I tend to think about this from time to time as I scan the kijiji ads, virtually window shopping for a potential Cdn Poncho for the future.
From my observations, it seems like Saskatchewan looks like the best province to find cars, as it seems to have a good supply of cars that (1) aren't rusty, (2) are reasonably priced, (3) generally tend to appear original/untouched. Since I haven't actually been to Sask., I can't say for sure, which is why I'm asking this question.
Other observations: BC seems to have the nicest cars, but also seem to be more expensive. Ditto for Alberta, nice but seem to generally be priced higher than Sask. Manitoba seems pretty good also. Ont. has a good selection of cars, but is also one of the "rusty provinces", so there is more potential of finding a not-so-good one - prices seem to be all over the map. Quebec always seems to have some neat and less-common cars, but for english-speaking me the language barrier seems to get in the way of fully understanding the ads . The Atlantic provinces are too rusty - so that anything good seems to be priced out of the park. I've never really looked in the north, as I figure it wouldn't be practical to get a car back from there anyways.
Those are just my narrow-minded opinions based on my online window shopping. I realize that living locally, one tends to stumble upon more deals just from living in the area than you'd see online.
I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of others.
I didn't vote because I'm torn between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. However, Ontario has some wonderful low mileage gems that show up from time to time as well.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
I would think Saskatchewan, due do the fact they are so far away from a steel shredder.
after 1974 general scrap ate alot of cars, My dad's friend had the contract for southern manitoba. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think of all the cars he picked up.
I remember going with my dad and his friend to many collections, once they scraped a 1956 buick special convertible which was still running, the owner said this was the newest car and didn't have room for it. it was amazing what people used to give away just for the asking.
-- Edited by pontiax on Thursday 16th of September 2010 08:12:18 PM
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pontiax- (canadian pontiac X frame)1964 Parisienne 2dr. Hardtop ,lagoon aqua metallic (Q) ,421 cid Dart Industries block and heads. 550 hp. 575 ft lb of torque.
I can't vote on this one because I am not familiar enough with the rest of the country's old car markets BUT I can say I have seen enough to know it is not BC. We do have some nice almost rust free cars here but it seems we also have the most over priced junk on the market. Barrett Jackson wanabe's
when i lived on the east coast. i don't remember seeing any old cars, unless a parade or something. they were all kept under lock and key. i remember a friend of mine going to Labrador to pick up a old car from a wrecker. they had to take the road from quebec. he said the salt never got to the cars but because they were so far away from civilization there was a lot of pickens because they never crushed. i have a couple of hunting friends that can't believe the old relics on the back of farms in the praises. they said the farmers just push it to the back of the farm. as for crushing i was in brandon in the 70's when a crushing company rented a farm for a couple of month and picked up all the local old steel. still brings a tear to my eyes thinking about it. as for the west coast. lots of pickens. when the ship was in i would buy old cads for a daily driver. (loved icky bicky) and when we went to sea i would sell them to a company called scrap king (dismantler)
I have to agree with Ken on this one. There were a lot of cars in Ontario and north of Barrie there are still lots of cars with minimal rust. My car is from Bracebridge and had very little rust on it.
In the past eleven years I have purchased older two cars in BC and had them shipped to Ontario and two older cars in Ontario. Each time I was looking for something extremely specific and that was the determining factor when I bought them, they just weren't available at that time anywhere else. The shipping from BC cost $800 by SeaRail in 1999 and then $1,500 by transport in 2004, which had to be factored into the cost.
The BC cars have been moved on, I still have the Ontario cars.
Next up - a '73/'74 Pontiac two door LeMans with a three or four speed floor stick, GT package or SC would be nice. Anybody got one?
I would think Saskatchewan, due do the fact they are so far away from a steel shredder.
Oh, we have shredders out here. And if you look closely through the flattened and stacked cars in the yard on any given day, you'll see a surprising number of classics poking out. Most of them are thoroughly picked through first, but it's hard to tell that when it's 3rd from the bottom and 2 feet high.
If price is no limit, Ontario seems to have a slight edge over BC for quantities, but if you're looking for a project car, it's in Saskatchewan.
If you're talking best province to buy old unrestored cars I would say any of the prairie provinces in the farmer's boneyard in the back 40. My brother picked up a '69 Beaumont for a couple hundred bucks. It needed a drivers door and fender but the interior was still good since there was a thick layer of dirt on the windows blocking the sun. I hate to give away his secret but farm auction sales - stay to the very end. That's where the untold treasures are.
JC
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'68 Parisienne 2+2 Convertible Matador Red (Resale Red but not for sale).
Sask is kikkin butt. BC is gettin cleaned out as the scrap prices go up.Its not like the old days where you could see the cars in the back 40.Cars will rust out here the fasrther inland the better as long as the salt hasnt killed them.Rog you do not find stuff out here like that no more or for the past 20 years easy nice find!
-- Edited by timbuk on Sunday 19th of September 2010 01:51:44 PM
. The Atlantic provinces are too rusty - so that anything good seems to be priced out of the park. I've never really looked in the north, as I figure it wouldn't be practical to get a car back from there anyways.
