The Junkyard Discoveries of Mo-Par City in Oregon, Illinois

This remarkable yard, true to its name, specializes in Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler parts cars—and it’s a sight every muscle car enthusiast should experience.

Spanning 5.5 acres, it's home to around 800 vehicles, including some highly desirable machines. It’s a true paradise for muscle car fans. While many of the cars have been heavily picked over and are beyond restoration, the yard remains a goldmine for parts. Beyond the outdoor collection, there’s an impressive 30,000sq ft of new, used, Mopar performance, reproduction, and new old stock parts.

Founded in 1974, Mo-Par City has been the life’s work of owner Larry Pontnack. Now, with retirement on the horizon, he’s ready to pass the torch. Everything you see - the cars, the parts, and even the yard itself—is up for sale. Don’t miss this opportunity to own a piece of muscle car history.

We can count the number of 1969 Dodge Chargers we've spotted in junkyards on one hand—but Mo-Par City seems to have at least ten. None are in great shape, but the fact that they still exist at all is remarkable. It's estimated that 300 1969 Chargers were destroyed during the filming of The Dukes of Hazzard, with many ending up with front fenders looking much like these.

Chrysler Imperials from this era are often banned from competing in Demolition Derbies, because their heavy-duty frames and construction give them an unfair advantage and make them extremely difficult to destroy. That said, if the rust on the rear fender is anything to go by, this 1965 Crown Coupe’s frame probably isn’t too solid.

While Mo-Par City does offer a few restorable cars, the majority are in poor condition, having been thoroughly picked over. Of all the vehicles we encountered, this one is certainly in the worst shape. In fact, beyond identifying it as a C-body, we can't determine exactly what it is. Can you? Please let us know in the comments.

How’s this for a ragged ragtop? It’s a 1965 Plymouth Belvedere, and it’s definitely seen better days. Fewer than 2000 of these were built, making it a rare find. But rarity and value don’t always go hand in hand—especially when a car is in this condition.

The Dodge Mirada was a stylish, personal luxury coupe produced by Dodge from 1980 to 1983. Built on the Chrysler J-platform, it featured sharp, angular lines with a hint of European influence.

Its name is derived from Spanish, meaning "view" or "look," reflecting its aim to attract style-conscious buyers. However, the Mirada struggled against competitors like the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Ford Thunderbird, leading to its discontinuation after only 52,947 units were produced.

The Plymouth Volaré is a memorable car—though unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. It was plagued by reliability issues and ravaged by recalls, doing little to bolster the marque’s reputation. This appears to be a 1977 Landau Premier, and it’s impressive that it’s managed to survive this long.

We’re kicking ourselves for overlooking the white car in the background of this picture, as it’s a rare 1975 Road Runner.

This was the only DeSoto we spotted at Mo-Par City, though we may have missed others as we were rushing around at breakneck speed near the end of our visit, trying to beat an incoming torrential downpour. It’s a rare 1959 Firesweep two-door Sportsman, one of just 5481 built.

Produced between 1957 and 1959, the Firesweep was heavily based on the Dodge Coronet, but it featured distinctive DeSoto tailfins and front-end styling that set it apart.

As we mentioned earlier, not all of the cars here are in the best of health. You’ll have to take our word for it when we say this was once a 1970 Dodge Charger—and not just any Charger, but one that originally came with a "Six-Pack" under the hood.

The 7.2-litre V8 produced 390hp, making this car a formidable performer in its day. That’s another 1970 Charger on the right of the picture.

Launched in 1968, the Plymouth Road Runner was a more affordable, stripped-down alternative to the upscale GTX. Plymouth paid Warner Brothers $50,000 for the rights to use the Road Runner name, and another $10,000 to develop the car’s iconic "beep-beep" horn. This particular example is a second-generation model, built in 1973.

Introduced in 1971, the Dodge Demon was essentially a Valiant-based Plymouth Duster fastback with a unique identity. According to rumors, the car was initially intended to be called "Beaver," but Chrysler’s marketing team wisely changed its mind…

Now, flip your device upside down and see if you can identify the late 1950s finned car beneath it.

Built between 1939 and 1941, this was Plymouth’s last pickup truck—one it wouldn’t revisit until 1979, with the Arrow pickup, produced by Mitsubishi in Japan. With its styling reminiscent of contemporary Dodge models, this is a rare truck. At first glance, it appears to be solid and largely complete.

The Magnum name has appeared multiple times in Dodge’s model lineup, but this was its debut. These cars, built on the enduring Chrysler B platform, were available only for the 1978 and 1979 model years. During that brief period, just 73,194 units were sold, with the optional T-top roof—featured on the car to the right—selected by only a small number of buyers.

It’s hard to believe that the LeBaron name vanished nearly 30 years ago. As one of Chrysler’s longest-running model names, it first appeared in 1930 and—apart from a hiatus between 1941 and 1955—remained in use until 1995. This car is a 1977 model, notable as Chrysler’s first compact.

