It’s been 17 years since Old Cars first chronicled Stapleton Salvage & Auto Repair in Dodge City, Kan., but a call from yard owner Henry Stapleton’s daughter, Liz Winn, unfortunately revealed that her 95-year-old father had passed away. The yard is now for sale, which prompted a return visit from Old Cars to get the details of the pending sale.

This story begins in 1959, when Henry Stapleton started storing old cars and trucks in his cow pasture where he occasionally hunted. His yard business came to fruition when Stapleton began selling parts from those cars and trucks, as well as doing on-site repair work on customer vehicles.

Moving to present day, the current yard inventory totals approximately 2,300 vehicles. According to Alex
Stapleton, Henry’s son, approximately 75 percent of that total number spans the 1920s to ’70s, while 20 percent of that age range is comprised of pickups. While there remain some desirable V-8 engines and sought-after transmissions, the bulk of the muscle car inventory was sold years ago.

The yard’s 18-acre layout is narrow and approximately one-half mile long. It has a sand-rich base soil, and sports mildly hilly terrain. The property contains several outbuildings, two of which include decades of boxed new-old-stock parts. The main Quonset-style shop building includes tools, loose parts and internal office space. The yard property itself contains many random collections of loose parts, including engines and transmissions, body panels, chassis and rear ends. Alex Stapleton also revealed that his dad stored many donor-quality parts in the trunks of random cars in inventory, but that no list exists of the parts or their whereabouts. An on-site car crusher is also included in the sale.

In conversation with Henry’s children, it becomes understandable why Liz and Alex want to find a buyer who will be as passionate about operating the salvage business as their father was over the 60-plus years he owned the yard. They, too, logged much of their youth working in the yard.

“I started working out in the yard when I was 4 (years old),” recalled Alex. “I was out in the yard every day chasing parts (for dad) and removing parts for customers.”

Asked if he had any interesting memories from his childhood yard adventures, Alex chuckled, “A customer junked his 1959 Ford, and my dad and I found that the trunk was loaded with Playboy magazines.”

Liz added that she, too, spent a lot of her childhood toiling in the yard.

“I was tall enough to be able to hold open a hood with one hand and remove a carburetor with the other (hand).” One forgettable memory for her involved working under a pickup installing a transmission. “While I was lying on my back, a bull snake crawled up my leg.”

Both Liz and Alex are representing the sale of Stapleton Salvage & Auto Repair. Liz Winn can be contacted at 316-833-3391. Alex Stapleton can be reached at 620-885-5080. The mailing address for the property is Stapleton Salvage & Auto Repair, 11525 Lariat Way, Dodge City, KS 67801.

The salvage yard is currently closed for business, being prepped for the sale. All photos accompanying this story are included to represent the types of vehicles that comprise the yard’s inventory. None are individually for sale at this time as the family hopes to sell the yard and its entire contents to a single buyer.

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We know you love old cars, but do you collect anything else? Ever wonder about the baseball cards in a box in the basement or Grandma’s old coins in a jar?  Do you love history or spin vinyl? Head on over to Collect.com and see what you are missing. Collect.com is the who, what, when and where of the collecting world! https://www.collect.com/

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Up above with the plugged-in power tool, is my wife, Mrs. Rotten. Yep, she’s a keeper. I could go on about that, too, but to get started, let’s talk about the weather. 

Out here, in Montana, there’s a couple things folks say: “Six months of cold—six months of company.” And then there’s this one: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes.” For the rather short duration of our driving season, both of those hold true. 

For about a week back in June, we Rottens entertained house guests here at the shop. Among them was Wisconsin native Harry “The Crow” Graun. Since our move from California to Montana, The Crow has been out to visit a number of times. At his home-based shop, he’s working on a ’55 F-100 pickup project, but for this trip, his used-parts shopping was to help a friend.

The friend in need is in California, and he’s building a ’41 GMC pickup. For the needed section of grille and its surrounding sheet metal pieces, there’s not so much aftermarket help available. Those vulnerable front-end parts are just plain difficult to come by.

On the final day of our house guests’ stay, four of us took a rainy road trip to a favored Montana resource on the outskirts of the quaint community of Cut Bank. Here, we’re referring to the 40-acre spread known as “Rustless in Montana.” As the name implies, it’s not a yard full of rust buckets—and sure enough, the early GMC parts were there.

Optimistically armed with basic hand tools, our parts-pulling team felt prepared. As it worked out, the first-timers were anything but prepared for a typical Cut Bank kind of rainy day. Its gooey, squishy soil was not easily traversed. Standing still upon it was a joke beyond walking on banana peels, or even eggs for that matter. 

