Tucked away somewhere in Michigan sits a junkyard that’s quietly harboring a slice of American muscle car history. Documented by Ryan Brutt of YouTube’s “Auto Archaeology,” the site contains a mix of forgotten vehicles—some mundane, others remarkably rare—saved from the crusher but still slowly succumbing to time and rust.
Among the more striking finds is a brown 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Gran Coupe, resting on top of a 1972 model. While not one of the high-performance ’Cuda variants, the Gran Coupe remains an uncommon trim level, produced in limited numbers with a range of engines from the 225 slant-six to the 383-cubic-inch V8. Depending on what’s under the hood, this particular example could be one of only a few hundred built.
Beside it sits the real prize: a 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge, a verified model confirmed by Pontiac Historical Services. Fewer than 3,700 Judge hardtops were produced that year, and even fewer survive today. The Judge was Pontiac’s answer to the Plymouth Road Runner, launched in 1969 as a budget-friendly performance car, but its run was short-lived—just three model years in total. This example is rough and missing interior pieces, but for collectors, it represents a rare and salvageable piece of muscle car heritage.
The yard also shelters two 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS models, each originally fitted with the mighty 396-cubic-inch big-block V8. Whether these cars house the 350-horsepower L34 or the 375-horsepower L78 engines, both are rare, with fewer than 7,500 total produced that year.
Though weathered and worn, the collection offers a glimpse into an era when horsepower ruled Detroit. With their metal bones slowly fading, these machines remain monuments to the golden age of muscle—waiting for someone with the vision, and the means, to bring them roaring back to life.