WATCH: 1934 Ford, Bonnie and Clyde keep town alive

Bonnie and Clyde keep this town alive. A couple killed in an ambush? Call it saving grace for the small town of Gibsland, Louisiana. Road trips across this great country, the United States of America, can be full of adventure and history. Perry Carver, owner of the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum, discusses his life as the caretaker of macabre American history. Bonnie and Clyde, lovers forever linked to a criminal life on the run and a 1934 Ford that encapsulated their brutal end.

Where?

This tucked away gem is just off Interstate 20 for those travelers zooming across northern Louisiana. Hop off at Exit 61 for a pit stop that delivers a one-of-a-kind experience. Witness the history of Bonnie and Clyde along the same road where they met their ultimate demise. You can’t get closer to the infamous outlaw’s story than walking up to the address of their last meal in Gibsland, Louisiana. Legend has it that Clyde bought two sandwiches — a BLT for Bonnie and a fried bologna sandwich for himself at Rosa Canfield’s Cafe on May 23, 1934. Seven and a half miles later, or about 15 minutes of driving in the Ford, a nationwide manhunt ended in a gun battle. An ambush by the Texas Rangers silenced the couple that blazed a murderous trail for two years. The couple’s exploits captured the imagination of a nation hard-pressed by the lingering effect of The Great Depression. Many suspect that Bonnie and Clyde received help eluding the police because of a Robin-hood persona. We do know they had a hand in the death of at least 12 people, most of them police officers. The result of the ambush show the level of outrage by law enforcement. I’m sure it was a deterrent to any other would-be Bonnie & Clyde couples.

See history before it disappears

That Cafe’s original building was destroyed by fire in 1946. The Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum now sits on the old Cafe property. My kids remember stopping in Gibsland almost 10 years ago. The place was smaller back then. The experience was worth stopping for then and now. Slow down, gawk at the bloody Death Car, grab a souvenir, see the autopsy room, then maybe hit the toilet. Don’t forget to pet Mr. Kitty. He’s 15 years old!

Thanks for watching!

Jody Potter

– Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland, Louisiana is the main attraction in town.

Hundreds of photographs of Bonnie and Clyde cover the walls of the museum.

Bullet-riddled clone of the 1934 Ford that Bonnie and Clyde were in during ambush.

The Texas Rangers ambushed Bonnie and Clyde 15-minutes after they left Gibsland, Louisiana with a sackful of food.

Mr. Kitty is Perry Carver's cat. He likes to sit on the counter beside the cash register.

1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V For Sale

This one is for sale! Opelika, Alabama owner, Gage Woodall, shows off his 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V with his son, Jameson, by his side. The long, blue beauty is a three owner. The original owner kept it parked beside her house for decades. Gage drove it to Lineville, Alabama recently for the annual Clay County Car Show on November 2, 2025. A “FOR SALE” sign was propped up on the Lincoln’s dash! This reminded us of the recent Mark V that we found at a pull-your-own-parts junkyard. (See that here)

Sale Details/Contact:1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V

460-V8 engine, automatic

Gage Woodall

706-573-2699

Thanks for watching!

Jody Potter

– Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Rich Man's Ride: 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V in Junkyard

Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop Closing, brings Rotsun, large crowd

Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop is closing forever! Watch Junkyard Life walk thru Rocco & Cheater’s stash of vintage parts in Birmingham, Alabama. After almost 80 years strong, the Sanfilippo family is selling the building and liquidating the vintage speed parts inventory. We spoke to Jean Sanfilippo, widow of Mimi Sanfilippo, about the end of an era. Her husband, Mimi, was one of the brothers who founded the legendary Speed Shop in Birmingham, Alabama. Mimi passed away in 2018 and the remaining inventory has been sitting for almost 20 years. The business started as a Rocco & Cheater’s garage in 1946 and grew into the current location and larger shop in 1962. Whether it was round tracks or drag racing — gear heads knew this building had the parts to go fast.

