Category: Used car parts

If you own a late model vehicle that needs a replacement part, your first inclination might be to head to a mechanic’s shop, drop off the vehicle, and pick it up after the component is installed. But is getting the part you need through a mechanic really the best option? To help answer the question, let’s compare getting late model used auto parts from a professionally operated junkyard to acquiring them from a mechanic’s shop that sells everything in new condition.

1. Ease of Access

When you acquire parts through a mechanic, they’re often ordered from a parts supplier. When you buy components from a junkyard, you can get them on the same day that your need for them arises. The parts are in the salvage lot, waiting to be removed from the vehicles there. Pulling the components you need from a junkyard eliminates waiting for them to be shipped from a vendor.

2. Warranty Options

New auto parts almost always come with a warranty, but buying late model used auto parts from  a junkyard doesn’t automatically preclude a warranty. For example, at Wrench-A-Part, we let you apply a warranty to each component you purchase at a rate of $1 per part, per day. When you get parts from us, you don’t have sacrifice a warranty because the components are pre-owned.

3. Cost of Parts

Late model used auto components frequently cost at least 50 percent less than you would pay for them new. Auto parts are like the very vehicles they serve: After they are even slightly used, their monetary value drops considerably. But the drop in price isn’t always a reflection of how well the parts function. In reality, most pre-owned components have a long lifespan remaining.

4. Reliability of Parts

So long as everything goes right with the manufacturing process that creates them, new parts are typically more reliable than ones that are used. However, when used components aren’t far removed from being new, they’re often just as reliable as parts that are installed for the first time. The perception that new auto parts are more dependable than used auto parts isn’t always true.

Need Late Model Used Auto Parts?

If so, chances are that you can get the parts you need from Wrench-A-Part faster and for less money than you could get them from a mechanic. In addition, you can also apply a warranty to each component you purchase to protect the investment. To start searching for reliable, late model used auto parts, visit the late model inventory page on our website. We look forward to helping you acquire dependable parts for significantly less than you would pay to buy them new.

Among junkyards, early model vehicles are widely considered to be automobiles that are over 10 years old. Although most junkyards tend to sell parts from new model cars faster than components from early model cars, there are some notable exceptions to the rule. If you have an early model junk vehicle, it may have monetary value to an Austin auto salvage lot for some of the following reasons: reputation for reliability, scrap metal value, and vintage vehicle status.

1. Reputation for Reliability

Cars that have a reputation for delivering excellent reliability over a long span of miles tend to be valuable to junkyards longer than automobiles that last for about 100k miles, and need several repairs and unscheduled maintenance checks to log those miles on the odometer.

Models from Honda and Toyota are good examples of how early model vehicles can be valuable to a junkyard, simply because they last so long even when driven daily. As long as a fair number of people still drive your make and model, the car’s parts likely hold value to a junkyard.

2. Value of Scrap Metal

The total weight of most consumer vehicles is comprised by steel — about 55 percent, to be specific. Other valuable metals are present, too (roughly 300 pounds of aluminum, for example) but it’s the steel that holds the most value to auto recyclers. If you offer your junker to an Austin auto salvage lot that sells scrap to recyclers, the car could be valuable for its scrap metal alone.

3. Vintage Vehicle Status

Some vintage vehicles are worth so much that it’s more sensible to offer them to a museum or a private collector than trying to sell them to a junkyard — a business that typically pays hundreds of dollars and not thousands of dollars to acquire vehicles that are worse for wear.

However, there are also quite a few vintage vehicles that don’t have a high price tag but are popular among car enthusiasts, who value the vehicles independent of their monetary value. If you have a vintage make and model that fits this description, a junkyard would probably be interested in buying it for a competitive price.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

The potential value of early model junk cars can be deceiving. They aren’t the latest models to hit the road, but they can still have value to an Austin auto salvage business. That’s why we invite you to call us at (877) 886-5739 to receive a free quote for your early model junker.

Your vehicle may look like a prop from the movie Mad Max, but it’s cash value to an auto salvage lot like ours could surprise you. Contact us today to discover how much your early model junk car is worth!

