Tag: Self Serve Junk Yard

Common Misconceptions Regarding a Self Serve Junk Yard

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A self serve junk yard can help you save money on your next vehicle repair, or provide you the components you need to finish restoring a vintage car—if only you dare to pass through its gates. Over the years, many salvage lots have received a ‘bad rap’ based on silly misconceptions, which come from movies, urban legends, and just plain misinformation. If you are considering buying domestic or foreign auto parts from a salvage lot, do not miss the chance to get great components for an excellent price, and ignore the following misconceptions about salvage lots.

Searching for Components is a Big Adventure

This misconception comes from confusing a junk yard where cars are towed and left to decay with a salvage lot or automotive recycler that sells parts in an organized and efficient manner from salvage vehicles. The latter keeps an inventory of their stock, and often has a website where you can search for the make and model of the vehicle that has the components you need. Sure, you can look for components in a salvage lot that looks like it was hit by a tornado, but why do that when you can go to one that keeps a meticulous inventory and has a clean and organized vehicle storage area?

Salvage Lots are Dangerous

It is true that some junk yards look as if a creepy villain from a horror flick could pop around the corner any second, but those types of salvage yards are usually ones where cars are just piled up and left to rot. Salvage lots and automotive recyclers that operate as reputable and profitable businesses typically have a well-organized vehicle lot that is kept clean and presents very little danger. If you happen to see Michael Myers from the film Halloween or Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street there, they probably came to get a car part.

You Cannot Find Components for Foreign Vehicles

This myth stems from the perception that foreign vehicles are made better – and thus last longer – than U.S. vehicles. Wrench-A-Part is not here to weigh in on a debate that occasionally causes foreign cars to be abused in the parking lots of U.S. auto manufacturers, but we will say that a self serve junk yard usually has plenty of foreign cars. If you need foreign auto parts for your vehicle, we most likely have them in stock—and rest assured, you can pick them up without someone keying your Mercedes Benz or BMW.

You do not Receive Help Removing Components

Self serve salvage lots require you to remove components without the physical assistance of the staff, but that does not mean the business will not provide you with some helpful equipment. At Wrench-A-Part, we offer free wheelbarrows, wagons, and engine pulling A-Frames free of charge. Ultimately, removing components on your own, for your benefit, keeps the price of the parts low by eliminating the cost of labor.

Do You Need Spare Car Components?

If so, Wrench-A-Part should be your next stop. Between our convenient locations in Austin and Belton, we have over 5,000 vehicles from which you can pull components. Hundreds of fresh parts vehicles are added to our yards each week, in order to keep our inventory fresh, and provide the best opportunity for you to find the part you need. We also have a website where you can learn about our inventory before arriving at our self serve junk yard. If you need help finding domestic or foreign auto parts, visit our website, or call us today.

How to Utilize a Self Serve Junk Yard Like a Pro

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Have you ever known someone who bragged about how much he or she saved on car repairs by getting spare parts from a self serve junk yard? If so, you probably wondered how hard it would be for you to do the same. If you know how to use basic tools such as wrenches and screwdrivers, you too can reduce the cost of your next car repair bill by supplying the mechanic with domestic or foreign auto parts from a self service salvage yard. With that said, there are a few details you should know if you have never used a salvage lot—information to help you locate the parts you need and remove them like a pro.

Choose a Yard that Keeps an Inventory

Some salvage yards fail to keep track of the vehicles in the lot, which can make it time consuming and difficult to find the components you need. Some people like combing through these types of junk yards as a form of adventure, but if you need a part to repair your car, you probably need to get in and out fast. A salvage lot that inventories its vehicles will help you swiftly find the part you need.

Use the Business’s Website

A yard that keeps an inventory often has a business website where you can search for the make and model of the vehicle from which you need parts. There may also be some information available about certain types of parts. The more you learn about the inventory of a self serve junk yard before you show up in person, the less time you will spend there, and the quicker your vehicle will be repaired.

Take All the Tools You Need

Bringing a ratchet set and screwdriver set is always recommended, but you may need some additional tools, such as a rubber mallet for tapping a part away from the fitting, long nose pliers for lifting a piece out of a semi-enclosed space, or pliers for holding a partially removed piece in place while the rest of the fasteners are undone. If you have a toolbox, go ahead and bring the whole set (better to have too many tools than not enough).

Dress for the Occasion

Salvage lots are not spotless places. You could end up lying on the ground to remove domestic or foreign auto parts from the undercarriage of the vehicle, and the components might have some grease on them. Bring something to lie on, dress in clothes you would not wear to the office, and bring some gloves to keep your fingers from being covered in tough to remove engine residues.

Know the Policies of the Business

Be familiar with the policies of the business before you spend money. Some salvage lots give you a store credit if a part does not work out, or offer a warranty option, but few lots will return your cash. You should also know how you should dress, what types of tools you can bring, and what type of behavior is prohibited in the lot. Wear shoes that will protect your feet during your time of work, do not wear open toed shoes such as sandals. Torches and other types of cutting tools that create sparks are prohibited, due to the fire hazard.

Bring Extra Help if Necessary

Self serve means self serve. Although Wrench-A-Part will assist you by providing free wheelbarrows, wagons, and engine-pulling equipment, you have to perform the removal on your own. If that means getting the help of your “uncle Fester” who worked for decades as a GM mechanic, bring him along. Do what you need to acquire a part from the lot without trying to solicit physical help from the staff.

