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- Nov 29, 2009
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Thats probably the better route imo. Just find a manual driveshaft, but automatics are like 8 to 1 around here
How does the junkyard process work?
- Thread starter The motor guy
- Start date
Really depends on how much space they have. They probably try to, at first, but once the nearby space is taken, then what ? It is wasteful to start moving cars around to try and keep them together.
I used car-part.com years ago and it was a great experience. My wife had a '14 Fusion and was interested in getting Apple CarPlay. It wasn't available until 2018 though, so I found a 2020 Fusion at a yard through car-part.com. For $200, I got all of the needed parts including the faceplate (wasn't necessary but Ford moved back to actual 'hard' buttons instead of the tactile ones they used up until 2016. You know this yard does decent business this way too 'cause a) they used new boxes, b) used foam fill to protect the contents, and c) even had branded packing tape !
I'm surprised any vehicle, at least from certain automakers (Toyota, Honda, etc), make it out to the yard with their catalytic converters left on. When I was looking to scrap my Accord years ago, two of the places that come to your house and tow 'em only cared about (2) things: 1) did it still have the converters and 2) were they OEM ?
As someone who has visited junk yards frequently due to my cavalier. Pull n pay has really jacked up prices around July or August of 2025. Headlights were $80 or $90 per side and one guy coming out said they're now $180 per side so in some cases some parts aren't cheaper to buy.
Depending on how sophisticated they might be different prices by vehicle. LKQ now does that. I just looked up and a headlight for my Xterra is $48. I think I paid $30 or so years ago.
However LKQ does weird stuff. One time I pulled a IPDM - which is basically Nissan's smart under hood fuse panel. The guy at the counter told me the price was just for the panel and that every relay was an extra $5 and every fuse was like another 50 cents or something. So I said fine. He started counting and got frustrated
. Charged me like an extra $15. I mean I get it, but I could have just pulled every one and threw them in the truck and no one would have ever bought them anyway.I am still happy to have LKQ here, and they keep the online inventory pretty up to date.
4 or 5 years ago I bought a rear subframe for my Mazda from a local junkyard. I called and told them what I needed and they called me back saying they had a few of the cars and would pull the best looking one for me. I think the price was around $125. It was sketchy but I gave my CC over the phone snd they charged me. A couple days later they delivered it directly to the mechanic who was doing the swap. They would not ship to residential address. I never even got a receipt lol. The mechanic said they even provided all the hardware. I was surprised it went so smooth.
This seems to be the way it goes at the yards. If you get someone to give a good upfront price those have been my best deals.
My complaint is that the used car sales rules are so archaic it prohibits more used vehicle sales from salvage yards. Then throw in small mom and pop yards where most of their inventory is scrapped due to them not wanting to sell anything. One really terrible dufus on YouTube has video scrapping running straight vehicles as he wants $300-$500 over scrap and is in the middle of nowhere Kansas. I messaged him about using row 52 or the like to get his inventory online but he responded "come and get it if you want it". He was not pleasant.Depending on how sophisticated they might be different prices by vehicle. LKQ now does that. I just looked up and a headlight for my Xterra is $48. I think I paid $30 or so years ago.
However LKQ does weird stuff. One time I pulled a IPDM - which is basically Nissan's smart under hood fuse panel. The guy at the counter told me the price was just for the panel and that every relay was an extra $5 and every fuse was like another 50 cents or something. So I said fine. He started counting and got frustrated
I am still happy to have LKQ here, and they keep the online inventory pretty up to date.
Oh absolutely. The LKQ here the cars sit on the yard maybe 2 months max, then get crushed. Their primary objective is to scavenge the newer cars for insurance sales parts and crush the older ones for scrap profit. Its not at all about recycle / reuse - its purely a for profit enterprise. The 2 months on the yard is extra profit if anyone wants to run down and grab anything.
Last year 13 million Vehicles were disposed of. That's astonishingly high. Sure some were flooded, others were wrapped around a tree, but many were just older and ran and drove. People complain how expensive vehicles are. If we took half of that or so say 6.5 million and put them back into circulation I bet car prices would drop.
Every yard is different. Some are u-pull-its, others are employees only in the yard. Some are organized, some are not organized at all. Most keep track of their inventory, but not all.
If you need lots of small stuff, you’ll be best off with a u-pull-it yard. If it’s not a u-pull-it, they aren’t gonna want to spend any time going out to pull an ashtray or a hubcap for you, they only care about the larger items- engines transmissions, seats, doors, hoods, etc.
If it is a u-pull-it, bring all the tools you’ll need because no one is going to lend you tools and they often get mad if you ask. The customer service isn’t always the most friendly at junkyards. Just know that going in.
If you need lots of small stuff, you’ll be best off with a u-pull-it yard. If it’s not a u-pull-it, they aren’t gonna want to spend any time going out to pull an ashtray or a hubcap for you, they only care about the larger items- engines transmissions, seats, doors, hoods, etc.
If it is a u-pull-it, bring all the tools you’ll need because no one is going to lend you tools and they often get mad if you ask. The customer service isn’t always the most friendly at junkyards. Just know that going in.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 10,258
Went to one down road. Called ahead and they said they would call me back. Went up there and the guy walked me back in the yard to look at what I wanted. They had what I wanted, but they busted the part off the steering column. Not sure if the employee removing the part just removed it with a pry bar instead of using a screw gun to remove the screws first or what. He claimed it was already busted.....yeah right and somehow the steering column cover was already off too. Told them the part isnt much good when busted and walked out. Lol. 
I pulled from a junkyard a Denso alternator from a 1992 Toyota Previa for $40. Installed it. Works great. I’d prefer that over shoddy aftermarket. I think junkyard parts are miles ahead of aftermarket quality, and still cheaper too.
I will continue to use them for parts as long as possible.
I will continue to use them for parts as long as possible.
