The Indiana Jones factor and why I never reveal my 300D junkyard map? Would you?

[Carrameow]

You be the judge. Am I being selfish?

I still have the 100 page notebook and its greasy and curled up with dried sweat. Inside it I have entries for all the major assemblies and subassemblies for all the W123's in the NJ area with carefully annotated addresses and directions and lsitings.

When I was back in NJ some guy who was a realtor who would periodically email me and ask me where I was finding all my parts. I really try to be helpful and polite to people but i am not 22 anymore and naive. To me he might as well have been asking for my bank account number.

To me, there is this thing called the Indiana Jones factor. There are almost a thousand yards in that area. I stumbled through 100% humidity and 100 degree days through Sewage pools and clouds of mosquitoes and tussled with the nasty hombre's you meet at those places.

I followed this false rumour and that false lead and that winding road was led to everything from a cemetery for transformers to what must have have been parts of the wreckage of the Hindenburg Zeppelin or abandoned U Boat to find two great Mercedes engines, one great interior, three fuel pumps and two transmissions that I had to pull myself.
Ever pull a transmission on a rainy February day underneath some car teetering on cinder blocks in a field of a thousand dead cars alone ? Its the loneliest scariest thing a human can do.

I jumped the fences and avoided the killer dogs to scout those locations and I still have my notebook of all my finds and its not going anywhere and its not for sale, because in 5 years I am going back to get two more cars to restore.

For one thing, I didn't know this guy. For all I know, those salvage cars would be Ebay income for some unscrupulous parts picker. Its happened.

The other thing is, I don't know if this person is going to destroy every car he goes near to just to get a small panel or aux water pump. When I pulled my fuel pumps, I bought the engines also considerately so as not to render them useless.

Finally, yes it is true. Somewhere i did see it and I'm not talking but its definitely out there, hidden by two abandoned school buses on the farm of a 85 year old man who inherited it from his father, an ex WWI soldier. I promised him I would say nothing and I am keeping my word, but you could write a book about it...

[vstech]

Hmmm. perhaps you should auction off your book?

[lutzTD]

it is certainly your right to keep the fruits of your labor, but there are other fruit pickers out there and I always plan for things to be gone before I make it back, this is always the main consideration when I pass on it the first time, but it certainly doesnt obligate you to show them the fields

[tompaah7503]

Keep the list, it's okay to be selfish. I feel your pain with these crazy trips, have done quite a few myself.
You can always help the community if someone is asking specifically about a part, then you can PM this person the location of a suitable car, or go get the part your self if you're going that way..

[winmutt]

pullapart turns cars over every 3 mos. No point for a silly book like that. Plus they have a great inventory.

[bobodaclown]

The line from the Godfather rings here:

but shouldn't you let others drink from the well... of course you should be compensated...

[RichardLSU]

I wonder what was hidden between those school buses....

[OldPokey]

Originally Posted by winmutt

pullapart turns cars over every 3 mos. No point for a silly book like that. Plus they have a great inventory.

Yup - I saw a NA diesel 123 at Crazy Ray's. I went back the next weekend with some heavy tools and it had been squashed and sent to Korea.

[Flounder]

Rich:

I don't know if you heard but they closed G.I. Auto Salvage in Pine Brook, NJ last year. They're building townhouses there! Would you want your kids playing on that property knowing how many thousands of gallons of automotive chemicals seeped into the ground? When I used to go there after it rained it was like wading through a toxic cesspool.

I'm sure after they sod the place and put up streetlights most people will be totally unaware that it was a junkyard for about 50 years.

[TheDon]

Originally Posted by OldPokey

Yup - I saw a NA diesel 123 at Crazy Ray's. I went back the next weekend with some heavy tools and it had been squashed and sent to Korea.

right now with scrap metal prices they are turning over cars at an astounding rate.


Plus all of the junk yards I go to never have W123's. I found the euro last year and a really trashed 300D 4 months ago... no w123's since. Just lame 201's and a few w126's

[Carrameow]

Originally Posted by RichardLSU

I wonder what was hidden between those school buses....

Its amazing what History Books miss and what museums miss. I mean I used to really trust what was written.

I was chasing mercedes parts one day and came upon two old 75 year gents trying to pull a motor from an old tractor and I felt bad for them and gave them a hand. I refused money. They fed me dinner and. took me to their Barn. Literally things do fall through the Historian's grasp. I made a promise but if he ever reveals it when his time comes you will definitely see it in Time Magazine!

[gatorblue92]

i think i know of the place you are talking about... a wonderful yard full of all kinds of OLD cars... he had about 30 w123 sedans there along with various other benz cars including a decent shell of a ponton

[zeke]

Originally Posted by Carrameow

Its amazing what History Books miss and what museums miss. I mean I used to really trust what was written.

I was chasing mercedes parts one day and came upon two old 75 year gents trying to pull a motor from an old tractor and I felt bad for them and gave them a hand. I refused money. They fed me dinner and. took me to their Barn. Literally things do fall through the Historian's grasp. I made a promise but if he ever reveals it when his time comes you will definitely see it in Time Magazine!

Hmmm WWI - Indiana Jones - two old school buses -- Time magazine - Lost history



I got it I got it....it's the lost Ark of the Covenant!!!!

[pawoSD]

I am sorta secretive about parts too.......but I'd always tell someone I know or am friends with.

Must be nice having so many yards nearby........within a 40 mile radius of my house we have 2 self-serve yards and a few "at the counter" yards....and thats it. Still am able to find sufficient parts though.....thankfully. I just strip them clean and horde stuff when I find a good example.

[DieselGrrl]

Originally Posted by Flounder

G.I. Auto Salvage in Pine Brook, NJ last year.

thats funny because i called them today, and they seemed open.