Junkyard Parts - Performance In The Junkyard

We go on and on about the junkyards here in Southern California, but since most of us aren't actually from the area, we know that a lot of the stuff we come across isn't actually that common in other parts of the country-and many of you remind us regularly. For that reason, we've decided to do another junkyard crawl, but this time, we're going to focus on the later-model stuff that should be occupying yards coast to coast. There are tons of useful parts and pieces that can be pirated from newer vehicles and put into service on vintage street machines, but some of the good stuff is easy to overlook. Check out what we recently came across, and keep your eyes and your mind open.

There's still good stuff to be had in the junkyard if you know how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
There's still good stuff to be had in the junkyard if you know how to separate the wheat f
The Ford 5.0L V-8 used in Mustangs from '85 to '92 featured a factory roller cam and forged pistons. It was adored by street/strip freaks and weekend warrior road racers alike for its responsiveness to upgrades and overall durability. It also makes a great swap engine for earlier Ford projects. Finding 5.0 Mustangs in the yard isn't too tough, though
The Ford 5.0L V-8 used in Mustangs from '85 to '92 featured a factory roller cam and forge
by now their engines are often clapped out thanks to years of abuse. However, the very same 5.0 H.O. can be found in '86-'92 Lincoln Mark VII LSC models, and these engines have almost always led much more pampered lives. Make sure your donor is an LSC though, as standard Mark VIIs use a lo-po 150hp 5.0.
by now their engines are often clapped out thanks to years of abuse. However, the very sam

Later Mustangs are starting to show up in the yards now, and they have stuff to offer even if they're from the post-5.0 era. This 4.6L GT was heavily picked when we found it; it still had its engine, but swapping single-cam V-8s from this period doesn't interest most motorheads.
Later Mustangs are starting to show up in the yards now, and they have stuff to offer even
But, the spindles from this SN-95 'Stang can be swapped back to a Fox-body version, enabling the use of the sealed hub, which accepts slip-on rotors. This in turn allows the newer Mustang's brakes to adapt to the Fox car. Use the stock GT pieces for a low-buck upgrade or step up to Cobra hardware, which bolts right on.
But, the spindles from this SN-95 'Stang can be swapped back to a Fox-body version, enabli
For GM guys, another great late-model parts donor is the '94-'96 Chevy Caprice 9C1, better known as a police package. These have Gen II small-blocks-some are 4.3L (265ci) L99 versions, but many have the 5.7L (350ci) LT1. The 260hp, iron-head B-body LT1 is a great swap for earlier
For GM guys, another great late-model parts donor is the '94-'96 Chevy Caprice 9C1, better

cars and can easily be upgraded with more aggressive cam timing and intake and exhaust improvements for even more power, but that's just part of the package. These cars also have the tall B-body spindles that can be combined with aftermarket upper control arms to upgrade the handling of early A-bodies (Chevelles and the like); 12-inch brakes are a bonus. Out back, rear discs with aluminum PBR calipers can also be swapped into earlier GM cars. Plus, there's close-ratio steering, an aluminum radiator with killer electric fans, a 4L60 overdrive trans, and more. We found four 9C1 Caprices during our crawl.

Amazing as it seems, even Cadillac's technological marvel of a few years back, the Northstar four-cam 32-valve V-8, has made its way to the boneyard. We spotted this '90s Eldorado among the usual front-drive, V-6, GM stuff, its 300hp, 4.6L engine ripe for the plucking; another turned up in a De Ville a week later. While these engines were, until very recently, only used in front-
Amazing as it seems, even Cadillac's technological marvel of a few years back, the Northst
wheel-drive applications, hot rodders figured out years ago how to turn them around to a proper north-south configuration, usually using slightly modified bellhousings from 60-degree Chevy V-6s, as found in '80s Camaros and Firebirds (2.8/3.4L). It's not exactly a bolt-in, but it is a lot of technology and power for relatively few bucks.
wheel-drive applications, hot rodders figured out years ago how to turn them around to a p
We got there a bit too late, but this '89 Thunderbird Super Coupe had an Eaton supercharger on it when it came into the yard. These cars are not uncommon in the yards around here-neither are the Pontiacs and Buicks that have a similar blower on a 3.8L Buick V-6. Using one with a carburetor might be tricky, since the air inlet is at the rear of the case, not on top. But, mating one to an injected small-block could be interesting.
We got there a bit too late, but this '89 Thunderbird Super Coupe had an Eaton supercharge

The 351 Windsor is hugely popular with Blue Oval guys these days, whether it's being used to pump up a Fox-era Mustang or a vintage Ford. But Windsor cores can be elusive, particularly because the 351W was rarely, if ever, the standard engine in a passenger car or truck. Fortunately, it remained in production until 1995. One of the later-model uses was in Crown Vic police cars until the body style changed in '92 and the modular V-8 took over. This former cop Vic looks more granny with its light-blue respray, but under the hood is a Windsor topped with Ford's miserable variable venturi carb. That's your clue for spotting the Windsor in later, boxy Vics-the 302 was injected at this point.

Performance In The Junkyard Thunderbird Rear Suspension

Speaking of late Thunderbirds, the independent rear suspension used in all '89-'97 models is used in some popular Cobra replica car packages. Pulling one here would be cheaper than having to buy a whole donor car. We've seen these under a couple of early Mustangs, too, but be warned, they're kinda heavy.

Performance In The Junkyard Second Gen Trans Ams

Although they're quickly becoming collectible, the late second-gen Trans Ams and their Z28 cousins still frequent the yards, and they make great donors for GM street-machine projects. This is a '76, but the later they are, the better the parts. For example, '79-'81 T/As with the WS-6 package have rear disc brakes that bolt on to other muscle-era GM axles; close-ratio steering (14:1) was another part of the package that can swap to any GM car with a Saginaw steering box. The fat front sway bars also fit '64-'67 A-bodies as well as '77-'96 B-bodies (Caprice). Don't forget to check the rear for an 8.5-inch
10-bolt with Posi-traction.

Easy Big-Blocks
Technology is great, but there's still something really cool about the killer torque that can only come from a mammoth engine. The popularity of big-block Chevys and Mopars has driven up their value and their scarcity, but you can still go big for moderate cash if you're willing to step out of the mainstream. Check out these frequent yard inhabitants for ideas.

Performance In The Junkyard 429 460 Ford

The most common big-block in any yard we go to has to be the 429/460 Ford, probably one of the most underrated engines in the musclecar realm. We built one in the Feb. '06 issue and easily made 514 hp. Even if you can't find mid-'70s barges like this, 460-powered trucks from the '80s are super plentiful. Build the short-block, swap on some aluminum heads, and you've got 500 hp and 500 lb-ft without even trying.

It pains us to see so many Buick and Olds 455s go to the crusher, but we can't save them all. Every trip to the yard turns up at least one, probably because Buick and Olds both offered a few models that came standard with the behemoth V-8s. This '74 Riviera is among them, as is
It pains us to see so many Buick and Olds 455s go to the crusher, but we can't save them a
Of course, the king of cubes was Cadillac, and 500-inch versions of its V-8 are also pretty easy to locate. Early versions were only found in the Eldorado, but later, the 500 was used in all Cadillacs through '76. The '70 version was rated at an axle-twisting 550 lb-ft, and reportedly, with the available aluminum Edelbrock intake, the big Cad weighs a mere 40 pounds more than an iron-headed small-block Chevy.
Of course, the king of cubes was Cadillac, and 500-inch versions of its V-8 are also prett