Most consumers seldom make significant purchases for things they already have, unless those things have a short lifespan and need to be replaced often. The same principle applies to salvage yards that offer cash for wrecked cars.

A professional junkyard that pays cash for wrecked cars may already have a vehicle like yours in stock. However, because salable, used parts from the vehicle are likely to be sold quickly — especially if the car is a popular, late model — the junkyard is likely to be interested in taking the car off of your hands, even though a clone of the vehicle is already in stock.

Factors That Fuel the Need for Parts

Several factors that make it plausible for a junkyard to purchase a car it already has in stock. One of the main factors is low prices for parts. It isn’t uncommon to find parts on junk vehicles that sell for well below 50 percent of their original price. Because the parts are reliable and priced to sell, consumers typically snap them up at a prolific rate.

A second factor that continually fuels the need for parts, and makes it likely that a junkyard would be interested in owning several junk vehicles of the same kind, is the mechanical history of the vehicle in question. Even while still within their expected life span, some cars are more reliable than others.

A less reliable vehicle often generates a high need for replacement parts for the particular make and model. If you have a vehicle that falls into this category, chances are that a professional junkyard would be interested in acquiring it.

A third factor that fuels the need for pre-owned auto parts is the fact that many consumers own their car for a number of years after paying it off, simply because they don’t want a car payment. However, when you drive a vehicle for over 100,000 miles, you’ll almost certainly need some repairs along the way. If your car is still commonly driven but is on the brink of being considered an “early” model, it’s parts may be in high demand.

Get Cash for Your Wrecked Car

Wrecked cars appear worthless to casual observers, but junkyards routinely pay hundreds of dollars for a single wrecked vehicle that still contains a good selection of used parts. Even if an exact copy of your vehicle is in a junkyard’s inventory in non-wrecked condition, it’s the value and demand for the car’s parts — and not how the vehicle looks — that matters most.

Wrench-A-Part offers cash for wrecked cars. To receive a free price quote for your end-of-life automobile, please call one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, or Lubbock today. We look forward to making you a competitive, cash offer for your wrecked vehicle.

A professionally operated junkyard is a great place to get a good deal on used, reliable auto parts. But locating the parts you need can seem daunting, especially when a junkyard has at least several hundreds of vehicles in stock at any time. That’s why we’re providing the three tips below that help expedite the search for late model auto parts from junkyards. Using these tips will help you cut down on search time, and get the crucial parts you need for your automobile.

1. Learn How Many Locations the Junkyard Operates

Some junkyards have only one location, while others, such as Wrench-A-Part, have several places of business. A junkyard that has several locations may have the part you need at only one or two of its locations. Consequently, knowing about all of the salvage lots a junkyard operates can mean the difference between getting the part you need and not getting the part.

2. Check the Junkyard’s Vehicle Inventory Online

Professionally operated junkyards often list their inventory online to lower the barrier to finding the parts you need. There’s no guarantee that a car like yours in the salvage lot will contain the components you require, but this search feature nonetheless helps you find the parts you need faster by eliminating trips to salvage lots to see if they have the car from which you need the components.

3. Check the Junkyard’s Late Model Inventory Online

In addition to offering an online inventory for each of their business locations, some professionally operated junkyards give you the option to use a search filter that focuses exclusively on late model auto parts. Some of these junkyards such as Wrench-A-Part, provide even a search filter for “new arrivals” for each business location where parts are sold.

The chance of a newly arrived vehicle containing the parts you need is quite good compared to the same make and model of automobile that has sat in the salvage lot for several days or weeks.

Looking for Used, Late Model Auto Parts in Texas?

If so, you’ve come to the right place. We are a professionally operated junkyard that has locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, and Lubbock. But you don’t have to call or visit our locations to find the late model auto parts you need. Simply search our late model inventory for all of our locations by visiting the search inventory page on our website. We look forward to supplying you with reliable, pre-owned late model auto parts that are ready to install in your vehicle today.   

 

Auto recycling is performed by recycling recyclable materials from a vehicle — particularly steel from the frame and engine — to transform them into a highly compact form that’s easier to distribute to companies that use recyclables to create new products. However, in terms of environmental impact, recirculating recyclable parts to extend their lifespan is actually “greener” than the traditional auto recycling process. Below are three reasons why.

