[58lincoln]

Hey everyone. I have another case of sad news from the junkyard.
I was at Lakeside Auto Salvage in Carter Lake Iowa, right by Omaha Neb., and saw that someone decided a 1972 factory 4 speed fastback Mustang wasn't worth anything and decided to scrap it for probably 100 bucks. It was rough but savable. Still had the four speed intact as well as the block, a small block, It was dark green and had a GT hood. The floors were cut out and sheet metal was laid down. The rear quarters were rusted about 2" up and the only interior left was one bucket seat, the shifter, and the dash. I asked the owner if they sold cars out of there and he said no. But then he asked which one was I interested in. I said guess. He said the Mustang. I said yeah. He said he could let that one go for $1200 or It'll be crushed in two weeks! $1200! This guy's nuts! No one is going to pay that for a car I'm sure he scammed an old lady out of for $50 to get it off her lawn! So it looks like one more part of American history is going to be turned into a pile of toasters.

[eloc431962]

Sounds to me like there was still alot of good parts left on the car. Cole

[ericnova72]

4-speed fastback with GT hood, pedal assembly, deck lid, glass, and 9-inch, and some other parts -- parts alone parted out would have made back the $1200 and might have doubled that. If car was saveable with 1/4's and some other sheetmetal it would have been a steal. Sounds like you expected to get it for nothing, I'd have snapped it up in a heartbeat, wouldn't be able to get my wallet out fast enough. A Sportsroof '71-'73 is hard to find in saveable shape in my area.

[eloc431962]

I totaly agree with you eric, exactly what i was thinking also i would have bought it also, its a shame to let all those good parts go down that way. Cole

[powerrodsmike]

Well if an enterprising 19 year old guy like 58lincoln can learn from that experience, then what he'd do is figure out how to be the guy paying 50 and threatening to crush the car or ransome it off for 1200....instead of the one who wishes he got that deal...

Just think of how many cars that junkyard guy pays 50.00 for and does not sell.

How much does it cost to run a junkyard? AND make a living at it..

I know a guy who scours craigslist, newspapers, knocks on doors to ask about cars that are sitting on the side of someones house. He deals in mustangs, comets torinos etc .He gets a deal sometimes, then parts the thing out or offs it whole...it's not a 10 minute job to drag it home, take it apart, try to sell all the parts at swapmeets etc.

No matter how much you surround yourself with things from the past, you are still in the present.

Later, mikey

[matt167]

Mustangs 1964-1973 generally bring at least $500 for a buildable shell around me. at least $2k for a complete V8 car and at least $2,500 for 1 that runs.. sounds like $1,200 would be about right for a car like that.... also note that many junkyards cannot sell whole vehicles ( tax breaks and such ) so by offering 1 for sale, there bending the rules for you

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Doesn't sound like too bad of the deal The whale body stangs were never my cup of tea,but they have grown on me in the past year or so,and the price has been going up on them. If it has a title it's mostlikely worth saving
Shane

[58lincoln]

Its still there if you guys want the phone number I can give it to you. I am gonna offer the guy a few hundred bucks next week because the way I see it it's either he makes $100 scrapping it or I can give him $300 the way it is. His choice. Otherwise screw it, yeah it sucks, but I have way too many friggin projects the way it is. No one around here is gonna buy it for $1200. The dude also has a shed full of mid 70's truck 454's that he wnts 2 grand a pop for. My buddy just bought one from a newspaper ad for $450 that runs.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Sadly 2 grand is about the going rate for big blocks around here too, heck the 406 that I'm building has close to 3 grand or so in parts and machinework.
Shane

[58lincoln]

I guess everything is overpriced anymore. I can get a 402 though from another junkyard near here though for 500. Like every car I've ever had I guess there are deals out there. 69 Nova-$75. 76 Running Nova- $150. 66 Driving Chevy pickup- $325. 86 Grand Wagoneer- $125 & an 18 pack of "soda". Last but certainly not least- My 58 lincoln- $800. What I paid.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Just told a buddy about it. He went down to look at it. They dont have a title. Looked underneath. The frame is rusted bad on the rear. And I didn't state this before but the grille and front bumper are gone, the rear is damaged slightly but not bad and the back bumper is rusted and bent. He took pictures so I will upload them shortly.- Alex.

[Irelands child]

Mustangs of that vintage are often too far along to be much more then parts cars, sadly enough. Their rot is usually more then skin deep, especially in rust belt areas. Torque boxes, front and rear, front and back window frames, door frames, floor boards, rocker panels and often even fire walls and trunk lid frames and of course trunk floors. It would have to be a labor of love for a car like that which might have a history - personal, relative or some other special person or even be a rare model - unfortunately, most are not and are a regular run 4spd SBF Mustang

Now, since I've said that, and if after a really good exam, you find that it really doesn't have terminal rot in those areas, maybe for a right price.....tho $1200 from a junky sounds too high.

Dave W

[58lincoln]

Thank you Dave.

[58lincoln]

Called down there today, still there, the guy said it'll be there for awhile yet , don't think anything has been taken off of it since I've been down there last, I'm giving you guys the number and the location is easy to find even if you haven't been there before.
Lakeside Auto Salvage
Carter Lake Iowa
1-712-347-6561