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Regional Forums => Los Angeles Region SAAC => Topic started by: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:19:34 PM

Title: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:19:34 PM
Watched a internet video on this place. Wow 75 acres. Opened in 1960 still open. Wonder if anyone ever asked if they happen to have VRD 389 black license plates hanging around. Or walked around and looks at the mustangs there. 
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: FL SAAC on November 20, 2025, 12:28:05 PM
Neva Eva Neva

but having said that it peaked our interest

pretty kool place

A Visit To Legendary Turner Auto Wreckers - The 100 Acres Of Cars And Parts Are Amazing, But Jerry Turner, Age 93, Is Even More So - Curbside Classic
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/auto-biography/a-visit-to-legendary-turner-auto-wreckers-the-75-acres-of-cars-are-amazing-but-jerry-turner-age-93-overshadows-them-all/
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:44:27 PM
Blows my mind to see a place like this. Our wrecking yards are small and all picked over. Mostly crushed them.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: FL SAAC on November 20, 2025, 12:49:08 PM
Quote from: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:44:27 PMBlows my mind to see a place like this. Our wrecking yards are small and all picked over. Mostly crushed them.

Most of our wrecking yards have been converted to "clean commercial buildings"

Look at the accumulation of parts differentials,  trannys, rears, drums, disc etc.

You name it WE got it
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: FL SAAC on November 20, 2025, 12:50:23 PM
Bike parts not a problema

Got those too

Ride on !
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:51:45 PM
Called and talked with Mr Turner, Asked if he ever had a 1967 Shelby GT500 come in wrecked he said no never. Also he said California is real strict on selling black license plates from the yard. So Jim Morrisons of the doors car never made it to this place.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: FL SAAC on November 20, 2025, 01:00:56 PM
Quote from: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:51:45 PMCalled and talked with Mr Turner, Asked if he ever had a 1967 Shelby GT500 come in wrecked he said no never. Also he said California is real strict on selling black license plates from the yard. So Jim Morrisons of the doors car never made it to this place.

You dealt with an honest man and ofcourse it did not show up there.

It was recycled into many things after it was crushed. Possibly many TUNA cans.


 But will take the liberty to say the following about Jimmies car;

The lack of items from this car showing up for sale suggests that it is gone from the face of the earth .

But that does not rule out the creativity and large CASH INFUSIONS of some to reconstruct and resurrect...if and when it comes back to life, not even the most astute people / judges will be able to distinguish that it's not the real one...

rise lazarus, rise...

More from jimmies car at

https://www.saac.com/forum/index.php?topic=4791.msg41316#msg41316
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: J_Speegle on November 20, 2025, 01:25:20 PM
Quote from: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:19:34 PMWatched a internet video on this place. Wow 75 acres. Opened in 1960 still open. Wonder if anyone ever asked if they happen to have VRD 389 black license plates hanging around. Or walked around and looks at the mustangs there. 


Yes been there a number of times over the decades. Walked the place each time just have to do the regular song and dance to get to the back and allowed to walk it by yourself. Some places its tough and can take a few visits and making the right choices to be allowed free roam.  Then there can be (never happened here) the whole camera and picture issue.

At one point I was able to spend two days a week at least roaming yards around Calif and on trips around the country.  Nasty, dirty, often very hot but fun
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 01:26:31 PM
Never know, in the 80's I went to a friends family gathering in Washington state. Come to find out his uncle was a pot grower and in the barn was 2 (68 Shelby's) One was a convertible GT500 and the other was a gold GT350 fastback. He stole them both. I know the convert was stripped and long gone but the fastback was taken out of LA area and driven to Washington. I think it is still there in the barn. I remember a story of someone that use to own a gold one and how it was taken. I did reach out with info to them regarding the info I had at the time. Never  received a reply. Told him what town it was in and the persons name.

There is still cars hidden. I know of these not for sale.
68 GT350 convertible
68 GT500 fastback black
68 GT500 fastback hiland green
67 GT500
70 B9
70 GT500 fastback


Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 20, 2025, 04:27:04 PM
Quote from: 68cobra427 on November 20, 2025, 12:51:45 PMAlso he said California is real strict on selling black license plates from the yard.
They are supposed to destroy them. That rarely happens most of the cars in yards still had their plates on them. Some plates have a good resale value. I suspect those get checked off as "no plate" cars and sold to the YOM sellers.
BTW: Turners is 200+ miles away from where the Blue Lady would have ended up.
I'm in the school that it is sitting in some guys garage and after he's dead the kids will reveal it and clean up at the auction. It was advertised at Ray's Performance Center in 1971. That was Ray Wolf's place. He opened it after HiPerf Motors, where he was sales mgr, was closed.
Ray's today isn't in the best of neighborhoods. It was a typical small used car dealer with a lot and small office building.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: Krelboyne on November 20, 2025, 04:33:04 PM
I have roamed that yard also, 20-25 years ago. Old man Turner let me roam after I asked if I could look for Cougar (and other) parts. I was even allowed to go into the tow storage yards directly across from the wrecking yard.
Neat old guy, he said it was probably time to cull out a bunch of worthless junk. He showed me his airplane, said that he wanted to fly it one more time before he died. He said there was an air strip on the property that got covered in junk cars. Reminded me of the Second Hand Lions movie.

