Shore's Garage, Modoc, Indiana

There is a local gas station and junkyard that I pass every day as I drive to and from work. The business has been family owned and operated for three generations. The service station has updated its pumps over the years, but the building still retains it's near original nostalgic appearance.
The business sits on US 36, in a little town called Modoc, Indiana. Although I seldom stop for gas (since they are the only gas station in town, their prices usually are not competitive), I do enjoy stopping in to buy a Pepsi, talk with one of the owners who is an old car enthusiast, and on a nice day when I have nothing to do, stroll through the junkyard looking for parts for my latest project.
Last Saturday, my oldest son and I were returning from a disappointing outing at a car show in Greensfork, IN. As we neared Modoc, I thought, "Hey...today would be a great day to check on finding glass for a rear side window in my 50 Chevrolet."

So, we stopped, parked at the station, and ventured across the highway into the original part of the junkyard. Over the years, the junkyard has grown and now covers several properties and surrounding fields that the Shores have bought up over the years.

Most all of the cars in this section have been hit by scavengers and mother nature over the past 50 to 60 years, but its still fun to see what you can find.

I actually found 3 or 4 49-52 Chevrolets in this area and was able to find the glass I was looking for. However the best part of the day was spending it with my son. As we walked through the junkyard, we played a game...challenging each other to see who could figure out what type of car each relic was before the other figured it out.

It was pretty cool to run across a few Studebakers and a couple of Nashs. It looked like originally there was some order to how the vehicles were placed in the junkyard. The Chevys were in the same area, the Fords in another row, and the Buicks in still another, etc.

As you move through the junkyard, you get a real since of automotive history. With each new row you move through the 1950s, 60's, 70's and 80's. Finally, as you near the field bordering Indiana State Road 1 you enter a section of vehicles from the 90's to the present.

I actually ran across a few aluminum bodied breadtrucks that would make some pretty cool rat rods....(aka Rocky's Surfin' Bread Truck seen in the right column of this blog.)

If you are ever in the Modoc, Indiana area, and you have some time to kill, stop in at Shore's Garage and tell Gene or Russell that Scruffy sent ya!