Emotional Day At The Junkyard

Went to the junkyard today looking for a driverseat that was in great shape in a 91 Olds 88.( maroon ) It was there July 30th And I probably should of taken it then, but now the entire car is gone...anyway I was thinking maybe they moved the car so I start walking around the yard to see if I can find it. End up in the back of the yard where the rear wheel drive cars are and I still didn't see it.

They must of scrapped it or somebody bought it whole. The body was in fantastic shape ..

So, I walk around the back end of a 83 Caprice because I spotted a 63 Wildcat 4 door hardtop I wanted to look at and what the hell is sitting directly to the left & behind the Caprice but a brown 2 door 1978 Olds Holiday 88 with a tan bucket seat / console floor shift interior. My jaw dropped !

So I began to talk to the car .

HF - Hello Car ! I had one just like you loooooooong time ago.

78 Olds - You don't say !

HF - Mine was the same color as you, I even had the same interior color as you

78 Olds - Really !?

HF - Hey, you got a flip up / removable sunroof just like I had. Ziebart installed mine.

78 Olds - Yeah, mine is glued shut with Silicone cuz it leaks.

HF - You even got the landau roof mouldings running over the roof outlining where the vinyl used to be before it was torn off. I had the roof re- repainted on mine.

78 Olds - My roof was repainted too! I think it was over Memorial day weekend 1988.

HF - Hey you even got the 74 Cutlass chromed hood louvers on the rear quarter panels like my Olds had.

78 Olds - Yeah, what the hell are those for? Is that to make the car look cool or something ?

HF - Jesus Christ car you got the same exact color body stripes running down the body crease and up over the wheel openings just like my car had !

78 Olds - There all cracking & peeling now.

HF - Hey Car, your Sport Mirrors got a pin stripes wrapped around the mirror body like my car had. I stole that idea from Burt Reynolds Trans Am in Smokey and The Bandit.

78 Olds - Oh a copy cat, eh !

78 Olds - HELLO ! - I AM YOUR OLD CAR ! Go around back and look at the trunklid to confirm what I just said.

78 Olds - So how you doing fuzz face ? You still got that shiney new black Bonneville ?

HF - Yeah I still got it but its not shiney new anymore. Its almost 13 years old and got 266,548 miles on it.

78 Olds - LOL ! Someday it might be parked in here with the rest of us.

HF - SHHhhh don't say that !

Anyway , I walked around to the back and looked down at the trunklid and sure enough there's the round stainless steel 4 inch diameter plate my dad made to cover the hole in the trunklid under the key hole where the thieve's punched the lock out when the car was stolen in November of

1986. The dealer sticker was still readable on the left hand side, Steele / Hoff Olds - Blue Island, IL.

I could not believe my eyes that I was looking at " MY " Olds that I sold in April 1991 two months after I bought the Bonneville. It had

196,000 miles when I sold it to Lou, a trucker driver who delivered locomotice crankshafts to my dads machine shop.

Lou -Lou, as we called him bought it for $900.00 I know he had the car at least 5-6 years ( Maybe more ). His son told me at 225,000 the rear end had to be replaced and the power steering pump went out around that time.. Lou Lou & the Olds were now living up in Wisconsin.

After 1996-97 I don't know what had happened to the car.

The car today has 29,491 showing on the odometer. I'm going to assume the car has 329.491. I know Lou Lou run it past 225,000. At 99,00 the older cars odometer resets back to 00000. An employee at the junkyard looled in their records and the car came in July 23, 2003. The last owners name was not Lou.

There are no floor pans under the rear seat or front passenger side. The front passenger side has a hole from the front seat bolts to the firewall and about 18 inches wide There is less than average surface rust for a 25 year old car. The driver door was rooted off from the inner portion where the pinch over seem is.

The fenders & quarter panels were solid as was the trunk floor. Front nose was fine, tailights were not broken out. Trunklid had a little rot out on the pinch over seam on the inside, Both bumpers were rusted out. Fiberglass header panel was intact as were the grille & lights.

Hood was fine. Interior was shot - Headliner was dry rotted, carpet was water rotted away. Vinyl Buckets were all cracked. Dashboard had 1 crack in it. Door panels were still in good shape. Even the cloth three pocket storage thingy I screwed into the drivers door panel was still on there. I took that with me..I also had the add on assits straps to aid in closing the door, those were still there too. Even the decals I stuck on the inside of the glove box door were still there and looked new yet. Now I know where my 2" x 3" Auto Meter Gauge's decal ended up. I had been looking for it around the house about a month ago.

WIndshield had a crack, and 1 quarter window was busted out. Transmission & Radiator was gone. Engine was all there except the 4 bbl carb & air cleaner assembly. I assume it still had the original engine. It was the blue Olds 350 engine.

Sadly, in BIG yellow letters written on the side of the car were the words :

WATER IN OIL - MOTOR JUNK !

