Bruzilla
Well-Known Member
A few years ago, I was restoring a 1974 Ford Gran Torino up in Maryland, and I went to every junkyard I could find on the off chance they might have some old parts (of course they didn't). As I was leaving one place, a guy came up to me and told me if I wanted old parts I had to go to a place off RT 6 (which runs from RT 5 in St. Mary's County to La Plata in Charles County). I drove that road all the time and knew there were no junk yards on it, and the guy said to go about three quarters of the way to La Plata, and look for an auto repair business on the south side of the road.
I drove down RT 6, and about three quarters of the way I did find an old auto repair business on the south side of RT 6. I stopped, but it looked like the place was closed and it was pretty messy. An old guy came out and asked what I was looking for, and I said parts for a Torino. He immediately asked me what year and body style and I told him, then he said follow me.
You can't see it from the road, but on the other side of the repair shop buildings are acres and acres of cars, ranging from the 1940s to the 1990s. Hundreds and hundreds of them. The repair business was started by two brothers after WWII, and to save money on repairs they started buying up old cars from their customers and stashing them behind the shop for parts. Most of these cars have never been in an accident like most yard cars, and were just retired when they got too old. I sat in a 1969 GTX that looked like it was in the 1970s or so. The last owner's registration info was in the glove, there was some shopping receipts and a comb, and nothing removed from the car, and many of the cars looked like that. They had not one or two, but eleven Gran Torinos! About the only car they didn't have was a Superbird or Daytona, but everything else was there.
Best part was the prices were really cheap. I bought a steering column, console and shifter, section of frame, and two 15" slotted mags for $200, which was what most parts houses wanted for the console alone. I don't know if this place is still around, but it's well worth the trip if it is. There is one down side... they will not sell you a whole car, just parts, but it is pretty cool to just sit in some of these untouched cars.
I drove down RT 6, and about three quarters of the way I did find an old auto repair business on the south side of RT 6. I stopped, but it looked like the place was closed and it was pretty messy. An old guy came out and asked what I was looking for, and I said parts for a Torino. He immediately asked me what year and body style and I told him, then he said follow me.
You can't see it from the road, but on the other side of the repair shop buildings are acres and acres of cars, ranging from the 1940s to the 1990s. Hundreds and hundreds of them. The repair business was started by two brothers after WWII, and to save money on repairs they started buying up old cars from their customers and stashing them behind the shop for parts. Most of these cars have never been in an accident like most yard cars, and were just retired when they got too old. I sat in a 1969 GTX that looked like it was in the 1970s or so. The last owner's registration info was in the glove, there was some shopping receipts and a comb, and nothing removed from the car, and many of the cars looked like that. They had not one or two, but eleven Gran Torinos! About the only car they didn't have was a Superbird or Daytona, but everything else was there.
Best part was the prices were really cheap. I bought a steering column, console and shifter, section of frame, and two 15" slotted mags for $200, which was what most parts houses wanted for the console alone. I don't know if this place is still around, but it's well worth the trip if it is. There is one down side... they will not sell you a whole car, just parts, but it is pretty cool to just sit in some of these untouched cars.
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, and found the site I was talking about. The address looks like 10855 Charles Street, which is RT 6.