The largest wrecking yard I was ever in was Pearson's, in Pearsonville. All crushed out now, they had couple of hundred acres in the desert. Cars dating back to the 1940's.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: RacerX on November 20, 2025, 05:22:19 PM
Me and my crew were talking about checking that place out, but we haven't gotten any further that that!  ;D

I used to hit up the Ecology yard in Santa Fe Springs. Back then I had a '67 Fairlane and a 72 VW Bus.
I used to spend all kinds of time just looking around... envisioning engine swaps...
I think I got some 289 heads for my Fairlane from there (someone had swapped in a 302)
I took the heads over to Fullerton College and gave them a valve job and then swapped them at my Dad's place

Good Times!  8)
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 20, 2025, 08:11:19 PM
Quote from: RacerX on November 20, 2025, 05:22:19 PMI used to hit up the Ecology yard in Santa Fe Springs.
That guy revolutionized the junkyard biz - (Pick Your Part today https://locations.lkqpickyourpart.com/en-us/ca/santa-fe-springs/13780-imperial-highway/ ). Cars on jack stands in neat rows. Available for a short period of time then squashed flat and taken to the LA Harbor where they were fed into giant shredders that dumped directly into cargo ships destined for Japan.

A friend had his boat near the shredder. They sent people around twice a year to clean and polish all the rust spots off the boats in the marina.
The main metal shredder facility in the LA Harbor area is operated by SA Recycling on Terminal Island. This site features a large, 9,000 horsepower "mega shredder" capable of shredding high volumes of metal like cars and appliances.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: Special Ed on November 21, 2025, 12:06:47 AM
Yep been to turners back years ago up and down the west coast when me and sizemore traveled in the good ole days but we didnt buy much at turners as thats why he got alot of parts left great place to visit and look around thou.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: Scode67FB on November 21, 2025, 12:35:43 AM
I would love to take a walk through a place like Turner's. I first heard of them on an episode of "Roadkill" some years ago.
I used to love going through the various "Ecology Auto Wrecking" and "Pick Your Part" yards all over the SoCal area. I've bought, sold and kept lots of treasures picked from those places. They're all pretty much useless these days, though, since the LKQ takeover. Many of the yards have closed and all the prices have gone through the roof.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 5566 on November 21, 2025, 07:12:31 AM
Never saw the ad with Morrison's registration plate number before.  I don't recall ever seeing ads in my area (PA) with registration plate numbers.  Were they required/common in ads in CA back then?
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: J_Speegle on November 21, 2025, 12:40:04 PM
Quote from: 5566 on November 21, 2025, 07:12:31 AMNever saw the ad with Morrison's registration plate number before.  I don't recall ever seeing ads in my area (PA) with registration plate numbers.  Were they required/common in ads in CA back then?

Yes in hopes to reduce auto thief most newspapers required the license plate numbers to be published. Easier than having to post the VIN
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 5566 on November 21, 2025, 08:20:26 PM
Thanks! You learn something new every day.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: J_Speegle on November 21, 2025, 09:01:58 PM
Odd thing about Turners that always stood out was/is that the ground had been driven over (back and forth with their vehicles) the road ways/paths were dry dust not really soil. As you walked over it your feet would sink into the road a couple of inches and little dust clouds would puff up.

Just a couple of pictures I got of cars from Turners 20 plus years ago

(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/21/6-211125210120-214652127.jpeg)
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 22, 2025, 11:59:46 AM
Quote from: 5566 on November 21, 2025, 07:12:31 AMNever saw the ad with Morrison's registration plate number before.  I don't recall ever seeing ads in my area (PA) with registration plate numbers.  Were they required/common in ads in CA back then?
Dealers had to list a partial VIN or the plate number to stop bait and switch. Private parties didn't have to.
This guy has a lot of Doors stuff on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheDutchGuy/videos
GT500
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nYKTJWlX6s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VEP3s7_48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIwP-A65Vdc
Another missing Doors car....... Pam's VW was also sold before they left for Paris. I wonder if it could even be identified today?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZActqz4YWKw
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: J_Speegle on November 22, 2025, 04:38:40 PM
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 22, 2025, 11:59:46 AMDealers had to list a partial VIN or the plate number to stop bait and switch...................


Checked some old ads from mid to late 60's and it appears to have been more of a Southern Ca thing.

