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this is how i make the most of my time at the junk yard. not only time managment but money saving techniques i use too.
1 bring a decent set of tools including but not at all limited to
- at least 1 phillips head screw driver #2
- 2 flat head screw drivers, any size and shape (to pry things from 2 sides)
- socket set including at least 1 3 inch extension and sockets from 7mm-17mm dependant on what your getting a cheater bar or breaker bar
- torx screw drivers... this can also fall into the dependant on what your gettin catigory but the dash is torx (i know or 7mm) and the cowl under the wipers is held on by torx
-various metric wrenches only need to worry about 7, 10, 12, 14, 17mm on the escorts.
-pliers
-dikes
2 have a list of what you need and what model you need it off of.
-search for the model (4 dr sedan/hatch or 2 dr hatch) then working down your list part by part go throught each car looking for a piece at a time.
-start with the small stuff, its hard to carry around a hood when your walking around another hour.
3 know how the system works
-i have just found at a u-pull-it by my house (actually this is what prompted me to write this up) that a door is 55 dollars (50 with a 5 dollar core charge) and they are 55 bucks fully loaded or stripped... so make sure that the door is complete even to the point of finding a door card that matches your car and completely assembling a door.
-dont go for a couple small things... 2 times i can remember going on a budget and id get a bunch of things and only after i pulled a bunch of parts i needed and went in did i find that alot of the stuff they looked over... one time i thought i would come out spending like 100 bucks and i ended up paying 35... and the other i got full carpet (trunk and cab) full plastic for the trunk. a rear deck under the back window (mine was taken when my car was stolen, my aftermarket speakers were drilled into it so they just took the whole piece) 2 defroster switches a butload of nuts and bolts and i walked out paying like 25 bucks... it seems if you have alot of things they will be more likely to just throw out prices on some things and skip others.
*dont try this at home*
- another way is brackets and relays and what not that you really dont want to pay 3 dollars for misplace them in your pocket... dont go in and grab that one thing then walk out that is suspisious but during an hour long +/- trip its no problem. im not condoning this conduct or saying you should do it but i feel that paying sometimes WAY too much for something used for 12 years already is just not something i want to do.
- for the most part if you get the manager junk yards can be flexible with prices... to an extent of course. my cousin went into a yard and picked up a newer gauge cluster, he paid 10 bucks litterally 1 week later i went to anoter location (same u-pull-it chain) and the witch would not let it go for the 11.50 i had on me because it was 15 bucks(i left my bank card in other pants and i was 30 min from home) i found out like 2 days later that it was thrown away the next morning... WTF let them know you know this bs some money is better than no money... i no longer do buisness at that location. also the location closer to my house my buddy was just sold 2 door cards with arm rests for 10 bucks total... when they usually go for 10 a piece.
basically i know yards are different... i know some yards you pay alot to get in but you take what you want... some are strict... some pull the parts for you... so basically the only universal rule to keep in mind if nothing else applied is have fun knowing your getting genuine ford/mazda/honda/toyota (whatever you drive) parts for WAY cheaper than the stealerships could ever sell them to you for.
feel free to add to this any tips or tricks... its 8am and not only did i just recently get home from a 6hr shift i have also been up since like 4 yesterday so i am way too tired to go back and refine everything or make things more universal... maybe after sleep i can organize this better.
1 bring a decent set of tools including but not at all limited to
- at least 1 phillips head screw driver #2
- 2 flat head screw drivers, any size and shape (to pry things from 2 sides)
- socket set including at least 1 3 inch extension and sockets from 7mm-17mm dependant on what your getting a cheater bar or breaker bar
- torx screw drivers... this can also fall into the dependant on what your gettin catigory but the dash is torx (i know or 7mm) and the cowl under the wipers is held on by torx
-various metric wrenches only need to worry about 7, 10, 12, 14, 17mm on the escorts.
-pliers
-dikes
2 have a list of what you need and what model you need it off of.
-search for the model (4 dr sedan/hatch or 2 dr hatch) then working down your list part by part go throught each car looking for a piece at a time.
-start with the small stuff, its hard to carry around a hood when your walking around another hour.
3 know how the system works
-i have just found at a u-pull-it by my house (actually this is what prompted me to write this up) that a door is 55 dollars (50 with a 5 dollar core charge) and they are 55 bucks fully loaded or stripped... so make sure that the door is complete even to the point of finding a door card that matches your car and completely assembling a door.
-dont go for a couple small things... 2 times i can remember going on a budget and id get a bunch of things and only after i pulled a bunch of parts i needed and went in did i find that alot of the stuff they looked over... one time i thought i would come out spending like 100 bucks and i ended up paying 35... and the other i got full carpet (trunk and cab) full plastic for the trunk. a rear deck under the back window (mine was taken when my car was stolen, my aftermarket speakers were drilled into it so they just took the whole piece) 2 defroster switches a butload of nuts and bolts and i walked out paying like 25 bucks... it seems if you have alot of things they will be more likely to just throw out prices on some things and skip others.
*dont try this at home*
- another way is brackets and relays and what not that you really dont want to pay 3 dollars for misplace them in your pocket... dont go in and grab that one thing then walk out that is suspisious but during an hour long +/- trip its no problem. im not condoning this conduct or saying you should do it but i feel that paying sometimes WAY too much for something used for 12 years already is just not something i want to do.
- for the most part if you get the manager junk yards can be flexible with prices... to an extent of course. my cousin went into a yard and picked up a newer gauge cluster, he paid 10 bucks litterally 1 week later i went to anoter location (same u-pull-it chain) and the witch would not let it go for the 11.50 i had on me because it was 15 bucks(i left my bank card in other pants and i was 30 min from home) i found out like 2 days later that it was thrown away the next morning... WTF let them know you know this bs some money is better than no money... i no longer do buisness at that location. also the location closer to my house my buddy was just sold 2 door cards with arm rests for 10 bucks total... when they usually go for 10 a piece.
basically i know yards are different... i know some yards you pay alot to get in but you take what you want... some are strict... some pull the parts for you... so basically the only universal rule to keep in mind if nothing else applied is have fun knowing your getting genuine ford/mazda/honda/toyota (whatever you drive) parts for WAY cheaper than the stealerships could ever sell them to you for.
feel free to add to this any tips or tricks... its 8am and not only did i just recently get home from a 6hr shift i have also been up since like 4 yesterday so i am way too tired to go back and refine everything or make things more universal... maybe after sleep i can organize this better.
