WANTED: HELPFUL TIPS FOR SALVAGE YARD HUNTS........

OK, I'm getting ready in the next few weeks to go to a few salvage yards, looking for various things for the Way Back Machine. I've been 'yarding' on a few occasions, but never with the intent to find more than a tail light lens, or a wheel or something. Haven't done any actual 'dismantling' to get to the parts I want.

I'll be looking for the following things:

- Bucket seats and a console (probably not looking to move the gear selector to the floor.....)
- Better sun visors
- Dome / map light combo
- Decent WW or WL tires in a correct size
- Good set of rear fillers (I know you're all laughing at that one......)
- Decent AM/FM/CD unit that might fit in my old shaft-type radio space
- Extra trim parts if I get lucky enough to find another '80/'81 Bonneville

So...........
What tools, etc. do you guys bring with you when you go yarding?

 

I go to the junkyard on a regular basis. I have a rolling tool box set up just for the junkyard. I've got a lot of tools in it and I seem to never have everything I need. I would look at your car and see what tools you need to remove the parts from the car and make sure you have at least those. A BFH comes in handy, also.

 

Agree with Eagle 100%, especially about the BFH! If you don't have a cordless impact at least bring a cordless drill, the time saved removing screws, nut's, and bolts is well worth it, but always 'crack' them by hand first especially Phillips and torque screws. Every hardware store will sell what you need for your socket set.......








I always have a roll of or at least a couple pieces of paper towel and a roll of electricians tape in my tools .... only band aid that lasts all day because you will cut a finger sooner or later

 

Also bring decent LED flashlights; I get the HF 2-packs on coupon sale and tape four together for excellent lighting. For the tires/wheels, you may need some more substantial tools, such as a 1/2" drive ratchet, short extension and sockets to fit GM lug nuts (3/4"?), and a hammer and cold chisel for locking lug nuts. Look in more than the glove box if a car has wire wheel covers; people have a bad habit of dropping the center screw key in where it was convenient to them to store it. Finding a set of those screws and the key in any kind of good condition is nearly impossible these days; the center caps to them are Unobtainium. Get them, resell any you don't want or need. I'm very sure there are those on here who need them.

 

Not a tool, per se- but useful. A can of wasp/hornet spray. Use caution when opening car doors, etc. And if the interior has been open to the weather, watch out for nests in the vehicle. I climbed into the driver's seat to pull a rear view once and discovered a live nest under the driver's sun visor. That was unpleasant.

Rear fillers? I could swear I found a post on where to get fillers on here before. I favorited it on my work computer however. I'll post it when I log onto it tomorrow just in case you aren't successful in your search for them.

 

Oh, yeah! We have Yellowjackoffs up here, and yeah, they're all over the goddamned cars. I had one attempt to sting me AS A WARNING there was a nest in a car I wasn't even considering.

 

I found a nice interior out of a newer Town Car, opened the door and a swarm of mosquitoes buzzed so loud in a swarm inside there I thought a plane was overhead! Needless to say I gave that car a wide berth.
I think even 100% deet wouldn't have stopped them.

 

Helpful hints? Manage your expectations. In the mid-Atlantic area, there are few cars more than 20 years old in wrecking yards anymore. Encroaching civilization and high scrap values in recent years means rapid turnover of stock. Keep in mind that yards are in business to make a profit, so they rarely bid on or retain cars that aren't on the road anymore - part sales are few and far between and that space in the yard could more readily be filled by an Accord or Camry.

I rarely bother any more, as there is nothing in the local yards that fit any of my cars. If you have a yard nearby that still has older vehicles, take anything you could ever possibly need; they won't be there for long.

 

There are two companies that make replacement fillers. 'Replica Plastics', contrary to their name, makes them from fiberglas, and they're junk. Don't fit at all, and aren't even made to attach like the original (center filler piece). The LT and RT fillers just fit poorly. The other company, whose name I can not remember, makes the fillers out of ABS plastic, and in speaking with a company rep on the phone, their fillers also just 'resemble' the original parts. He wanted me to send him the pieces I have so he could mold something new. I don't think I even have enough pieces to do that.

 

Oh woe to us classic car owners, let us rejoice and embrace the new inventions to help the old technology live on... cnc machines and 3D printers would definitely help if someone was not only innovative but had the investment capital to do so...
Ah well someone with more money than I will ever have, will probably start a company just making on demand replica parts that way.

 

Remember the penetrating lubricant. If you don't want to stink the interior with P.B. Blaster, although there are other ones that will not stink, Ultralube is one which will do. That's my preferred penetrating oil right now, partially since it's made from plant oils.

 

Keep going, kids! Lots of good tips here i wouldn't have thought of.......

Side note: I was taking down my neighborhood 'yard sale' signs a couple of weeks ago and found a 'headband' headlamp thingy, Coleman brand - neat LED lights, and it works. Should be handy for underneath cars, under hoods, etc....

(stock image)

 

portable reciprocating saw and the smoke wrench. No part to tuff!

 

I have a Sawzall, but it's not cordless unfortunately.
And what's a 'smoke wrench'?

 

From what I can tell a smoke wrench is an acetylene torch... problem is a lot of yards frown on you using one, at least they did when I pulled parts in the west coast, haven't noticed yard rules around here.
I know that pull it yourself yards in the west coast had big cartoon signs of "no cutting" and "no torches" and stuff...
Someone drew in a "no golfing" with a man with what appears to be a golf club batting I guess a car part, into the yard.
That makes you wonder though... who was doing that?