Junkyard Gems of Turner’s Auto Wrecking in Fresno, California

However, we needed special permission to enter the smaller lot across the road by the railroad tracks, where some of the rarer vehicles were stored. Fortunately, we managed to talk ourselves in, and we spent an hour or so admiring the fine selection of rare classics:

Despite their scarcity, and the fact that they’re hand built, hearses, ambulances and other professional vehicles have a relatively poor following on the classic car scene. It’s a case of rarity and value having little or no correlation.

Take this Cadillac Superior end-loader hearse for example, which was one of just 241 produced by the Ohio-based coachbuilder in 1966. We believe it was a range-topping Crown Sovereign, of which just 25 were built. We wonder how many people it took on their final journey before taking one of its own…

How many owners of recently built Chrysler 300s have any idea that the model name has a rich heritage? Some 24,665 Chrysler 300 Sport Series were built in 1963, with fewer than 10,000 being four-door hardtop saloons like this one.

While a lot of the cars stored in this section of the yard were offered for sale as projects, some were being parted-out. We hope this one fell into the former category, as it deserved to be saved.

This rare Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood four-door station wagon proudly displayed its rear-mounted flat-six 80hp engine. The car had a short production run (1961-1962), and in that time 32,120 were sold.

The climate in this part of California is kind to sheet metal, and although the car was a bit rough around the edges, it still appeared to be structurally sound.

Ford Capris command serious money back in their native Europe, so we wonder why more solid examples (like this one was) aren’t repatriated. Of course the car, which was sold in Mk1 and Mk2 guises in the US, never wore Ford badges.

Instead, these captive imports were sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. Over the years power gradually crept up, and this 1974 car had a useful 2.8-litre V6 under its bonnet.

Car-based ambulances used to be hugely popular, but began to fall from grace in the early 1970s when medical staff started to complain about a lack of space compared with van conversions. You can see their point; imagine attempting to tend to a sick patient in the back of this.

The final nail in the coffin for car-based ambulances came in 1977, when the US Federal Government mandated the downsizing of all passenger cars, resulting in an even more cramped and impractical workspace. This 1968 Cadillac, which was operated by the City of Lakewood, California, hadn’t been on the road for over 40 years.

Now here’s something you don’t see too many of, a Maserati Biturbo. Incredibly, Turner’s Auto Wrecking had a pair of them. These Italian-built executive grand tourers, which were made between 1981 and 1988, were powered by a V6 engine with two turbochargers.

They certainly weren’t the most attractive cars to come out of Italy, and were plagued by build quality issues, seriously tarnishing the company’s reputation. The US was the Biturbo’s biggest export market.

They don’t get much rarer than a Stageway-built 1958 Chrysler Saratoga eight-door limousine. The Sequoia National Park ran a fleet of these custom-built cars, each featuring full-length sunroofs, providing tourists with fantastic views of the giant Redwood trees towering above them.  This one appeared as though it’d had an altercation with a passing freight train…

Built in France between 1968 and 1983, the Peugeot 504 developed an enviable reputation for being robust, rugged and reliable. These attributes contributed to its successes in the rally scene too. The car was assembled in no less than eight countries on three continents.

It was much loved in Africa, and production continued in Nigeria until 2006. It takes a lot to kill a 504, but someone had managed to do it to this sedan, which was towed into the yard in 2017 with a ceased engine. The 504 was sold in the US in the 1970s, both with diesel and petrol engines.

Although the 1954 Kaiser Manhattan was a successful facelift on the original 1951 design, it didn’t sell well. Slightly more than 4000 of these four-door sedans trickled out of the showrooms, which certainly wasn’t enough to reverse the fortunes of the ailing car maker.

This is a rare car, and it appeared to be pretty much complete too.

The 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine was fitted with a 7.0-litre V8, which propelled the 2235 kg luxury barge to 60 mph in just under 12 seconds. If you drove it that enthusiastically then fuel economy dropped to single figures, but then if you could afford to buy one, you probably weren’t too concerned about its rabid thirst. 

On our tin-hunting trips we’ve stumbled upon several Rover P6s, but this was the first P5 we found. These luxury sedans, with their distinctive high beltlines, were the car of choice of British prime ministers, even for years after production ended in 1973.

Although initially powered by a 115hp 3.0-liter engine, in later life they would get the ex-Buick 3.5-liter V8. This 1961 example was one of 20,963 Mk1s built between 1958 and 1962.

A 1968 Cadillac Miller-Meteor hearse awaiting its fate at Turner’s Auto Wrecking. Of course, had it been a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor instead, it would have long since been rescued, and no doubt transformed into yet another Ghostbusters replica.

