wrecking yards attitudes !

[landon4421]

I went out to the wrecking yards today to do some shoping ! I went to one place that charges you $2 to get in. I asked if they had any 67-72 trucks burbs or blazer, the guy said i dont know you have to look. Wasted $2 on that 5 min walk through. Went to another place right down the street, asked the same question, again he said you have to look, $2 more> I found a swb 2wd 72, the bed was in decent shape, mabe a 6 out of a 10. Went up asked the guy how much for the bed he tells me $1000, LOL all the way out the place. $ 1000, just for the bed it had better come painted and perfect IMO. The last place I went into is like a storage lot for a tow company. Sign out side says everything for sale ! So I walk in and start talking to a guy asked him how much he wanted for a few of the lwb trucks he had in there. He told me oh well all them trucks are mine. but you can go and look. He sent his son with me to check out the trucks. The kid tells me that his dad is using a axle off of one and some other parts on the other trucks. One of the GMC had perfect front trim around the lights, like some one just put it on. The guy is trashing like 6 of our trucks and dose not want to seel any of the parts. I can not belive the way that this industry has headed, everyone wants to screw you with crazy prices, and no customer service. I am pritty piss off about what i saw today.

How are the wrecking yards in your area? How do they treat you, are they all the same? Just wondering. Landon

[progress]

Bremerton, WA yard has about 20 '67-'72's. I pulled a choke cable and as I approached the counter the guy waved me to the door and told me to have a nice day! I want to go back there and spend some money but I don't need anything big enough for them to charge me...LOL!

[Randy70C-10]

It's a hit and miss. Some are assholes, and some are ok. Seems like they always charge new parts prices, sometimes even more.

[Paul72]

Most of the yards I've been to in MN are pretty good. The tough part around here is finding anybody with the trucks/blazers/burbons. I don't think the yards around here know what the 'street value' of some of the parts are, but I'm also pretty rural and to them it's just an old chevy.

[72shadetree]

hit and miss here i bought a complete non running 402 $300 and he pulled it out and wrote me a receipt when i get into it if the block is cracked he will refund.also got a 72 rh fender that was perfect $25 he took it off.last time i was up there they were pretty well stripped

[JimKshortstep4x4]

We don't have a lot of trucks in the yards in this area. My favorite yard treats me real well and always lets me know when they get a new truck in. Most of the trucks that come in are pretty bad though. The owner will put my name on parts when he knows I am looking for something and his charges are usually very reasonable. In fact I have never complained to him about prices!

I would love to accompany some of the guys into the yards where there are lots of rust free trucks. Maybe someday I will travel around the country just looking!

Jim

[cdowns]

i'm still pretty new to this area but i go to one place $1 admition fee and they have a list of all the prices b-4 you go in they're damn cheap $25 for a tilt column $12.99 for a bucket seat etc.you have to go back on a regular basis cause the inventory changes constantly . but this summer i've managed to snag 4 mid 70's chevy van tilts and a load of other parts to sell on ebay for real good bucks. once the weather cools off a bit i plan to check out other yards in the area

[Bowtiefreak]

Most of the yards around me are A$$ holes too. They think everything they have is made of gold. They seem to argue with you about stuff that you know is right. Example one place around here tried to tell me that 67-72 chevy front ends are not the interchangeable because the cabs are different. Please!

[boraxman]

Forget it. If you happen to come across our year trucks in So. Cal. they are stripped to nothing

[Bill72BB]

My experience is most try to charge you almost the same as new, and we get the same BS a buck or 2 to walk in and 67-72 you have to look .In the old days it was free to get in and they would point you to the trucks,or call and tell you who had it.

[Chevyboy1962]

Hi Landon,
There's some of those places around here too.
I've found the best places for truck parts is at the Pick-N-Pull yards. They've always got trucks of the 1960's- mid 80's out the wazoo, and are priced pretty fair. I usually hit the ones in Stockton, and the one here in Modesto when I can.
David

[jef5150]

I usually hit the ones in Stockton,

howdy neighbor!!!!!! jeff,,,,,,99 & hwy26

[jays68yak]

about the same, if you can talk to them, I speak english not spanish. No offense to anyone.

[mtdave2]

they are kind of like gun shows. they were a place to get a deal, now just as much $$ as the store..