1. Helps Reduce Energy Consumption

Recycling scrap metal requires the material to be melted down, so it can be turned into other products. Considering that the melting process requires the furnace to reach a temperature at which steel alloys readily melt, the equipment uses an exceptional amount of energy, as industrial grade furnaces go.

Recirculating auto parts instead of recycling them the traditional way requires less energy consumption. The only energy used comes from the tow truck that comes to your property to tow away your wrecked or mechanically recalcitrant automobile.

2. Helps Reduce Emissions

Because recirculating car parts requires less energy than recycling them, it typically involves lower emissions than the auto recycling process. The tow truck that removes your car produces some emissions, but there is no large-scale, industrial grade equipment involved that creates emissions from melting down steel alloys. When it comes to emissions, recirculating parts has an obvious advantage over recycling them.

3. Reuses Entire Auto Component

Many auto parts are comprised of different materials. For example, metal parts can have rubber seals, and wiring components often contain metal, rubber, and plastic in a single unit. If a part contains material that can’t be recycled, a recycler will remove it, and thus create waste. When an auto part is purchased from a junkyard, the whole part is installed in the buyer’s car.

Ready to Get Rid of Your Junk Car?

If so, we’d love the opportunity to make you a competitive cash offer. When you sell your car to us, the usable parts are sold to consumers. Then, we forward leftover recyclables to auto recyclers. It’s the best of both worlds; most of the parts are recirculated to extend their lifespan, and only components that aren’t recirculated are sent to auto recycling companies.

To receive a free price quote for your end-of-life automobile, please call one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, or Lubbock today. We look forward to helping you ensure that your relinquished vehicle is used in the most environmentally conscious way.   

By the looks of some junkyards — particularly “mom and pop” operations that use residential land as makeshift salvage lots — finding late model auto parts among their disheveled inventory of old vehicles seems to be quite a challenge. However, when you shop for late model auto parts at a professionally operated junkyard that frequently replenishes the vehicle inventory, you’ll often find three good sources of late model auto parts that are in fine condition.

1. Wrecked Vehicles

Many wrecked vehicles have components that were damaged in the wreck and are not fit for reuse. However, because a wreck often damages a car in only one or two areas, wrecked automobiles often contain many reliable parts that can be used without problem for significant periods of time. Don’t be fooled by the appearance of a wrecked car. The vehicle often contains many good components.

2. Lemon Vehicles

Lemon vehicles are automobiles that have a persistent mechanical or safety problem that makes them unfit to drive and can’t be repaired by the auto dealer within a certain number of tries. However, there is often only one part or one operating system that causes the problem. Because the problem often manifests early in the car’s lifespan, the vehicle frequently contains a nice selection of late model auto parts right when it enters the salvage lot.

3. Tuner Vehicles

Tuner vehicles are automobiles that generally have a large selection of aftermarket auto parts installed to help increase driving performance. Because tuner car projects are often completed over a significant period of time, when the cars experience a problem that makes them undrivable and would be too costly to fix, they frequently contain lots of late model, premium auto parts when they enter the salvage lot.

Ready to Shop for Used Auto Parts?

If you’re looking to save money by purchasing used auto parts for your late model vehicle, Wrench-A-Part is a great place to find them. In addition to offering a variety of late model parts from the types of vehicles above, among others, we also give you the option of applying a warranty to every part you purchase at the affordable rate of $1 per part per day.

To find out if we have the car you need parts from, simply visit the search inventory page on our website, and select our location that’s closest to yours. If you need live assistance, please call the parts hotline number for our nearest location. We look forward to supplying you with pre-owned, high-quality, late model auto parts. 

If you drive a late model automobile that needs replacement parts, you may think that your only option is to buy the components new from your auto dealer or a mechanic. However, before you pay top dollar for the parts your require, consider that you may be able to get what you need at a professionally operated junkyard for a steeply discounted price.

Junkyards are well-known for carrying vehicle models that are a few years old but are still commonly seen on roadways, hence a junkyard’s ability to sell pre-owned parts for the vehicles. However, junkyards are also a good source for late model used auto parts. To prove the point, below are three great sources of late model used auto parts at junkyards.