It’s common to see light colored hearses in California, which of course reflect the sun better, so are cooler than traditional black cars. However orange ones are definitely not so popular.

Almost 70,000 British-built Sunbeam Alpines were sold between 1959 and 1968, the US being its most significant export market by far. This is a Series 3, and was built between 1963 and 1964. It was the rarest of the lot, and one of just 5863 examples.

Of course the really desirable one was the Tiger, which unlike the Alpine had performance to match its looks, thanks to the Ford Windsor V8 under its hood. Note the dilapidated MG Midget it was parked next to.

The Porsche 914 was a joint development between Porsche and Volkswagen, effectively replacing the 912 and Karmann Ghia. However, in the US it was decided that the new car would only be sold with a Porsche badge.

It was offered with a choice of four- or six-cylinder boxer engines, mustering up 79 hp and 109 hp respectively. In production between 1969 and 1976, the car was a major success, achieving 118,978 sales and outselling the 911.

The Porsche 914 and 912 were both replaced in 1976 by the 924. This entry-level car was the first Porsche to feature a water-cooled front-mounted engine. Like the 914 before it, the car sold in large volumes, finding 150,000 buyers between 1976 and 1988.

This rot-free example was in great condition, and absolutely deserved to be rescued.

Once a common sight, these sixth generation (1988 to 1993) Pontiac LeMans have all but disappeared. The car was actually a rebadged South Korean-built Daewoo LeMans, which in turn was a reworked German-designed Opel Kadett. This appeared to be a sporty GSE Aerocoupe, which featured a 95hp 2.0-liter engine and a rear spoiler.

We aren't quite sure what was going on here. Presumably this was built on somebody’s driveway as some sort of motorhome, rather than as a hearse or ambulance. But what was the donor vehicle? A 1964 Oldsmobile coupe perhaps?

This car reminded us of a scene from American car-chase movies in the 1970s…

Oldsmobile used the Starfire name on three separate occasions (from 1954 to 1957, from 1961 to 1966 and from 1975 to 1980), with this example dating to the mid-1960s.

Presumably it ended up in Turner’s Auto Wrecking following a fender-bender. And if that bald tyre in the engine bay was fitted to the car at the time of the accident, then it’s easy to understand how the accident might have happened. Despite the obvious damage, the car still had plenty of great parts to offer.

The Ford C-series had an incredibly long production run, being a consistently good seller from 1957 to 1990. That said, this once ubiquitous truck is rapidly disappearing from US highways now.

Several other truck makers used the same cab, including Mack, FWD and Canadian fire truck specialist Carl Thibault.

This third-generation Dodge Caravan looked as though it was good for nothing more than being fed to the crusher, but in actual fact it was still working for a living. It was part of a fleet of Caravans and Chrysler Voyagers that were trundling around the huge site. They were equipped with tools and cutting equipment, allowing staff to strip parts for customers.

The distinctive wrap-around rear window instantly identifies this as a first generation Plymouth Barracuda. Although the car had been bashed and abused, somehow that rare piece of glass had survived.

The Barracuda’s claim to fame is that it was officially the US’s first pony car, having beaten the Ford Mustang to market by a couple of weeks - but it didn’t come close to matching the Ford’s sales volumes or cultural impact.

Powered by a 7.7-litre V8, the 1969 Cadillac Eldorado could manage 100 km/h in just 8.1 seconds, and continue to a top speed of 204 km/h. That’s no mean feat considering that this two-door car weighs 2068 kg.

With a production run from 1952 to 2002, the Eldorado spanned 10 generations, this being an eighth generation example - one of 23,333 built in 1969.

The lack of external door handles identifies this MG Midget as a Mk1. The doors also lacked locks, winding windows and swivelling quarterlights, all of which would make a welcome appearance in the Mk2. A total of 25,681 Mk1s were built between 1961 and 1964, a mix of 948 cm3 and later 1098 cm3 cars.

In 1954, when this Packard Clipper rolled off the line, the luxury car manufacturer had started to lose its way. It had slipped in popularity, becoming the 16th best-selling domestic marque in the US.

Packard President James Nance believed that the entry-level Clipper wasn’t helping the situation, and was watering down Packard’s luxury image. So, in 1956 he made Clipper a make in its own right. But this didn’t work, and he was soon back-tracking. The last Packard was built in July 1958.

Judging by its colour, this 1961 Pontiac Bonneville hearse had seen active service with the US military. It was built by Superior, which is one of the most renowned professional vehicle coachbuilders. It was formed in 1909, has undergone numerous takeovers and mergers, and still survives today as part of the Armbruster Stageway company. 

