Picking auto parts at the salvage yard: What to look for?

[Baltimore]

Hi everyone,

This is a thread I've been meaning to start for some time, and I'll bet there are many of you who regularly participate in this forum that could help out!

I am a person who loves going to salvage yards, not only to find parts for my car but also to just walk around and see what's there. I consider myself a car person, I do my own basic car repairs and can identify the make, model, and year of most cars that I see. Recently I've been looking at ebay and realizing that the prices for parts online are significantly higher than what I pay at the local u-pull-it, so I've been thinking that next time I go I should look around and pick up a few things to flip. Unfortunately I don't really know where to start, which is where you all come in.

Here's what I've figured out so far: It seems as if parts from European cars (bmws, audis, volvos) have a pretty high markup, as well as pickup trucks. I know our fellow member dieselram mentioned his success in parting out a dodge ram, which is helpful. I think I also read on here that 3rd row seats out of SUVs are valuable, but they're a bit big for my operation.

Basically my question is this: What are some fairly small, easy to ship parts that I could find that would probably sell fairly quickly, and would be good for a novice parts seller? I was thinking stuff like side view mirrors, taillight assemblies, stuff that gets broken frequently and people need to replace. Also are there any makes/models that have a higher number of online parts buyers that anyone knows of? Obviously newer is probably better, but other than that I'm not sure. I'm a subaru driver, so I was thinking maybe just always looking for subarus and hopefully eventually getting a good sense of their parts market. Does that sound like a good plan, or should I have a broader scope?

Thanks as always for any help, I'm looking forward to any responses!

 

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[pkb]

I used to do this a few years back. Mostly BMW's ECU's from wrecked cars. ( they ran when wrecked ) Various knobs, sunvisors, center caps. Pick a car and research what parts are selling for on "FleBay" Then make a list and hit the yards. German cars usually bring the best prices on parts. Always be on lookout for "Recaro" seats. Even if torn , they still bring a premium.

 

[Rodbuster209]

I posted on a earlier thread about a guy getting the power window motors out of junked vehicles and selling them on eBay. Good luck!

 

[jerseyben]

Reminded me of this news story from last year: Theft of third-row SUV seats on the rise? [w/video] - Autoblog

In high school, I used to haunt junkyards and buy parts constantly. I sold a few parts back then too. I had a dream of starting my own concierge parts service but quickly realized that it would never make any serious money.

The used car industry changed dramatically in the last 10 years. I remember being able to find cars cheap. Parts were plentiful and fairly cheap. Now, used cars are very expensive. Cash for clunkers plus high prices for scrap have led to many older cars being junked. You used to be able to buy any old car that was sitting in someone's backyard for under $500. That is basically impossible now. Go in to a junkyard now and the "good cars" are behind a fence "off limits". The rest of the cars are stripped clean in short order and then crushed. The prices seem outrageous now too. I cannot find a tailgate that isnt swiss cheese for my truck that wont cost me at least $200. Those things used to be $50 all day long!

 

[NHBandit]

Having managed an auto salvage yard until recently I'll play. Salvage yard owners for the most part are not stupid. With the internet at their fingertips and sites like car-part.com becoming popular if something is in demand we KNOW about it and are already selling them for a premium price. Add to that the cheap Chinese aftermarket parts available on Ebay among other places and it's simply not the way to go unless you are extremely versed in what sells or have access to an older out of the way yard that is still living in the 20th century. I will use a couple of the examples already mentioned here. Power window motors. Most are sold these days as an assembly complete with the window regulator mech. An average used unit will sell for around $40-$50 depending on application. I just bought a brand new Chinese repop for my 2002 Buick online for $35 with free shipping and a 1 year warranty. Side view mirrors, tail lights, etc. same deal. New aftermarket stuff sells for less than used quite often. Trust me, I have 40 years experience in this business and now I'm retired and looking for ways to supplement my income that I can do from home & this ain't one of them... The only way you're going to make any money in the used parts business is buying whole cars & parting them out. The neighbors might not like that though.. If you have questions or need advice feel free to send me a PM anytime.

 

[NHBandit]

ps... If you insist on giving it a try Honda & Toyota parts are always hot sellers.

 

[Baltimore]

Having managed an auto salvage yard until recently I'll play. Salvage yard owners for the most part are not stupid. With the internet at their fingertips and sites like car-part.com becoming popular if something is in demand we KNOW about it and are already selling them for a premium price. Add to that the cheap Chinese aftermarket parts available on Ebay among other places and it's simply not the way to go unless you are extremely versed in what sells or have access to an older out of the way yard that is still living in the 20th century. I will use a couple of the examples already mentioned here. Power window motors. Most are sold these days as an assembly complete with the window regulator mech. An average used unit will sell for around $40-$50 depending on application. I just bought a brand new Chinese repop for my 2002 Buick online for $35 with free shipping and a 1 year warranty. Side view mirrors, tail lights, etc. same deal. New aftermarket stuff sells for less than used quite often. Trust me, I have 40 years experience in this business and now I'm retired and looking for ways to supplement my income that I can do from home & this ain't one of them... The only way you're going to make any money in the used parts business is buying whole cars & parting them out. The neighbors might not like that though.. If you have questions or need advice feel free to send me a PM anytime.

