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View Full Version : Sneaking out to the junkyard...


Kidd57
09-21-2008, 02:14 PM
One summer day my friend Mike (Kid56) and I decided to sneak down to the valley and go to a couple of junkyards. In those days it was a lot easier to find classics with good parts on them. We filled up Belle and headed out of town. We had told our parents we were doing something else, because they would not have allowed us to drive 120 miles away from home to go to a junkyard.

If you're not familiar with Central Idaho, there are a lot of towns around, usually about 20 miles apart, and in between the occasional mom and pop cafe with a gas pump. We had driven about 60 miles away when my 57 decided it was time to break down - but luckily it was at such a mom and pop in between road stop. I had about $80 bucks in my pocket for the junkyard and gas home.

We tinkered with Belle all we could but there was just no getting the parts this far out from a larger town. (In Idaho that would be population 2000 or so.) The place where we were had a population of about 20.

I didn't want to call home for help, because the obvious question would be, what the heck are you doing there? Its 60 miles away! I don't remember you asking - or me giving you permission to go there, I thought you were over at Mikes. - You get the idea.

Finally I found a logger on his day off sitting at the counter having coffee, who had little to do that day and upon waving my money under his nose, he agreed to tow us back to McCall - on the end of a chain. He towed us right to the top of the hill above my house. I had him stop and and unhook us, and gave him around $75 bucks. Today that wouldn't even buy the gas.

We coasted my 57 down the hill and right into my driveway. I never told my parents what really happened that day, just that my car had broke down and I needed to work on it. That was the only time I can remember Belle breaking down where she needed to be towed home.

-Kidd57

carls 56
09-21-2008, 02:21 PM
another good story kidd (do you have a name) :tu................you had one great childhood:tu:cool:

r66ss
09-21-2008, 02:50 PM
kidd57


excellent story, good memory :D:tu

mickeywestsr
09-21-2008, 02:51 PM
:)A pair of plyers, a screw driver, a coat hanger and local junk yards......yep, thats all I needed in the late 50's & early 60's. Memories are great.

Kidd57
09-21-2008, 03:15 PM
:)A pair of plyers, a screw driver, a coat hanger and local junk yards......yep, thats all I needed in the late 50's & early 60's. Memories are great.

I had and still do have - this little rolled up kit, it had pliers, a couple of screw drivers and a small socket set. We used to strip the chrome screws off the junker cars and stuff them in our pocket because in those days they were not available at the hardware or parts stores. Anything that could be removed fast and easy was gone - but it depends on the car too. We didn't steal stuff from people who obviously owned a fixer-upper. but if was laying out in the woods or in a ravine - it was ours - anything we could haul off that was any value -was taken.

Someone asked if I had a name. Yes... it's Bud, like the beer!