When the Greenbrier Sportswagon was launched, Chevrolet had high hopes that this rear-engined Corvair-based van would give the Volkswagen Transporter a run for its money. It initially sold well, and this 1961 example was one of 15,806 to find a buyer. But this was its launch year, and from here on in sales would decline.

Chevrolet finally stopped production in 1965. For any railway enthusiasts out there, Union Pacific 5285 (in the background) was built in March 2006 by General Electric.

We don’t know who the coachbuilder was, but the craftsmanship on the roof of this 1982 Lincoln Town Car limousine definitely wasn’t amongst the best we’ve seen. It’s amazing what horrors you can hide with some vinyl. Incredibly, the car had only covered 35,000 miles from new. 

At various times most European car manufacturers have tried (and often failed) to crack the large and lucrative US market, with some having limited successes on the east and west coasts. After some relatively unsuccessful attempts in the 1950s and 1960s, Italian car maker Lancia had another proper stab at it between 1975 and 1982.

Sales were low, and even in its best years it failed to shift 3000 units. This Beta Coupe was a rare survivor from that period.

Here’s another Italian oddity – a 1973 Fiat 128 station wagon. Close to 3 million Fiat 128 sedans and wagons were built, and it became a European sales phenomena. Although they were sold in the US throughout most of the 1970s, and achieved significant sales volumes, their somewhat dubious build quality and poor rust-proofing, ensure a low survival rate.

We really appreciate it when salvage yards scribble the make and year on the sides of their cars, especially when chrome and other distinguishing features have been removed, as it makes our job all the easier. That said, we wouldn’t have struggled with this 1956 Chrysler four-door sedan, which was still relatively intact and complete.

While some yards make a point of closing all doors, trunks and hoods, in order to protect valuable parts from the elements, as you can see in this photograph it didn’t seem to be a priority at Turner’s Auto Wrecking.

Somebody had gone to the bother of circling the dents on this Kaiser parts car’s fender. It’s a 1947/1948 model, and ignoring the said dents, some rust on the bottom of the driver’s door, and a bullet hole in the hood, it wasn’t in too bad a shape for such an old vehicle.

This had a lot to do with Fresno’s favourable  climate. On average it gets just 330 millimetres of rain per year, compared with a national average of 965 millimetres. 

Check out this pair of Thunderbirds. The 1960 car on the left had a note on the windscreen advising that it is not to be parted out, but everything is up for grabs on the 1967 example beside it.

While not in great shape, this Hudson had fared a lot better than the roofless example next to it…

This 1963 Lincoln Continental had been dragged out of its spot, and left on one of the yard’s main tracks. Presumably that’s because someone had purchased some parts from it, which were about to be removed, and not because it was on its way to the crusher. It was one of 28,095 four-door sedans sold in 1963.

The new ‘chiselled’ Continentals were the first American-built cars to get a two-year, 24,000-mile (38,624 km) bumper-to-bumper warranty.

1956 was a relatively strong year for DeSoto, and this Firedome two-door Seville hardtop is one of 109,442 cars it built. This was enough to give it the 11th sales spot, ahead of the likes of Nash, Studebaker, Lincoln, Hudson, Imperial and Packard.

Although the following year was even better (126,514), from then on DeSoto was in freefall. By the end of the decade it was failing to achieve 46,000 sales, and parent company Chrysler pulled the plug in 1961.

Judging by the way that it was sinking into the Californian dirt, this 1955 Studebaker Commander was a long-term resident of the yard. Studebaker manufactured Commanders on and off from 1927 through to the mid 1960s, but it’s not the only marque to use the name.

The Commander badge was dusted off in 2005 to grace the back of Jeep’s luxury SUV, and British heavy truck manufacturer Scammell used it for its 1980s tank transporters.

During our pre-Covid visit to Turner’s Auto Wrecking, we discovered well over 100 classic Imperials in the main yard. We were told by a fellow car enthusiast that their days were numbered, as they were about to be destroyed. We don’t know why, or indeed how accurate this information was.

However, this rare 1960 Crown Southampton four-door hardtop, one of 17,716 built, was located in the private section of the yard and is perhaps still there today.

While many of the residents of this exclusive yard were available as restoration projects, others, like this 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Series limousine, were gradually being stripped of their parts.

Only 832 people handed over the $9748 needed to acquire one of these luxury limos, and they’re as rare as hen’s teeth today.

Mile upon mile of freight trains continually trundled past Turner’s Auto Wrecking, slowly making their way up and down the Pacific coast. Many carried containers packed with home appliances which had just arrived at West Coast ports. We wonder how many were made from recycled cars. This 1953 Ford was safe however, or at least it was during our visit…

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