Dang it. My favorite junk yard closed

[Exterous]

There was a You Pull It junk yard near me that closed. The owners sold the inventory and land when they retired. It was a bare bones operation - all outside, no online inventory, they didn't test anything etc. But it was 8 min away, they had a lot of cars and it was only a $1 to walk around. And had a decent return policy.

I bought a new cluster for my 05 civic there for $16. A new AC fan For $12. The new owners took everything, moved it inside, inventoried and tested things but the prices are all like 5x higher. Of course I found out because I am in need of a new fog lamp assembly.

I guess I'll have to scout out some of the much farther alternatives

 

[BonzaiDuck]

There was a You Pull It junk yard near me that closed. The owners sold the inventory and land when they retired. It was a bare bones operation - all outside, no online inventory, they didn't test anything etc. But it was 8 min away, they had a lot of cars and it was only a $1 to walk around. And had a decent return policy.

I bought a new cluster for my 05 civic there for $16. A new AC fan For $12. The new owners took everything, moved it inside, inventoried and tested things but the prices are all like 5x higher. Of course I found out because I am in need of a new fog lamp assembly.

I guess I'll have to scout out some of the much farther alternatives

5x higher -- really?

On the positive side of things, I'm guessing with the new operation that you wouldn't need to put on sunscreen, dirty clothes, and workboots, or prepare a tool-box and lunch for your $1 weekend outings. Otherwise, you'll travel more and take more time extracting parts from rusty carcasses.

The advantage of online salvage parts-sales, despite their prices, is a wider availability of parts with more time on the computer and less time risking need for a tetanus shot. The problem with online salvage parts-sales: some of them are not too web-savvy, but they keep an updated computerized inventory. Of course, you also endure shipping costs if you find what you need hundreds of miles away or out of state.

 

[HarryLui]

I don't even bother with junkyards anymore. My 420A coil cracked due to a fault of the ignition module. Ebay 420A coil was less than $15 shipped to my door which is less than $2 entrance fee + gas + time + part cost + tax + environmental fee + core fee and etc.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I don't even bother with junkyards anymore. My 420A coil cracked due to a fault of the ignition module. Ebay 420A coil was less than $15 shipped to my door which is less than $2 entrance fee + gas + time + part cost + tax + environmental fee + core fee and etc.

But was it "used" or "new" -- usually stated on the item's EBay web-page?

I buy a lot of used parts from EBay. There would be multiple sources, but among them -- salvage yards with a web-savvy EBay page and a computerized inventory.

 

[Exterous]

5x higher -- really?

On the positive side of things, I'm guessing with the new operation that you wouldn't need to put on sunscreen, dirty clothes, and workboots, or prepare a tool-box and lunch for your $1 weekend outings. Otherwise, you'll travel more and take more time extracting parts from rusty carcasses.

The advantage of online salvage parts-sales, despite their prices, is a wider availability of parts with more time on the computer and less time risking need for a tetanus shot. The problem with online salvage parts-sales: some of them are not too web-savvy, but they keep an updated computerized inventory. Of course, you also endure shipping costs if you find what you need hundreds of miles away or out of state.

Yes 5x. I compared my cluster and ac fan purchases to the new prices and adjusted for inflation. Maybe other prices aren't as high but I can't say. There were already other junk yards that offered pre-pulled, computerized inventory for the times I wanted that. I'd go to this place for easy to pull items I wanted cheap. Cluster took maybe 5 min to extract. Fan maybe 10

 

[HarryLui]

But was it "used" or "new" -- usually stated on the item's EBay web-page?

I buy a lot of used parts from EBay. There would be multiple sources, but among them -- salvage yards with a web-savvy EBay page and a computerized inventory.

Used. I wanted an used OEM one.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Used. I wanted an used OEM one.

Some of us would take "used" or "new" as they might be available. But if they're "used" -- they came from a salvage yard first in the chain of custody.

Online, you don't have to march around an auto graveyard and find them; you don't have to extract them. You don't have to slather "Instant Orange" on your hands, and you don't have to take a shower. You pay for someone else to do all that, inventory the items, advertise them on EBay, and sell them.

Plus shipping. I think salvage yards will charge you tax for the state in which they're located. There is always a reciprocal relationship between state sales tax and shipping, or between state sales tax and price.

But like the chicken commercial once said -- "parts is parts."

See -- these are the hassles that drive folks who favor "new" over pre-owned or just "old". They don't want the hassle. But you can count the premium of "hassle-free" sometimes in thousands of dollars. At this point, I give a plug to a thread I started about creating "sub-forums".

 

[who?]

Maybe most people want to pay mechanics who don't have the time to go pull a part unless they're getting paid for the time.

 

[highland145]

rock auto...just bought the whole headlight assembly for the truck with bulbs, $42 each. For whatever reason, the wife's RAV4 (same year) was $92 each. Beats $230 for the OEM.

 

[who?]

When things weren't tested you had to pay your mechanic to keep changing the same part until you found one that worked.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

When things weren't tested you had to pay your mechanic to keep changing the same part until you found one that worked.

That's probably and likely an advantage of getting salvage yard parts online. They pull them; they test them; they sell them and ship them. Especially -- they would likely test them.

Couple months ago, I had been looking for a pristine replacement tail lens assembly for my 24-year-old Trooper. I had done a good job repairing the old one -- superglue and bendable colored plastic -- but a mounting hole had stripped threads. So I ordered the junk part. It was serviceable enough to sell and use, but it wasn't "pristine" -- it had a chipped corner. So I went to Autozone and spent $2.00 on a red plastic reflector; cut off the jagged edge of the broken taillight corner with my Dremel; cut and shaped a piece of the reflector; bonded the assembly with the plastic using superglue -- and it was "pristine". And -- the mounting hole threads weren't stripped.

Every repair shop I've ever known will choose to buy new parts when you might have found them in a salvage yard. They'll only use salvage yard parts if they can't find new. I can't imagine someone ordering salvage yard parts to then pay a mechanic to install them. I'd think most car owners who get those used parts install them personally.

 

[JEDIYoda]

It`s hard to make a profit, when everything you sell is junk!!!