I have been to a number of boneyards the last week and the story is the same.

complete trucks and cars are bringing $10-11 per 100lbs. Our trucks are generally worth $450. The boneyards are finding that perhaps holding a rusty bodied truck with 100K miles and dented bumpers, in the hope that someone needs a power steering pump bracket; pales in comparison to crushing that vehicle.

Face it the desireable trucks that are more valuable to a collector are the 70's-96's - they are a lot 'tougher' and are modifiable. for how many decades did Ford and chevy vie back and forth being the best selling vehicle anywhere - many many millions of these were built - especially 80-96 and they are getting scrapped at the rate of a couple thousand a day.

Trucks are easier to scrap, less stuff to pull out of them, less plastic and the boneyards are there to make a buck.

When I say I am scrapping a truck in my shop, I cut off every part of value and craigslist it or bring it to carlisle, only recylcing the rusted broken stuff. How many people are doing this? I posted a few pics of a non-rusty cab on craigslist and could have held my own auction.

I think we are going to find in 3-4 years that original parts are going to be rarer than LS6 Chevelles.

Since aluminum has went even higher, you cant find a ford EFI intake manifold or throttle body anywhere - long since melted down.

I went to what is billed as the largest yard in WV/Md yesterday - nothing. All crushed.

I went to the last pick and pull in the area today - 12 Ford fullsize. I can have my pick of cars. but I dont need car parts.

 

If I may retort, the old ford trucks were indeed tough, however, the new ford trucks are even tougher. The new frames are awesome in there construction. The 09 F-150 will have a tougher frame yet. I've had several of the aero ford trucks 97-04, and there one tough truck, as tough as any ford has ever built. A lot of the time older is better, but not in ford trucks or even thier cars. I have an 07 mustang GT, it's built a lot stronger than my old mustangs of the 60's and 70's. It's built like a rock and doesn't even require frame stiffiners like the older ones. I love the old ford as well, I love there locks and the simplicity in which they are built. In the 70's you were lucky to get a car paid off before it rusted away, but now the bodies are lasting 10-15 years before rust starts and even longer if it's taken good care of and thats here in the rust belt. In the 70's, 100,000 miles on an engine was the norm before it needed replaced or overhauld. Now were getting 200,000 to 300,000 miles without breaking a sweat, they don't even need a tune up untill 100,000 miles. I love old fords too but I can't say they were built better, maybe back in the 40's and 50's when they were made of steel and heavy as tanks.

 

My shop was on the main road in and out of the county and I can't tell you how many ford trucks I have seen on the way to the scrap yard(not junk yard) I wish I had some property were I could store some trucks as they are not hard to come buy,I had to pass up a 91 bronco with low miles that needed body work(dents only) and tires because I don't have anywhere to put it, the 302 in it was clean with no oil leaks just didn't have a title.

 

It is indeed a problem for those of us who care... This is not the first time for this problem. In the frenzy of patriotism during WWII, every thing made of metal people could find was scrapped and melted down to aid in the war effort. All those liberty ships they made placed a very high demand on supply. The big difference then was that people did it for their country, not greed or need.

It's not just the old trucks that are taking a hit. I recently read that the latest scrap metal boom is swallowing up peractically all the '60s and '70s stuff and that it will be very difficult to find anything in that era. I think this is one reason Why I think there is a growing market for the complete crate car kits that are starting to show up like old Camaros and Mustangs. It is becoming quite a popular thing to buy and build these kits. However, there are only a few types available now. Don't look to see truck kits very soon unless places like LMC Truck start putting together kits.

Is there an upside??? I guess you could say there is if you happen to have some of this stuff and you want to sell it. For most of us little guys, it's just a big problem. It's getting harder to find the old stuff and when you do, the price is high. I wish I had an answer for this problem but I don't.

Earlier in this thread it was pointed out that the later models are engineered much better and they go so much farther. Yep, that's true, but for those of us that want these old trucks it really doesn't matter.

Later Folks...

 

My heart broke when I saw a 55 Chevy pickup in decent condition on top of a scrap metal pile. I know it's a Chevy, but man, they don't make them anymore.......

 

It is a sad day indeed. Hate to see the old things go.

 

I went to my local junk yard yesterday just to see what was there and try to pick up a few things for my 86 and amost every ford truck was gone and what was left was picked clean, it seems that they are taken all the decent ford trucks they are getting and cutting the frame right behind the cab and shipping them over to Egypt this includes ford vans also and complete dash assemblies,so there is not much they leave for the local guy to pick thru,although plenty of rust free body parts surprisingly on the trucks that are stripped.

 

Why Egypt?

 

yeah, why egypt? (of all the damn places to send truck halves to.....)

 

If you go research Corporate America's fleet service records you will find that the FORD pickups of the 60 & 70 where by far the best trucks ever built by Ford. They had far less issues & repairs as today's trucks.

 

It is sad to see the old things go.

 

Fleet service records do not account for the #1 problem with those generations of trucks, RUST. Also, how many years/miles were those fleet trucks kept in service before replacement?

Jim

 

hard to say why egypt,but in taliban country,theres more 4 cyl r-22's toyota pickups than you can shake a stick at......seriously

 

The old trucks don't rust much down here (SC) and there are plenty still in daily use, but if you want to save some good stuff and not lose money, buy the scrapworthy ones, save the good parts, and then crush to get your money back. Someone WILL crush a certain number of them, so keep an eye out and intercept what you can.

For example, if the cab is junk, cut the rails and make a trailer out of the bed. I do and they sell quickly. I don't kill good trucks, just common ones that would be too expensive to save.

"My heart broke when I saw a 55 Chevy pickup in decent condition on top of a scrap metal pile. I know it's a Chevy, but man, they don't make them anymore......."

I'd open my wallet and start talking. A truck at scrap cost is cheap, and you can pay for them by crushing stuff like Escorts etc that no one will miss. No harm in talking to your local scrapyard and making friends so they intercept stuff for you. Be nice, be charming, and preferably bring a load of better scrap metal than what you want to get.

 

So much for cleaning out my garage. I've got a pile of EFI stuff right now, from a 351 AND from a 302 if I'm not mistaken.