Junkyard Chronicle

Clunkbucket Acquires Junkyard Chronicle in Media Merger

Long-running negotiations have resulted in the first ever acquisition by media giant Clunkbucket - the premier destination for finding, fixing, restoring, and even racing your unloved or forgotten classic car. Clunkbucket set out to become the global destination for budget restoration and inexpensive motoring entertainment in 2009, and is excited about upping the frequency of junkyard journeys into the editorial calendar. All content on Junkyard Chronicle will eventually be republished on Clunkbucket, with bonus content added when applicable.

"If by documenting one automobile at the end of its road helps a few more of its kind avoid being crushed into oblivion, then our work preserving automotive and cultural history is done. Clunkbucket is here to keep the automotive restoration and preservation economy rolling one old car, truck, or minivan at a time", said Clunkbucket Founder and Editor-in-Chief Mike Bumbeck.

Junkyard Chronicle was established in 2006 as a way to peer into automotive cultural history by way of the self-service automotive junkyards of Southern California. Junkyard Chronicle will remain active until financial negotiations are complete, at which point the site will be fully integrated into behemoth Clunkbucket. This virtually seamless media acquisition will result in a far more streamlined Clunkbucket content delivery experience moving forward into and beyond Q3 2010.

Clunkbucket is your home for everything but the same old cars. While it makes us sad to see automobiles at the end of their road, knowing that automotive history will live on recycled secures our future.

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Spanning the Globe for the Constant Variety of Vans

While the junkyard may serve as great inspiration for engine swaps, or trigger a fresh want for a car or truck that had up to that moment been long since forgotten, it is not a source for fresh or even remotely safe cuisine. No matter how hungry you are while out mining greasy gold at the junkyard, never eat any food found on the premises. Even though the unopened Slim Jim that's been in the glovebox of that 1976 Oldsmobile Starfire since 1981 may actually be safe, this burrito was clearly not. The risk clearly outweighs any potential benefit. A taco Al Pastor or Carne Asada from the truck out in the parking lot is a safer and far more delicious choice.

As odd as many of the occurrences that present themselves at the junkyard may be, there has been no greater moment of rarity to date than seeing not one, but two Chevrolet Chevettes coexisting in such close proximity. A contemporary of the Toyota Starlet and Mazda GLC, the Chevette was built on the GM T-platform, and was one of the last rear-drive hatches sold in the US. This rear-drive made the Chevette a favorite of lunatics with extra V-8 engines laying around, but almost no one else.

From the well and truly forgotten department comes this fine Peugeout 505 turbo station wagon. It may come as great surprise that diesel burning French station wagons never quite caught on here in the United States. This one had evidently survived long past its brethren before meeting its ultimate demise, likely the result of a part constructed of unobtanium expiring. Front spoiler and sporty wheels are but a hint to what was once considered a fine road going wagon of its time. Perhaps the time is now for full size rear-drive turbodiesel station wagons to to return to the roads. Perhaps not.

Turbocharged engines are experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to a more performance oriented hive of consumers. This new swell of turbo madness would in fact be the second wave. The first wave of production turbocharged rockets occurred in the eighties, as fuel control systems drifted away from carburetors and into computerized multipoint fuel injection. Manufacturers threw turobocharged mills into vehicles with great abandon. Case in point is this 1987 Chrysler Town and Country Station Wagon featuring a 2.2L turbochraged mill and genuine simulated woodgrain paneling with truly simulated trim. Besides the turbocharger the K-car wagon featured leather seats and some sort of Traveler computerized travel computer. Quality engineered, by the Chrysler corporation.

The two-tone paint and somewhat timeless yet almost daring styling of this Datsun 810 saloon would stun any true junkyard denizen into full stop. While this may look like a typical universal Japanese sedan of the time, the trick stuff lay hidden. Under the hood is an injected version of the same six-cylinder powerplant found in the Z-cars tweaked to kick out a respectable 154 HP. Out back is an independent rear suspension. Inside is a sweet angled gauge pack and other sporty bits that give the 810 SUPER SLEEPER POTENTIAL!

Following in the footsteps of the Vega was the Chevrolet Monza. While the rear drive hatch came with a variety of engines this particular one had a 350 V-8 stuffed into the engine bay. Even with 5.7 liters of displacement the mill only managed to kick out a measly 125 HP stock. More would certainly be simple enough, but this Monza has unfortunately breathed its last. The genuine simulated wood grain dash inlay adds a classy touch.

For your viewing pleasure comes this Plymouth Fire Arrow that appears to have made its way to this prime junkyard display spot after having caught on fire. The Fire Arrow was sold in the United States as a Plymouth. In Japan the little fastback was known as the Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste. To the oh-so-ironic wearing a scrunched up cowboy hat or foam front truckers cap in the city. You have nothing on a burnt up Fire Arrow stranded on a wall in the San Fernando valley.

Fresh from the all that is old is not really at all new department comes the real Dodge Aspen. This one a wagon. Since the reasoning behind resurrecting the Dodge Aspen as a Chrysler Aspen escapes us we thought it only fitting to display a well used example of the original Dodge Aspen. The new Aspen is described as a "stunningly designed sport-utility vehicle that combines luxury and roominess without the guilt". Of all the ways to describe life behind the wheel of the original Dodge Aspen, guilty would not be one of them. Behold an original F-body Aspen wagon in its expired glory.

