Old Defunct Businesses in Phoenix, AZ.

I spent a LOT of time in & around the Phoenix area from 1984-1992 & have a bunch of great memories. People, places, & businesses. Great restaurants, junkyards, etc. We were in the rust-free parts business so we regularly hit all the junkyards. (Hoctor's Hidden Valley, ACJ, Art Coffer's Chrysler Parts, 75th Ave. Auto Wrecking - John Buss owner & friend, McIntyre, K&D, etc.). Remember RPM (Rare Performance Motors) in Scottsdale?

My gosh we LOVED eating at Bill Johnson's. There was also a GREAT Schezwan restaurant called Schezwan Gardens around Thomas & 36th Street - best I've ever had. Guggy's Grill, Coco's, etc.

One place I was trying to remember last night was a lumber store on Broadway - I think there were a few of them - it was a small chain. Do any of you remember the name of those stores? Driving me crazy & I can't find anything online.

Just a shot in the dark was it Terry lumber by any chance? we had a bunch of them around here, but they are all gone now, although they may have just changed the name several times over the last 25 years.

I bought 5 second gen Barracuda's from Art just before he closed down, loved going to that place! Still have one 68 Fastback, but before I went to pick it up someone torched out the right rear frame rail!

Nope - wasn't Terry Lumber. I still can't remember the name of it. I was looking to see if I had a carpenter's pencil or apron from there last night - gotta do more digging. The store was around maybe 12th Ave. & on the S. side of Broadway. There was also a grocery store in that area - about a mile South of Broadway that had a great diner in it too - we used to get lunch there pretty often.

Wasn't "Mr. Good Parts" located in Phoenix? I bought a rust free used pair of full inner/outer rear quarter panels for my 300 from that company...in 1986, had them shipped to my house.

Yep - the guy's name was Brad Stoler. He had no connection with us, but he came along well after we were underway. He got crumbs. Our company was Rare Iron Co.

Come on - still need the name of that lumber yard! (I have to look in another spot for one of their pencils.....)

Well, I just found out tonight the lumber store - Lumberjack.

I got in touch with an old friend that we rented property from back in the 80's & early 90's - he owned one of the wrecking yards down on junkyard row. I got in touch with him through Facebook. Anyway, mystery solved! One less thing to bug me! Also, he said Art Coffer passed away about 5 years ago, but his son Dave was still around, but out of the business as far as he knew. Hoctor's Hidden Valley in Maricopa is still going however - Jeff Hoctor still runs that place. I thought they were gone long ago, but glad to hear they are still going. The dad - Don Hoctor, passed maybe 10-ish years ago.

So anyway, any "old timers" from the Phoenix area should appreciate this.

Been in the PHX area now 25 years and never aware of this place. During my 13 year resto when I needed a specific bolt or two I went to Desert Valley Auto, next to the Deer Valley Airport. Last year they were forced to move, guessing the land owner was looking to develop the land for big $$$. DVAP then moved everything to Black Canyon and a real PITA to get to.

Glad I saw this post and will have to give Hidden Valley a look one day.

Hidden Valley was THE place back in the 80's. There were a few yards out off of Deer Valley Rd. (that was pretty far North back then - close to where civilization ended) - they were all East of 17. I remember getting a pair of mint Rallye doors off a '72 Charger from one of them. I remember Bell Rd. & Thunderbird - I think Thunderbird was pretty much the farthest North for civilization, then there was basically nothing until you got to Flagstaff.

Desert Valley was an offshoot from a big family-run tow-in yard down on Buckeye if I remember correctly. They'd take anything "old" up there & just stash the old stuff. In the early 90's is when they opened that yard & started selling the old parts for big bucks. We got more good stuff from yards in TX., NM, CA, & remote yards in AZ. than around the Phoenix area. Phoenix was constantly heavily picked over - Tucson too.

I lived in Cottonwood for a couple years in the late 80s and found a lot of parts at a small salvage yard on the outskirts of Clarkdale but can’t remember the name.
There was also a large building on the outskirts of Clarkdale that looked to be some kind of mill or manufacturing plant in the early 1900s that was packed full of 60s and older cars covered in dust. A friend took me there one time and the gentleman that owned it was an older guy and at the time nothing was for sale. I can’t remember the names of this guy either.

Last thing I grabbed from Art was some 11 3/4 inch brakes for my challenger. I think I was 17 or 18 at the time. Used to hit up that place all the time! I think ( I could be wrong) but a lot of places sold when steel prices went sky high.