Man takes road trip in rare Jeepster to explore automotive time capsule 1949 Chevy dealership full of untouched parts
- This abandoned auto parts store still has parts on the shelves
- Plus this Chevy dealership has classic cars on its forecourt
- The 600-mile road trip becomes a ‘fiasco’ when the Jeepster fails
Published on Oct 21, 2024 at 8:36 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 21, 2024 at 8:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This abandoned auto parts store and Chevy dealership might have closed in the 1980s – but they still have parts on the shelves and classic cars on the forecourt respectively.
A YouTuber and his friend embarked on a 600-mile road trip from Colorado to Arizona in a 1971 Jeepster Commando to investigate.
Problems with the Jeepster resulted in the trip being labeled a ‘fiasco’.
However, the ‘unique atmosphere reminiscent of a bygone era in the automotive world’ was well worth the trouble.
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The Chevy dealership
David Freiburger and Rick Péwé were the team who embarked on a 600-mile road trip.
Their vehicle was a 1971 Jeepster Commando that had been on a ranch for many years – which certainly wasn’t without some issues.
The first thing they came across was a guy living in a 1949 Chevy dealership.
It had been converted into a personal collection and has a variety of classic cars and vintage automotive memorabilia for enthusiastic visitors to look at and enjoy.
The pair describe it as an ‘amazing automotive time capsule’.
It freezes many of its original features in time from its operational days.
Similarly, his abandoned Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership is like a time capsule.
Plus this classic car museum was confused by a 1970s car in pristine condition.
The abandoned auto parts store
Further down the road, the abandoned auto parts store closed in the 1980s.
However, it still has many original parts on the shelves and offers a glimpse into how auto parts were once sold.
Complete with old displays and memorabilia from its operational days, it’s a nostalgic visit.
The owner worked there as a teenager and still oversees the property.
The repairs needed to the neglected Jeepster include a pinion seal and fluid changes, meaning the duo faced various challenges and engine issues.
In similar news, this one-of-a-kind car museum in Ohio is filled with a unique collection of historic cars.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
