Why turquoise, Gabriola?
So, old cars. There are a lot of them in the Gabriola forest, you know, rotting away. Mostly they’re in pieces, and being gradually covered in moss and salal. They’re usually a bit off the beaten path. Sometimes car parts become trail markers or salal decorations, like this tire rim.
Of these old cars, there seem to be a disproportionate number of them that are turquoise. Really! Now, why would that be?
When I blogged about a previous turquoise wreck in the Gabriola forest, a commenter, SL, came along and said
This is a door panel (or what is left of one), off a 1955, 56 or 57 chevy. From what I can see it includes the inside window roller handle, door handle and the arm rest. Probably a 57 because the turquoise colour was more popular in 57.
OK, so how long do you suppose a car made in 57 lasted, before somebody finally wanted to get rid of it by dumping it in the forest? 15 years? And, if so, can we assume that dumping turquoise cars in the Gabriola woods was the 1972 thing to do?
I know, I know, you’ll tell me I need to get out of the house more. But I do, you see. And that’s when I find old cars in the woods.
Filed in Gabriola Island,junk in the forest,photos 3 Comments so far
3 Responses to “Why turquoise, Gabriola?”
marja-leena on 10 Mar 2010 at 1:38 am #
Such a horrible yet universal practice, yet beautiful how nature slowly camouflages.
How about right on the beach, like a carcass?
rick on 10 Mar 2010 at 11:57 pm #
Islands with no vehicle ferry are where a clever automobile collector can often find parts – or even complete vehicles. “Back in the day” it was certainly not worth the cost of a barge to get rid of an old vehicle, so they often got parked in the woods and left. Keats Island, across the Salish Sea from Gabriola, has been the source of a few antique cars and trucks that languished there until their value exceeded the cost of getting them off the island. By the looks of it, the ones you have spotted in the Gabriola woods may be there until the forest consumes them.
Gabriolan on 11 Mar 2010 at 11:02 am #
marja-leena, that is a very cool photo! Thanks.
Rick – aha! Thanks. I know there are several islands that have foot-passenger-only ferries, but had never thought about how that might make those islands a good place to find an above-average number of old cars.