Discoveries

Our intrepid salvage yard explorer brings you junkyard jewels from across North America.

1. I’ve just returned from a 2500-mile road trip through Southern California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, in search of more abandoned cars. With salvage yards closing all the time, spurred by high scrap metal prices and environmental pressures, it gets increasingly difficult to find these unloved classics. However, look hard enough and it is still possible to unearth some real junkyard jewels, like this rust-free 1976 AMC Pacer.

2. Only 4000 of these incredibly rare 1979 Chrysler 300 two-door hardtops were built. The limited edition car, which was basically a souped-up Cordoba, had a 195hp V8 under the bonnet. All of them were finished in Spinaker White, and had red leather interiors. This one desperately needs rescuing from a Phoenix, Arizona salvage yard.

3. From 1970 to 1978 the European-built Ford Capri (in Mk1 and Mk2 guise) was exported to America. Although it wasn’t given any divisional identification, the car was sold through Lincoln Mercury dealers. But in 1979 it was dropped in favour of this, the Mustang-based Mercury Capri. This solid 1981 example, which is in need of a little TLC, could be yours for $3000.

4. Some 90,000 Willys Aero sedans rolled off the Toledo, Ohio production line between 1952 and 1954, before the decision was made to concentrate solely on Jeeps. However, the car would have a second life in 1960, when tooling was shipped to Brazil. During the following 11 years a further 116,000 would find buyers.

5. Hidden Valley Auto Parts of Maricopa, Arizona has a few thousand vehicles on site, including this 1954 Oldsmobile.

6. There’s no mistaking this distinctive rear end, which belongs to a 1965 AMC Marlin Rambler. Billed as a roomy fastback – it was certainly more spacious than the Mustang and Barracuda anyway – it had the market to itself for a while. But then along came the Dodge Charger! The dry Arizona climate is perfect for preserving classics, and this example has nothing more than a little surface rust.

7. This 1982 Jeep Wagoneer is ex-police, having once belonged to the Gooding Sheriff’s Department. Gooding is a small town located in southern Idaho, with a population of just 3500.

8. A 1966 Dodge Monaco station wagon as straight as this one surely deserves to be saved. It’s almost complete, right down to the original factory roof rack and third row of rear-facing seats.

9. In contrast to the Dodge Monaco, there are few reasons to save this 1954 Ford

Country Sedan station wagon from the crusher. Even its few straight body panels are badly corroded, which is unusual for a Southern California car.

10. And now for something completely different – a 1973 Pontiac Stageway Airport limousine. In addition to this six-door (nine-passenger) car, Armbruster Stageway Coaches of Fort Smith, Arkansas, also built eight-door (12-passenger) versions. This rare example would have had a $7589 price tag back in the day.