Where to Find Cars
The best way to locate cars is to make sure all your friends and relatives know you're looking. In fact, every car I've raced was found this way.
If you're getting desperate, one of the most sure-fire ways (though likely more expensive) is to drop by your friendly neighbourhood auto wreckers. They will have a plentiful supply of old beaters that still run, but they'll probably want more than the $100-$200 I like to pay.
A related source: used car lots. Sometimes these places will take in old clunkers on a trade just to make a deal (even though the net value of the trade is $0). You may be able to take it off their hands for $100 or so.
To find hidden gems, try cruising slowly down gravel roads and look into the fields. Some farmer may have parked his old Caddy out there after the brakes and exhaust went on it, deciding it wasn't worth the effort to fix. Giving him $100 to tow it away just might make his day. This tactic works best in the spring or fall when there's no leaves on the trees.
If you've got the balls, try to spot "candidates" in mall parking lots or on streets, and leave a note under the windshield wiper with your phone number. Be prepared for some nasty responses, though.
If you have the luxury of choosing your car, the number one tip is to get a General Motors product (and I'm not just saying this because I work for the General). Ford and Chrysler may have made some pretty solid cars in the past (in fact, most derbies forbid the use of Chrysler Imperials because they're so tough), but their engines always let them down. For some reason, GM engines can take an incredible amount of heat and still keep running. I've seen Chevys have their entire radiator ripped right off in the middle of a derby, and then continue to run without a drop of coolant for another 10 minutes or more.
Secondly, get the biggest car you can find. Cars from the 60s and early-70s are the biggest, heaviest, and strongest. More mass = more inertia = more damage to the other guy. Station wagons are very popular for their added size and strength in the rear, where you (are supposed to) do all your hitting.
Leaf springs in the rear are another advantage, although not many GMs built after the early 70s have them. The reason is that as the car gets crunched up, the leaf springs will actually bow down, pushing the wheels towards the ground and providing more ground clearance for the body. Quite a few cars become disabled when their trunks get beat downwards into the ground and prevent the car from moving.
The size of the engine isn't as big a deal as you might imagine. The derby rings are always made of gravel and are often muddy so there isn't much traction, and thus no need for 300 hp stump pullers.
Choosing a Car
