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Everything's big in Texas, including this landscape of Dodge and Chrysler relics full of some nifty hidden finds.
If your idea of paradise is strolling across a landscape strewn with oxidized metal, shattered glass, lacerated upholstery and punctured rubber, the lads at Heart of Texas Barn Finds and Classics have just the ticket. In a YouTube video from March, the Heart contingent visited a rural Mopar graveyard of some 100 Dodge vehicles and other models spread across two lots. These YouTubers have been prolific in the discovery department of late, having picked an old Challenger and Roadrunner from one area and finding a slew of abandoned Bel-Airs in another spot. This sojourn promises to be even more rewarding.
Thomas from Heart of Texas is the tour guide in this potential salvage operation. And the single-camera junket comes across like a moon walk as he traverses the territory of rusted relics, starting with a glance at a couple of 4x4s, until he happens upon what's left of a Challenger circa 1970, turned on its side. He shows interest in the red muscle car, which doesn't reveal any collision damage and still sports a solid floor, intact rear-window glass and the rear part of the chassis. But to restore the thing will require parts, presumably from other cars on the premises. "We're going to have to buy that, that, this, that, this to get this and then to get that stuff around," gestured Thomas towards a few cars nearby.
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He's also curious about an abandoned 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air, which he opens the hood, is surprised to discover that the V-8 engine looks like it's in one piece. His next stop is a tool shed where he comes across a few busted motorcycles underneath a collapsed awning, at which point he spots a 1957 Cadillac, which he estimates would be worth about $100,000 if he decides to take the vehicle and restore it. Still curious about seeing more, he asks the owner about checking the next lot.
"We're gonna go check all that out, try not to leave empty-handed today," said Thomas while driving to the second spot where he hopes to find something he can haul away. The first Mopar to catch his eye is a Dodge Demon circa 1971, which looks like it's in great shape, with far more red paint than rust and only one busted window. Unfortunately, it's a discovery the owner won't part with, so the search continues.
RELATED: The Hidden Gems Tucked Away In This Texas Junkyard With 3,000 Classics He also briefly checks out a Dodge Dart, a Corvair, an old International Harvester Scout, and a Dodge Rampage that the crew almost mistook for an El Camino.
In another section of the yard, Thomas wanders by an old Plymouth with its cabin stuffed with fenders, a couple of Dusters, including one missing a rear rend which would make it tough to move. He spotted another Challenger in the brush, which was not only missing tags and VINs, it also showed some serious damage. Thomas also spotted a Javelin that he liked, but didn't like his chances of getting the car out of the bush without a lot of clear-cutting. "It's not looking too good, at least not out here," Thomas muttered.
But what Thomas either didn't like or couldn't access in the second lot hasn't deterred him from coming back to this junkyard, especially with what he found in the first area. "There's way more cars at the other place that we want," he noted. The crew plans to return with a skid steer to help cut down the obstructive vegetation and tow their picks to solid ground and winch them up their flatbed. That's worth an episodic video.
Source: Heart of Texas Barn Finds and Classics
Gene Kosowan has been with Hotcars.com on and off since April of 2018 and prefers to focus on the weirder aspects of automotive culture. He's written about everything from celebrities to cars, but especially likes the latter as they're far less pretentious to interview.