Junkyards Used To Be Even Extra Enjoyable Than They Are Immediately: COTD

Back within the early Nineties I had an analogous expertise with a thermostat housing on the 250 straight-six in my outdated 1967 C-10 pickup. When I attempted to take away the outdated thermostat housing to exchange my thermostat, one of many bolts simply snapped proper off.

Luckily for me, on these motors, there’s each an higher thermostat housing and a decrease thermostat housing.

I didn’t personal a faucet/die set again then, however I used to be capable of get that decrease housing off with out breaking any bolts. It was early on a Saturday, and the salvage yard was open Saturday mornings, but it surely was nearly an hour from the place I lived. When I referred to as them, they stated that sure, they did have a number of 250s within the yard and that I must pull one myself, so carry my instruments. They additionally stated that as a consequence of an off-road race, they might be closing early in about half-hour so if I needed one, I wanted to get there straight away.

When I defined that I used to be about an hour away, the proprietor requested me, “Are you that guy with that blue ’67?” (I had been getting components from him for some time now) I replied that I used to be. He stated, “You’re good. Just get here when you get here, jump the fence, take what you need, and just pay me the next time you’re in the area.”

So I borrowed my mother’s automotive, drove down there, received my components, (fortunately the canines had been pleasant and no cops drove by whereas I used to be leaping the fence) made it again dwelling, swapped out the housings, (had to make use of RTV for the decrease gasket) fired it up – and it labored! No leaks!

About two weeks later I used to be close to that junkyard so I finished in to pay the proprietor. I needed to remind him as he had forgotten all about it. When I requested how a lot he needed for each housings, he stated, “5 bucks.”

I miss junkyards like that.

My aunt, a automotive collector herself, instructed me a couple of junk yard within the boonies of western Virginia, and I went to their workplace to inquire about it. They gave me instructions to the distant yard, and I discovered all kinds of chrome and trim items to suit my ’63 Galaxie XL convertible. When I went again to the workplace and confirmed them my haul and requested what I owed, they requested ME what I believed I ought to pay. I stated $10 they usually agreed! Boy how I additionally miss these days.