1. Wrecked Vehicles

Wrecked vehicles are “totalled” by insurance companies when the cost of repairing the them exceeds their fair market value. Consequently, it is easily possible for a new car to experience a bad wreck that would make it impecunious for the owner to repair. Obviously, late model wrecked vehicles have some damaged parts, but many of them also contain hundreds of working parts that offer excellent reliability due to their newness.

2. Lemon Vehicles

Lemon vehicles are legally considered unsafe or unreliable to drive due to a persistent safety defect or mechanical problem that the auto dealer can’t repair within a certain number of tries within a certain timeframe and/or range of miles. Because the defect in a lemon car often occurs when the car is quite new, the vehicle is commonly a repository of late model used auto parts that are suitable to use in late model automobiles that are not lemons.

3. Totalled Vehicles

Not all totalled vehicles are badly wrecked. In some cases, all it takes is significant damage to a single, high cost part of a vehicle (e.g., cracked engine block in a high-performance car) to total it. Because the damage is limited, these vehicles typically contain a wide selection of reusable parts that are in excellent condition. Even so, you can often purchase the parts for at least 50 percent less than you would pay to buy them new from an auto dealer or a mechanic.

Looking for Late Model Used Auto Parts?

If so, Wrench-A-Part is a great place to find them. We frequently buy vehicles for our inventory, and many of the cars we buy are still considered “new” by consumers. However, despite the relative newness of the components, they are offered at a steep discount. Before you buy new replacement parts at full price, check our online vehicle inventory, and visit our nearest location that has the vehicle from which you needs parts. Contact us today!     

 

In the junkyard industry, the term self-service auto parts refers to vehicle components that consumers remove from end-of-life vehicles using their own tools. However, for drivers that aren’t accustomed to performing auto part installation and removal, deciding which tools to bring can present a challenge. While practically everyone knows to bring wrenches and screwdrivers, not everyone knows to bring the following products that can also assist with parts removal.

1. Penetrating Oil

Penetrating oil is a specially formulated, oil-based product that easily distributes through tight spaces to make auto parts easier to remove. For example, if an auto part is secured in place by nuts and bolts that have rusted together to form a practically unbreakable bond, applying penetrating oil to the parts will help break the bond so you can remove the part with a wrench.

2. Rubber Mallet

Some self-service auto parts are bound together due to corrosion and require a bit of elbow grease to break apart, while other parts form only a slightly stronger bond than normal due to dirt and grease that accrete around the connection point. If you remove fixtures that keep a part in place, and it still stays in place, try gently tapping it with a mallet to break the weak bond.

3. Dielectric Cleaner

Dielectric cleaner is designed to remove grime from precision electrical parts. If you need an electrical part, but the part is difficult to see due to the accumulation of engine residues, spraying the part with a non-flammable, non-residue dielectric cleaner that quickly evaporates can remove the accretion and help you see exactly how the part you need is secured in place.

4. Tire Iron

If you need self-service auto parts that require you to remove a wheel to access them, be sure to bring along a tire iron for removing lug nuts that secure the wheel in place. Because vehicles have lug nuts of different sizes, using a t-shaped tire iron that has four lug nut settings is a smart idea. In the absence of a t-shaped tire iron, bringing a ratchet wrench set is a good alternative.

Get Your Parts From Us

Wrench-A-Part is a professionally operated junkyard that offers self-service auto parts for some of the best prices in the business. Consequently, in order to facilitate parts removal, it’s worth the effort of bringing some extra products that aren’t normally found in a toolbox. To see if we currently have the vehicle from which you need parts in our inventory, contact one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, or Lubbock. We look forward to supplying you with parts!     

 

           

The primary specialty of professionally operated junkyards is supplying consumers with repair parts and replacement parts for their automobiles. If this will be your first time acquiring self-service auto parts from a junkyard, there are a few preparations you should make before traveling to a junkyard to acquire pre-owned auto parts. If you have questions about acquiring pre-owned parts from a junkyard, the answers to the following questions should be helpful.

Can I Check the Inventory of a junkyard online?

