OT, old cars headed for the crusher

[Jeff.P_46]

http://bend.craigslist.org/car/339259982.html

[PatS....]

Off into the sunset they go. Heartbreaking

[Niel Hoback]

I am on my way home from Nampa after a visit to Hopkins antique auto parts in Caldwell, Idaho. When I noticed that there were quite a few empty spaces, the owner said, "The crusher is coming the 18th for the rest of them. Scrap prices are too high".

That means about 500 more cars, mostly 40's and 50's will be turned into computer frames. Very sad.

[Norm's Coupe]

Well.........the owner can't be crying too hard. He's the one who called the crusher. If he was really that sad about it he would not have done that. Also have no doubt that he would want an arm and a leg for one of those great projects sitting in the field.

Oh well, guess it's like my son. He had that real nice V6 rebuilt engine and transmission for sale for only $500. After about 3 weeks no one answered his ad, so............he stripped the engine and took it to the scrap yard, then sold the outside stuff on ebay. Then he took the 350 transmission that was rebuilt a few years ago to a transmission shop and sold it for the core charge. Said he needed the room in his garage for a milling machine he just picked up.

If people really don't want to see this stuff end up as a computer, etc., they should step up and buy it.

[PatS....]

I'd love to, but I already have one project. Transportation costs a fortune.

I think if more of these guys were real businessmen, they would realize that this stuff is like dirt...they don't make it anymore and if they marketed the product better, they would have the income they need to stay in business.

The market is there, these guys are just to ornery and stubborn to change the thinking from junkyard to treasure chest.

No one would burn that stuff if it was furniture or other collectibles of the same era and even in similar condition.

Because of this short-sightedness, these treasures are lost forever.

JMHO

[JerseyHarold]

There's no denying that there are lots of valuable parts and cars getting scrapped daily. Maybe the problem is that the junkyard owners ARE businessmen and the collector/enthusiast demand is less than the scrap demand, so they sell into the more lucrative market. Cataloging and advertising cost money and the bottom line, from their perspective, is that the rate of return doesn't warrant the effort.

Just my opinion.

[Norm's Coupe]

Pat,

What you said does also extend to antique furniture, etc. because a lot of people can't see past their nose. For example. When my wife's uncle passed away 12 or 13 years ago a bunch of us were cleaning out the house. Everyone was taking some item to remember him by. I had only been a member of the family for about 4 or 5 years at the time so was just standing back. Did have a ball peen hammer from his shop though. All the while, I'm watching and no one even considered taking the old 1937 Philco console radio sitting in the dinning room. The thing did not work and had about 40 years worth of furniture polish on it, power cord cut off, missing one or two tubes and had repair shop sticker stuck on the front, plus the speaker cloth was ragged. Generally looked like a piece of junk.

After they all finished collecting what they wanted they turned to me and said you don't have anything. So.............I said I'll take the radio. Thought my wife would have a fit, as she said what do want with that thing. My brother in law was the only one who understood why I took it. We loaded it in the van. On the way home the wife said, "I don't want that thing upstairs in the house living area." "Keep it in the basement or garage."

Got the radio home, took out the insides and took them to the radio shop for repair. I then cleaned all the 50 years worth of furniture polish and dirt off it, bought new reproduction speaker cloth and put it in the radio. Didn't even have the insides radio parts back from the shop and the wife said. "I've got just the place for it upstairs in our sitting room." She then found an old picture of her mother and uncle together and placed it on top of the radio. The radio is still in that spot today and she would not even think of getting rid of it now. It also works now. That is also the original finish you are looking at, as well as the gold printing that says Philco. All wiring that was replaced is done with the cloth type covered wires, just like original. Her uncle bought the radio new in 1937.

[RobertKB]

Cute story, Norm. Like most of us, you are able to look beyond the first appearance and see what a treasure lies underneath. Most other people see old junk and then are surprised when the old junk turns to treasure. I have an old radio and a clock that came from my mother-in-laws when she died. Both were in pieces and no one wanted them but with a little effort both of them work well and look good. I encourage everyone to help save some history other than our cars. Many people on this forum show an interest in anything that is old! Hey I see this post matches my favourite CID for our old flatties - 251.