I just stood there looking at the car. I sat in it. I thought about all the people that rode in the car, the places we've gone, all the good & bad times we've been through together. It was mind boggeling to be reunited after all these years. After I saw the car I had to go home and get the camera. Call me crazy but I took 2 rolls of pictures of the car, 8 with me in the photo posing with the car. I still can't believe I saw my old car today .

Incredible !

========= Harryface =========

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE ~_~_~266,400 miles_~_~~_
Reply to
Harry Face
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Unbelievable story !!! I'm truly happy for you. That has to be a priceless feeling.

Reply to
Richard

Maybe you should yank it out of the junkyard and resurrect it from the dead! :-)

Waiting to see those pictures .....

Reply to
Dennis Smith

WHoa ok stop right there... Harry is going neurotic all :)

Reply to
Paradox

WHoa ok stop right there... Harry is going neurotic all :)

Reply to
Geoff Welsh

I would have bought the whole car back and brought it home. Maybe that explains why I have 6 cars right now. No one understands why I'm keeping my Dad's old

86 Hyundai Excel... first car I ever learned to drive.

:)

Reply to
ray
  ray wrote: I would have bought the whole car back and brought it home.  Maybe that explains why I have 6 cars right now.  No one understands why I'm keeping my Dad's old 86 Hyundai Excel... first car I ever learned to drive. :) Good lord, an 86 in one piece! My first job was at a Hyundai dealer back in 1989. The job of Porter, soon became Prep Mechanic as we learned that the cars were not exactly fully assembled from the factory.  Well, they were assembled, just not tightly.  We would spend about 30 minutes tightening exhaust and suspension components with the cars on the lift.  Any chance you are near Lisle Illinois? LOL

-- GW - Conservational Ergonomist - note incorrect email address "It's good to yell at people and tell them you're from Tennessee. That way you'll be safe." - Gary Busey

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Reply to
Geoff Welsh

Winnipeg, Canada. It's in rough shape - I finally talked my mother into parking it this spring - the only thing holding the shifter off the ground was the rods hitting the front crossmember. None of the windows go up and down without help. It leaks oil - bad - maybe a cracked block or warped head - about 1 quart per

2 tankfuls of gas. The choke is stuck fully open. However, it'll still start at -20, you just can't drive it until it warms up.

The funny thing is I know I'm keeping it even though I'm a RWD GM guy... my dad passed away in '89 and it's one of the last things that connects my family - I learned to drive in it, my sister learned in it, and I tought my mom to drive a stick after my dad died. (and it only went through 2 clutches in 120k miles and one tranny input shaft that snapped at -30)

C'mon up to Canada and I'll take you for a drive. ;)

Reply to
ray

I would have bought the whole car back and brought it home. Maybe that explains why I have 6 cars right now. No one understands why I'm keeping my Dad's old 86 Hyundai Excel... first car I ever learned to drive. :)

Good lord, an 86 in one piece! My first job was at a Hyundai dealer back in 1989. The job of Porter, soon became Prep Mechanic as we learned that the cars were not exactly fully assembled from the factory. Well, they were assembled, just not tightly. We would spend about 30 minutes tightening exhaust and suspension components with the cars on the lift. Any chance you are near Lisle Illinois? LOL

Reply to
Ken Heslin

ray wrote: I would have bought the whole car back and brought it home. Maybe that explains why I have 6 cars right now. No one understands why I'm keeping my Dad's old

86 Hyundai Excel... first car I ever learned to drive. :) Good lord, an 86 in one piece! My first job was at a Hyundai dealer back in 1989. The job of Porter, soon became Prep Mechanic as we learned that the cars were not exactly fully assembled from the factory. Well, they were assembled, just not tightly. We would spend about 30 minutes tightening exhaust and suspension components with the cars on the lift. Any chance you are near Lisle Illinois? LOL
Reply to
127.0.0.1

Great story Harry. I'd love to run into my old 1967 Pontiac GTO some day.

Reply to
James C. Reeves

Interesting trip down memory lane. I love it how people refer to cars as their long lost friend and not a piece of metal and a bunch of bolts.

Reply to
Car Guy

Question: something leads me to believe you don't approve of foreign street. Answer: Affirmative

Incorrect Statement: "rice rockets" are the early terms used for japanese sport bikes. Rebuttal: Your statement is incorrect. During WWII island campaigns, US soldiers captured on many islands, toward the end before VJ Day, jap cars with rice fuel conversions - - hence "rice rockets". Occasionally the history channel has programs about different WWII Pacific Battles and Campaigns.

Statement: "i happen to own a few." Rebuttal: I don't care to read about your problems.

Statement: don't you hate living in a honda town? columbus ohio... (yes i know it's marysville, but close enough)

Rebuttal: No I don't. I just the consider the egotistical source. Your demented attempt will not work.

snip

Reply to
Ken Heslin

In article , snipped-for-privacy@something.com says... Interesting trip down memory lane. I love it how people refer to cars as their long lost friend and not a piece of metal and a bunch of bolts.

