The Junkyard Discoveries of Denton Auto Parts in New Market, Tennessee

Unfortunately you need to make an appointment before visiting, which is something we failed to do. However not all was lost, as the yard owner was happy for us to photograph the 100 or so classics he had parked-up near his home, which also doubles-up as the yard office. 

The building was rammed full of spares, spanning 10 decades, and included an impressive collection of Tennessee licence plates. But the item we most wanted to take home with us was the 1950 Studebaker Champion clip.

While this part of the yard was small, it was perfectly formed, and what it lacked in quantity it more than made up for in quality. The cars here dated from the 1940s to the 1990s, but the bulk rolled off the line in the 1970s.

Unfortunately the trees weren’t helping. Wet leaves were accumulating in panel gaps, and the foliage overhead prevented the sun from penetrating, so the cars remained damp. We were told that the main yard also had a lot of tree cover.

When really pushed, the 1963 Imperial’s 6.8-litre V8 could get this 2236 kg giant to a quarter mile (400 metres) in under 17 seconds, and onto a claimed top speed of 192 km/h. As you might expect, fuel consumption wasn’t great, with it averaging 22.8 litres/100 km.

Then again, gasoline in America was very cheap back then. This one, which hadn’t turned a wheel in over two decades, was being offered for sale as a complete car. 

Some people would argue that the patina on this 1947 Plymouth Deluxe is beautiful, but rust was slowly killing it.

Hiding under those leaves was a rather nice, relatively corrosion-free 1965 Chrysler Newport. It’s a four-door saloon, which at the time found more than 61,000 buyers, making it the most popular of all the models Chrysler built that year.

Judging by the rust on that rear sill, this Chevrolet Citation was probably beyond help. The front-wheel-drive Citation, which superseded the Nova, was built from 1979 to 1985. It was offered in three body styles, this being a five-door hatchback.In total 1,642,587 were built, before it was finally replaced by the Beretta and Corsica. Once everywhere, Citations are fast becoming an unusual sight on American highways.

Parking cars under trees doesn’t do paintwork any favours, and as you can see on this 1951 Ford, the same goes for the chrome. It’s a Victoria hardtop coupe, one of a cool 110,286 built that year, and it deserved to be saved. 

Just 5820 Mercury Montego GT two-door Hardtop Fastbacks were built in 1972, making this an extremely rare car. We can safely assume it was equipped with a 4.9 litre V8, which generated 140 hp, and would have taken the car to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds. It certainly makes a nice alternative to the Ford Grand Torino, although that front end styling doesn’t appeal to everyone.

Fortunately, this highly desirable 1984 Hurst/Olds had been parked under cover. Initially built in 1983 (black over silver) to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the original 1968 Hurst/Olds, it was so successful that it was back again the following year too (silver over black).

They are extremely rare beasts, with just 3500 being built. Powered by a 5.0-liter V8, these two-door hardtop coupes, could accelerate to 100 km/h in just 8.5sec.

Although this 1964 Chevrolet Impala two-door hardtop was sitting on tyres and wooden blocks, which will have offered some protection to its underside, the bodywork was severely corroded, and it stood little chance of being saved. In better condition, these cars are highly desirable.

This 1965 Ford Fairlane two-door coupe was one the straightest cars in this collection, and we’d be surprised if it hasn’t since found a new home. 1965 was a great year for Ford, and this is one of 2.17 million cars it built that year. However, it still wasn’t enough to knock rival Chevrolet off the top sales spot.

The ‘VIII’ badge on this 1961 Studebaker Lark signifies that it was fitted with a V8, rather than the more common in-line six-cylinder engine. When it was launched in 1959, it was the only compact on the market with a V8.

It was quite a performer back in the day, managing 100 km/h in an impressive 10 seconds. V8 Larks found half as many buyers as their six-cylinder counterparts, and this is one of 7343 four-door sedans built. 

By 1974, when this Dodge Charger SE rolled off the line, muscle cars were falling out of favour. Production figures nosedived from the previous year, with fewer than 31,000 of them finding customers. The top trim SE (Special Edition), which added such delights as a vinyl roof, vinyl seats and a Rallye instrument cluster, was the most popular model by far.

While it was the GTO that drove people into Pontiac showrooms in 1964, America’s first muscle car wasn’t suited to all tastes, and 63,810 customers left with a Grand Prix instead. Placing this one on several stacks of roof tiles had helped to protect the underside from the elements, meaning it was a great candidate for a restoration.

Some 14,500 people visited their local Cadillac dealership in 1953, handed over $3995, and drove away in a shiny new Coupe deVille. Sadly, we reckon it would have taken a lot more than a polish to get this beauty back on the road. 

1958 was Edsel’s best year by far, with sales exceeding 68,000. Of the 18 models offered that year, the Ranger two-door hardtop was the fifth best seller, finding 6005 buyers. Rangers were the entry level cars, and creature comforts consisted of little more than arm rests, a cigarette lighter and rubber floor mats.

The Town and Country name was used by Chrysler for its luxury four-door station wagons from the early 1940s through to 1988, and then again from 1989 to 2016 for its version of the Dodge Grand Caravan/Plymouth Grand Voyager. This one, which came complete with simulated wood grain side panels, dated back to 1972.

We wonder how many family holidays took place in this, with kids screaming in the back, mother and father in the front wishing they’d flown instead…

Of the 168,584 Datsun 240Zs manufactured between 1969 and 1973, 148,115 of them ended up in the US. Its next biggest markets were Canada (11,198) and Australia (2358). Decent examples are starting to fetch serious money now, and even in this sorry state they’re worth saving.

What the colossal 1976 Ford LTD lacked in handling and performance, it more than made up for in comfort. They were good sellers too, with almost 30,000 people choosing to drive the highways in a two-door hardtop like this at a time when the ‘personal car’ was in its heyday. Considering where it’s been sat for the past two decades, the car’s bodywork was in surprisingly good condition.

The rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair was the US’s attempt to recreate the Volkswagen Bug’s incredible success. Available in seven body styles, it was a success, with 1.84 million being produced between 1960 and 1969. Closest to the camera is a rare Corvan, and next to it is a pair of second generation coupes.

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