I love the junkyard.

In reply to Ian F :

Harry's U Pull it has a Pennsburg location which is super convenient for me, as well as an Allentown one.  If I can't find what I'm looking for at either of those I go to EZ Pull in New Ringgold.

Our local U-Pick-It rarely has anything interesting, though I have scored some good parts there from time to time.  I can usually find stuff for the Bronco... not so much for the Miatas.

In reply to 759NRNG :

It was the LKQ just south of the belt off 45. I want to go to the southwest one as their inventory shows a LOT more Accords and Acuras of various sorts. Increased chances of finding something sporty or a car that actually has four matching wheels that don't suck. 

As far as taking apart perfectly good cars just for fun....... I know I shouldn't and that's why I haven't, but there are days where it seems like it could be fantastic therapy. I should figure out which 2.4 blocks/bottom ends are the good ones and strip one down and pull it. That would be a legit way to spend a day that would give me a motor to build up. 

There used to be a u-pull-it of some sort not far north and east of the UH campus when I was living in Houston. On any given Saturday I could get pretty much whatever parts I needed for free by sticking around and helping other folks get the parts they needed. It was actually kinda fun to offer a hand to someone who only spoke Spanish when I speak none.

Also, older Korean cars had fantastic electrical parts. Big fat trunk release solenoids, sturdy power window motors, great switches, etc. All good stuff for adding features to an old Opel.

Maybe this belongs in the minor confessions thread but I haven’t been to a junkyard in 2 years 

I like the junkyard for quick stuff.  For anything involved (pulling a motor), how do you guys make sure you have the right tools with you, and how do you accomplish this?  I want to pull a trans for my DD.  Doing so in my garage wouldn't scare me in the least as I've done it many times.  Doing so in a junkyard is a different story.

If I'm doing something super involved I'll carry the whole toolbox in.  I also have an old laptop bag full of rusty junk tools that I bring if the yard allows bags.  

EDIT: Always wear cargo pants- if I know exactly the tools I need or I'm just poking around, I can fit plenty in my pockets and not need to carry a box at all.

been a while since I've been to the yards but I need to get back out there. Most of the yards around here aren't exactly "u-pull-it" but they'll let you go find what you need and get it yourself, especially with smaller parts on older vehicles. Late model stuff and engines/transmissions are a different story.

Any Cincinnati area readers have experience at the U-Pull-n-Pay here?  I have a couple hours to kill on the West Side this Saturday, and am contemplating spending at least part of that time there, but have never been ... good place, bad place, advice on dealing with them ??

Ah, the good old days of junk yarding with a friend on Saturday morning. The smell of intermingled gas, antifreeze, grease and oil, the dirty office with parts laying all over and the growl and sound of a log chain being dragged as the legendary junk yard dog/dogs came rushing out to greet you as you entered the main gate. Always spiked the adrenaline.

One of our modern yards has a koi pond in the spotlessly clean foyer with customer service people with computers. Cars are dismantled, parts are inventoried and stored indoors until requested.

I'm the tow truck driver for the local Upull. I get the first look at everything...some days I like my job. 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

 our 318ti ended up with front springs and struts from one car, rear springs from a different car, and bump stops from another different car.

If you're willing to divulge these trade secrets, what may those cars be? My e36/5 has random ground control coil-over type springs in the rear without adjusters and it's super janky.

In reply to buzzboy :

I wanted a slight lift and improved handling- the roads out here are junk and this car is driven in snow and gravel so low/reduced travel sucks.  Setup as follows:  

F: E36 328i coupe springs, Bilstein HD struts from same, stock 318ti front swaybar

R: E36 318i sedan springs, rubber spring isolators removed, 318ti Bilstein HD shocks, early Ford Focus rear bump stops, no rear swaybar

This setup gets you a ride height about an inch higher than stock, predictable handling with a little bias towards oversteer, and soaks up bumps very nicely.  Make sure you disconnect the rear swaybar though!

In reply to EvanB :

Which one is that?

In reply to Aaron_King :

Woody's

Patrick said:

Maybe this belongs in the minor confessions thread but I haven’t been to a junkyard in 2 years 

I have never been to a junkyard.

I always look forward to time spent at the boneyard.  I've had more than one girlfriend (including my now-wife) ask to come along just because they think the vibe is eerie. 

One New Years Day, our local Pick-A-Part had a half-price sale.  This resulted in the multitudes happily wrenching away in the boneyard, myself among them.  Suddenly, a B-2 Stealth Bomber flies overhead with an F-117 escort, probably heading back from a parade display somewhere.  Everybody looks up at the three stealth aircraft.  I'm thinking, "If this isn't an allegory for the Apocalypse, I don't know what is."

You had to be there.

In reply to Jerry From LA :

A trip to the JY was always one of my tests for a new GF, that or anything car related. 

I have found my people.

I won't go in the winter, its too dang cold.  I also tend to find similar deals online.  Car-part.com is a great resource for when i need used parts and don't want to spend the time pulling it myself or the weather won't cooperate.

Who has a spreadsheet of p-n-p places by state?

I just like to wander the junkyards sometimes, with no particular part in mind.

That can be dangerous though; thats how I ended up with a Grand Prix Turbo badge, a sweet "Prospector" badge off an old Dodge van and two M90s off of GM 3800 cars LOL

Spent some time wandering around the junkyard today. Was walking through the Ford section when I came across a Mustang with a transverse four in it. Couldn't believe it--looked like a super-clean, factory installation. After about 10 minutes of admiring it, and then seeing another one just like it, I realized that it was, in fact, an Escort.

I should mention that I had oral surgery yesterday. Oxycodone is a hell of a drug.

U-Pull-N-Pay was a blast today.  A bit cold out, but dry ... and I got “new” speaker grills for the S10 for $3.52 instead of $18 or so for new ones.  In warmer weather, I will be back!!

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Do you have any photos of it as it sits? I would love my car to be a little higher, softer and better handing. I've got blown billstein struts with unmarked drop springs as well as an M3 sway bar in the front and Koni yellow shocks with GC 2.5" springs and a disconnected sway in the rear. The only part I did was the disconnected sway.