Since The Crow’s stuck-in-the-muck truck remained cozy and warm inside, two ordinarily helpful teammates declined to even step out. The other two (The Crow and yours truly) were willing. A lot like mud wrestling for gray-bearded men, the spectacle wasn’t so pretty.

As the rain poured down, we commenced to pulling parts. Accessible fasteners were “rustless” enough. For the most part, those threaded out easily, but wrenching the remaining small handful would require one of us to go down below—and the old 2-ton GMC grille donor was still on its big, ugly wheels. The impending unpleasantness would be the most-unpleasant part of our already-unpleasant mission. 

Now, about The Crow. Before we go farther, let me tell you that he’s no sissy. But following his wallowing in Cut Bank quagmire, he was heard to say something somewhat out of character. “I’m just about done,” he said. Still, the struggle went on ’til he finally snatched his wet tools from the truck’s left fender-top and officially proclaimed, “I’m done!” Soaked to the bone, we loaded back up and sloppily sloshed our way out of town—stopping just briefly to purchase new boots and socks.

Running short of vacation days, our house guests headed home —to three different states, in fact. Not to be thwarted, I’ll choose a better day and make another run at those GMC parts. This time I’ll bring along two equalizers: my right-hand, Mrs. Rotten, and a brand-new electric body saw from our local tool source. 

For the job at hand, the body saw we’ll purchase should help us access stubborn bolts in tight spots. Afterward, it’ll make a good little same-brand buddy for Mrs. Rotten’s full-size reciprocating saw. As an option, cordless rechargeable versions of both saws are available. Since our junkyard doggin’ wagon (a retired ambulance) makes its own AC power, we’ll just roll out an extension cord. 

At the time of this typewriting, two weeks have passed since our rainy day fiasco. In addition to heavy rain, Cut Bank is known for strong wind. If it’s been blowing, it’s likely dried the mire. Better-armed this time with power tools, let’s bring in our ringer and see if we can win this round.

Parts Donor Pickups

Welcome to “Rustless in Montana!” To make a long story short, this endeavor came to be when three friends partnered to purchase a private collection of “outdoorsy” iron that hadn’t been accessible before. Their initial idea was to hold a series of live auctions, which they have indeed been doing. As we’ve been told, the auctions will continue, but in between, their inventory remains available for sale. 

To call this place a “junkyard” would be grossly erroneous. There’s little-if-any junk here, as the Cut Bank climate is actually quite kind to precious sheet metal. We’ve illustrated that within the pages of Old Cars before. This time, since we’re working on old trucks, let’s just focus on old trucks. Consider this a sampling. 

Rustless in Montana
406-391-2355
www.rustlessinmontana.com

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Jeff says he has been interested in early Pontiac Firebirds and Chevrolet Camaros for a long time and has probably owned several dozen through the years, including “Bandit” Trans Ams and a couple of NASCAR IROC Trans Ams. Knowing this bit of information, it’s not surprising that Jeff’s first car was a 1967 Pontiac Firebird. While photographing Jeff and Karen’s collection, we also toured their home shop where, on a lift, Jeff works on his beautifully restored ’68 Camaro. Also in their home shop is stored a collection of at least eight or so Chevy small-block engines, including 265s, 283s, and 327s, plus an Oldsmobile Starfire engine and a Ford tractor engine, which Jeff says is probably from an 8N. In a pile nearby are a bunch of Chevrolet standard transmissions, including some with overdrive. All of the engines and transmissions are for sale.

Since saving the old salvage vehicles, Jeff and Karen have turned them into a hobby business of sorts. They do not have a salvage yard, but the couple will sell the vehicles or parts off of them to other collectors. It’s a part-time business since Jeff has a full-time gig as a machining and fabrication specialist at a shop he owns in nearby Conway, Ark. Karen also has a business selling items on eBay and has recently included some smaller auto parts from these vehicles in her listings.

The collection is parked in neat rows, and there are no loose parts to stumble over. We saw no oil spills, and there is enough room between vehicles to allow mowing between them, which is done regularly. The collection is not open for unescorted browsing, and if parts are needed, Jeff will remove them as time permits. Jeff and Karen say they will ship parts. Since he has a full-time job, Jeff may not be able to answer the phone, but he will return messages for parts inquiries. 

