If I had a dollar for every car junkyard that exists across the U.S., I’d probably have enough money to buy a 1970 Hemi Cuda. Okay, maybe I’d have to settle for a cheaper, non-Hemi Plymouth, but the country is packed with junkyards. And we’ve documented quite a few of them in recent months, but none is as cool as this massive hoard of old cars hidden in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Discovered by YouTube’s “Hot Rod Hoarder,” this junkyard is well hidden from civilization, and the owner wants to keep it that way. The only thing we know about it is that it’s located somewhere near the Great Smoky Mountains. And that could be anywhere along the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
But what we do know thanks, to the video below, is that the place is packed with an impressive number of classic cars, rare gems, hot rods, and dragster projects.
And like any junkyard out there, it’s home to a massive hoard of cars parts. Which, by the way, are being sold on eBay by “vegaguy.”
Yup, this junkyard is also a business, not just a property used to collect old cars, but this part is not as interesting as the fact that the owner is a huge Chevrolet Vega fan. To the point where he owns about 40 of them. In all body styles and ranging from rust buckets to projects that need a mild restoration.
So what’s up with that, you ask? The Chevy Vega isn’t all that special. You’re right/ The Vega was a rather mundane subcompact from the Malaise era that was sold with four-cylinder engines that barely generated 90 horsepower from 1972 onward.
However, Chevy did offer a more exotic version in 1975 and 1976. It wasn’t that much more powerful at 110 horsepower, but it came with a hand-built Cosworth twin-cam engine under the hood. Built in only 3,500 units, this car is pretty rare, and this guy owns no fewer than 11 of t hem. Including the one he got as his first car when he was only 16 years old.
And while we’re talking about Malaise-era Chevy subcompacts, he also owns at least three Monza models. One of them is a dragster project, while the other two are rare Mirage versions.
A limited-edition car built in 1977 only, the Mirage featured a race-inspired exterior with wider fenders, red and blue stripes, and black trim. Some 4,000 kits were built by Michigan Auto Techniques, and most of them were fitted with 140-horsepower V8 engines.
We included this Chevy in our “Five Malaise-Era Muscle Cars that Are Worth Collecting” list.
Moving on to the more appealing dwellers of this junkyard, there are quite a few interesting dragsters to talk about. Granted, most of them require a lot of work, but it’s probably the only place where you’ll see not one but two racers based on Hillman models.
One of them is stored outside and still sports a nice paint job and a center-mounted driver’s seat.
You’ll also see a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro dragster that still retains most of its factory trim, a race-prepped Ford Mustang fastback, and even a drag car based on the 1962 Chevy Impala.
Speaking of the all-popular full-size, the place is packed with 1962 to 1964 Impalas, but other Chevys from the era, including a very desirable 1957 Bel Air, are also scattered around the property.
Among all those rusty cars in need of attention, the owner also has what appears to be a nicely restored early Dodge Charger. Most likely a first-year 1966 model, the red-painted fastback still required a bit of work, and it’s missing some trim, but it will be ready for a new home in 2022.
This junkyard obviously has more cars than I can list here, so it’s best to take a virtual tour of the place by hitting the play button below. Once you do, let me know which car you’d take home and why.