Jewels in the Junkyard

Tips on trekking through the junkyard and picking choice parts

Hunting parts in salvage yards is part of the fun of restoring or rebuilding older, classic cars. The thrill of finding that perfect part, the one the dealers have been out of since 1958, provides a sense of accomplishment that keeps your enthusiasm going on long projects. It's kind of like an Easter egg hunt for adults. But before you grab your wrenches and go trophy hunting, there are some things you should know.

The Hunt

Although there are many types of salvage yards (the fancy term for junkyards), all share something in common: The responsibility for finding the correct part is up to you. If you go to a retail auto parts store and tell the counter person you need a generator for a 1958 Chevy, it is his or her responsibility to fish out the right box and slap it on the counter. If it turns out to be wrong part, you can take it back and get another. But in the world of salvage yards it gets a little more complicated.

It's up to you to look over the part and make sure it is the right one before you hand over your cash. For starters, many salvage yards strip wrecked cars as soon as they arrive, filing the salvageable bits on shelves (or stacking them in huge piles) and crushing the hulls to make room for the next arrival. After a while it gets difficult to keep track of what components came out of which car. And since most auto manufacturers make countless changes during a model run, it's nearly impossible for salvage yard operators to keep up with them. For instance, if you tell the counter person you need an intake manifold and fuel injection system from a 1998 Camaro, the one they have on the shelf may be from the right year but the wrong model. It's up to you to look over the part and make sure it is the right one before you hand over your cash.

Trading Places

Before you leave home for a junkyard jaunt, make a list of everything you need, including part numbers and, if needed, photo prints or tracings of the required part. If you are replacing an existing part, take the old one with you both to check for fit, and to use as a trade-in. Many salvage yards expect a "core charge" if you don't have an old part to trade in. They really don't care about the quality of your trade in, so take the worst example you have.

Everything gets even more complicated when you are buying parts to use in an engine swap or other conversion work. If you buy an engine, transmission, rear end or other part and it doesn't fit, the problem is yours. Although some salvage yards do not accept returns at all (be sure to ask), others have a multi-tiered price structure. The least expensive price has a "no return" policy, while the next higher price allows you to exchange the part for another from their inventory. The highest price allows for cash refunds, usually with a small restocking fee.

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.