Why did they close?

Eventually, the internet and cheap foreign parts took precedent over know how and local family loyalty. Around 2007, the Speed Shop closed daily operations. For many years the parts gathered dust. When old gear heads would inquire about the locked building full of parts, the Sanfilippo’s would open up the doors and sell a few parts. David Newbern, of MotorTrend/YouTube fame, heard the recent news that the family was selling everything and showed up for a tour and a video. Newbern spread the word to Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger formerly of Hot Rod Magazine, MotorTrend TV, and now YouTube celebrity. They decided to drive the 1971 Datsun 240Z, aka the Rotsun, to Alabama from California to tour the shop, meet fans and sign autographs. A camera crew filmed their exploits and posted a video to each of their channels.  

Mike Finnegan drove the Rotsun up to the front door of Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop with David Freiburger riding shotgun. A large crowd awaited the duo’s arrival in Birmingham, Alabama

Fans and Customers everywhere

We showed up at Rocco & Cheater's to look inside the historic speed shop on Sunday, April 27, 2025.  We were blown away at how much was left to buy. Tons of wheels, carbs, pistons, filters, distributors, tachometers, and aftermarket do-dads. David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan arrived about an hour-and-a-half later than expected but the crowd continued to grow in expectation. They roared when the YouTube stars crawled out of the Rotsun.

Many fans drove their old hot rod to get their car’s trunk or dash signed by Freiburger & Finnegan or bought something from Rocco & Cheater’s to commemorate the closing of a part of Birmingham’s automotive history.

Were you there?
What did you think of the video? Were you at Rocco & Cheater’s with the Rotsun or in the glory days? Tell us what you think in a comment!

Jody Potter
– Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Mike Finnegan and  David Freiburger sign autographs for fans at Rocco & Cheater’s Speed Shop in Birmingham, Alabama on April 27, 2025.

Pull-A-Part Time Machine 2003

Watch: Rare Killer Bee

Sting me! Chris Echols of Montgomery, Alabama was stung by a 1987 Nissan Be-1. Not a real bumblebee but a Be-1 model from Nissan’s “Pike Factory” designers. Echols and his wife are huge fans of Japanese Bubble Cars. So much so, that they own three different models. A Figaro, Pao, and the Be-1. In the late-1980s Japanese automakers were riding a wave booming business (the bubble, so to speak) and Nissan, led by industrial designer Naoki Sakai, unleashed throwback designs with a futuristic flair for simplicity. The goal for these new city cars was to blend fashion and design to compete with Honda. Owners lined up to grab one in Japan. For fans in the United States, a 25 year wait was in order. Echols scooped his 1987 Nissan Be-1 from a seller in Florida. Echols loves to drive his classic JDM. He wheeled it more than 100 miles to a cars and coffee in Leeds, Alabama. His Be-1 attracted a lot of attention from curious onlookers to hardcore JDM fans. Magic City Octane presented Echols with the “Pick of the Show” award as I was wrapping up my interview with him. Thanks for watching! Jody Potter — Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Watch: SAVE? 1955 Chevy Rusty Neptune Green

SAVE? A 1955 Chevy survivor grab our attention as we stumbled down a dead end street in Pleasant Grove, Alabama. A vacant house and unkempt yard gave us clues that the ’55 Chevy 210 2-door sedan had been parked for decades. We looked under the hood at the trim tag and learned that it was originally two-tone with Sea Mist Green / Neptune Green paint code. The original Chevy small block, a 265-cubic inch V8, debut in 1955. Many other firsts for Chevy in 1955, including the 12-volt electrical system, and a distributor that was stationed at the rear of the block by the firewall. Was this Tri-Five worth saving???? Jody Potter – Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust.

Do you have a car story? Near miss story?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  
Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com

This 1955 Chevy 210 2-door sedan called to us from a dilapidated covered patio in Alabama. What was the story? We wanted to know. Watch the video for details. Worth saving? You decide!