$29.6 million Junkyard auction

When I was a young man in my early 20s I had my own "barn find" experience. A gentleman I had known for most of my life had a quonset hut behind his buisness in downtown Dothan. The lot was fairly overgrown and I'd driven past it dozens of times in my life over the years and never would have guessed at the treasures inside. Well somehow we got to talking cars one day and he mentioned he had a Oldsmobile 442. So we go to his shop one Sunday afternoon. And low and behold in that giant quonset hut bordering the ghetto was a pristine burnt orange 1970 Olds 442 convertible with white interior. Thing was mint. He just didn't strike me as the muscle car type. Which is probably why it was in that shop my whole life and I never knew about it or seen him drive it. This was around 2000. I'm sure it had probably been there since the early 80s at the latest. Now I love muscle cars but I knew there was no way I could afford that or with 2 kids and being a starving apprentice even justify my desire for it.

However in the corner of this shop was a 1966 Chevy Stepside 283 4 speed. His dad had owned a mobile home co.pany on the 60s and they used the truck as a service truck. So they had taken the stepside fenders off and put tool body fenders on it. The original fenders were right there in a box next to it. They were slightly better looking than the rest of the truck from not being exposed to the sun since new. But the truck was in great shape as well. Not as pristine as the olds but it definitely did not look like a 40 year old truck.

He told me I could have it for $600. Unfortunately being a starving apprentice with 2 kids I couldn't swing it. 😭😭😭 God I wanted that truck. I should have offered him $50 a month till it was paid for. Im sure hed have done it. Also there was a 77 Chevy 3500 (I think it was a C30 then) 28k miles and a big camper shell. Thing was uglier than hell but was in good shape. 454. Probably 6mpg lol. I never liked dually. Especially 2wd duallys but if you're into that kinda truck it would have been a good one. He had all kinds of other equipment and stuff in there but those are the three things that stuck out to me. He passed away a couple of years ago from leukemia. He was kinda odd character kinda wealthy but wasn't flashy. He drove an older 2wd dodge Dakota like 87ish to his office.

My Mopar buddy had an old warehouse in the ghetto he kept a few of his cars and a lot of parts, engines and stuff in. So now every time I see an old abandoned looking warehouse I wonder what goodies lurk behind it's walls. He was definitely not wealthy but he would by a car in a field and it might take him 5-10 years but when he was done it was a mint show piece. His first car was a 70 roadrunner. He still has it. But most of his collection disappeared in his divorce from his first wife. I know he has the road runner a 68 Dart GTS and I think the 69 sport satellite.

By the time I started making. A little money I was already i to boats and that has kept me broke and classic carless every since 😁😁😁