I had a 79 Corolla that I bought new. It was an anemic little piece of crap that kept breaking clutch cables, didn't have the power to go very fast and after 5 years was burning oil and valves like crazy. I traded it in and thought that was the last I would see of it. Three months ago, some new folks moved next door to my sisters and guess what! They were driving my old Corolla. When I saw it I was just blown away - I recognized it right away. He said he had a new motor put in (go figure) and they still drive it daily. He let me sit in it and I immediately thought of my sister Nita who passed away and how we would go bar hopping in it.

Reply to
Jan

Its a very interesting feeling spotting your old cars... I had a three-week course at the local institute of technology a month or so ago and spotted one of my old cars... my old black '85 Mitsubishi Sigma GSR.

It wasn't a feeling of 'Hey old friend' it was 'Oh my good lord, what did they do to you?!'... it had the riceracer effect all over it - bigbore, painted wiper blades, add-on boost gauge, tacky louvres, 'racing' seat covers... but some of my old fixes were still prevolent and visible... :-)

But hell that story of Harry's is impressive... I know its definitely an eerie feeling whenever I see my Fiero now. Instantaneous deflation of mood... its stomach-turning seeing the car in its present state.

Nick.

crap that kept breaking

burning oil and valves

it. Three months ago,

driving my old Corolla.

he had a new motor

I immediately thought

Reply to
Nick Trounson

Wow, that's a great post! I know very much how you felt that day. My father and grandfather were both mechanics. Although I'm not a mechanic by trade, I still must have inherited the gene because I love maintaining cars, repairing cars, buying cars, selling cars, learning about cars, and looking at cars.I often find myself emotionally attached to a particular model.

Recently, I had a similar experience while at a local "U-Pull-It" where I was looking for some parts for an '84 Fiero that I was toying with. I came across a cream yellow 1976 Monte Carlo with a black landau roof that looked exactly like the one my grandparents purchased new in 1975. After opening the trunk and finding a switch for a homemade burgler alarm that my grandfather made, I was certain this was the car! I was too young to remember the actual purchase, but I do remember growing up with the car in the family. My grandmother drove the car until my grandfather passed away in '94 at which point the car was sold to a friend of mine. Shortly after my friend took posession with 110,000 miles, the tranny started to slip, the inside door handle broke, windshield wipers quit, radio went, radiator sprung a bad leak, and a few other issues. I lost touch with my friend and the car shortly after that, but was reunited with the car almost 10 years later. The engine and tranny had been removed and there was some body damage, but the black vinyl seats were still in decent shape. I pocketed the "Landau" logo off the dash. I remember being intrigued by that logo as a kid - wondering why it didn't light up for some odd reason, hehe. Anyway, my grandmother passed away last year, just a short while before I discovered the car in the junkyard. I remember laughing to myself with a tear in my eye remembering once - years ago - that grandma said she "loved that car so much she wanted to be buried in it". I wished my grandmother had made it just a few more months. Even though she had been in bad health for some time, I think she would have enjoyed seeing pictures of her old Monte.

Okay, I'm all sad now. I remember how that car still looked showroom new and how meticulously it was cared for all those years until it was sold. Sometimes it's funny how you don't miss a car until you don't have it anymore. It's even more odd why some of us become so emotionally attached to cars.

Roger

"Harry Face" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@storefull-2113.public.lawson.webtv.net...

Reply to
zroger73

Harry...I drove my moms 1981 Holiday 88 (diesel) when one of the below cars blew the fuel pump. I never saw a two door bucket seat grandpa mobile look so cool...I wish I had that car too!! I'd give a small mint to have one of my first three cars.. The first was a

1979 Olds Cutlass two door, ,silver with burgundy interior. It had a 260 diesel motor, that I eventually blew the fuel pump out of. $300 for a new fuel pump or $300 for an Olds Rocket 330 (yes 330) out of a 1967 Cutlass. The car never had any get up and go because of the tranny and rear end gearing for the diesel....mmmmm....back seat had much action!! Well, I went into the military and my dad sold the car. The owner painted it white and subsequently wrecked it. Probably in the crusher long ago...... Car number two was a little odd. It was a 1981 Olds Cutlass with "Virginian" trim and badging. Two door, dark burgandy seats..with little tiny polka dots. The paint color was a cross between gold silver and grey, called Antique Metallic Mist. It had a 260 V-8 that sounded really cool with holes in the exhaust..(never could afford to replace it). Whish I knew whert went.....or how rare the Virginian badging was. I have only ever seen ONE....Took the rear window badge for proof when I traded it!! Got out of basic and drove it to my first duty assignment. Got married and traded it for a beautiful 1987 Olds Cutlass. Got orders overseas and sold the car to my dad, who sold it and then it got wrecked.....

Anyone got a 1987 Cutlass or 442 for sale!!

Reply to
eightupman

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