Paul's Pick-A-Part Yard

Sam: Since Firth's was closed while I was up for this trip, I decided to do some research to see if I could find another yard nearby that still had a collection of old iron.  What I found was Paul's Pick-a-Part, about an hour away from us in Chelsea, Maine.  I called and talked to the owner, Paul, who told me he had a 70s Impala and some other 60s - 70s GM cars, along with some Camaros.  With that information, I set off to the yard.  

Above: 1972 Chevy Impala Sedan

Here's the 70s Impala the yard owner told me about on the phone.  This one is a '72, which is a model that has a bit of history with my family.  Both my grandmother and great grandmother owned '72 Impalas.  Both were brown, but my grandmother's was a 2-door Sport Coupe with a black vinyl top and my great grandmother's was just like the car you see here, only brown.  She totaled hers in 87 and replaced it with a brand new Monte Carlo.  My grandmother's lasted for about 12-14 years before it finally died, likely succumbing to the NE rust.  This car looks to have been in a fight with a tree at some point, which is likely why the windshield is smashed.  I think this damage may have occurred after the car ended up in the yard, or it was what put it there in the first place.  This car came standard with a 350 V8, power steering, and power brakes.  It was sad to see the roof damage because other than that, the car appeared to be mostly straight and reasonably rust-free.  I ended up taking the choke linkage and two of the door lock knobs from this car.  I was going to grab the hubcaps since they'd fit my new 15" wheels, but the fourth one was missing and had been replaced with one off an Oldsmobile.  I think the car was last on the road in '86, judging by the paperwork I found inside it.  With these small pieces acquired, I moved on to check out the other cars nearby.  

Above: Montes Old and New: 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo (Gold) and a 1980 Chevy Monte Carlo (Blue)

Here we have two Monte Carlos.  The gold one had been hit in the rear and pretty well stripped, so I wasn't able to get anything off it.  The blue one was too new and didn't have the lock knobs I needed, so I also left it empty-handed.  

Above: A Row of Iroc Camaros (Pic 1) and a 1973 Ford Mustang (Pic 2)

There were a couple IROC Camaros in this row (and some Firebirds), all of which I left untouched.  Paralleling the contents of North Providence Auto Salvage, there was also a '73 Mustang.  To the left of the '73 Mustang was a stripped '60s Mustang.  In the background, you can also see a blue 1967 Chevy C-20 in the background.  This truck had had its cab corners replaced sometime in the past.  Other than some rust starting on the rockers and replacement corners, the truck looked to be in good shape.  it still had chains on its tires and still wore its plow.  I ended up taking the air cleaner off it because it was the same as the hacked-up one on my Impala.  This truck was extremely clean and looked like it had just driven into the yard yesterday.  In order to prevent engine damage now that the air cleaner was gone, I put a hubcap over the carburetor.  If by some chance of fate the opportunity arises, I'd buy this truck in a heartbeat and put it back to work where it belongs.