Welcome to the wonderful world of inexpensive car repair. Used car parts can help fix your car for relatively lower prices than if you were to buy the parts new. Salvage or junk yards are great places to find a bargain on used car parts. The salvage yard business has come along way from its beginnings. Today, many use computer data bases to inventory used car parts available. In the past, many salvage yards required that you remove the used car parts yourself from the junked car, but that is becoming less common. Many times as the cars enter the salvage yard, they are stripped of usable used car parts, and stored. Finding a part today is much like shopping at your local auto parts store. Used car parts such as radiators, alternators, seats, and fenders are usually in stock.
A telephone system called the “Hot Line” links salvage yards together for better customer service. When you call a salvage yard to ensure they have the used car part you need in stock, and find that they don’t have the used car part available, the salvage yard can use the Hot Line to contact other salvage yards in the area within seconds and order the part you need. This can save hours of your time from calling around to different used car parts dealers.
The prices of used car parts usually run about half the cost of new parts. Bartering may be possible on some used car parts, but don’t bring your checkbook. Salvage yards usually only deal in cash transactions.
If possible, take the old parts with you to the salvage yard to ensure you are getting the right used car parts for your vehicle. While some parts make look the same, certain details of one used part may not work on your car. Salvage yards rarely give refunds for used car parts if you get the wrong one, but most will exchange the used car parts for the same item. The philosophy of the salvage yard is one to which, if you bought the part and it doesn’t fit, well, now you have a spare.
When seeking used car parts, experts recommend that you not purchase a used water pump or a secondhand braking system. Installing a water pump is very labor intensive, and like with any used car parts, there is a good chance that the part may be defective due to tearing of the gaskets and seals when the part is removed from the donor car. For safety reasons, purchasing a used breaking system is not recommended either. Internal parts may be worn, and could give out faster than you expect.
Parts that are recommended for purchase at a salvage yard include the following: Fenders, hoods, grills, and other non-mechanical parts that don't move much; they are likely to be in good condition. The condition of these parts is more easily assessed, even if you don’t know much about cars. Other approved parts for salvaging consist of electronic equipment such as radios, computers, and sensors.
By R. S. Wagner