Great 1985 article on junkyards from the Smithsonian Magazine

[Vince Taliano #13852]

Check out the great 1985 article on junkyards from the Smithsonian Magazine that we re-published with permission at http://www.clcpotomacregion.org/forms/CLCPR.2008Newsletter.pdf.  At the end of the story, the author makes a reference to the year 2020.  See if his prediction came true.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

"Engines that failed early sell for far more than ones that didn't" certainly rings true today! Good article.

[David Greenburg]

I remember that article well; it came out shortly after I bought my ‘59. I was highly amused that such a sophisticated magazine would do an article about junkyards and have a ‘59 on the cover, and have it in a framed collage of assorted oddities, automotive and otherwise, from the ‘80’s.

[cadillacmike68]

OK, there are no aircars and won't be for some time, if at all.

And not even a 1984 Eldorado Convertible is selling for more than the $33,000 or so that it stickered for back then.

Now on the air car reference.

Does anyone know the Canadian rock music group Rush? They had a song called Red Barchetta, which is my favorite Rush song.  The lyrich speak to an era when a "motor law" presumably outlawed internal combustion vehicles and the singer's (Geddy Lee - great voice) uncle had a red Barchetta hidden away in is barn. Geddy took it out and played cat and mouse with two "gleaming alloy aircars, two lanes wide" which he left at "the one lane bridge" after which he drove back to "dream with his uncle at the fireside".

Geddy was interviewed about this song and said he based the song on a recently published article about someone taking a drive in a vintage car only to be chased by (future) modern giant cars. I might have the article hiding on my HDD somewhere.

The yards:
Amazing, I used to go to Linders in Worcester to get parts to keep my 1970 Fleetwood Brougham running. There were three giant "junkyards" on that one street, Granite St, only about a mile apart.

[cadillacmike68]

The Short story, "A Nice Morning Drive" was published in 1973 in Road & Track magazine. You can easily find it on the Internet. You'll have to "create" a PDF, or do more digging that I did. I just took this site and printed to first 5 pages as a PDF:

https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/a-nice-morning-drive.php

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Vince,

That was one of the better issues you've published.

[Vince Taliano #13852]

Does anyone know the Canadian rock music group Rush? They had a song called Red Barchetta, which is my favorite Rush song.  The lyrics speak to an era when a "motor law" presumably outlawed internal combustion vehicles and the singer's (Geddy Lee - great voice) uncle had a red Barchetta hidden away in is barn. Geddy took it out and played cat and mouse with two "gleaming alloy aircars, two lanes wide" which he left at "the one lane bridge" after which he drove back to "dream with his uncle at the fireside".

Geddy was interviewed about this song and said he based the song on a recently published article about someone taking a drive in a vintage car only to be chased by (future) modern giant cars. I might have the article hiding on my HDD somewhere.

Of course!  They were one of the greats.  Did you see the documentary on their last tour?  https://www.rushtimestandstill.com/#trailer

Vince,

That was one of the better issues you've published.

Thanks, Ralph.  Next month you'll read the rest of the story! 

[Jay Friedman]

In my humble opinion the greatest Grand National event ever was a junkyard outing at the Albany NY GN in 1995.  Those participating got up at the crack of dawn and were taken in a bus to a yard near Amsterdam NY which had nothing but old Cadillacs.  (We had to get there before the dog woke up.)  We swarmed over the cars and got lots of goodies.  Some of my finds are still on my '49. 

I did miss one, though.  A valuable part for 48-49 coupes, convertibles and Coupe de Villes is the rear fender chrome spear.  A derelict Coupe de V in the yard had a decent looking one on a rusty fender and I walked over to it.  While standing there contemplating how to remove it, a hand reached around me and just ripped it off.  All is fair in love, war and getting parts at junk yards.

[Big Apple Caddy]

OK, there are no aircars and won't be for some time, if at all.

And not even a 1984 Eldorado Convertible is selling for more than the $33,000 or so that it stickered for back then.

Not even?  Convertibles and/or higher priced models don't always have the best return relative to original purchase price.  Besides, the article wasn't just about Cadillacs.  A variety of 1980s imports as well as domestic cars (especially sports/performance models) plus pickups and SUVs bring/have brought more than what they cost new.

[harry s]

In my humble opinion the greatest Grand National event ever was a junkyard outing at the Albany NY GN in 1995.  Those participating got up at the crack of dawn and were taken in a bus to a yard near Amsterdam NY which had nothing but old Cadillacs.  (We had to get there before the dog woke up.)  We swarmed over the cars and got lots of goodies.  Some of my finds are still on my '49. 

I did miss one, though.  A valuable part for 48-49 coupes, convertibles and Coupe de Villes is the rear fender chrome spear.  A derelict Coupe de V in the yard had a decent looking one on a rusty fender and I walked over to it.  While standing there contemplating how to remove it, a hand reached around me and just ripped it off.  All is fair in love, war and getting parts at junk yards.

Jay,
     I had the same reaction. That junk yard tour was the best. Of course it was complete with snakes and all. Glad you brought it up.