Wrecking yard-101

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

While working at a wrecking yard in the '50's, I learned SO many tricks & ways of doing things that help me to this day and that I probably would NOT have learned elsewhere.
Would others share your "TRICKS" you learned while "GAINFULLY EMPLOYED" at or just "SCROUNGING" in those "HEAVENLY" PARTS PLACES? Bill W.

[FL&WVMIKE]

I used to do a lot of "scrounging" in parts stores and Ford dealers for obsolete parts. I found that the bigger "pile" that you made, did not make much difference in the final price.
MIKE

[James Rogers]

Always check under seats and dashes for snakes and bees before removing any parts from the interior.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by James Rogers

Always check under seats and dashes for snakes and bees before removing any parts from the interior.

I always check under the seats for lost money.
I think the tow driver hits the jackpot first though.

[Bruce Lancaster]

"the bigger "pile" that you made..."
a corrolary to that: A container for the pile costs nothing, usually, meaning that if you carry your parts to the counter in a hubcap, the hubcap gets the same regard as an old cardboard box would!

[Bob/Kansas City]

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Insect repellant for walking in tall grass and weeds. And definitely watch for snakes before reaching under the car for that one last hard to get at bolt.
A few dog treats in your pocket don't hurt either !

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster

"the bigger "pile" that you made..."
a corrolary to that: A container for the pile costs nothing, usually, meaning that if you carry your parts to the counter in a hubcap, the hubcap gets the same regard as an old cardboard box would!

DANG! Bruce,
Now I know why I always had sets of 3 "MATCHING" hubcaps------DAMN!! Bill W.

[quickchange]

Was in a Kansas yard few years ago , really excited looking at all the Fords & collecting up parts, course no preditors in NZ but was aware that we could see a snake etc so watch out. Spotted 3 32 closed cab truck bodies so blood was pumping ??peered into an open window & a wild cat jumps out ?? tell you nealy had a heart attack , took many stong drinks to recover. not too metion the language. Thats one trick i learned , Take your time , Derek from a summers day in NZ

[mass A man]

Quickchange, You must have a strong heart. A wildcat has to top them all. I once was running from a bunch of huge angry hogs that the junkyard had set loose in the yard. This was not after hours either.

[Lawrie]

Living in Australia and going back to New Zealand to visit reles, often I stop at the wreckers yards there,its a pleasure to walk around with NO stinging or biting critters there.
Lawrie

[zzlegend]

I miss the smell of old oil soaked into the dirty ground the car is sitting on. And even that old musty interior smell from no windows and inferior weather. But it was easy to find a piece of old cardboard to lay on in order to pull a drive shaft or trans while the car was balancing on a set of 15" wheels. Ah yes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the good old days.

[CarlG]

When I was a young buck, that was a favorite passtime -- looking in junk yards for parts.

No walk around yards here anymore.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by zzlegend

I miss the smell of old oil soaked into the dirty ground the car is sitting on. And even that old musty interior smell from no windows and inferior weather. But it was easy to find a piece of old cardboard to lay on in order to pull a drive shaft or trans while the car was balancing on a set of 15" wheels. Ah yes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the good old days.

YES! And on a cold sunny day I'd have lunch in a car like mine, (with windows) collect trim screws & knobs in my tool pouch, ponder if the clock works & if that's original miles-----Ahh! Bliss! Bill W.

[Terry, NJ]

In 1976, a friend and I went out to Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico to buy like new tin for the vintage rust buckets of New Jersey. 55,56 ,57 chev, Corvette, and Pontiac safaris were the intended donors and the market. Our second night was in Amarillo, Texas where we hit the yards in the AM. It was sept. and there were a kind of crickets that I could not distinguish from Rattlesnake noises and they'd jump from stalk to stalk, making the grass move as well. I was on high alert! The owner must have sensed the fear in these two Jersey boys, because he yelled to us not to hurt any of his snakes. Brrrrrr Couldn't get out of that yard fast enough! But we scored 3 fenders and a bunch of chrome stuff.
In New Mexico, I was taking a fender off when I heard Bob yell from the roof of a car, a few cars away. "Hey, Can goats climb up a deck lid?" A goat had Bob "Cornered" on the roof of a car and Bob wasn't sure how to handle the situation. I drew the goat away and he scrambled down and we went back to work. Another yard we were glad to leave!
Heading home through Texas, halfway between hell and nowhere, I got the Texas Trots with nary a mens room or toilet anywhere. Out of nowhere appeared a Caafey (cafe). I went in and Inquired as to the facilities. "Owt Baack" came the reply "And close the gate!". "Owt Baack" turned out to be a twenty or so, acre field, swarming with hogs, and the outhouse in the middle (Ya really had to go to use this thing) I was just about done when a hog's snout pushed the door aside and wanted to come into the out house. My left foot struck out convulsively and I pasted that hog square in the snout with my size 11. Meanwhile, Bob was in the truck watching the whole thing unfold. Laughing his butt off. The best Ten days I spent that year!
Terry

[pooch]

There still is an old wrecking yard in Riverstone, west of Sydney that the same guy owns and works for at least 40 years.

He quizzes the intending buyers of his cars as to what they are going to do with them, and if they say, they only need a few parts off it and will junk the rest, no sale.

He will die with most of his stock.

It was a sight to behold, when he lifted a huge slab of steel high in the air with an ancient crane, and had a helper tug on a rope, that was connected to an over-centre catch, and have the slab falling down to crush some unsaleable bodies.

The helper was almost under the slab, as he had to pull the rope so hard , then dodge back and turn his back, as the shattered glass blew over him, then repeat the process a few more times.

Ahh, the good ole days.

[Bruce Lancaster]

I once drove into a Dutch junkyard that had no one in sight except for an obviously psychotic and very large dog. So I could get out of the car and look for the owner, I carefully drove the car up the dog's chain until I figured that he had less slack than the distance to my door...
As I stepped out, I noticed that I had entirely miscalculated the location of the chain!
Then the owner arrived...he turned out to be the only Dutchman I had ever met who spoke no English, and he was entirely unable to understand why foreigners were there and why I so obviously wanted to meet his dog...
In France, I toured a huge junkyard that had its several attack dogs (chained up for daytime, fortunately) living in doghouses that were made from early Renault bullnose hoods!
My favorite US yard for a while empoyed a goat ("Billy the Kid") who wanted nothing more from life than to butt me over and over and over...I ended up wrenching with one hand while he clanged against my toolbox in the other hand.

[zzlegend]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

YES! And on a cold sunny day I'd have lunch in a car like mine, (with windows) collect trim screws & knobs in my tool pouch, ponder if the clock works & if that's original miles-----Ahh! Bliss! Bill
W.

Great remembrances huh Bill. It don't get no better than that. We had about 4 good old fashion junk yards around here in the 60's. I hung out at them all on a weekly basis. They are all gone now except one. But the newer parts selection just isn't the same as the old. As we get older it seems like all we got left is good memory's. Mark.

[kpreed]

Back, many moons ago, I worked at a local "Auto Salvage" after school.
The man I worked for was very grumpy, he had open the yard (about 25 acres) from the early 1920s till the 1970s. A guy found a Radiator for his mid 20s Chevy. On talking to the owner, the price was $40 was givin, the guy said $25, then the owner pulled a Screwdriver from his pocket and rammed it in the core, "OK, Now it's worth $25"

[lance leblanc]

Visited a salvage/wrecker yard around 2000 in South LA to retrieve a repo '60 Ford. When I found the place hidden deep down a gravel road. I was intrigued by the fact that it was several acres in size and surrounded by water, like a man made mote. In the center of the mote - a tall chain link fence running its length. Then what mote would be complete with out a draw bridge, that once I crossed I noticed signs everywhere. "Do Not Get Out Of Your Vehicle- Attack Dogs on Duty".

Since the guy was expecting me and had not given any verbal warning when we had talked the day before and since I saw workers walking around I figured the signs where just for show. I proceded to get out, boldly walk to what appeared to be the office where I found the proprietor. He escourted me to the car that was being stored under a small shed behind the building. We made some small talk and he told me the car ran rough and had a bad muffler then proceded to start the car. It was very soon after that, I had that feeling where you know someone or something is standing behind you.
I turned around to see a very large unrestraigned Black Bear on all fours maybe 3 feet away. Running was not an option because my shoes where being filled with my own recycled fluids. The old man just chuckled and threw a handful of pepperments from his pocket on the ground an the bear scarffed them up, wrappers and all.
Long story - short, the bear was rescued yrs earlier when its mother was hit by a truck. Turned out to be a pretty freindly bear as bears go.
I never went back. The moral is...Heed the warning signs!

[gweilbaker]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster

"the bigger "pile" that you made..."
a corrolary to that: A container for the pile costs nothing, usually, meaning that if you carry your parts to the counter in a hubcap, the hubcap gets the same regard as an old cardboard box would!

A Model A hub cap doesn't carry too much