our local yards all use the loaders with massive forks to move their pickups, too, so any truck where the bed hangs lower than the frame gets the bedsides smashed in. They got in a really nice rust free F150 that had a nice chrome step bumper and a pretty good bed on it. I saw it in the lot where they keep them till they pull the cats and batteries and all taht, and then went looking for it a couple days later. they had carried with the forks and destroyed the bedsides, and used the forks to push it into the row, bending the chrome step bumper under. I just don't get that ****!!! They took a truck someone had converted to run on old cooking oil, and the guy had like a 50 gallon stainless steel tank underneath to hold the oil. A guy was at the yard looking at it, and he is like "thats like a $1200 tank and they just smashed it with the forks!!"

I usually try to sell anything worthwhile before I scrap it, but to be honest, the economy has been so bad that its been almost impossible to sell anything for much more than scrap price, and craigslist, ebay, and the forums are filled with so many flakey annoying people that want you to deliver things, that want detailed pics then never write back, that bargain with you then agree on a price then disappear... its easier to scrap stuff!

 

yeah I love Craigslist!!!!!! for evey one seriuos buyer I have to deal with 20 dipwads wasting my time. I love the guy's that come out to look at whatever truck I have up forsale at the moment then offer me a 300/400 bucks and then get mad when I turn around and walk back into the house laughing

 

Accept the cold hard fact that most guys working in the JY do not have the time to figure out what is worth more in this or that condition.

For the most part those guys are there to get the stuff smashed up and put on a scale the more across the scale the more $ in businesses pocket.

I have literally been riding on the frame pulling good parts off a truck as they drug it to the smasher and I was please wait a sec and let me get this fuel tank off here.

I am lucky that the owners son is a Ford guy to, so for the most part all the 73-79 Fords go to a separate hiding place in the yard. But at times the skidder guy is jamming the trucks full and chucking them on the scale.

Bottom line, go to the JY buy what is good and resale it and take the extra cash you make and buy a 12 pk and keep on wrenching.

 

There still quite a few of these trucks I find over here n KS n OK... just gotta go from yard to yard and see whats out there before they ALL end up in my pasture!

 

Sad end....

bobcat vs truck - YouTube

 

See quite a few dents the the Pull and Pays here, but again they don't take the utmost care of them, and neither do the customers, break up the whole dash for one little part. I go to a JY down in southern Colorado, picked up a tailgate with all the trim for 100 bucks, was from an Arizona truck. He threw in the windshield washer reservoir that still had fluid in it. Brought the gate home in my Toyota Camry lol. Whenever I look at my truck, the Johnny Cash song, One Piece At A Time goes through my mind.

 

In my area, (Denver) I use to see from 6 to 12 dents in the pull and pay yard at any one time. Now I'm lucky if I see 1 or 2. If you see something you want, you better get as it wont be there next weekend. They don't sit on them any longer and really stay away from buying anything under late 80s anymore. I really can't blame them they are looking to turn a quick profit and old inventory cost money and I am sure later car parts move much better. It is all money (business) to them.

 

I thought it was just the yard apes here doing that. I've noticed it too. I think their general demeanor is that its all scrap so who cares. BUT......here a few months ago I saw a 76 Ford Elite in pristine condition sitting on the lot. Thing looked like it had just been rolled out of the garage and onto a flatbed for the trip to the scrap yard. Was truly a sad sight to see a perfectly good vehicle sitting to be picked over and eventually crushed.
I found myself wondering how I could save it.....

 

Thats too funny! I just told that to my "Financial Advisor" this weekend as she was looking at my pile of treasures! (Lone Ranger Build). She just shook her head and walked in. I am going back to the yard and get a sweet woodgrain cruise control wheel from a 78-79 Bronco. I am sure that I can find it a new home here someplace.

 

could be worse. My wife just look's at me and say's YOU ARE selling atleast one of these truck's. for some reason she think's I have to many.
go crazy with the steering colum's. I have a tilt/cruise wheel in both my MUD truck & my PLOW truck. bahahahahaha

 

I know I'm having a heck of a time finding an automatic steering column for my 76, as well as a grill shell in decent condition (or even the whole grill, my inserts are cracked and painted). I've got a 75 with a 4 speed, a 79 with a 460 and auto but the columns are different in those. And I'm certainly not spending $700 for an LMC one or $999 for a ididit.com column.

My 70 is an auto as well but those are not only different, but I plan on restoring it as well (has a nice flatbed on it so it's going to be a parts hauling truck). Seems I see more 68-71 than 72-76.

I also need side trim on one side and the rubber insert for the other side, so I'm considering removing it all together and running no chrome and welding holes since it's going to be a solid color. I'd even use a 78-79 front end if I could get a hold of one in acceptable condition where the insert isn't all jacked up.

I meant to start building on it last summer/winter, but as far as I got was getting the front clip off and the 390 built. Looks sad sitting there all pretty painted and chrome (with aluminum intake) on a motor stand. Hopefully the hooker headers I bought that said they were for a 4x4 actually fit. (sorry, off on a tangent)

 

hop in your truck & road trip a few hour's to Palmyra NE. I got a few of the parts your looking for. steering colum, side trim, inserts, maybe even a grill. I'll have to go see how straight it is. even have a extra set of headders for a 4x4 FE motor. lol

 

That's one heckova road trip!

 

I just bought another 78 2wd parts truck today. pretty clean truck

 

^^x2^^...and don't be afraid to ask around where "the old Ford guy" is located in your area. If he doesn't have what you are looking for, chances are he will be willing to help with locating parts.