By Theo Douglas

Two-door station wagons are cool because they have two doors. Not four. There’s still enough space for a Christmas tree or a fraction of a Girl Scout troop—and your dignity rides shotgun. To find one now, though, you need a gourmet junkyard—something along the lines of Memory Lane Collector Car Dismantler in Wilmington, where an eminently restorable 1956 Pontiac two-door wagon can be had for a mere $2,800. Plus, Wilmington is built for easy access from Long Beach, the only drawback being a set of train tracks a half-block from the yard that get used a lot. I got queasy for 20 minutes, watching a set of graffitied tank cars rock back and forth. But the Comets, Biscaynes, Capris, Crosleys—even the Willys-Knights—more than compensated for my lost time. It’s like a dealership in reverse. AVAILABLE AT MEMORY LANE COLLECTOR CAR DISMANTLER 1320 E Lomita Blvd | Wilmington 90744 | 310.513.7036 or 800.AT.1.YARD | oldautoparts.com