Some professionally operated junkyards list their vehicle inventory online to make it easy for customers to see if the businesses have the car from which they need components. However, it should be noted that, just because a junkyard has the car from which you need parts doesn’t guarantee that it contains the parts you need. You will need to inspect the vehicle in your own.

Do junkyards supply tools for removing large parts?

Some junkyards do supply tools for removing large parts. For example, Wrench-A-Part providers customers with wagons and wheelbarrows for transporting large parts or a large volume of small parts to the payment destination. We also provide an engine pulling A-frame to customers who need to remove an entire engine to replace their car engine that doesn’t work.

How can I move large parts to the payment location?

When you shop at Wrench-A-Part, you have three options for transporting parts to the payment location: use the wagons we provide free of charge, using the wheelbarrows we supply at no cost, or flex your muscles and carry the parts that you need by hand. We offer easy ways to transport your part(s) to the payment counter. Take full advantage of the options  if you need to.

Do certain rules that apply to the salvage car lot?

Most professionally operated junkyards that sell self-service auto parts have rules that apply to the lot where vehicles are inventoried. For example, most junkyards require you not to smoke or drink while in the salvage lot, as well as requiring you to wear shoes that don’t expose your feet to easy injury. Another common requirement is not using flame cutters to remove auto parts.

Is it possible to purchase a part warranty for each part?

Receiving a parts warranty for pre-owned auto parts in not the norm, but Wrench-A-Part does offer a parts warranty option of 1$ per part per day. If you question whether used parts will deliver the same reliability as new parts, purchasing part warranties is the optimal choice. If the parts malfunction during the warranty period, you will be provided with parts that perform better.

How much is the average discount for junkyard parts?

Discounts are assessed on a part by part basis. With that said, it is common to encounter a discount of 50 percent or more when purchasing self-service auto parts from a junkyard. The steep discount on parts is one of the main reasons drivers buy parts from junkyards. When you get parts from us, you pay less the you would to get them from a mechanic or an auto dealer.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

Wrench-A-Part is a leading supplier of quality used car parts, with Texas locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, and Lubbock. Because many of the vehicles in our inventory are wrecks, lemon vehicles, and vehicles that are mechanically recalcitrant in a limited capacity, you have the opportunity to purchase parts that are almost new. Plus, you can apply a parts warranty to whatever you purchase for a price of 1$ per part per day. Call one of our locations today!    

Lemon vehicles are automobiles that have a significant defect that cannot be repaired. Cars can receive lemon status based on state law or federal law. At the state level, the vehicle must have a defect that cannot be repaired in a certain number of tries within a certain number of miles. At the federal level, the vehicle must also have a defect that can’t be repaired in a certain number of tries, but mileage is not an issue. If the vehicle is still under the manufacturer’s original warranty, it qualifies for lemon status under the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301).

Parts From Lemon Cars

Most drivers who understand what a lemon vehicle is are understandably wary about using parts from the automobiles. After all, the reason lemon vehicles are sold as junk cars and other cities is because they have a persistent mechanical or safety defect that makes them unfit to drive. However, it’s important to note that many lemon vehicles only have a problem with one component or operating system. The other parts typically function quite well.

Professional junkyards that sell parts from junk cars in Killeen and other areas remove malfunctioning parts from lemon vehicles before the automobiles are placed in the car lot for consumers to pull parts from. However, “mom and pop” junkyards that seem to operate with a “buyer be ware” philosophy may not go the extra mile to remove the parts. Consequently, the quality of lemon vehicle parts has as much to do with where you buy them as what you buy.

Benefits of Using the Parts

There are at least three benefits of purchasing working parts from lemon cars: the parts often come from a relatively new vehicle, the parts are often sold for at least 50 percent less than they would cost new, and a warranty can be applied to the parts when you purchase them from a junkyard that offers this option. Despite coming from automobiles that are no longer road worthy, lemon vehicle components are often some of the best components you can purchase.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

For more information about the benefits of using reliable components from lemon cars, or to learn how we can help you sell us junk cars in Killeen and surrounding areas, contact Wrench-A-Part by calling one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, or Lubbock. Whether you need to sell an end-of-life vehicle or pull parts from one, we’re here to assist you. Give us a call today!