Abandoned Car of the Week

Turbocharged and ready for action

The second generation Pontiac Trans Am was completely restyled in 1979. Car and Driver magazine named the Trans Am the best handling car of 1979 with the WS6 performance package. This circa 1979 Trans Am was found in Casa Grande, Ariz. (Photo by Jim Prueter)

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 survivor



The 1965 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is selling from $30,000 to $45,000 depending on condition and the quality of its restoration (according to Classic.com). This circa 1965 copy, which looks restorable, was discovered in an Arizona salvage yard.
(Photo by Jim Prueter)

A third-generation Camaro



This circa 1984 Chevrolet Camaro found in eastern North Carolina was part of the third generation Camaro built from 1982-1992. The third-generation Camaros were the first to offer modern fuel injection and a hatchback body style. (Photo by Jim Meachen)

Remains of a 1940s Dodge truck



Dodge presented a completely redesigned line of trucks in 1939. This design ran through 1947 known as the T series (1939), the V series (1940) and the W series (1941-1947). Six different payload classes, a wide range of bodies, and 20 different wheelbase lengths were offered. This 1940-1941 relic was found in Texas.
(Photo by Petter Hubbard)

Winter in Wisconsin



This post-war Chevrolet pickup, its duties at an end, lives in retirement during a Wisconsin winter. For several years after its 1947 redesign, Chevrolet was the number one truck in sales in America.
(Photo by Jerry Brown)

Utah trucks in retirement



This 1935 Dodge work truck rests in retirement next to a Ford Model T truck in Utah. In 1933, Dodge started using a Plymouth "small block" flathead six or a bigger "big block" DeSoto.Chrysler six in its trucks. The big block six made 70 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. These style trucks were made from 1933 through 1938. The so-called "Job Rated" trucks were built from 1939 through 1947.
(Photo by Jim Prueter)

Oldsmobile piggyback



Two 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 models play piggyback in an Arizona salvage yard. The 1977 models featured the ugly 5 mph bumpers mandated by the government. The muscle car era just a memory from the '60s, the largest engine available for the  1977 Olds 442 was the 403-cubic-inch Rocket V-8 making 180 horsepower.
(Photo by Jim Prueter)

Field of abandoned dreams


Mazda built the RX-7 sports car through three generations from 1978 through 2002. It came with a compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine. More than 800,000 RX-7s were manufactured over its lifetime. This field of used-up RX-7s is located in eastern North Carolina. (Photo by Ralph Gable)


Last year of the Chevy Task Force trucks



This 1959 Chevrolet Apache pickup was discovered in Arizona. The 1959 truck was the last of the second series of the so-called "Task Force" trucks. The C/K series replaced the Task Force in 1960. The'59 pickup could be purchased with a choice of two inline 6-cylinder engines or three V-8s. Three transmissions were offered in1959, a 3-speed or 4-speed manual, or a 4-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission.
(Photo by Jim Prueter)

Bullet hole in disturbing place on this Buick



We hope nobody was sitting in the driver's seat when a bullet apparently went through the windshield of this used-up 1952 Buick discovered in an Arizona salvage yard. Buick was the fourth highest-selling nameplate in 1952 trailing only Chevrolet, Ford and Plymouth.
(Photo by Jim Prueter)