Designed as a direct competitor to the Lincoln Versailles and Cadillac Seville, it was launched late in the year, with only 19,880 units sold. However, sales surged to 128,392 in 1978, the LeBaron’s first full year of production.

Judging by the license plate tags, this Dodge Charger was retired in 1997 at 12 years old. It’s a Shelby model, which in 1985 came equipped with a turbocharged 2.2-liter engine. Producing 146hp, it could accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 7.5sec and reach a top speed of 131mph. This is one of just 7,709 built that year.

Visiting Mo-Par City is strictly by appointment, but if you’re fortunate enough to step through its doors, prepare to dedicate several hours of your time. It’s a muscle car enthusiast’s dream—a true treasure trove and one of the most exciting hunts we’ve ever experienced.

While many of the cars are in rough shape, gems like this 1969 Dodge Coronet stand out with their reasonably solid shells and a wealth of parts to offer.

Nearly 34,621 Chrysler 300s were sold in 1968, but only 2161 of them were convertibles, making this an exceptionally rare car. Judging by how deeply it’s sunk into the ground, it has been at Mo-Par City for quite some time.

At $6411, the four-door Imperial Crown sedan was the least expensive Imperial in 1969. However, with only 1617 units sold, it also had one of the lowest sales figures. Like most of them, this was originally specified with a vinyl roof. Now removed, you can clearly see the horrors that were lurking beneath it.

Dodge produced 75,400 Polaras in 1966, representing over 10% of the brand’s total production that year. This impressive output helped Dodge secure its position as the fifth best-selling marque in the US, trailing just behind its sibling brand, Plymouth, in fourth place.

In 1972, the Plymouth 'Cuda stood out as the wilder sibling of the Barracuda, turning heads with its aggressive looks and performance prowess. While the Barracuda catered to a broader audience as a stylish yet approachable pony car, the 'Cuda was all about attitude. While there’s not a lot left of this one, there are better examples at Mo-Par City.

With 209,000 units sold, the Coronet was Dodge’s best-selling model in 1965, but the 440 convertible was a rare gem, with fewer than 12,000 produced. As for this example, it’s hard to say which has fared worse—the rusted exterior or the weather-ravished interior.

Back in the day, just $2590 was all it took to roll one of these beauties out of a Dodge showroom and hit the open road, top down, with the wind in your hair.

The first-generation Dodge Charger debuted in mid-1966, built on the Coronet platform and designed to compete with rivals like the Ford Mustang and AMC Rambler Marlin. It proved to be a sales hit, racking up 37,344 units in just half a year. Though this 1966 example has seen better days, with most of its body panels succumbing to rust, the doors seem to have been deemed salvageable.

The first-generation Plymouth Barracuda was created to compete with the Ford Mustang and actually beat it to market, debuting on 1 April 1964. Like Ford transformed the Falcon into the Mustang, Plymouth built its pony car on the Valiant platform. However, despite its head start, the Barracuda never captured the public's imagination quite like the Mustang.

It is perhaps best remembered for its massive rear window, which, at the time, was the largest ever installed in a production car. Remarkably, as you can see, this one still retains its iconic glass intact.

The Dodge 330 had a brief run, produced only for the 1962, 1963, and 1964 model years. Initially positioned as a trim level above the Dodge Dart, it was offered in both two-door and four-door sedan configurations. However, by the time this 1963 example rolled off the assembly line, it had become the base trim level in Dodge’s midsize lineup, reflecting a shift in branding strategy.

Plenty of Chrysler New Yorkers met their demise in demolition derbies, but not this one. That said, if it had taken a few laps around the arena, it likely wouldn’t look much worse—there’s hardly a straight panel left on it. The New Yorker was a fixture in Chrysler’s lineup from 1940 to 1996, making it the longest-running American car nameplate when it was discontinued. This battered example likely dates to around 1977.

Here’s another Chrysler that’s clearly seen better days—a 1968 Newport convertible. It’s rare to come across these in salvage yards, and for good reason: of the 182,000 Newports sold that year, only 2847 were convertibles. A rare gem, no doubt, though its scarcity does little to redeem its current state of disrepair.

In 1969, Dodge retired the Dart two-door sedan and introduced the Dart Swinger in its place. This example wasn’t a high-performance model and originally came equipped with a six-cylinder engine. However, that engine is long gone, replaced by something much greener…

First-generation Plymouth Road Runners are undeniably in vogue right now, but this 1970 example has seen far better days. It is clearly well beyond saving, and indeed only appears to have a handful of decent parts left on it. In 1970, Road Runner sales dropped by more than 50% from the previous year to around 41,000 units, placing it neck-and-neck with Pontiac’s GTO, which sold just over 40,000.

The Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396/454 was also a strong contender that year, selling nearly 50,000 units.

This Dodge Power Ram 50 looks a bit out of place here, being the only one of its kind at Mo-Par City. The Power Ram 50 was the 4x4 version of the Dodge Ram 50, a compact pickup manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors and sold in the US under the Dodge nameplate from 1979 to 1993. This example appears to date from the late 1980s.

This 1969 Plymouth Satellite is another example that seems to have been stripped of most of its valuable parts. Judging by how it's sunk up to its axles, it’s clear this car has been sitting in the same spot for quite some time.

In 1969, Plymouth sold 751,134 units, making it the fourth best-selling car brand in the US, behind Chevrolet, Ford, and Pontiac. In the next two years, Plymouth would leapfrog Pontiac to claim third place in sales.

Considering that only 1495 Dodge Polara and Polara 500 convertibles were produced in 1969, it's highly unlikely to find one in a salvage yard—let alone a matching pair.

Produced from 1960 to 1963, these cars were part of the wave of US vehicles from the era that adopted space-inspired names to tap into the public's excitement over the space race. While both cars still have plenty of useful parts, it's no surprise that most of the interior components have long since rotted away.

In 1981, under the leadership of Lee Iacocca, the decision was made to revive the Imperial brand. This flagship model, which shared the J-platform with the second-generation Chrysler Cordoba and Dodge Mirada, featured a distinctive bustle-back design inspired by the 1937–1939 Chrysler Imperial sedans.

It also carried a subtle resemblance to the Cadillac Seville. A total of just 12,385 units were produced between 1981 and 1983, making it something of an oddity today.

This appears to be a 1965 Plymouth Belvedere II two-door hardtop coupe, one of 24,924 sold that year. We suspect that hole was once filled with a 3.7-liter six-cylinder engine, which would have translated to lethargic acceleration, and a 13.7sec wait to reach 60mph. 

According to the markings on the rear fender, this 1969 Dodge Charger is a sought-after R/T model. The "R/T" stands for "Road/Track," signalling a higher-performance version designed for both street driving and track capabilities.

From this angle, it doesn’t look too bad - the taillights are still intact, and the trunk is in decent shape. However, this is the car’s best angle; there's not much left ahead of the A-pillars.

The 1967 Imperial shared its unibody platform with other full-sized Chrysler Corporation models, but it boasted a completely unique body style and distinctive design cues. Among its standout features were the dramatic full-width taillights that gave it a sleek and modern appearance.

The public approved of these updates, driving sales up to 17,614 units compared with 13,752 the previous year. For just over 3000 buyers, the $6011 price tag for the Crown two-door hardtop offered exclusivity and luxury—an Imperial hallmark that defined the brand during its prime.

Little remains of the vinyl roof that once adorned this 1967 Chrysler Newport Custom two-door hardtop. While the 1967 Newports retained the same body shell as the previous year, they were updated with fresh sheet metal.

Notable among these changes was the angular semi-fastback roofline on the two-door hardtop models, which featured reverse-slant side windows for a distinctive look. In 1967, two-door hardtops accounted for a quarter of all Newports sold.

Few 1960s US cars balanced style and substance as effortlessly as the 1968 Dodge Coronet 500. Positioned as the more luxurious offering in the Coronet lineup, it featured upscale trim, extra chrome, and a more refined interior compared with its base-model siblings.

For this year, Dodge adopted the new "Coke-bottle" styling, with crisp lines and muscular curves giving the Coronet an aggressive yet elegant look.

This Plymouth Satellite was built in 1967, the final year of the first-generation model. While it largely carried over the 1966 design, it did receive updates, including revised trim and the addition of new twin headlamps. The Satellite’s name was inspired by the excitement of the Space Age, symbolizing modernity and progress in an era captivated by the promise of space exploration.

We reckon this is a 1973 Dodge Charger, although they looked nearly identical to the 1974 models, so we could be mistaken. Either way, you don’t often find these in salvage yards. It’s clearly been sitting in the same spot for years, so it’s surprising that more of its parts haven’t gone missing. With 108,000 units produced, 1973 marked the highest sales year for the 1971–1974 Charger generation.

The Plymouth GTX, produced from 1967 to 1971, was marketed as a gentleman's muscle car—but its performance was anything but reserved. Take this 1969 model, one of just 4004 examples specified with the combination of a 375hp 440 V8 engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. In its prime, this machine could rocket from 0 to 60mph in just 5.3sec, with a theoretical top speed of 123mph.

Like many cars in this yard, this 1968 Dodge Charger is missing most of its glass and all of its interior. It’s likely that some parts were removed by the yard for safekeeping and are stored in one of several warehouses. So, if you can’t spot what you’re looking for in these photos, don’t assume Mo-Par City doesn’t have the part you need. Just give them a call.

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