Just a couple of examples from spring-summer 68. Not sure why someone altered the LA copy

(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/21/6-221125163758-214682436.jpeg)
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 22, 2025, 06:07:10 PM
It might have even been just the requirement of various papers.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: Cobra Ned on November 27, 2025, 01:13:42 PM
Is there anyone from the LA area who might be able to ID the Ford dealer advertising the white Cobra with a green stripe (CSX 3348) by the phone number (SY3-3154) ? The  car was supposedly at S&C in San Francisco at this time but was transferred to Robert Loud Ford in Pasadena in May, a month after this ad appeared.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 27, 2025, 01:42:40 PM
Quote from: Cobra Ned on November 27, 2025, 01:13:42 PMIs there anyone from the LA area who might be able to ID the Ford dealer advertising the white Cobra with a green stripe (CSX 3348) by the phone number (SY3-3154) ? The  car was supposedly at S&C in San Francisco at this time but was transferred to Robert Loud Ford in Pasadena in May, a month after this ad appeared.
The SY - Sycamore - prefix was a Pasadena phone number back in the day.
SY in the bay area was Palo Alto.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 5566 on November 27, 2025, 01:57:13 PM
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 22, 2025, 06:07:10 PMIt might have even been just the requirement of various papers.

Thanks guys.  I had never seen it before and didn't understand the reason. New and used vehicles around here, at dealers, don't generally have plates on them and ads don't (or didn't used to) mention them.  The reasons given make sense, even though the VIN would be much more effective. 

Happy Thanksgiving!
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: Fd243 on November 27, 2025, 08:39:35 PM
Quote from: Cobra Ned on November 27, 2025, 01:13:42 PMIs there anyone from the LA area who might be able to ID the Ford dealer advertising the white Cobra with a green stripe (CSX 3348) by the phone number (SY3-3154) ? The  car was supposedly at S&C in San Francisco at this time but was transferred to Robert Loud Ford in Pasadena in May, a month after this ad appeared.

AI inquiry yields high confidence that number is for S&C Ned, one of several reasons being the SY prefix was not used in the Colorado Blvd area where Robert Loud Ford was located
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: J_Speegle on November 27, 2025, 10:25:03 PM
Quote from: Fd243 on November 27, 2025, 08:39:35 PM
Quote from: Cobra Ned on November 27, 2025, 01:13:42 PMIs there anyone from the LA area who might be able to ID the Ford dealer advertising the white Cobra with a green stripe (CSX 3348) by the phone number (SY3-3154) ? The  car was supposedly at S&C in San Francisco at this time but was transferred to Robert Loud Ford in Pasadena in May, a month after this ad appeared.

AI inquiry yields high confidence that number is for S&C Ned, one of several reasons being the SY prefix was not used in the Colorado Blvd area where Robert Loud Ford was located

Have to admit that I got a good chuckle out of AI being used or quoted   :)

Doesn't look like it was S&C Motors in Northern Calif, based on this 65 ad which listed UN 1-6000


(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/21/6-271125222101-214812326.jpeg)
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 27, 2025, 11:00:20 PM
Quote from: 5566 on November 27, 2025, 01:57:13 PM..... dealers, don't generally have plates on them and ads don't (or didn't used to) mention them.  The reasons given make sense, even though the VIN would be much more effective. 
There was a big stink in the 60s (at least in LA) with dealers offering cheap cars and then whey you got there it was "sold". Many people complained about the bait & switch that was going on. Papers started to want the ad cars identified. A VIN or plate was used. Some dealers went so far as to add "1 only at this price". The LA Times car ad section was big. The Sunday paper had 10-20 full page ads by dealers and several hundred of the small ads from private buyers.
My dad was one of those guys that would buy the bait car. Our first Mustang (they got for my sister) a 66 6cyl auto Coupe is what we switched to when my mom wouldn't let him buy the $500 cheaper 40,000+ mile 65 silver 4 speed fastback with a miss.
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: FL SAAC on November 28, 2025, 07:39:54 AM
Quote from: 5566 on November 21, 2025, 07:12:31 AMNever saw the ad with Morrison's registration plate number before.  I don't recall ever seeing ads in my area (PA) with registration plate numbers.  Were they required/common in ads in CA back then?

The ad genie has granted your wish twofold

"Jimmies VRD389"
Title: Re: Has anyone ever been here in person? Turner Auto wrecking
Post by: 98SVT - was 06GT on November 28, 2025, 04:09:25 PM
Quote from: FL SAAC on November 28, 2025, 07:39:54 AM
Quote from: 5566 on November 21, 2025, 07:12:31 AMNever saw the ad with Morrison's registration plate number before.  I don't recall ever seeing ads in my area (PA) with registration plate numbers.  Were they required/common in ads in CA back then?

The ad genie has granted your wish twofold

"Jimmies VRD389"
If you check my links you'll see all 12 that have been found.