A treasure trove!!!
Story bascially goes like this, a group of friends and myself, were out following the Targa Rally, which is NZ's most prominent tarmac event (and features a huge amount of retro tin, but I'll get to that in another thread) and we were just driving into a moderately sized town called Dannevirke after spending an afternoon in the definition of "the middle of nowhere." Anyway, as we neared the town limits, I spied a cluster of rusty old vehicles off to the left, and yelped for the driver to spin a U-turn.
We did so, and as we crawled back past, noticed it to be a PADDOCK full of old cars, vans, trucks.... you name it. After a brief discussion, we decided we'd make the trip up the drive, kind of fearing a shotgun waving lunatic would emerge from the house buried amongst the bodies and we'd join the various automotive corpses in their collective fate.
But! It wasn't to be, and an old chap came wandering out of the place, greeted us, and yes, after we asked, he was more than happy for us to have a wander around. Excellent.
First, a bit of background on the place, after having a chat with the guy, who's name turned out to be Wilf Boyte (better than referring to him as "the old guy" now isn't it!). Basically, it all started 40 years ago, when he obatined a wrecked car, with the intentions of using the axles for a horse float.... and basically it just snowballed from there, with huge amounts of vehicles simply being gifted to him, other odds and ends being bought at auctions, and the occcasion oddity being purloined from the rubbish tip. And instead of a mere paddock, it turned out to be 6 ACRES WORTH!!!!!
So, enjoy this selection of pics I took, sorry none of them are particularly artistic or anything,it was a borrowed camera, and a spur of the moment thing.
Overlooking the gully where it was predominantly old English stuff
Some of the cars:
VB Holden Commodore
RA63 Celica, had an 18R-GEU, W55 box, F code LSD rear AND alloys!
Renault 16TS, a rarity in a junkyard let alone the roads!
EB1 Honda Civic in a less then diplomatic pose
Datsun 180B
Isuzu Gemini
Vauxhall Victor (we never had Ventoras)
Mazda RX3 coupe, I was flabbergasted to see this!
One of my all time favourite Fiats
Another Victor, propping up a tree
XA Falcon sedan, to follow on from the LTD/Falcon discussion
Peugeot 404, was complete and not really that bad condition on top
Skoda (...... help me out with the model name please!) recent addition.
Toledo, resting in lichen-ey peace
Mark 3 maaaaate
HR Holden station wagon
Another Datsun 180B
Viva!!!!
Chrysler Valiant AP5, UBER rare car, and there was even a Safari estate there!
Landcrab....
Subaru 1600
And finally, this old Dodge sitting on a trailer had a bit of a story... 20 years ago, a Private from a nearby army base approached Wilf and asked to buy this car, to which he agreed, and a price was settled on. Wilf kindly dragged the car up from the gully pictured above, and readied it on a trailer to be taken away.... and there it has sat ever since!!!
Plenty more to come if you're not already bored.
Story bascially goes like this, a group of friends and myself, were out following the Targa Rally, which is NZ's most prominent tarmac event (and features a huge amount of retro tin, but I'll get to that in another thread) and we were just driving into a moderately sized town called Dannevirke after spending an afternoon in the definition of "the middle of nowhere." Anyway, as we neared the town limits, I spied a cluster of rusty old vehicles off to the left, and yelped for the driver to spin a U-turn.
We did so, and as we crawled back past, noticed it to be a PADDOCK full of old cars, vans, trucks.... you name it. After a brief discussion, we decided we'd make the trip up the drive, kind of fearing a shotgun waving lunatic would emerge from the house buried amongst the bodies and we'd join the various automotive corpses in their collective fate.
But! It wasn't to be, and an old chap came wandering out of the place, greeted us, and yes, after we asked, he was more than happy for us to have a wander around. Excellent.
First, a bit of background on the place, after having a chat with the guy, who's name turned out to be Wilf Boyte (better than referring to him as "the old guy" now isn't it!). Basically, it all started 40 years ago, when he obatined a wrecked car, with the intentions of using the axles for a horse float.... and basically it just snowballed from there, with huge amounts of vehicles simply being gifted to him, other odds and ends being bought at auctions, and the occcasion oddity being purloined from the rubbish tip. And instead of a mere paddock, it turned out to be 6 ACRES WORTH!!!!!
So, enjoy this selection of pics I took, sorry none of them are particularly artistic or anything,it was a borrowed camera, and a spur of the moment thing.
Overlooking the gully where it was predominantly old English stuff
Some of the cars:
VB Holden Commodore
RA63 Celica, had an 18R-GEU, W55 box, F code LSD rear AND alloys!
Renault 16TS, a rarity in a junkyard let alone the roads!
EB1 Honda Civic in a less then diplomatic pose
Datsun 180B
Isuzu Gemini
Vauxhall Victor (we never had Ventoras)
Mazda RX3 coupe, I was flabbergasted to see this!
One of my all time favourite Fiats
Another Victor, propping up a tree
XA Falcon sedan, to follow on from the LTD/Falcon discussion
Peugeot 404, was complete and not really that bad condition on top
Skoda (...... help me out with the model name please!) recent addition.
Toledo, resting in lichen-ey peace
Mark 3 maaaaate
HR Holden station wagon
Another Datsun 180B
Viva!!!!
Chrysler Valiant AP5, UBER rare car, and there was even a Safari estate there!
Landcrab....
Subaru 1600
And finally, this old Dodge sitting on a trailer had a bit of a story... 20 years ago, a Private from a nearby army base approached Wilf and asked to buy this car, to which he agreed, and a price was settled on. Wilf kindly dragged the car up from the gully pictured above, and readied it on a trailer to be taken away.... and there it has sat ever since!!!
Plenty more to come if you're not already bored.