I read an old thread in the technical section from 2002 and the writer mentioned there were tons of Mavericks and Comets in the wrecking yards. Fast forwarding 13 years, are you folks finding low rust donor cars are really hard to find? Might be a dumb question.
any donor car in my area is like finding gold when the price of metal went up a few years ago every hillbilly headed to the scrap yard to cash in, powerglides c4's turbo 350 trannys met the same fate as the old cars any 40 year old donor car is getting hard to find in my area I know of a few stash ones but I don't tell many people about them Mavericks at car shows in my area are few and far between
I concur. I go to junkyards virtually everyday Monday thru Friday for my day job. When the price of scrap went up......they all crushed the old cars and off to the metal recyclers they went. The price of scrap is way down right now....so the yards are stock piling cars right now...but not much Mavericks.
In my history with my Comet, and Florida is kind to old cars, I would find a Mav or Comet about every three months in the late 90s. This would be in 3 local u-pull-it yards. It filtered down to about 1 year after that. When the economy tanked, the number went back up ... people needing to get cars moved, etc. and it went back up to about 3 a year for 2008-12. Seems to have wound back down lately.... 1-2 per year.... and I am overdue.
In 20 yrs I have seen one in a scrap yard up here (Buffalo NY)...It was so rotten the lug nuts were the only thing salvageable,And they were rusty too. Wasnt' a panel on it that wasn't bent up or rotted...LOL...
Unless it's a private owner you probably won't find one around here... I know where there were a couple 1970s without engine/trans that yard was trying to sell as projects, finally dragged them in the parts yard...A friend did buy a good hood, not sure if they are still there... I've rarely bought anything from a salvage yard, usually get a complete car and part it myself...
My family owned two Grabbers back in the 70's and before the end of the decade, it was not unusual to see totally rotted out Mavericks and Comets both on the road and in people's yards. That was 35- 40 years ago. No small wonder the survivability is so low compared to some other cars.
Depends upon what part of the Country you are looking. I don't visit wrecking yards like I used to, since I moved to Oregon. Last year I saw several in Nampa, Idaho. I usually report them to the VIN thread. Usually something along the various wrecking yards along the 99 corridor in California, between Chico and Bakersfield. Still see them in and around SoCal and the Inland Empire too.