Come to Wrench-A-Part for Spare Auto Parts

If you are looking for a customer friendly, self serve junk yard that carries domestic and foreign auto parts, Wrench-A-Part is the place to come. In addition to providing free equipment to assist with your removal operation, we offer a $1 per part per day warranty on all components. To find out more about our inventory and services, visit our website, or call us today.

Self Serve Junk Yard Safety Precautions

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If you plan to cut costs by getting car parts from an auto salvage lot, you may save enough money to make your next car payment. If it is your first time using a salvage lot, you should be careful while on the property. A self serve junk yard is not a dangerous place, but basic safety precautions are applied to which customers should adhere to keep it that way.

No Smoking

A mechanic who smokes in his repair shop is playing with fire, literally. The same goes for people who smoke while removing parts at salvage yards. From oil to gasoline, used engines contain all sorts of substances that could easily go up in flames. Consequently, you will probably see plenty of no smoking signs at a salvage yard. If you have not broken the smoking habit yet, be sure to break it temporarily while you get the parts you need.

Avoid Wearing Open-Toed Shoes

Wearing open-toed shoes in a salvage lot is comparable to going without a hardhat in a construction zone. A heavy engine part could crush your foot and put you in a recliner for weeks. If it is football season, that might not sound like such a bad idea. As with ‘not smoking,’ not wearing open-toed shoes is one of the official rules at most self service auto salvage yards.

Do Not Bring Children Along

Children have a way of turning cotton balls into deadly objects, as well as becoming injured by pillows. The last place they need to be is in a self serve junk yard filled with row after row of unattended vehicles. If you want to teach your little ones about auto repair, do it in the comfort of your home garage. Besides, children under 18 are not allowed in most self service auto salvage yards.

No Drinking on the Job

If you like to have a few beers while doing auto work, it may feel natural to take the party to the salvage lot. Do not do it. In fact, do not do anything that could later be recalled in a country music song about wild times. Professional salvage lots are dedicated to providing a sober, safe environment for their customers, even if it makes the occasional social drinker cry in his beer.

Need a Spare Auto Part Today?

If so, Wrench-A-Part, a self serve junk yard with convenient locations in Austin and Belton, is here to help. Our auto salvage lots contain well over 5,000 cars total. If you need a wheelbarrow, wagon, chain hoist or an engine pulling A-Frame to help remove an engine or transmission at one of our locations, we will supply the equipment free of charge. To learn more about our inventory and services, browse through our website, or call us today.

Reasons to Get Auto Parts from a Self Serve Junk Yard

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Whether you are a do it yourself mechanic or a person who is clueless about cars, there are several reasons to get auto parts from a self serve junk yard instead of ordering them from a repair shop. If you drive a vehicle for many years, it will eventually experience mechanical trouble. When it does, heading to an auto salvage lot should be your first option for getting the components you need to fix your vehicle. Below lists the reasons why:

Saving Money on Repair Bills

Even if a mechanic repairs your vehicle, you can save money by getting a replacement part from a salvage lot instead of having the repair shop order the component. This is especially true if you drive a foreign vehicle whose components cost more to ship than domestic parts. Garages earn most of their money by charging for labor, so they will not look at you funny or turn you away if you show up with your own components.

Used Parts Can be as Good as New

One of the biggest misconceptions about salvage lots is they only contain early model vehicles. While you should find plenty of old cars and trucks in a big salvage lot, you will also find many late model vehicles there because they were “totaled,” which means that repairing them would cost more than the insurance company would pay. Often, these vehicles have working components unaffected by the accident that landed them in the salvage lot.

Plenty of Heritage Parts

If you have an old vehicle whose components are hard to find, an auto salvage lot can be your best friend. If you are trying to restore a historical vehicle needing a large piece such as a hood, a door, or a trunk lid, buying it from a salvage lot is a lot less expensive than buying it from a specialty car shop or having a car builder fabricate the piece. In many cases, used exterior components simply need some light bodywork to look as good as new.

Great Way to Get Spare Parts

Some vehicles have a particular component known for malfunctioning, such as a starter or a thermostat. Sometimes this happens because a third party whose quality control process was sub par manufactured the piece. One choice is to replace the piece with a more reliable component from a different manufacturer, but getting the part from a self serve junk yard is a good way to save time and money. You may also be able to find multiple parts that can be used for backup. Therefore, if the component malfunctions again, you will have a spare one with which to replace it.

Good for the Environment

For more than seventy-five years, automotive recyclers have provided replacement parts while conserving the environment. In fact, the automobile is the most recycled consumer product in the world today. Nearly every part on a car can be recycled to use in a new vehicle or another consumer product. The automotive recycling industry is a $25 billion per year industry. In the United States, about twenty-six vehicles are recycled every minute. Recycling end of life vehicles is not only good for the environment it helps consumers find a good quality replacement part for a fraction of the cost of a new part.

Come to Wrench-A-Part for Replacement Parts

Wrench-A-Part is a self-serve junk yard that helps you save money on car repairs and car projects. You can use our website to search for the make and model of the vehicle for the components you need. We can also search our inventory for the specific year make and model of the vehicle you are looking for and print a list with the row location of each vehicle matching the search criteria. You can also search the inventory yourself on wrenchapart.com before you drive to our auto salvage lot in Austin or Belton. To learn more about our inventory and services, visit our website, or call us today.