There have been so many yards around here that have closed. Mostly due to government regulations and insurance. One, that was close to me, had such a variety of cars it was amazing. I was restoring a '40 Buick Roadmaster Coupe when I first went there. The owner really didn't want a stranger in his yard so he told me to come back when he could walk better. The Buick was still driveable so I took it by and told him that I just wanted him to see it. After that, I could go into the yard anytime I wanted. Over the years, he became something of a friend. He always asked me in for a cup of coffee and would tell me his life history. He was just lookin' for company. One day he took me out to a barn that was always closed. Inside there was a '34 Ford truck with a stake body. He said "ya know, I ain't got no family around and I'd like to leave this truck to you". The truck was really nice and I was shocked. He took my name and address. The local government wanted him to clean up the place. He didn't have money and was not able to do it himself.
Eventually they forced him out. He died shortly after ( might have been before he was forced out.. stories vary). Everything in the place got crushed but I heard that someone took the truck.
The most amazing place I ever saw was in Brewer, Maine. The guy's name was Burnell Hardy and he had more neat stuff than you could ever imagine. He had stuff for Packards, Deusenbergs, Auburns, Cords, Cadillacs, Buicks, Fords, Chevies, Mopars and on and on. Everything was in a series of old warehouses. Each warehouse had multiple floors and it's impossible to describe what was in that place. The warehouses sat along the river. The city fathers decided that they wanted to make a park there so they forced him out by eminent domain. He took what he could to Sandy Point, Maine but much of the stuff got sold, and at junk prices. He and his wife were always so nice to my wife and I when we got up there.
Most of us around here knew Flemings Auto Parts in Bargaintown, NJ. Harry Fleming treated you well as long as you didn't try to cheat him. When I was a kid we were always there looking for parts for stock cars. The government put him out of business too. The place is still there and there still a few old cars and trucks around. So Harry made into a kind of park with old cars sitting around along with old signs and stuff. Twice a year there's a car show there. One show is very popular and it's known as the 'Pumpkin Run'. If you ever get a chance to go, do so. I'll shut up now. :love10:
