Well I had more fun over the weekend. I had Fri Aft off so I decided to go do some more picking. On my list was a antenna, the rear "valance" cover and what ever I could find. I found the valance and a broken antenna (I know I can get them in EBAY). While removing the valance from a car that was on top of another I noticed the condition of the exhaust. It was new(er) Midas. My second muffler had fallen off along time ago taking the valance with it. SO, I took my hacksaw to it behind the first muffler and broke my friggin' blade. SO, Sat AM I headed back with my 10 yr old son and a new blade. They wouldn't let him in, he was bummed but I understood. He was pissed. Anyway, 20 minutes and $10 later I had a muffler and 2 pipes. Got my old rusted pipe off without cutting it and in an hour I had new(er) exhaust system.

I also have a new heater valve waiting to install. $15 on the net, at my house in 2 days.

AND, Friday I visited my 1800 at the body shop and she's almost done. I send pics directly if anyone is curious.

Ain't life great.

Art

73 1800 ES

87 740 TurboWagon

94 Jetta (HATEIT)

My last couple trips to the local import salvage yard have been somewhat disappointing. My most recent trip was for one wheel cover, as mine when flying on a 95 mph curve. Unfortunately I didn't see it go, or I would have retrieved it. Anyway, I went to the salvage yard, and i inquired about a wheel cover. "No, we don't have one here, but I can get you one and have it here by Monday". (This was a Friday morning...) I figured what the heck, and gave the man $26 to have it delivered to my door by Tuesday (he said). Well, to make a long story short, three and a half weeks later, and five long distance calls....each time with a promise they would return my call, although they never once did....I drove back and told the man he might as well give me my money back, because I wasn't about to be put off again. I got the refund, and bought 4 on ebay for $60, and had them within five days. Last summer, at the same yard, I bought two struts for $100 apiece. They both had nasty threads inside where the caps screwed on, but I was in a pinch and used them anyway. Nasty, but I got the cap on, although I had no idea how tight it was. I ended up having to go in with a pipe wrench after they were on the car, to tighten them both down. One last salvage yard experience. I bought two struts from a yard in California, only to discover they had sent me struts with spindles that took the sealed bearing.....and THEY are very expensive, if you have never priced one. The moral of the story is: "Buyer beware!" There obviously are deals to be had, but make sure its the deal and not you that's being "had".

bruce

I think there is an art to finding stuff for cheap in junkyards. My first exp at one was for a seat belt buckle, They gave me one from a different year for 20 bucks. Last week I got 2 pristine leather seats from a 940 with belts and the rear belts and buckles with a window switch and a few small trim pieces for 30 bucks. I guess you need to know the lingo or hey take you for a ride. If I could only find a set of 15 inch alloys, 3 peice gauge set, and a 240 center console for 30 bucks! Too bad there are no close pick and pulls

You just have to remember that the longer this gear is on their lot, the more it's going to rot. They don't make money for the scrap on most of these interior components and they buy the cars for next to nothing (sometimes they get them free just for towing them away!), so they're looking at pure profit. The only area I run into difficulty is small parts from larger elements that can be sold together (read "doors").

Also, the guy you go to matters. Sometimes I get this real butthead who works there (small fish in a small pond taking his job way too seriously), and he gives me guff. I just tell him thanks anyway, put the part on the counter, and tell him I'm not interested. If he doesn't know how to barter, someone else there will, and I'm not about to educate this moron. Besides, it's rare when I can't "get by" for the time being without a part.

-Rick

It certainly does pay to get to know the guys. At the yard I frequent I am on a first name basis with all the guys. I needed an alternator last spring, they quoted $35 on the phone. When I got there they charged me $25. I got arrested once for armed robbery in a different junkyard and we had a few laughs when I told them the story.

-David

art are you in the Baltimore area?

Haroon,

Sorry, I'm in Cincinnati.

Good Luck

Art

Art,

We might have to fight over the same parts at Besslers (Northern ky)

Are there any other good places around cincy?

jc

In Ft Wright, KY there's a place called Foreign Auto Salvage. Has anyone been there? Looks expensive. I'm in Madison, IN and need to do some Christmas shopping.

Terry

Terry,

I use FAS on occassion, you are right they are a bit higher but you don't do the pulling and you rarely get past the counter. You can search there sight for parts though. Foriegnautosalvage.com.

Good Luck

Art

I've been told stories of a Volvo / Saab salvage yard south of Indianapolis called "the brickyard" or something.

Good luck

Ryan

Salvage yards are the best. Monday I went to my local scrap metal yard and got a distributor, cap & rotor, almost brand new set of Volvo ignition wires, a mess of cam followers and adjusting shims, some almost new wiper blades, and both taillights for a 740."Looks like about $10" said the man in the trailer. Bless the hobby. They had freshly crushed a 760 turbo (late 80s), a late 240 and a plain 740 as soon as they had come in. Ugh.

-Steve

I had similar luck in a salvage yard -- I found a reasonably new splash guard, a rebuilt brake cylinder, and OEM type spark plug cables. About $22 (US) later ... I'm driving home happy. Why do people call them "junk" yards, anyway?