More Info:
Jeff & Karen Underwood
581 Highway 25
Wooster, AR 72181
501-269-0375

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When I arrived at Cherry Avenue Auto Parts on a very warm September morning in 2022, there was not a hint of a breeze. The salvage yard’s access lanes were open and free of vegetation, but the areas between older vehicles were overgrown with tall grass and weeds. Immediately after entering the weedy area, I was engulfed by a cloud of hungry mosquitos. About that time, I realized I had forgotten to put on my wide-brim hat, so I hightailed it back to my car to retrieve the hat. After retrieving the hat to appease my dermatologist, I checked with the office to see if the staff had bug spray, and they did to save the day.

An hour or so later, the strong west Texas wind picked up and grounded the mosquitos.

Having been opened by Lonnie Ferril in 1964, the staff of Cherry Avenue Auto Parts is well aware of Mother Nature’s influence in the yard. Mr. Ferril retired in 2005, and now the yard is run by his son, Byron Ferril, who oversees four employees. The company has expanded to include a 24-hour wrecker service.

At the time of my visit, the yard was being reorganized by moving the older vehicles to the back of the yard. Thieves had been cutting the fence and stealing parts off of the newer trucks, which were parked at the rear of the yard, so those trucks were being moved to the front. Not long before our visit, Byron said the fence was cut again and aluminum wheels were stolen and sold to a recycler across town. There was video footage of the theft, but despite this evidence, Byron says the case was dropped because of a technicality. As a result of this experience, Byron says he has become very discouraged.

The yard covers 23 acres and has approximately 3,000 vehicles with approximately 1,800 oldies. The oldest vehicle I noticed during my visit was a Model T body. Twice a year, a portable crusher crushes stripped vehicles in the yard. Unescorted browsing is allowed, and customers can remove parts. Bigger items, such as engines and transmissions, will be removed by yard personnel. Byron says they do not ship parts or vehicles.

The acquisition of older vehicles has slowed to a trickle, so older car inventory continues to dwindle. Locked in a side yard are about 25 restorable antique vehicles that are for sale only as complete units. Most yard owners store vehicles that they intend to keep, and Byron is among them. One of the vehicles in the side yard is a 1964 Chevy pickup that Byron’s grandfather bought new in Elk City, Okla., which Byron says it will never be sold.

The yard can be visited Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Make sure to be prepared for bugs and sun, and to call ahead to confirm the yard is open before traveling.  

Cherry Avenue Auto Parts
309 W. Cherry Avenue
Amarillo, TX 79108
806-383-7859

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The Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road in the United States, doubles as Interstate 80 spanning east-to-west through southern Wyoming. Traveling on I-80 just east of Rock Springs, Wyo., Auto Recyclers salvage yard is a can’t-miss site on the south side of the highway, visible mainly due to its unique “beauty” fence fronting the yard.

Current and second-generation yard owner John Liggett took over managing Auto Recyclers from his now-retired father, William, who started the business in 1980. When William purchased the five-acre property more than four decades ago, it included a hotel and diner that catered to weary and hungry travelers passing by on the Lincoln Highway. He cleared the property and opened his salvage yard, seeded with 400 vehicles, according to John Liggett, who added, “It’s now [expanded to] 30 acres and 2,800 vehicles.”

Among the thousands of vehicles in inventory, Liggett estimates 30 percent are of pre-1975 vintage. He said a few 1920s and ’30s cars and trucks exist, but the vintage inventory is mostly 1950s to ’70s. “I have titles for most of them,” he added.

“I have an appreciation for everything. The history,” Liggett explained of his yard’s former ties to the Lincoln Highway. His sentiment for the past may also explain his approach to maintaining the yard’s inventory at a manageable level, admitting he recently scrapped 150 vehicles. “We only crush late-models.”

The aforementioned unique “beauty” fence fronting the property is also part of the yard’s history to be appreciated. It’s made entirely of steel rims welded together. Liggett explained that, years ago, his father wanted one of their cousins to gain experience as a welder. He put him to work constructing this art-like fence from scrap rims. According to Liggett, it took three years to finish.

Another interesting sight among the yard’s inventory is a long row of school buses staged side-by-side, giving the appearance of an auxiliary parking lot. Liggett explained that the local school district is part of a study to replace its diesel engine-powered buses with ones powered by “green” alternative fuels. Similar to the former Cash For Clunkers mandate, once the diesel buses arrived at Auto Recyclers, their frames had to be cut and their engines destroyed so they could never again be re-purposed for road use.

Just as the school buses are grouped together, the majority of vehicles in Auto Recyclers’ inventory are arranged together by manufacturer. Wide aisles and level terrain allow for easy viewing of vehicles, but Liggett cautioned that customers are only allowed in the yard by appointment. The yard is open year-round, and Liggett said he has proper equipment to load vehicles on customers’ trailers.

An additional part of the yard’s inventory, according to Liggett, is 70,000 parts, both vintage and late-model, stored on site that can be described and priced over the phone. Auto Recyclers is a worldwide parts shipper, moving approximately 2,000 parts annually. Liggett said for customer ease, he maintains a multi-faceted internet presence, accessed via www.autorecyclerswy.com.

The yard is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MST). Liggett added that car club tours can be arranged by appointment. 

Auto Recyclers
654 I-80 Service Road South
Rock Springs, WY 82901
Phone: 307-382-4222
Email: autorecyclerswy@gmail.com  

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They are still out there, but they are getting harder to find. “Bring ‘Em Back to Life” takes us for a trip down memory lane as Dennis Savage visits salvage yards and talks about the vintage iron.

“Bring ‘Em Back To Life” offers opportunities to remember the past while talking about saving a potential treasure.

When Savage decided to put his thoughts to tape, he accepted an invitation to join a newly forming group of film makers in New London, CT that eventually became known as South Eastern Connecticut Film Makers, or SECTFilm. With help from other members he put together a pilot episode and a few trailers and began showing them at exhibitions and eastern Connecticut film festivals. Audiences were delighted with what Savage had produced and he knew he was onto something.

In each episode Savage walks through a salvage yard with camera in hand looking at vintage treasure with parts or restoration in mind. Salvage yard owners often accompany him as they tell stories of the generations growing up in the yards. 

To enjoy some vintage iron and lighthearted stories visit the ‘Bring ‘Em Back to Life’ YouTube channel.

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Owner calls Utah yard ‘better than a car show’

Story and photos by Ron Kowalke

Tourists flock to southwest Utah to visit scenic wonders such as both Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks and the Dixie National Forest. For automotive enthusiasts, one additional must-see attraction in the area is Sewer Flats Salvage, located west of Paragonah. The yard is easily accessed from Interstate 15, the main north-south route in the state.

Owned by Lamont Jonsson for the past dozen years, Sewer Flats Salvage has an inventory of just north of 2,000 vehicles. According to Jonsson, about one-third of the inventory is vintage cars and trucks. That latter number, though, doesn’t do justice to the amount of vintage parts stockpiled in the yard, stored both outside in neat rows and packed away in storage trailers. Jonsson, the third owner of the yard, said he spends considerable time and energy combing the southwestern United States to amass what has to be one of the largest collection of parts — both new-old-stock and used — for Fords of the 1930s and ’40s.

The enticement of the large “Blue Oval” inventory of parts at Sewer Flats Salvage overshadows what’s available in the way of both in-demand cars and trucks which are often rust-free and complete. One of the stand-out features of the yard is the depth of multiples of the same model. Johnson “likes all cars,” but said he favors convertibles and convertible sedans, and both body styles are well represented in the yard. Because much of Jonsson’s inventory is so complete, he said he will only sell whole vehicles. He added that he maintains a generous supply of parts donor vehicles.

Located at the western lip of the Dixie National Forest and with hills and peaks abundant just to the east, Sewer Flats Salvage is comprised of 26 acres of level terrain with wide aisles separating the rows of vehicles. The vintage inventory is mainly grouped together, but randomly assembled by manufacturer. Pickup and panel delivery trucks, the majority of vintage examples comprised of 1955-’80 models, are somewhat lumped together in the center of the yard. Fords and Chevrolets dominate that category.

Dominant years for the vintage cars are 1930s to ’60s, with the most depth coming from Fords of the ’30s and ’40s including popular coupes and two-door sedans. There’s also excellent representation of Tri-Chevys, Mercury Cougars, ’50s Studebakers and ’50s Pontiacs, including an entire row of ’57 Pontiacs of various models and body styles.

Among the hard-to-miss vehicles at Sewer Flats Salvage is a 1951 Kaiser Deluxe sedan that stands out for all the wrong reasons. Certainly having a noteworthy Howard “Dutch” Darrin design helps attract the eye, but this car underwent a near-complete restoration and was then abandoned. Surrounded by cars with bleached or patina’ed finishes, the Kaiser offers gleaming two-tone red-and-white paint, new wide whitewall tires — with original purchase stickers attached — and unattached trim pieces stored in its interior.

Another can’t-miss vehicle is the yard’s elder statesman —a 1929 Chevy International utility truck. It has disc wheels fitted with rotted antique tires, a squared-off cab and bullet-shaped headlamps, but the real take-notice feature of this workhorse flatbed is its “Cast-Iron Wonder” overhead-valve six-cylinder engine, which Chevrolet debuted in ’29.

