Here’s a hot take for you: Car shows are kind of boring. The same few designated classics, all meticulously maintained and never driven except to and from shows — it’s all such a drag. Luckily, there’s a better way to see true, authentic classics: Visit an enormous pick-and-pull.
YouTuber Remote Trooper took a tour through Desert Valley Auto Parts outside of Phoenix earlier this year, and posted video of the sights to be seen in this enormous salvage yard. Decades of Americana sit in organized rows, existing as real cars that served their purpose hauling folks around — not as display pieces.
It’s so refreshing to see such beautiful old cars that aren’t painstakingly cleaned and preserved. There’s an honesty to them, they’re machines built for a purpose and they served it loyally — they got to do something, rather than living cooped up. They’re genuine cars, not Objects Of Value to be sold off for an eventual profit.
Like a dog trained out of chasing a frisbee, a car that’s kept spotless and clay barred and below 3,000 RPM isn’t living the life it deserves. It never gets to stretch its legs, never gets to play. The 10,000 classics at Desert Valley Auto Parts did get that, they got to live as intended, and that’s a better sight than any car show.