine for! After the 20th time doing that, I stopped doing that!!! Then I have a shop so full of used parts I can not walk thru!
Cars?? I have screwed up way more than not! One comes to mind right now. Back about mid 90s, I had the hots for a 64 Savoy to convert to a 440 4 speed "fun" car. Sometimes so simple is just so good. I found a bud with a pair for $1000 total, both complete but rollers. I decided to keep the better one and sell the other. NO ONE wants the darn thing. Period. I pulled all the interior and instrument cluster and took it to Mopar Nats and sold it all for $400 and went home and crushed the body. Stupid me. But I did finished the other !!!
Cars?? I have screwed up way more than not! One comes to mind right now. Back about mid 90s, I had the hots for a 64 Savoy to convert to a 440 4 speed "fun" car. Sometimes so simple is just so good. I found a bud with a pair for $1000 total, both complete but rollers. I decided to keep the better one and sell the other. NO ONE wants the darn thing. Period. I pulled all the interior and instrument cluster and took it to Mopar Nats and sold it all for $400 and went home and crushed the body. Stupid me. But I did finished the other !!!
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MDchanic
Connoisseur d'Junque
Square-body GM trucks are collectible now?!? God I'm old.
We used to drive them at work like they were in a demo derby (EMS).
My Ol' Man had a '75 Suburban with the top-end interior (was like an effin' Caddy) and a '77 Blazer. He sold the Suburban, in really nice shape, to a guy who brought it home and had his teenager change the oil. Guy calls my father later in the day – the Suburban is on the shoulder on the NJ Turnpike, motor blew, teenager forgot to put the drain plug back in, he can have it back for free if he picks it up. By the time he got to the Turnpike, the cops had already towed it to the impound.
Things I threw away:
Is this only cars and parts, or can you count women?
– Eric
We used to drive them at work like they were in a demo derby (EMS).
My Ol' Man had a '75 Suburban with the top-end interior (was like an effin' Caddy) and a '77 Blazer. He sold the Suburban, in really nice shape, to a guy who brought it home and had his teenager change the oil. Guy calls my father later in the day – the Suburban is on the shoulder on the NJ Turnpike, motor blew, teenager forgot to put the drain plug back in, he can have it back for free if he picks it up. By the time he got to the Turnpike, the cops had already towed it to the impound.
Things I threw away:
- A 1971 Chevy 1/2-ton pickup. A bit rusty, ran and drove. Gave it to a guy for the motor.
- A 1970 Monte Carlo, low miles, nothing wrong with it, bought it for $450 with brand-new exhaust and brake systems. I always hated Montes, drove it, again, like I was in a demo derby, sold it after a year or two for $500.
- The manual steering box from my originally-LS6 '70 Chevelle when I put in power steering.
- The original manual-transmission 4-core radiator from the same car – it had too many patches. (still have the car, though).
- A 1966 Porsche 911. Very rusty. I pulled all the parts I could, then crushed it. Rusty shell probably worth $50,000 now.
- The genuine wooden steering wheel from the same car – forgot to switch it back when I sold my '70 911.
Is this only cars and parts, or can you count women?
– Eric
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
I tossed the numbers matching 383 Magnum from a complete original 69 Roadrunner to put a 440 Magnum in.
have you priced a 2nd gen? good gawd have those gotten even more expensive. after everybody bought up all the fleetside short boxes, then the long boxes to bad and LS swap then they started on the square bodies.
there used to be rafts of them in the 'yard back in the day.
the only reason there isn't more and they're more $$ is because of the smog laws in CA
ragtopfury
Well-Known Member
In 1983, the kid that worked for my dad was given a 70 340 Swinger. He kept the limited slip center for his coronet. Sold me the 340 for $20. Told me to get rid of the rest. Junk man came and got it.
1987-ish, I gave a guy $150 for a 71 Cuda grill. Told me to take the whole POS. Turned out to be a 340 car, auto, purple, billboards. Was hit in the left qtr. He ended up using the car as a dumpster. Dragged it home, took a few parts for my 318 ragtop I had and junked the rest....
1987-ish, I gave a guy $150 for a 71 Cuda grill. Told me to take the whole POS. Turned out to be a 340 car, auto, purple, billboards. Was hit in the left qtr. He ended up using the car as a dumpster. Dragged it home, took a few parts for my 318 ragtop I had and junked the rest....
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
I bought an FC7, 70 Duster 340 4 speed car that had been rear ended for $100 in 1976. I pulled all the 4 speed stuff out of it to put in my 70 Duster to convert it from an automatic to a 4 speed. Sold it to a junkyard for $100 with the 340 still dressed in the HP exhaust manifolds and 340 air cleaner. The 340 had a broken crank. I kept the bench seat, but probably never even noticed it had a Rallye Dash! I was smart enough to notice the carpet was different, so I kept that to put in my Duster. 
mopar head
DoD nuisance Alien/Squatch extermination team
Gave away a 67 barracuda fastback, I bought it for the driveline. Body was rusty but not wrecked. Now that I have experience in rust repair, I kinda wish I kept the ol gal. Oh well...
gunbunny
Well-Known Member
I used to work at a Dodge dealer in the parts room.
I don't know about gold, but I threw about 20 or 30 NOS Volare/Aspen recall fenders in the scrap pile.
We had a NOS set of bare 340 heads that we used as door stops.
Then there were the things that probably aren't considered gold yet, but will be in a few years. The 93 Daytona Power Bulge Hood that was incorrectly boxed. Chrysler didn't want it back and it set with the rest of the sheet metal until the box rotted away.
I can't tell you how many PCM,SBEC, and other controllers that Chrysler had us scrap over the years.