[DAVE KNOXX TENN]

Pat' date='

What you said does also extend to antique furniture, etc. because a lot of people can't see past their nose. For example. When my wife's uncle passed away 12 or 13 years ago a bunch of us were cleaning out the house. Everyone was taking some item to remember him by. I had only been a member of the family for about 4 or 5 years at the time so was just standing back. Did have a ball peen hammer from his shop though. All the while, I'm watching and no one even considered taking the old 1937 Philco console radio sitting in the dinning room. The thing did not work and had about 40 years worth of furniture polish on it, power cord cut off, missing one or two tubes and had repair shop sticker stuck on the front, plus the speaker cloth was ragged. Generally looked like a piece of junk.

After they all finished collecting what they wanted they turned to me and said you don't have anything. So.............I said I'll take the radio. Thought my wife would have a fit, as she said what do want with that thing. My brother in law was the only one who understood why I took it. We loaded it in the van. On the way home the wife said, "I don't want that thing upstairs in the house living area." "Keep it in the basement or garage."

Got the radio home, took out the insides and took them to the radio shop for repair. I then cleaned all the 50 years worth of furniture polish and dirt off it, bought new reproduction speaker cloth and put it in the radio. Didn't even have the insides radio parts back from the shop and the wife said. "I've got just the place for it upstairs in our sitting room." She then found an old picture of her mother and uncle together and placed it on top of the radio. The radio is still in that spot today and she would not even think of getting rid of it now. It also works now. That is also the original finish you are looking at, as well as the gold printing that says Philco. All wiring that was replaced is done with the cloth type covered wires, just like original. Her uncle bought the radio new in 1937.

[img']http://indfloorcoating-repair.com/37philco.jpg[/img]

Thanks Norm And Pat!!!! I Collect Antiques. I Have Tons Of history.Thanks To Norms Family.I DEEPLY Apreichiate them Giving You A chance to save the radio!!!.My Opinion only But Its Up To Us As Induviduals To Preserve our History!!!!.A Lot Of Old Cars And Soforth Are Going Away.I Stay Tuned And I get SICK SEEING THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE FOUNDERS OF THIS COUNTRY!!! Please Disregard my spelling

[BobT-47P15]

I think most or all of this high priced steel may be going to China. Seems like that was what I heard a while back.

There was a man with a salvage yard of 40s-50s-60s cars about 25 miles south of here who had them for quite a few years. He developed health problems and could no longer operate the yard. Sold off all his collectables such as model cars, signs, gas pumps, etc. Tried to find a buyer to take the yard intact.....but no one came forth. So his only alternative was to have the cars crushed. He did, however, give some respectable deals to old car guys. Did not hear what he was selling a car for, but he sold the entire contents of each old school bus or semi-trailer for $100---take it all, good or bad. One guy I talked to found Packard parts in his trailer. He had his little Ranger pickup and trailer overloaded with it. Said he had not planned on buying such a deal, or would have brought his bigger truck. One guy did buy this P15 in its entirity. (And it's the ultra rare middle bumper guard model) So he did not try to make a last minute killing.

[PatS....]

Pat' date='

What you said does also extend to antique furniture, etc. because a lot of people can't see past their nose. For example. When my wife's uncle passed away 12 or 13 years ago a bunch of us were cleaning out the house. Everyone was taking some item to remember him by. I had only been a member of the family for about 4 or 5 years at the time so was just standing back. Did have a ball peen hammer from his shop though. All the while, I'm watching and no one even considered taking the old 1937 Philco console radio sitting in the dinning room. The thing did not work and had about 40 years worth of furniture polish on it, power cord cut off, missing one or two tubes and had repair shop sticker stuck on the front, plus the speaker cloth was ragged. Generally looked like a piece of junk.

