Jewels in the Junkyard

When you find a particularly rare part and the price is seriously good, save the money and go with no warranty. Even if the part turns out to be defective or not suitable for your project, it might make good trading material down the road. Before you agree to an exchange charge, check to make sure there are other units in the yard that you could exchange for. If you buy the only left-handed whatzit they have, you will not be able to exchange it should something go wrong.


For those not doing a match-number restoration (where every part has to have the correct part number), you have some options for saving money. For instance, if you need a 351 Cleveland V-8 to go in your vintage Mustang, you will probably find few examples in salvage yards. Ponycars tend to be picked over quickly and many operators charge extra for engines from popular models. However, in the 1960s and 1970s many station wagons were fitted with the same heavy-duty V-8s as the sporty models, and these tend to stick around the yard longer and sell for less.

Research
Before you go hunting, do your research. There are countless books on all popular models listing part numbers and interchangeability information for the running gear. Take a list of numbers with you in case the parts have already been removed from the car. The counter person will not know the ratio of the gears in any rear end or transmission, so you will need to know how to determine that from the part numbers. Also, never assume any assembly has its original parts inside. Even when you buy a differential that has a part code indicating a particular final drive ratio, be prepared for the possibility that it has been changed out by a previous owner. Without a return arrangement, you may have to sell it yourself and start over.


Now that you have a better idea of what you to look for, in the next installment we'll cover the different types of salvage yards you may encounter.