Then there was the wrong code Viper GTS Wheels that was installed on a customer ordered car. Mopar sent the correct wheels, and told us to scrap the incorrect ones (those I kept for a year then sold). Speaking of Viper, had a customer decide that he didn't want the hardtop that came with his new Viper. That was still sitting in a rack when we shut down. Kept expecting the owner to change his mind.
There were a ton more parts over the years that we either tossed or scrapped.
I don't know about gold, but I threw about 20 or 30 NOS Volare/Aspen recall fenders in the scrap pile.
We had a NOS set of bare 340 heads that we used as door stops.
Then there were the things that probably aren't considered gold yet, but will be in a few years. The 93 Daytona Power Bulge Hood that was incorrectly boxed. Chrysler didn't want it back and it set with the rest of the sheet metal until the box rotted away.
I can't tell you how many PCM,SBEC, and other controllers that Chrysler had us scrap over the years.
Then there was the wrong code Viper GTS Wheels that was installed on a customer ordered car. Mopar sent the correct wheels, and told us to scrap the incorrect ones (those I kept for a year then sold). Speaking of Viper, had a customer decide that he didn't want the hardtop that came with his new Viper. That was still sitting in a rack when we shut down. Kept expecting the owner to change his mind.
There were a ton more parts over the years that we either tossed or scrapped.
Several years ago, I took a big load of scrap to the scrapyard. Big block heads. Several pairs of 906s, 516s, 346s, 352s, 915s, several iron intakes, a few cast and forged cranks and lots of smaller stuff. I tried for months to sell it all on here very cheap, because I knew scrap price was just that. I ultimately even tried to give it away if someone would come get all. Nobody ever bit.
Charrlie_S
Well-Known Member
When I moved from NJ to Florida, scrapped many 440 engines. 318 police engines, one built 273 engine (ran 12.80's) that just needed freshening. Sold a 68 Merc Cougar 440 powered altered WB car that ran 10. 80's for $2000 turn key.
Oh yeah I feel you on that one ... But I guess I'm due for a little depression LOL I bought a 71 cuda or Gran coupe in or around 1990 one owner car leather interior, air conditioner, overhead console ,ashtrays had never been used. It was a 318 car but what a little jem. I had gotten in little trouble with the law and I knew a car was marked. So I traded it for a Gs750 Suzuki and that's all I want to say about that
The list is miles long for me.
When I moved from Pennsylvania to Oregon, I couldn't take everything with me. I gave away new Rhodes lifters , threw out 8 small bolt rallyes, tossed an A body rear housing...
Had the original 383 mag block from my 70 Bee, it needed to be bored due to rust in some cylinders. Tossed it in the scrap.
Had an NOS 75 Duster grille, took it to Carlisle back in the early 90s. Couldn't sell it even for $25. So, I tossed it in the trash..
When I moved from Pennsylvania to Oregon, I couldn't take everything with me. I gave away new Rhodes lifters , threw out 8 small bolt rallyes, tossed an A body rear housing...
Had the original 383 mag block from my 70 Bee, it needed to be bored due to rust in some cylinders. Tossed it in the scrap.
Had an NOS 75 Duster grille, took it to Carlisle back in the early 90s. Couldn't sell it even for $25. So, I tossed it in the trash..
This is gonna make a few guys sad….
In the mid to late 80’s I worked for a local Ma & Pa auto parts store in Minneapolis (Riteway Motor Parts, for locals), and they had a full machine shop out back in the Mpls location on Glenwood Avenue. Anyways, in the basement of the main building they had maybe 300-400 V8 heads of all sorts and types they had sourced from God knows where over the years (nice to have a cache of heads if/when a customers head was bad), and before they moved down the street a couple blocks I was tasked with throwing out some of those “unneeded” heads. Flat head Ford and Cadillac heads, Y-block Fords heads (I saved some Cleveland heads though), but what’s most apropos for this site….I think I tossed somewhere between a dozen to 20 hemi heads in the dumpster.
Had I known then what I know now…..
In the mid to late 80’s I worked for a local Ma & Pa auto parts store in Minneapolis (Riteway Motor Parts, for locals), and they had a full machine shop out back in the Mpls location on Glenwood Avenue. Anyways, in the basement of the main building they had maybe 300-400 V8 heads of all sorts and types they had sourced from God knows where over the years (nice to have a cache of heads if/when a customers head was bad), and before they moved down the street a couple blocks I was tasked with throwing out some of those “unneeded” heads. Flat head Ford and Cadillac heads, Y-block Fords heads (I saved some Cleveland heads though), but what’s most apropos for this site….I think I tossed somewhere between a dozen to 20 hemi heads in the dumpster.
Had I known then what I know now…..
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In 1976 I bought a 1970 GTX 440 six pack air grabber car with 4 speed and Dana rear end for the motor for my 69 Roadrunner. Car was rusty from the east coast salt, but very restorable by what I've worked on since. Dunked the body for near nothing, gave $800.00 for the car, gave the body to the salvage yard for nothing. Now that was throwing away gold
Well I don't have a cuda but I have a gs750 lol.Oh yeah I feel you on that one ... But I guess I'm due for a little depression LOL I bought a 71 cuda or Gran coupe in or around 1990 one owner car leather interior, air conditioner, overhead console ,ashtrays had never been used. It was a 318 car but what a little jem. I had gotten in little trouble with the law and I knew a car was marked. So I traded it for a Gs750 Suzuki and that's all I want to say about that
My story really isn't my fault but it hurt because I needed some parts for my 70 dart, so I hacked the roof and quarters off the car. After the roof came off, the guy said this is a shame, can't believe nobody wanted a titled 68 GTS.
I about started cussing at the guy.
Could have had it for $400.00
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