Knight Replicas General Guides :

How to Find Parts at Auto Salvage Yards

Converting a stock automobile into a replica often requires hard-to-find and expensive automobile parts. Some of these parts can still be ordered brand new from a dealer's service center or purchased from reproduction manufacturers. Unfortunately, getting new parts from a dealer is often too expensive, and reproduction parts sometimes don't fit, look, or work quite the same as originals. Even worse, some items are simply not available from dealers or catalogs. The solution? Recycle.

Salvage yards contain factory original parts for a tiny fraction of the cost of new or reproduction parts. Obviously, these are not new parts, so some restoration work may need to be done, and it pays to cherry-pick the best parts from as large a selection as possible.

However, finding parts in auto salvage yards isn't always easy. I've put together this guide to help you find the yards, find the parts, and most importantly, keep costs down.

 

How to Find Salvage Yards

There are two good ways to find salvage yards in your area. One is obvious: your telephone book. Look under "Auto Salvage". There is however, another, more sophisticated way of finding salvage yards by using your computer.

The steps:
 

1. Go to www.yahoo.com
    
2. Click the "Maps" link.
    
3. Type in your zip code or address and click on the button.
    
4. Now, you should see a map with your location at the center. Ignore it. Instead, click on "Find Nearby Businesses".
    
5. Type "salvage" in the text box and click on the button.
    
6. You should end up with a listing of salvaging businesses in your area (sorted by distance from your location). Print out the page.
    
7. Click on the "Next Matches" link at the bottom of the page to find more salvaging businesses, until you consider them too far away (say 120 miles, a two hour drive). Print out each page.
    
8. Get the print outs, your telephone, and a comfortable chair.
    
9. Call each business on the list. Ask them if they have an auto salvage yard (some will not be auto salvage yards), and if they have the part(s) you need.
   
   If they say no, find out if they have any cars of the same make and that the parts might be found in. This is important, because you cannot rely on them to know every part in their salvage yard. Even if they say they don't have a part, visit the salvage yard if they have any of the cars that the part might be found on.
   
   There have been many times that I have been told by a salvage yard owner that he didn't have what I was looking for, and then found it in his yard within a few minutes of searching.
    
10. Cross out the businesses that don't have what you need.
     

You are now ready to start visiting the salvage yards.

 

The Sacred Rules of Navigating Salvage Yards
or, "Seek and Ye Shall Find"

1. Dress Appropriately
   
   You will get dirty. If you didn't get dirty, you probably either paid too much or didn't find the part. Dressing in fancy clean clothes will also mean the prices go up as soon as you walk in their door.
    
2. If You Are Female, Bring a Guy.
   
   Some of the people you find working in salvage yards are sexist, so you might find that you get better service and more respect with a guy standing next to you (if he's capable of it, you might even want him to do the talking).
   
   Oh, and when I say "guy", I mean a GUY, not a gentleman. Don't bring William or Stuart. Bring Bill or Stu. If they drag their knuckles, it's a plus.
    
3. Bring Tools
   
   Bring at least two screwdrivers (flat and phillips), a pair of pliers, and a jack knife. Many salvage yards will supply tools if you forget something.
    
4. Know Where to Park (and More Importantly, Where NOT to Park)
   
   You wouldn't want anyone to confuse your car for one of the salvage cars. It's happened.
    
5. Lock Your Doors
   
   Just in case someone does get confused, at least they won't be able to get at anything... for a little while at least.
    
6. Don't Pet the Dog
   
   He bites. Trust me.
    
7. Ask for Their Policies
   
   Some yards require that you be accompanied by one of their personnel, some need you to ask them before pulling a part, and some require that they pull the parts for you (normally at no cost).
    
8. The Less You Say, The Better
   
   If you tell them all about how hard it is to find a particular part, then that part's price will go up, and you will pay more. If you tell them you are restoring an old car (rather than just fixing an old heap), the prices on everything will go up.
    
9. If They Say They Don't Have It, Look Anyway
   
   The people who work in salvage yards don't usually know every single part on every single car in the whole yard. If they were capable of that, they probably wouldn't be working in a salvage yard. Also, sometimes they get model years and model generations (and even parts) confused.
    
10. Don't Take the Yard Car Express
    
    Some yards have personnel who try to lure you into their yard car (a salvage car that still kinda works) on the premise that this is the fastest and easiest way to find your parts. Unless you have told them what you need, and they know exactly where they have seen the item(s), don't jump in. This is really just a ploy for them to show off how fast they can drive a car that has no windshield, no seat belts, and no suspension.
    
    If you do get into a yard car, what you will get is a high-speed tour of the salvage yard. While it might be fun for a short while, it rarely gets you what you want. To actually get the parts you are looking for, you are going to need to walk.
     
11. Ask Where Your Particular Make and Model Is Located
    
    A large and well-run salvage yard will be divided up into sections for each make and model. Save yourself some time by finding out where you need to go before you start out.
     
12. Walk Around
    
    If you can't find what you are looking for, walk around the yard a little more. Some cars have sister models (like Firebirds and Camaros) which contain the same parts, so check them out, too. Sometimes yards also have stacks or bins of similar parts (like the ever popular pile-o-rims).
     
13. Shop Around
    
    Go to more than one salvage yard and find out the competition's prices.
     
14. Negotiate
    
    Don't always pay the price they ask. Prices are usually flexible. If it is an old part, let them know. If it is in bad shape, point it out.
     

And above all, remember, DON'T PET THE DOG!

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