Orphan Cabbage... Desoto Airflow

[Jeff_H]

Having not enough courage to work on sanding and mudding drywall quite yet today, I rooted through some old negatives to scan in.

This unusual car is a Desoto Airflow from the 30s. Dunno much more than that other than I took this picture in 1996.



The car immediately behind the desoto is a Dodge.

[JBOYLE]

The Buick HT wagon back there is nice too.
Hope someone saved them.

[showbizkid]

Those hardtop Buick wagons were called "Caballero"s. Great cars (for a '58).

There's a lot of really great vintage tin in this shot, and a such a late date, too! That Airflow would make a great resto - looks pretty complete.

[aenthal]

Where is this trove of steel (or was it) ?
It can't be a photo from a similar collection in Buelah ND because that one is set on bluffs and this is on flat land.

[fargoguy]

Nice Pic! i wouldn't mind that blue Comet convert in the background either!

[56H-Y6]

Hi

Hard to believe a car as rare as a '34 DeSoto Airflow was still in a junkyard as late as 1996. Total production was 13,940, with the four door sedan the most common at 11,713. Dearly hope that car was saved. The Airflow was a real engineer's car i. e. designed completely around groundbreaking engineering advancements to the exclusion of appealing aesthetics. In addition to applying aerodynamic principle, the engine is moved forward over the front axle line allowing the passenger compartment to be moved forward too, bringing the rear seat passengers down and off the rear axle line. For the first time, those in the rear seat wouldn't be jounced and bucked around as was typical for rear seat passengers in all but the heaviest sedans. Though, in truth, the real objection was to the frontal design, notice the body from the cowl rearward was what would be the norm by the late '30's.

That '58 Caballero hardtop wagon is another desirable rarity: 3,420 Specials and 4,456 Centurys. Next to '58 Buick convertibles, those hardtop wagons are easily the most desirable model.

Steve

[aenthal]

I am not sure that is a junkyard.
It may be a private collection.
I have several friends who own large properties and squirrel away cars they like, never to actually fix and drive them again.
One was in Pennsylvania. One is in Maricopa Arizona, one is in Windsor Ontario, and one is in Beulah North Dakota.
There is also one I know of in Sacramento CA and one between Salt Lake City Utah and Park City.
I don't happen to know the owners of those two car hoards.

If this were a junkyard these cars would have parts missing.
That they are all as whole as they came into the place being, suggests that this is one of those private hoards.

[53k]

The man from whom I bought my latest Avanti was in to Airflows. One was a Chrysler which was very nicely rodded.




He also had a complete, but rough DeSoto Airflow coupe which I somehow missed photographing.

[Jeff_H]

I am not sure that is a junkyard. It may be a private collection.

Well, you could be right.... The story I was told in '96 was the 'yard was his father's and closed in the 70s?? (not sure any more since its been near 15yrs). I did buy some stuff from the son when I was there and many of the cars were at least somewhat stripped or missing a few things but there were a lot of nearly intact ones too. Maybe the father never was too serious as a 'yard proprietor and liked to collect stuff.... I'd met the owner at the Iola, WI swap meet in probably 1995 where he had a swap space. The next spring I made it out to this 'yard West of Souix Falls, SD. The 'yard wasn't really "open" in the sense like a regular yard with normal hours but I think he worked it on the side weekends as I recall. There was a small crew melting down old semi truck cabs into big aluminum ingots for scrap the day I was there. I think it was a Saturday. Back then I lived SW of Minneapolis about 90 miles and it was a decent haul to get there. I've not been back since after my move to the Fargo area and now its even farther from here 1 way to even check out. For all I know the place is gone now.

Not sure if I should post a new topic or add to this one but I scanned all the pix I took of stuff in the yard (mostly of studes). If they'd had digital cameras back then I could have taken 100s of pix, but as it is I only took 10.

[Milaca]

Is it just me, or is it more fun to look at rusty cars in salvage yards than to look at restored cars at car shows? I enjoyed salvage yards as a kid and I enjoy them now. Good times!

[bob40]

If the yard was in Scotland SD it is no longer there.

[Chris_Dresbach]

The front end of the car in the first pic really reminds me of the 1934 Bendix car.

[Jeff_H]

If the yard was in Scotland SD it is no longer there.

No, now that I think of it more it was near Hartford. Google maps satellite view shows that its still there S of town and appears to me to have expanded even. Looks like there is a few extra acres on the S side that I don't recall being there. As to whether any of the vintage tin from 15yrs ago is still there is unknown to me.