Back in the late 70's the big three were in the soup. New emissions regulations in conjunction with old technology made for some interesting if not so effective attempts at fuel and spark control. Some of these things worked. Some certainly didn't. More yet kind of sort of worked. In the latter category comes the Chrysler Electronic Fuel Control System. Also known as the "lean burn", this proto-computer lived on the side of the air filter housing and attempted to control ignition timing by way of reading engine vacuum via the miracle of computers. And so on. Pop the cover on one of these systems at the junkyard and one is greeted with the vision of top of the line for 1975 transistors embedded in an prehistoric-fly-in-amber like substance. Sometimes a few spiders will crawl out, their quality engineering work long since completed.

One-Dollar Taco Bailout Plan

While the junkyard may serve as great inspiration for engine swaps, or trigger a fresh want for a car or truck that had up to that moment been long since forgotten, it is not a source for fresh or even remotely safe cuisine. No matter how hungry you are while out mining greasy gold at the junkyard, never eat any food found on the premises. Even though the unopened Slim Jim that's been in the glovebox of that 1976 Oldsmobile Starfire since 1981 may actually be safe, this burrito was clearly not. The risk clearly outweighs any potential benefit. A taco Al Pastor or Carne Asada from the truck out in the parking lot is a safer and far more delicious choice.

Chevette Continuum

As odd as many of the occurrences that present themselves at the junkyard may be, there has been no greater moment of rarity to date than seeing not one, but two Chevrolet Chevettes coexisting in such close proximity. A contemporary of the Toyota Starlet and Mazda GLC, the Chevette was built on the GM T-platform, and was one of the last rear-drive hatches sold in the US. This rear-drive made the Chevette a favorite of lunatics with extra V-8 engines laying around, but almost no one else.

Zut, Alors!

From the well and truly forgotten department comes this fine Peugeout 505 turbo station wagon. It may come as great surprise that diesel burning French station wagons never quite caught on here in the United States. This one had evidently survived long past its brethren before meeting its ultimate demise, likely the result of a part constructed of unobtanium expiring. Front spoiler and sporty wheels are but a hint to what was once considered a fine road going wagon of its time. Perhaps the time is now for full size rear-drive turbodiesel station wagons to to return to the roads. Perhaps not.

Take it Easy There, Turbo

Turbocharged engines are experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to a more performance oriented hive of consumers. This new swell of turbo madness would in fact be the second wave. The first wave of production turbocharged rockets occurred in the eighties, as fuel control systems drifted away from carburetors and into computerized multipoint fuel injection. Manufacturers threw turobocharged mills into vehicles with great abandon. Case in point is this 1987 Chrysler Town and Country Station Wagon featuring a 2.2L turbochraged mill and genuine simulated woodgrain paneling with truly simulated trim. Besides the turbocharger the K-car wagon featured leather seats and some sort of Traveler computerized travel computer. Quality engineered, by the Chrysler corporation.

Forgotten Datsun

The two-tone paint and somewhat timeless yet almost daring styling of this Datsun 810 saloon would stun any true junkyard denizen into full stop. While this may look like a typical universal Japanese sedan of the time, the trick stuff lay hidden. Under the hood is an injected version of the same six-cylinder powerplant found in the Z-cars tweaked to kick out a respectable 154 HP. Out back is an independent rear suspension. Inside is a sweet angled gauge pack and other sporty bits that give the 810 SUPER SLEEPER POTENTIAL!

V-8 Chevy Monza Power

Following in the footsteps of the Vega was the Chevrolet Monza. While the rear drive hatch came with a variety of engines this particular one had a 350 V-8 stuffed into the engine bay. Even with 5.7 liters of displacement the mill only managed to kick out a measly 125 HP stock. More would certainly be simple enough, but this Monza has unfortunately breathed its last. The genuine simulated wood grain dash inlay adds a classy touch.

Burnt Arrow

For your viewing pleasure comes this Plymouth Fire Arrow that appears to have made its way to this prime junkyard display spot after having caught on fire. The Fire Arrow was sold in the United States as a Plymouth. In Japan the little fastback was known as the Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste. To the oh-so-ironic wearing a scrunched up cowboy hat or foam front truckers cap in the city. You have nothing on a burnt up Fire Arrow stranded on a wall in the San Fernando valley.

Luxury and Roominess

Fresh from the all that is old is not really at all new department comes the real Dodge Aspen. This one a wagon. Since the reasoning behind resurrecting the Dodge Aspen as a Chrysler Aspen escapes us we thought it only fitting to display a well used example of the original Dodge Aspen. The new Aspen is described as a "stunningly designed sport-utility vehicle that combines luxury and roominess without the guilt". Of all the ways to describe life behind the wheel of the original Dodge Aspen, guilty would not be one of them. Behold an original F-body Aspen wagon in its expired glory.

Using Technology

Back in the late 70's the big three were in the soup. New emissions regulations in conjunction with old technology made for some interesting if not so effective attempts at fuel and spark control. Some of these things worked. Some certainly didn't. More yet kind of sort of worked. In the latter category comes the Chrysler Electronic Fuel Control System. Also known as the "lean burn", this proto-computer lived on the side of the air filter housing and attempted to control ignition timing by way of reading engine vacuum via the miracle of computers. And so on. Pop the cover on one of these systems at the junkyard and one is greeted with the vision of top of the line for 1975 transistors embedded in an prehistoric-fly-in-amber like substance. Sometimes a few spiders will crawl out, their quality engineering work long since completed.