In response to a forum email, I went to Cagle's Salvage & Auto Crusher today to see if I could retrieve a windshield frame from one of the Datsun Roadsters. I was also looking for a few parts for my Cadillac Hearse. No luck finding a '70s Cadillac, but both of the Datsuns I have seen on past trips were still there.
The blue one has the windshield frame integrated into the body. I thought about the door corner windows, but rusted screws were not going to give it up easily. While I was there, I grabbed the front turn signal lenses which were still pretty intact.
I moved on to the red one. It looks rougher, but the windshield frame was intact and still pretty solid even though much of the chrome has given way to rust.
Two bolts each side in the door jam and two down through the windshield frame to behind the dash. I was not about to climb under the dash, so I slowly pried and rocked the frame up until the bolts pulled through.
It came out intact and looking usable -if not pretty, other than the top of the frame needing a little realignment.
Pepper did good getting me through the mud and around the yard.
In my search for a Cadillac, the closest I found was a later generation. I took the badges, but I think they'll go on the Dung Beetle instead of the Hearse.
Inside the Caddy, I found Jesus. ...and some toothpaste, but no parts I could use.
The older cars are getting hard to find there now, but there are still a few around the edges or lost among the trees. Most of them don't have much worth picking.
Admission is free and check-out is negotiable. My haul today came to $20. It may all be trash, but it was a nice afternoon to wander and explore. The frame actually looks better than one on eBay for $199.
