the current state of wrecking yards

[Erik Halvorson]

Yes, the pull-a-part/pick-a-part version that we now have popping up, are a far cry from what a proper wrecking yard use to be.  Though you can still at least go scrounge around yourself and pull what you want.  The admission fee is a little goofy but besides the obvious profit to the yard, I think part of it pays their umbrella type insurance for allowing you out in the yard.  It certainly doesn't allow them the knowledge of what part is in their yard.  The ones I have visited recently at least knew they had the car I was looking  for (but even I knew that from their website) but as you said, they do not know if the part you want is still on it nor the condition of said part....  Thinking back on classic wrecking yards, I remember a nasty wrecking yard that was more titled towards the junk in a swamp type of place but it was near Duvall WA up a fantastic twisty little paved road.  The yard had a rat ridden old single wide as the office in which the owner(s) would sit in the doorway and when you asked if they had a certain make/model/year, they would gesture in the general direction that the car could be found.  There were no rows or aisles for you to walk around and look.  Instead it was a fooked up maze of cars which could be staked two and three high (some of the stacks had fallen over) and they were just set where ever.  Dangerous to the part seeker for certain, but I loved going there and getting all sorts of Datsun 510 parts.  You truly had to be a hard core car junky to venture into that place.  We once found a 1969 Mustang Boss 302 in the back by the car stacks that were old tenants and were covered in blackberry brambles.  It appeared that the Mustang had recently been driven in thru the swamp by the back gate and it was in incredibly good condition.  When I asked the "owner" about it, his reply was that they had no such car in their yard.  I went to inform him of his mistake but the look he gave me, told me to shut my trap and keep moving....  I was so inclined to obey, I forgot that I had about $50 of Datsun trim peices in my box.  Bonus!
 
Cheers!
Erik



 		 	   		  
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