[Porkchop]

Yeah, the people that run these places think that they should be able to have just as much income as someone that goes to college so they charge high prices (some do; not necessarily all of them). I have not been to any yard that charges admission. What kind of sense does that make? Most people go in there to purchase parts and leave. It isn't some form of entertainment for most people; though, it is for me. Wal-Mart doesn't charge admission.
I went to a junkyard one year ago to find a front bumper, grill, and fender for a 1985 cutlass ciera (oh yeah, a real goldmine ) My sister was in a fender bender, and I just wanted to make the car look decent so I could sell it fast. So I go to a yard expecting to pay 75 bucks max (even that is steep)seeing as how there are an endless amount of these cars in junkyards and they aren't old enough to be desired as a classic. The guy wanted 140 bucks . I would understand if it was a newer car, but it was just some boxy shaped 80s car which I would guess are the very least desired years of cars right now. I ended up going somewhere else and getting the parts for $40.

So what are they going to do with all those cars that have overpriced parts that aren't really in demand; crush them? I don't think they realize that their prices have to be extremely competative in order to draw customers away from a parts store. My reason for going going to a junkyard instead of Autozone should be to save an immense amount of money. I should not be saving only a couple of bucks on something that may or may not work. The amount of money I save should far outway the chances of a part not working.
Another time I went to the same yard to find what i could in 67-72 parts and I found some decent doors. (I use the word decent in Michigan rust belt terms) I asked the guy what he wanted and this is what he said,
guy- "You found some out there??????" (he was surprised)
me- "yeah, they are a little rusty"
guy-"75 bucks"
He did not even look at them, and the fact that he was suprised that I even found something that old should tell him that they are not worth that much to him. I go to yards to pull parts myself so that I can get good deals. I could have easily gotten doors in way better shape for the same price on the internet.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

The yard's I deal with are killer let ya in free and charge very little for what you need...

[fast67chevy2002]

yeah, I guess I must be lucky, all of them around here know me and let me in when they are closed, or whenever. They don't charge me anything. There is one that I go to often and he has got like 10 67-72 trucks that he considers his( a few wreckers, 2 or 3 stepsides, stuff like that. They have one out there, couldn't tell you what year(all thats left is the cab), that runs, has some kinda military axle in the rear, homemade boom, some kinda god aful tires in the front. A tool box for a seat, and a cutting torch where the passanger would sit.

He has got about 40+ 67-72 trucks, panel, burbs, only one blazer that i have found(looks like it rolled down a hill.)

[Nova_Cobra64]

Around here it seems the guys are generally pretty laid back, but also very knowledgable. I've never seen any place charge. Most of them can tell you where almost everything they have is in their yard. One guy actually let my firends and I poke around his yard all afternoon. Mostly fun, just looking at old cars and interesting thisthats and whatnots.

[krazy_texan]

man i work at a yard and we have i would say about 15 of our trucks and 2 blazers but my boss is one of those guys that thinks that all his stuff is made of gold so i dont get off on parts very easily and it makes me mad because most of the stuff in our yard already has salvage titles which means by law that vehicle can never see the road again so if i need a cab i have to drill off the vin plate.

[1969 GMC]

I have only been to a couple of yards around here. One is big, but has nothing older than like 1980. One has exactly one 67-72, there is a pic of it on the pics page under "Junk 67-72s". The rest don't let you even walk around in the yard
none charge admission tho.

[bpmcgee]

Around here it's impossible to find a 67-72 truck in a junkyard. In fact, it's getting darned hard to find a 73-87 truck there either! They turn their inventory so fast, you really have to stay on it.

Brian

[A.P.]

The ones in L.A. suck, they charge $2 entry fee and most of the vehicle (67-72) are strip to the bone.
Thats why I go to the ones in riverside, lot less people and most of the trucks have alot of good parts.

[SWEET7T]

There is 1 here in Logan, UT. They have ~8 67-72's and a load of 73-80's. Free to get in, free to look around. I've gotten prety good with one of the guys there. He told me $20 for a front swaybar for my truck!!! Sounds pretty friggin good deal to me! He just lets me roam around out there, no questions asked.
I guess it's just hit-&-miss with junkyards.

[71-longbed]

most are pricks...... i hate paying money to look and see ....what bull !!!!.... i know one place that has 3 or 4 in pretty decent shape( for a junk yard)........ i mean it's a junkyard not a gold yard ...come on... they would just rather they sit there then get money if the prices were better

[Phillip Johnson]

FRENCHBLUE72 forgot to also mention that not only is the yard FREE but they remove the parts for you! We call her "dead eye" Sorta cute but blind in one eye. You dont know which one is looking at you! They have a few dozen trucks and burbs. I just wish they could be a bit more careful with their forklift!
The Pick a Part in Chico is $1 but they usually have alot of stuff and their prices are fair. They also deal with repete buyers, like myself! 5 Star rating in my book. There are several in Southern Calif that I wouldnt give the sweat off my hemroids. They are all located in the Sunland / North Hollywood area. They can keep all their overpriced junk.