Visiting the auto salvage or scrapyard can be either a hit or miss. No matter what is your reason to give the auto salvage yard a visit – saving money, looking for a rare vehicle cart you cannot find anywhere else, repurposing different components for a custom build, or something else, chances are your journey will be a miss if you have no previous experience with looking for auto salvage or you simply don’t know the rules of the scrapyard. In a nutshell, an auto salvage yard or a junkyard is a big place where wrecked cars and other vehicles go when they are not road-worthy anymore and where you go and pay money to source some car parts.
Everything you are able to find on a vehicle is up for grabs, so you are able to find a really impressive variety of auto salvage parts. Visiting the auto salvage yard is always a great way to pay less for the part you need or find rare parts that are not available anywhere else. However, you must be prepared that auto salvage yards are a totally different experience compared to buying parts at a swap meet or parts counter, therefore you should prepare yourself for the visit to the auto salvage park. Here are some helpful auto salvage tips you can benefit from.
Auto Salvage Tip: Plan Your Pull
Before you hit the auto salvage yard, make sure to have a clear plan of what parts you need, not forgetting about all related components. This will save you a lot of time and energy once you visit the auto salvage place. Also, make sure the auto salvage yard you are planning to visit will work for what you need and are looking for. Keep in mind that as with buying anything pre-used, auto salvage parts hide a certain extend of risks too.
Auto Salvage Tip: Take Pictures
Pull out your smartphone and take pictures to document the job. You want to do that both before in your own vehicle and again at the auto salvage yard. An accurate picture of the auto salvage part you have found and its surroundings will help you make the right pull.
Keep in mind that tools are almost never available at the auto salvage yard for you to use, therefore, you must be prepared with your own tools to save yourself time. There is no need of bringing all the tools you own with you, however, make sure you have with you everything you are going to need in the process. In order to do the most of your auto salvage yard visit and save time, make sure to first remove the bad part from your vehicle first and you will know what are the tools needed for doing so. Once you are at the auto salvage yard, you will pull the exact tools needed and do the job quickly.
Auto Salvage Tips: Outfit Yourself Too
When visiting the auto salvage yard, you also don’t want to forget to take everything you need for your own comfort and safety. Auto salvage yards are big open spaces and on a hot day, you want to take a hat and bottle of water with you. If the day is colder, before you hit the auto salvage yard, do not forget to take gloves and an ice scraper. When visiting the auto salvage yard, sturdy boots are a must for your safety and if you are lying on the ground to reach for some parts under the car, do not forget to take a padded mat with you too. To keep grease and dirt off your clothes, you can also consider equipping yourself with overalls.
Auto Salvage Tips: Don’t Forget Eye Protection
When hitting the auto salvage yard, bringing eye protection with you is essential. Auto salvage yards are usually filled with rust, dirt, and other gunk. For your own safety, you want to put on a pair of safety glasses to keep fluids and debris out of your eyes.
Auto Salvage Tips: Scout First
Before you take all the gear and tools we bring with you to the auto salvage yard out of your car, it is recommended to first scout the place and check out the scraped car you are looking for. Once you find it and make sure you want to take car parts from it, then you can go back for your equipment and tools. This will save you a lot of unnecessary nerves of wandering around the auto salvage yard with a heavy toolbox.
Auto Salvage Tips: Cleaning Supplies
Just as you cannot expect the auto salvage yard to provide you with all tools you need, you don’t expect them to give you cleaning supplies too, therefore you want to bring your own. Do not forget that this is an auto salvage or junkyard and it will be really dirty and greasy. There is a good chance of you being in need of cleaning dirt and grease from the parts you are taking with you, therefore you need your cleaning kit.
Auto Salvage Tips: Bring Wire Cutters
Wire cutters are used not only for cutting wire, therefore, but it is also a good idea to take a pair with you when visiting the auto salvage yard. You will find that a lot of vehicles have special plastic fasteners and this can be really a pain to remove, however, with a pair of wire cutters you can do that quick and easy.
Auto Salvage Tips: Bring Impacts and Breakers
When hitting the auto salvage yard, you are also recommended to bring impacts and breakers with you if you are planning to pull larger chassis or engine components. Yes, these can weigh a ton and be challenging to move around the auto salvage yard, however, you will find their help really useful and you will be able to pull the large part you need faster. Therefore, make sure to take a battery-powered impact wrench and a breaker bar with you.
Auto salvage tip: Plan your pull
Auto salvage tip: Take pictures
Auto salvage tip: Outfit your toolbox
Auto salvage tips: Outfit yourself too
Auto salvage tips: Don’t forget eye protection
Auto salvage tips: Scout first
Auto salvage tips: Cleaning supplies
Auto salvage tips: Bring wire cutters
Auto salvage tips: Bring impacts and breakers