Pick-A-Part Pet Peeve

[cleszkie]

Say that five times if you can. Anyways, went to a local pick-a-part to see if any good inventory was brought in. Found three 67-72 era pickups. However, it seemed like the previous customers removed the parts they wanted with nothing more than prybars and hammers, totally destroying everthing else in their wake. This was the case on most of the other trucks of various ages and makes as well. It royally pisses me off that these lazy, no-tool-owning, jacka$$es are out there needlessly destroying the inventory. Maybe I'm a little anal, but when I remove an unwanted part to get to another, I try to put that part back (undamaged) with the bolts that originally held it in place, or place it undamaged in the engine compartment, cab, or bed for someone else to use. I can't tell you how many times I've come across a truck with the stainless windshield trim half pulled out and twisted into a pretzel, and the windshield glass kicked out by some idoit trying to remove the trim without simply cutting the rubber gasket with a utility knife. Rant over....

[AntiGov]

i see the same thing at my local yard....just sucks

[truckster]

I've been taking my boy to wrecking yards for several years now. The first thing that I taught him is not to do any more damage than you absolutely have to to get your part, because someone else might need the part you don't.

[Rust_phoenix]

What i hate is when people destroy hood or door latch mechanisms to try and keep everone out so they can return later and get the parts they stashed, every single time i have come across this, i did my darndest to open that hood or door to let everybody else have at the parts.

[JRANGER]

yeah i was where a guy cut through a nice core support on each side to take the radiator...WTF

[Ol Blue K20]

You hit it right on the head, I hate this. Recently I needed window regs out of a 72, I carefully removed the wings and main windows and put them in the bed for someone else. Someone else had destroyed the cheyeene door panels to remove custom camper emblems. WHY?

[rockc]

I see this a lot. Seems like they do it on purpose too. Seen one time where they took a drill and bit and cut about ten holes around the front fender emblems to remove them on some perfect fenders.

[Billett]

I hate it too, but not everyone has the appreciation for the parts that we do. I mean they are getting rid of it, so to them it isn't their problem any more.

[no moa]

I hate it when the morons in the yard pic the stuff up using forklifts. Ruined a perfectly good tranny when they one up, and buckled the only good door on the cab.

[JRANGER]

They always put rims under fenders at mine...Always makes fishing for fenders hard since they are usually bent to shi!!!!

[Billett]

they do they same at mine. Put rims under everything. Made finding a decent set of trim rings next to impossible. And I'm not talking about customers using them to prop up a vehicle either.

[RustyBucket]

I agree, apparently some people get pleasure out of bashing and breaking things.... I dunno why. My OTHER junk yard peeve is the crappy attitude on most of the employees. There are 2 yards near me and I hate to go to either of them. I've been picking/buying parts for 40+ years and have rarely had an encounter when I didn't feel like telling the guy to stick the whole place in his ....... ear. I guess sitting on a stool behind the counter must be SO stressful that you can't be civil or helpful. Seems like one guy behind the counter is usually easier to deal with than 2 or more. If there's more than one I think they try to show off for each other... which one can "wise-off" the best. I don't think it's 'cause I'm a confrontational jerk...could be... NAH, not me, I'm a GREAT GUY. Maybe the guy off the street wanting to pick a few pieces is a bother compared to body shops buying complete quarters or halves of late model wrecks or the metal scrap business.

[cleszkie]

Glad to see I'm not the only one out there that's bothered by this. I understand that some force and tweaking is required when parts are rusted tight. Been there. Its the stuff that looks like it could have come off without a fight, but was mangled that gets me. Kind of like when on those house flipping shows when some idiot takes a sledge hammer to the old kitchen cabinets in a fit of rage instead of simply unscrewing them from the wall studs.

[Erik V]

I always forget to bring rags...so when I'm done taking what I need, I go find the rattiest looking (yet still clean'ish) cloth seat to wipe on. Kinda sucks, but at our lots the turnover rate is about 45 days max. If I notice something there twice...chances are it's going to be gone soon, so I try not to cry over it.

Also for fun, I like to find the 3.8 supercharged V6 GM cars, look for a loose SC, and carry it over to a Geo (or some other small crappy econobox) and lay the SC out for all to look at.

Fenders...ugh how I hate shopping for those. Even for my more modern cars its a very small needle in a large proverbial haystack.

Erik

[daves72C10D]

The attitude of the yard workers and most of the customers are the cheap get something for nothing type and love to ruin everything for the next guy.

[Billett]

Yeah the staff at my local one isn't exactly stellar either. I was picking up a big metal storage chest a few months ago so I asked the guy if I could bring my truck around back instead of killing myself dragging it up front. He told me it was no problem, then when I had my truck up on the scale he asked what the hell I was doing... He also asked if I was junking the truck. I had to restrain myself on a few choice comments for that one...

[GM-power]

The yard around me is ok. The put the wheel stands under the axles and frame so no bent fenders, but the numbnut people: break good glass, smash nice grills, cut dash bezels up, twist light bezels, throw good gauges like baseballs, bend and cut up nice exhaust systems so they can pull the motor, just act like its some sorta human vs car demolition derby. It is fun though when I find tools and get weird looks cause I actually know how to disassemble things. Drives me nuts.
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