Cool old transporter picture

[Zapato]

HRD, I grew up in the 60s , Viet Nam era, and scrap metal put more money in your pocket than trying to sell just anther old 50s car. Can't tell you how many times when I'd stop and ask about a 57 long sitting in a driveway and the owner would tell me ''the scrap guy'' offered me $(insert a ridiculous number here) and if you upped up 10-15 bucks you usually bought a car. Never paid more than $50 for straight solid cars that had just been parked when the family just had to have a new/newer car. I stuck with 57s, cherry pick the best parts off them ad swap them from car to car and after a good bath drive them to school with a for sale sign and for $75/125 they would disappear in a day or two. After all they were just old cars and the guys with money were buying the muscle cars.

Now to correct the term ''solid cars'' here in the pacific northwest some 57s were already rotting out the bottoms of the front fenders. But without the use of salt on our roads they were solid compared to say Ohio or Minnesota cars.

Sadly it wasn't unusual to buy a ''dead'' car for $25  pull the rearend or tranny and then sell it to the scrap guy the next day for 10-15 bucks. My dad didn't mind my temporary second car so much but as soon as one was brought home to be just a parts source a 24 hour rule was instantly put into effect. We had a scrap guy on the next block and looking back my buddies and I put a lot of groceries on his table. If he didn't haul 6-7 cars in a day it was a bad day. And he was one of dozens of guys hauling cars in Portland. He was one of the honest ones lots of cars were stolen from driveways as scrap values soared. Eventually the feds came to town and a lot of guys ended up in jail.

Few of us ever thought about the future as there was always another one down the street. I even bought a really nice one owner low mile car from a friend of my mom. Recently widowed she needed someone to mow her lawn, so for 5-6 months I'd swing by spend at the most 20 minutes a week and I had a driver anytime my 57 was torn down. And The real bonus I parked it in her driveway so it still would look like nothing had changed at her place.

Zap-

[hotroddonnie]

Interesting stories. Guys that had scrap yards back in the day must shake their heads when they see the stuff getting pulled out of fields...rust buckets being restored, can't see someone haulin my 08 Montana out of the bush to restore...but just in case maybe I should get her rust checked!

[junior58]

Still haven't figured out why my 57 was parked in 73 and not moved until my guy found it 5 years ago and brought it to NZ. Everything works, it has NO rust, so it beats me. I guess, as you guys say, not worth anything to sell back then so just parked up. My good luck tho, so I'm not complaining.

[robhaerr]

We saw this transporter at the LA Roadster Show (Pomona, CA Fairplex) on Father's Day...

[Frankenstein57]

Zap, this goes on today, the prices are adjusted by inflation. How do you know what cars are destined to become classics or collectible. My brother who was influential in me being into the 57 fords, defected to the dark side. I stripped out dozens of tri-five Chevys, and threw  the interiors and stainless, door parts , chassis parts , whatever, into the trash. That stuff would be gold if anyone had the sense to keep it,  Mark

[Zapato]

Zap, this goes on today, the prices are adjusted by inflation.

Absolutely right, minimum wage was $1.25 hr., I was working as a busboy and made more money from share of tips from the waiters. So $50 was a bunch for a high school kid. Next job was janitor at a local hospital making $3.32 hr, Then Uncle Sam called and was making just under $100 a month which quickly jumped to $220 a month. When you figure 720 hours a month Uncle Sam was pretty stingy.

[SkylinerRon]

Back in the 60's on the east coast tow trucks charged $50 to tow your hulk away. Guess it was too expensive to ship the steel to japan!
We used to drag our old rides out to the woods with a chain at night. Could always go retrieve parts later though. Made my spending money with a paper route and cutting copper wire out of the junkers and burned it in the bar-b-que pit to sell. Bought my first car (a 51 Victoria) for $150. Second was a 51 Woodie wgn for $150 and then a 57 Skyliner for $175 (still have it and 2 more!).
Noticed one of the 57's on the truck had light colored wheels (all 57's were supposed to be black, body colored wheels didn't start till 59 and only on small hubcap cars). Great to see these old photos.

Ron.

[hotroddonnie]

That's cool that you still have your 57 Skyliner Ron! We have a local guy here where I live, he has had the same 32 Ford hotrod for close to 55 years...It hasn't changed to the point that it has made a full circle and all that is old is new again!

[Zapato]

Back in the 60's on the east coast tow trucks charged $50 to tow your hulk away. Guess it was too expensive to ship the steel to japan!


Ron.

Ron, they were just making money off both ends of the deal. Out here it was almost like the metal drives of WW2 with a few steel mills in town its amazing anything is left.

Curious, have you revisited your old dumping grounds lately.

[RICH MUISE]

Rob...that's an incredible hauler you posted pics of. That thing is a work of art.  Is someone using this to haul their showcars to shows? LOL Is their last name Trump?

[robhaerr]

Rob...that's an incredible hauler you posted pics of. That thing is a work of art.  Is someone using this to haul their showcars to shows? LOL Is their last name Trump?

Rich...

There are so many incredible pieces of automotive artwork at these shows! A few great cars in the hauler that were hard to see.

....and that hauler was basically in the parking lot where non-displayers could park/show.

[Limey57]

I'd prefer some bigger/more robust ramps!

[BAMA_57]

Hadn't seen this one on here before. Thought I'd share.

[wildhog]

Skyliner Ron, I have had a lot of 57 Fords with colored wheels, most were lower body color, some were black wheels with just the front face of the wheel painted body color. As you can see in that last transport picture the cars have colored wheels.Every 57 Thunderbird I have ever had has had colored wheels.