If you’re a fan of classic cars, the junkyard is perhaps a sad place to be. That’s where old vehicles go when they “die” to get parted out and eventually crushed. And more often than not, most cars end up as rust buckets that aren’t worth restoring.
YouTube’s “Real Steel Fabrications” recently visited one of those places. We don’t get the location, but he said he discovered the junkyard thanks to an ad on Facebook Marketplace. The owner is apparently looking to sell about 100 cars scattered on 22 acres of land.
Unfortunately, it’s one of those junkyards that was abandoned decades ago. The vehicles are pretty much hidden in the woods, and most have been reclaimed by nature. They’re obviously plagued by rust due to decades of full exposure to the elements. The yard is quite diverse and includes cars from the 1930s all the way to the 1990s.
I haven’t spotted any super-rare gems, but our host documents quite a few cool classics. One of them is an International Scout. It appears to be an early second-generation model with fake wood inserts. Introduced in 1960 to compete with the Jeep CJ, the Scout arrived before Ford launched the iconic Bronco. Scout production lasted until 1980.
The yard is also home to a second-generation Chevrolet Camaro. Although it’s not as desirable as the original pony car, the second-gen Camaro is definitely a cool rig. And I’m actually a fan of the mid-1970s version despite its lack of performance.
Our host gets stoked about a first-generation Plymouth Valiant. It’s a Mopar you don’t see every day and a classic car that gets a lot of heat for its unconventional design. But I totally get our host’s excitement. I’m also a big fan of the early 1960s Valiant. The nearly horizontal fins that adorn all four fenders and the heavily sculpted design make it one of the boldest rigs of the era in my book.
Introduced for the 1960 model year, the Valiant was among America’s first compact cars. It joined an emerging market pioneered by the Nash Rambler in the early 1950s and competed against the Ford Falcon and Chevy II Nova. The Valiant became hugely popular and soldiered on through 1976. It also spawned the Duster and the more iconic Barracuda.
Speaking of early compacts, you’ll also see a Studebaker Lark. Conceived at at time Studebaker was nearly bankrupt, the Lark helped keep the company afloat for a few more years. Produced until 1966, the Lark spawned the Super Lark, widely regarded as America’s first compact muscle car. And here’s the crazy thing: the Lark in this junkyard is right-hand drive. Have you ever seen one? It shows up at the 9:25-minute mark.
Naturally, this junkyard is also packed with common nameplates from Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge. It’s also home to a few imports, including a Mazda B2000 truck. The latter was our host’s choice to rescue. Even though it’s not the rarest and most valuable rig in this yard, it’s great to see at least a vehicle leave the forest for a better life.