You are invited to come on a walking tour of one of the neatest salvage yards you may ever get a chance to see. Desert Valley Auto Parts (otherwise known as DVAP) has been around for over 30 years and has established a reputation – both in Arizona and far beyond – as a trusted source for hard-to-find original parts for vintage vehicle restorations. DVAP also sells complete cars, as you’ll see.

Chances are, if you have owned a classic from 1940 through 1980 you have already learned how difficult it can be to track down certain components (especially in clean, rust-free condition). My first visit to DVAP took place in February 2018 when my friend Dane tipped me off on the venue. The facility gained notoriety when it was featured in a Discovery Channel television series in 2011 called Desert Car Kings.

Today, DVAP operates three locations:

• Deer Valley Phoenix (Late-model trucks, some foreign vehicles)
• Casa Grande (1930 through 1965, GM G-body, Ford Econoline, Studebaker)
• Black Canyon City (1965 and newer)

My latest video is episode 9 in the series and involved a visit in mid-November to the Black Canyon facility. During my 90-minute walk-about, I filmed over an hour of footage. Everywhere I turned, there was something interesting to look at. The final video ended up at 42 minutes, and even if you don’t have that time to spare, I encourage you to scan through and enjoy as much of it as you can.

I wasn’t even around when most of the cars I admired during my visit were new, but it doesn’t matter. For me, the DVAP experience (or a visit to any automotive junkyard, really) revolves around envisioning each vehicle in its prior/original state. I like to think about the lucky original owners who proudly drove them off the showroom floors around the nation. If cars could talk, there would be a lot of colorful stories to tell about the lives they have lived.

Hope you enjoy the video, and if you did, check out the other eight episodes in the series. Thanks to Brian Smyth, DVAP Manager, who was kind enough to have some Q&A with me during my visit.

If you have interest in inquiring about a specific vehicle or part, DVAP has a search form here.

Let me know in the comment section if there were any vehicles in particular that caught your eye!