After they all finished collecting what they wanted they turned to me and said you don't have anything. So.............I said I'll take the radio. Thought my wife would have a fit, as she said what do want with that thing. My brother in law was the only one who understood why I took it. We loaded it in the van. On the way home the wife said, "I don't want that thing upstairs in the house living area." "Keep it in the basement or garage."

Got the radio home, took out the insides and took them to the radio shop for repair. I then cleaned all the 50 years worth of furniture polish and dirt off it, bought new reproduction speaker cloth and put it in the radio. Didn't even have the insides radio parts back from the shop and the wife said. "I've got just the place for it upstairs in our sitting room." She then found an old picture of her mother and uncle together and placed it on top of the radio. The radio is still in that spot today and she would not even think of getting rid of it now. It also works now. That is also the original finish you are looking at, as well as the gold printing that says Philco. All wiring that was replaced is done with the cloth type covered wires, just like original. Her uncle bought the radio new in 1937.

[img']http://indfloorcoating-repair.com/37philco.jpg[/img]

Norm, I have a radio cabinet almost identical to yours, except there were no insides when I grabbed it from beside a dumpster in '83. I stripped and refinished it and it housed one of the stereo speakers for a while, then the bass unit for the surround sound.

It has a round dial port just like yours. I'll get a pic soon.

I have about 10 old table radio's as well from days gone by, all wood and all working. And a whole bunch of 1940's newspapers from the attic of a house about to be torn down.

Among other junque rescued over the years.

I would love to buy one of those bone yards and save it from the crusher, only one problem...$$$$$$$$

[BobT-47P15]

I think mine is a 1939 model. Bought it for $15 at an estate auction back in the 1970s. At the time, it worked perfectly. The first thing that went wrong due to old age was the string on the dial, which probably stretched or slipped off. It has the high speed dialing feature that really makes that biggest needle zip on around. Then, due to just sitting, it has stopped working altogether. It has an adjustable papier mache' cone behind the speaker that you can move in or out on some pegs to adjust the bass. It came from the home of two spinster sisters who had a whole house full of super nice antique furniture. No refinishing needed. It now resides in the living room.

[Norm's Coupe]

BobT,

You may have blown a tube in that radio. There is one tube in there that controls the sound. If it goes out you get nothing on the radio, not even static. Think it's called the volume control tube. Should be a schematic on the back of the radio. If not on the outside of the back, should be inside the cabinet if you remove the backer board. If that is gone, check the model number. Should be stamped in the metal base that the tube's etc. go into. Once you have those numbers you can get a copy of the schematic from the public library. Just go to the reference section of any large main library and ask to see the "Sams Book" on radios. Then look up your model number and make a copy of the schematic for it. That will also give you the exact year of the radio with the model number. The year is usually part of the model number. For example: the model number on mine starts out 37-, which means it is a 1937 radio.

If you get a lot of static and stations are hard to get, that may be due to you needing an antenna. You can use a modern type antenna from radio shack that sits on top of the radio. Just a plastic hoop with a wire to it. Works great and the cost is under $10. If you still have trouble tuning it in without a bunch of static, that could be caused by dust in the tuning control inside the radio. Just locate it and clean it, then work the knob a lot to get it going again. The tuning control is easy to find. Just turn the knob and look for a bunch of plates just behind it that slide as the knob turns. If you get static when using the volume control knob, the same thing applies. It's usually caused by dust in the controller inside the radio just behind the knob. Learned that from the guy who repaired mine. All he did to repair my radio was clean up the insides, replace the capacitors and a couple of tubes and a few wires, including the power cord. My total cost repairing my radio, including buying the reproduction speaker cloth was just under $200. To keep everything working right you should play the radio at least about every 4 to 5 months.

[Dennis_MN]

Saw this one on Craigs list for hoods and then whole cars.... interesting approach, minimum bid is $200 which is about what the crusher gives. And if you buy a car for parts, you can leave the hulk for them.

June 16 2007

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/pts/341263643.html

and the Auction bill

http://vanderbrinkauctions.com/items/details.asp?ID=207&ItemType=AUCTION

Dennis

[Young Ed]

I looked at this list already. There are a few p15s in the mix. I think all 4doors.