4 replies to this topic

[Brian Czeiner]

Has anyone else found this series on Tubi called Rust Paradise? Essentially it is collections of rusting vintage automobiles around the world. It's interesting once you stop crying.

 

Rust Paradise - Season 1 Episode 1

[Dave Crevie]

I went through a period when I wanted to save every derelict car that caught my fancy. At one point I had 9 cars, either in restoration, or waiting to be restored. But eventually I had to resign myself to the fact that I could not afford it, and there just wasn't enough time to do it. Storage had now exceeded $1000 per month, at a time when you could rent a really nice apartment for less. I was working more and more hours so I could pay the bills. It had gotten out of hand. It bothered me to see rare or historic cars go to the crusher, but at least some of them were salvaged for parts to restore other cars. I heard all to often, "You can't save the world, Dave".

[Bill Seitz]

When I lived in the Bristol, TN area, there was a storied entrepreneur that had made his fortune in the scrap business during WWII and invested the profits in local real estate holdings. Some colleagues told me this gentleman had also over the years accumulated an array of classic vintage cars (28 total) in a field he owned in the city. One week the local newspaper had a classified ad 'used cars for sale', and it was this guy. So my colleagues went to check out what was there. A good many classics including Cords, Auburns, and Packards as well as some of the newer classics. Many of them had sat in the same location for so long that they'd become part of the landscape with vegetation growing not only around but through some of them. At least one Packard had a good-sized tree growing up through the engine compartment. I don't know what ever became of those cars, it's been some years and I'm sure the old guy has died, but most likely wound up in the scrap pile.

[Dave Crevie]

There are hundreds of stories like that. A boneyard near me had a section for cars 25 years old or older. I would sometimes "window" shop through that section. I found a '32 Model B Tudor in pretty good shape, so I bought it for the princely sum of $100. I wanted to chop it and make a "retro" style hot rod, including the flat head motor. There were a lot of cottage businesses making reproduction flathead performance parts. But one of my mid-westerner cousins said the car was too good to chop. He wanted to restore it, so I gave it to him. Turned out real nice, with maroon body and black roof and fenders. It's still around, fourty years later. Certainly the right thing to do. 

 

Now, if you are into airplanes;

 

https://youtu.be/1AosnKvZuvM?si=AP2YvIBk4-F-6uWL 

 

https://youtu.be/XuF...uHpPVoLfBLfnmQG

 

Been there several times back when they would just let you crawl around on stuff. They even had an auction on Saturday mornings, where you could buy a fighter jet if you had enough coins jingling around in your pocket. Most lots had only scrap value, and scrappers were the ones bidding on the planes. But a few were operational with a bit of un-mothballing. 

[Brian Czeiner]

To my surprise, the series has turned into many different subjects of vehicle or structure abandonment items. Episode II was about boats.  Break out the popcorn, I see a TV binge coming this weekend!