Junk yard parts-an alternative to parts stores

Have you ever wondered, what if my engine blew up and the cost to repair it exceeded the value of the car? What if your transmission went out and between the cost for parts and the time to overhaul it was more than you had time for? Here is an article with today’s finances in mind for the do it yourself type person.

‘80’s Junk yards

There was a time when junk yards were exactly what their name was. JUNK! This will date me a little bit, but ‘back in the day’, or ‘in the late ‘80’s’. Junk yards used to be acres upon acres of dirt and grass with stacks of cars for as far as the eye can see. When you wanted a part, you just showed up and talked the toothless wonder into taking a trip around the yard in the “deuce and a quarter” to find the part you needed. This is all in a day’s work, just to get a junk part and save a little money.

Then every yard became a “printing press” with the advancement of computers into the automotive industry. Junk yards controlled the market. You no longer were able to enter the yard unless you were an employee. Employees took every part off of the cars and put them into an inventory that was checked by year, make, and model for each part available.

Oh, did I mention that junk parts were now sold at 1/3 less that a factory new part. Yeah, the $300 IROC Z-28 allow rim is going to cost you $200 from a junk yard. Corporate big business had just entered the junk yards. They did, and still do control it. But, things come full circle. Now you just sign a waiver, enter the yard, and remove the part you need. Parts are affordable once again! You also get to practice taking off a part from a junk car before you tear down your own car.

Pull-a-Part

Today there are several corporate chains that have junk yards scattered across America. The one closest to me is Pull a Part. Pull a Part has 15 different yards in 10 different states and is the most organized and inventory controlled yard that I’ve ever been in. You no longer have to worry about tromping through mud layered fields looking for a car like yours with no end in sight.

Check this out!!

Hey where’s the mud? Don’t worry about the rims under the cars, they’re welded together. Now you can remove the brake assembly that you wanted, or the transmission, or the radiator, or the… You get the idea?

Look closely at the white tags located on the rear panel of every vehicle. Yep, just like Kroger. There’s a bar code on every car and truck in the yard. The computer inventory is awesome! Just call them for parts pricing or go on to their very user friendly website and check for that car you’ve been looking for. The only thing I can recommend is to familiarize yourself with what part and or type of car you are looking for ahead of time. The Pull a Part website allows you to enter a vehicle’s year, make, and model and tells you if they have it, at which yard location, and exactly where it is in the yard. This is good for walking right to car # 402 in row 11 and get the part you need. Their website also has a complete parts price list so you know exactly what you will expect to pay before even going there.

Notice the nice wide path ways.

Room to work in both directions

Because it’s a do it yourself yard, they can keep their prices low and pass the savings onto you. They even provide wheel barrows to put your tools in for the journey into the yard.

If they don’t have the car that you are looking for just click the ‘notify me’ tab and you can request a car. Leave them the information and they will contact you via e-mail when a requested car comes into their yard.

Oh, and by the way be sure to take along some wasp and hornet spray. Trust me they like to hide in the cars during the hot summer days.

For those of you who were born after the ’80′s, a deuce and a quarter is a Buick Electra 225.