1971/72 Custom Camper Junk Yard find.

[HeloCrewChief]

Long story short; flew out to Southern California from Alaska to take the LAFD test this past weekend. I get to my Dad's home on Sunday afternoon from L.A. and start relaxing having a beer with him in the garage. At this point an Ecology Auto Salvage tow truck goes by with a 69-72 Truck on the hook. I almost spit my beer out trying to chase him down. He turned right down the main road toward the yard. The next morning I got out there right after the opened and it was already being picked over. The guy right before me snatched a new Edelbrock intake/Carb. that was on it. I managed to get the ash tray, cigarette lighter, glove box door, radiator/shroud, sun visors, hood hinges and a horn cap. If I had more time I would have taken the engine/trans since they looked new. The complete A/C system and back glass would have been mine as well. Unfortunately had to leave it so, I could head for the Airport and come back to Alaska. There's several new parts as it looked like someone was almost done with this project before it was sent here for a measly $800 or whatever they get now. Here are some pictures and if your interested in parts its at the Ecology in Santa Fe Springs. Totally rust free and the doors, bumper, grille, and fenders are in the bed. It will probably be crushed in 2 weeks.

[noch]

goodness what a find. I would love to get fenders...blah.

all the yards ive been to the 67-72's have just a couple pieces left on them.

[too much stuff]

You should have grabbed the tilt! Looks like it got picked over quickly...

[HeloCrewChief]

It was frustrating leaving so much good stuff but, I had about 20 minutes there before headed to the Airport.

[Steve Hafner]

. . . .

I wonder how many other Highlanders are STILL in "junk" yards ?

( for that matter, how many 72's . . . period !!! )

. . . .

[Lee H]

Brings a tear to my eye. I hit up the pick a parts here in SoCal about once a month, not many 67-72s, and they get picked over real fast. What really bugs me is people destroy lots of stuff taking the parts they want.

[Dano69c10]

I think that one was on craigslist,

If it is the same one, I made an offer to the buyer for $1200, he said I was low-balling him. He wanted a considerably higher price and said he would get it...


don't look like he did!

[leddzepp]

Ecology probably gave him $150 for it, that is their typical price. The good stuff goes fast. He should have taken your offer Dano

[KEL]

I think that cab looks better than the one on the vehicle I am driving right now !

[Olive1970]

Originally Posted by KEL

I think that cab looks better than the one on the vehicle I am driving right now !

Ditto on that one! What a loaded truck to be scrapped and parted out! boooo

[HeloCrewChief]

Do you know how frustrating it is to be standing in front of a solid truck like this about to get scrapped and then flying home to Alaska an hour later to your rusty truck! VERY! haha. This thing looks like it was running and the A/C had all been gone through. Whoever did this was a jerk that just killed a nice truck. I hear you on people ruining stuff for no reason. There's another 69 in the same yard. Looks like someone at the yard cut a 3x3 foot hole out in the firewall just to get the dash ducts and wiper assembly out.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by HeloCrewChief

Whoever did this was a jerk that just killed a nice truck.

If it wasn't for "jerks" like this, where would we get good OEM parts for our trucks?

I'm glad people junk these trucks, I have obtained so many good parts over the years this way.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Lee H]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

If it wasn't for "jerks" like this, where would we get good OEM parts for our trucks?

I'm glad people junk these trucks, I have obtained so many good parts over the years this way.
Posted via Mobile Device

And, the value of the remaining ones just keep going up.
Posted via Mobile Device

[jocko]

wow a highlander c-option custom camper.... Waaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!

[jocko]

scott, does your new avatar mean the truck is almost finally painted!!!???

[HeloCrewChief]

leddzepp,

I agree with that but, this entire truck will be crushed into a little ball in two weeks. At least part it out on Craigslist or take it to a place that will sell things like the cab and frame. Ecology does not let you buy entire cabs and this would sure be a sweet donor.

[Vintage Windmills]

Man I should haul cabs like this back to the midwest. I think I could haul 5 at once. How long would it take me to find 5 good ones?

[jocko]

oh, they're a dime a dozen out here in the CA desert...

[leddzepp]

HeloCrewChief-

I agree with you too...but there are a lot of trucks just like that on Craigslist that sit. He probably already tried that (like Dano said above). My guess is the registration was out a few years, and the back fees were well over $1000. NOBODY here is going to buy a truck with those fees attached (unless its a SWB big block, etc, etc, lol) There could also be a city ordinance where he lives and he needed to get rid of it, or face fines.

The reason you see cabs cut up in the yards is that the truck is being sold for "parts" (not reconstruction) which is why they cannot sell them whole. The guys who cut them up aren't idiots, that's just how they have to do it to get the piece they want...otherwise it would make a whole lot more sense to just buy the complete cab. This situation is not unique at all...it happens here just as you witnessed every single day.

Here is a truck that has zero rust and zero dents in the cab and doors. They are in mint condition. The back fees are huge, and the engine is blown (double whammy here). If it moved under it's own power, I would have bought it and driven it home just for the cab and doors for a future build. That sheetmetal is scuff and shoot, it needs NO bodywork. If you wanted to keep the original silver, you could just polish it up. It's been on C/L for almost two weeks, and it isn't going anywhere. If he doesn't sell it soon, it will end up in the same place you saw that one. http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...653884080.html