With all the important vintage inventory of both vehicles and parts, Jonsson said he relies on word of mouth to gain and retain customers. Sewer Flats Salvage has no internet presence, nor any computerized list of available vehicles or parts. Jonsson says he has a good memory for what parts are on hand, and a phone call to him can dial in a customer about what’s for sale. Titles are available for some vehicles, and Jonsson said a bill of sale will be offered for those purchased that don’t have titles. Equipment is on hand to help customers load vehicles on trailers. Toolboxes are allowed in the yard with permission, but customers must ask first before removing items from donor-part vehicles.

Tours of Sewer Flats Salvage can be arranged by appointment. Johnson claims the tours are “better than a car show.” The yard’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (MST), and Saturdays by appointment.

Sewer Flats Salvage
P.O. Box 600245 (mail address)
Paragonah, UT 84760
435-477-0165 (shop)
435-463-1934 (mobile)

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The Randall Watts Collection

Story and photos by Leroy Drittler

A lead pointed me to a salvage yard filled with rusty old cars and trucks parked near a shop in northeast Arkansas. Sure enough, I spotted those vehicles as I reached the intersection of State Highways 90 and 93, but there was no sign to indicate it was a commercial business. I did find a bearded man in a red wool “toboggan” and overalls who was working on a vintage tractor near the fence. I pulled to the shoulder of the road, got out, walked over and introduced myself. The man was friendly enough and after explaining that I’d like to photograph his old vehicles for a salvage yard article in Old Cars Weekly, he invited me to enter.

I circled around to the entrance where the wire gate was open. Randall Watts explained that he was raised a little ways up the road and when he was a kid, he would walk to the country grocery store that was once at this location. He would pick up glass pop bottles that people had thrown along the road, bring them to the store and collect the deposit for them. At that time, he never dreamed he would someday own the place. Watts is now using the grocery store building as a shop and for parts storage.

Watts still lives on that road, in a nearby house with a fenced-in yard decorated by three or four old metal pedal cars in the front yard. Watts said those collectable pedal cars aren’t just for decoration.

“My kids played with those pedal cars, and now my grand kids are playing with them,” he said.

Watts is a natural story teller and says he was born turning wrenches. When something broke, he’d help his dad fix it. It wasn’t long before he was fixing broken items and his dad was watching.

By the age of seven, Watts was already driving a tractor. He loved cars and trucks and was driving them by the age of 10.

“I had a $50 horse, and traded it for a $50 truck,” he said. “That was my first truck, a ’55 Ford.”

The Ford truck was followed by many other items, not just vehicles. He said he began collecting when he was very young and is a self-described hoarder. He is also a drag racer, and his mechanical skills have helped him win some races. Those skills continue to help him win races a couple times a year with a 1955 Chevy wagon.

Watts’ wife quickly became accustomed to his automotive lifestyle. On the day they met, she told him, “You wear the same cologne as my dad.” Watts replied, “I’m sorry, but I don’t wear cologne. What does it smell like?” She replied, “Well, it smells like oil, gasoline and diesel fuel.”

Not long after she and Watts were married, he took her with him to pick up a vehicle he had bought at auction. After seeing the vehicle, she asked him, “How much did you pay for that piece of junk?” He proudly replied, “Five bucks!” She told him, “I’ll give you ten bucks to leave it here.”

A few years later, Watts and his wife had a large payment coming up and Watts could see that his wife was concerned about how they were going to make the payment.

“I told her not to worry, I would take care of it.” Watts gathered up a big truckload of aluminum, copper and other metals and took them to the local recycler. He got the money to make the payment and had money left over for his wife to buy Christmas presents. At that point, Watts’ hobby was easier to justify to his significant other.

Watts accompanied me as I photographed the vehicles in his yard and told me the history of many of them. The yard is also home to various farm animals including sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, cows and a bull, some of which also accompanied us.

“I don’t think that bull will bother you as long as we are together,” Watts said with a twinkle in his eye. It was a different story with the geese, however. The birds would stiffen their necks and squawk loudly when we got near them, and as soon as we walked by, they would lunge at the back of our legs.

If the animals let you pass, Watts says nearly all of the vehicles are for sale as a unit, and parts can be removed from many of them. If it’s a small part you need and it will fit in a U.S. Post Office mailer, he will ship it. Otherwise, you need to pick it up.

Watts doesn’t keep regular business hours. When he’s there, he’ll be working in the shop or on vehicles in the yard. You can call him, but he doesn’t answer the phone during daylight hours. Leave a message and he’ll call you back, or call after dark. You can also e-mail Watts if you see something you need.

Randall Watts Collection
11143 Highway 90 West
Pocahontas, AR 72455
watts01@centurytel.net
870-248-9172

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