Back in the 80's, 90's ( maybe 70's too)... R & R ( owned by Ron Slobe), Aurura, MO. was the largest mopar salvage/ parts/ business in the country. probably sometime in the 90's Ted Stephens, Alabama caught up!! i'm sure there are some "oldtimers" like me, that also have input they could share. I sometimes am reluctant to post info on the past history of our hobby. I get the feeling some don't want to hear about the supply of these old cars back then, prices, maybe the fact that we didn't all hang on to those cars, or whatever, but maybe this info should be noted. maybe of interest to some people?
I was at R and R yesterday, picking up a recond. battery. for a project. the guy that owns it now gave me some history I wasn't aware of. he went to work for Ron in the 60's for $.75 per hour. he bought a 440-6 cuda off Ron for $1200 , paid $100 a month> Ron wanted to start salvage business down here is S W MO. he bought land with a nice home few miles w. of Aurora. he got started and bought out a large salvage yard right there in town. gave $18,000 for it....I forget how many 1000's of cars and tons of parts. they had like 3 months to move IT ALL. everything, scarp, old tires, cars, parts!!! that was the start.
forward on till the mid 80's and muscle car boom was underway. by then Ron had collected his "persoanl' collection of high profile mopars, he wanted own one of every six pack and hemi car built, hardtop, post, and convertible! these were housed in a BIG pole building. now lots of them were rollers but were all real cars. some were incredible cars.... quite a site to see! Ron would fly over Ar and Ok, Mo and look for salvage yards with Mopars, and then go in and buy ALL their mopars. he had many local guys bring him cars too.
Ron's business was mostly advertising in Hemmings and Mopasr Collectors Guide, shipping parts. he always had some desirable builders there for sale too.
the yard. there were rows upon row of neatly parked cars. most were slant, 318's, and the "real" musclecars in the yard were wrecked or those deemed not restorable. people now restore cars that weren't hardly good parts cars back then!
Ron was a true enthusiasist. he was also a savvy businessman. he made his living in the salvage/ parts business, but he truly loved the hobby too. he come down with colon cancer, had the "bag",, but kept right on going to the end. he had sold off the chevy/ford part of it and concentrated on the mopar.
after his death the business was run by his longtime girlfriend and John, his righthand man for years. one day I made the trip down from north Mo. looking for som e small parts for my 68 charger I was building, and brought a few parts to trade. I was looking for a pair of charger horns, there must have been 40- 50-60 ???? 68-70 chargers, all lined up 2 x2 long row, I NEVER found a horn!!! I asked John the wtf??? this was back in mid 90's ?? I didn't know at the time but the charger horn was unique to that car. NONE left! LOL
after some years the word went out ( word of mouth). IF anybody wants any part or a whole car, come get it as the yard was to be crushed. I couldn't go look, but I heard there were quite a few complete restorable cars left. but early A and early B cars weren't in demand.
Ron was a walking Mopar encyclopedia. he knew every cast number by heart. I brought him some parts on time. of which was a 71 up B body dana, he didn't even measure it. said that's what it is...
the yard encircled the home. a large nice one. funny sight to see 1000's of junkers ALL around this home. it sat way off the highway, and cars all the way around! LOL and his front yard held some " sale" cars, 440-6 hemi max wedge you name it. his basement would hold maybe a special car or so. for instance the Sox and Martin 71 hemi cuda or a 70 challebger hemi convert!!!!!
if Ron figured you were a REAL mopar enthusiast, he would show it ALL to you, all the while answering his ( now dineseur cell phone).... people calling all the while looking for cars, parts........
I was at R and R yesterday, picking up a recond. battery. for a project. the guy that owns it now gave me some history I wasn't aware of. he went to work for Ron in the 60's for $.75 per hour. he bought a 440-6 cuda off Ron for $1200 , paid $100 a month> Ron wanted to start salvage business down here is S W MO. he bought land with a nice home few miles w. of Aurora. he got started and bought out a large salvage yard right there in town. gave $18,000 for it....I forget how many 1000's of cars and tons of parts. they had like 3 months to move IT ALL. everything, scarp, old tires, cars, parts!!! that was the start.
forward on till the mid 80's and muscle car boom was underway. by then Ron had collected his "persoanl' collection of high profile mopars, he wanted own one of every six pack and hemi car built, hardtop, post, and convertible! these were housed in a BIG pole building. now lots of them were rollers but were all real cars. some were incredible cars.... quite a site to see! Ron would fly over Ar and Ok, Mo and look for salvage yards with Mopars, and then go in and buy ALL their mopars. he had many local guys bring him cars too.
Ron's business was mostly advertising in Hemmings and Mopasr Collectors Guide, shipping parts. he always had some desirable builders there for sale too.
the yard. there were rows upon row of neatly parked cars. most were slant, 318's, and the "real" musclecars in the yard were wrecked or those deemed not restorable. people now restore cars that weren't hardly good parts cars back then!
Ron was a true enthusiasist. he was also a savvy businessman. he made his living in the salvage/ parts business, but he truly loved the hobby too. he come down with colon cancer, had the "bag",, but kept right on going to the end. he had sold off the chevy/ford part of it and concentrated on the mopar.
after his death the business was run by his longtime girlfriend and John, his righthand man for years. one day I made the trip down from north Mo. looking for som e small parts for my 68 charger I was building, and brought a few parts to trade. I was looking for a pair of charger horns, there must have been 40- 50-60 ???? 68-70 chargers, all lined up 2 x2 long row, I NEVER found a horn!!! I asked John the wtf??? this was back in mid 90's ?? I didn't know at the time but the charger horn was unique to that car. NONE left! LOL
after some years the word went out ( word of mouth). IF anybody wants any part or a whole car, come get it as the yard was to be crushed. I couldn't go look, but I heard there were quite a few complete restorable cars left. but early A and early B cars weren't in demand.
Ron was a walking Mopar encyclopedia. he knew every cast number by heart. I brought him some parts on time. of which was a 71 up B body dana, he didn't even measure it. said that's what it is...
the yard encircled the home. a large nice one. funny sight to see 1000's of junkers ALL around this home. it sat way off the highway, and cars all the way around! LOL and his front yard held some " sale" cars, 440-6 hemi max wedge you name it. his basement would hold maybe a special car or so. for instance the Sox and Martin 71 hemi cuda or a 70 challebger hemi convert!!!!!
if Ron figured you were a REAL mopar enthusiast, he would show it ALL to you, all the while answering his ( now dineseur cell phone).... people calling all the while looking for cars, parts........