Thanks, that's good to know! I'm honestly not looking to make a million bucks doing this, I just really like cruising the junkyard, so if I have a way to make a few bucks doing it then I figured why not? Luckily the yards I go to are on an industrial strip in the distant outskirts of baltimore, usually it's pretty empty and the only people there are pulling transmissions or picking up fenders for their auto body shops. Plus, the prices are dirt cheap and you can haggle. For example jerseyben was saying he used to find tailgates for $50 and now they cost $200, this yard sells tailgates for $35. I think of all the yards I've been to this is a good one to start at, and again I'm really just trying to see what I can find and maybe learn a little more about another aspect of selling on ebay.

 

[NHBandit]

Tailgates for $35 ? Well I have seen some very cool benches for sale locally that use old truck tailgates as the back section. Park bench style if you can picture it. Are you handy with a saw ?

 

[Baltimore]

Tailgates for $35 ? Well I have seen some very cool benches for sale locally that use old truck tailgates as the back section. Park bench style if you can picture it. Are you handy with a saw ?

Thats a great idea! This yard usually has a lot of cars with a good patina to them, I've actually been meaning to make some garage art by screen printing on car hoods, they're only $40 which is probably cheaper then a stretched canvas of the same size.

 

[NHBandit]

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en....1ac.1.58.img..20.1.1049.zYOnweYQ45o#imgdii=_

 

[tamrock]

I've found a few times auto parts at yard sales and they want like nothing for them. Factory aluminum wheels, still in the box starters, hood ornaments and things like that. It really didn't matter what it was as long as it was good part it would sell for profit on ebay. I a year or so ago needed a linkage on a Ford Taurus, because the mechanic working on it said no supplier had one as mine was simply missing. I even checked myself with the auto parts store and with Ford and it wasn't in the area. I then went to the salvage yards and went to investigate 4 Ford Taurus's and found that part was gone on each one. It was the second yard and the 3rd Taurus I saw that still had that linkage intact. I popped it off and ask the fella how much? 20 bucks he said and he said that's a hard part to come by. He knew that and even charge what I thought could be more then new, but things were at a standstill until I got the mechanic that little 3 inch long linkage. NHB ain't giving no BS, those salvage yard guy know what hot even in their heads. You what it from them you'l be paying the going rate. I've had the same game plan as your thinking, so give it a try and please let us know of any success in your auto parts treasure hunt. I'm sure there a way to make a buck at it.

 

[Oregon Viking]

The local junk yard here, just crushes everything. They don't do Ebay. They would rather crush it then strip it. Someone wants something you pick it cheap. I know the owners and employees well......new banner find hot spot! Dash parts, emblems, tail lights, cup holders, visors, EFI, etc. 1978 chevy truck is my next target.

 

[pkb]

Parted out many BMW e30's back in the day. Best money was a mid 80's BMW 745i gray market Euro Turbo I bought with a bad tranny. Paid $500 for the car, parted it out and made $5000. Then the recession hit.

 

[aliciakay1981]

compare what a ford emblem or a chevy bowtie go for on ebay the look at pick and pulls pricelist, u wont get rich but you will make some and its easy to remove and ship thought about doing it myself but just ain't got the time, good luck

 

[Oregon Viking]

The local junk yard here, just crushes everything. They don't do Ebay. They would rather crush it then strip it. Someone wants something you pick it cheap. I know the owners and employees well......new banner find hot spot! Dash parts, emblems, tail lights, cup holders, visors, EFI, etc. 1978 chevy truck is my next target.

compare what a ford emblem or a chevy bowtie go for on ebay the look at pick and pulls pricelist, u wont get rich but you will make some and its easy to remove and ship thought about doing it myself but just ain't got the time, good luck

That's why I will be spending a lot of time pulling emblems, etc. Most of the time they say.....take 'em..... we wont!

 

[Baltimore]

I've found a few times auto parts at yard sales and they want like nothing for them. Factory aluminum wheels, still in the box starters, hood ornaments and things like that. It really didn't matter what it was as long as it was good part it would sell for profit on ebay. I a year or so ago needed a linkage on a Ford Taurus, because the mechanic working on it said no supplier had one as mine was simply missing. I even checked myself with the auto parts store and with Ford and it wasn't in the area. I then went to the salvage yards and went to investigate 4 Ford Taurus's and found that part was gone on each one. It was the second yard and the 3rd Taurus I saw that still had that linkage intact. I popped it off and ask the fella how much? 20 bucks he said and he said that's a hard part to come by. He knew that and even charge what I thought could be more then new, but things were at a standstill until I got the mechanic that little 3 inch long linkage. NHB ain't giving no BS, those salvage yard guy know what hot even in their heads. You what it from them you'l be paying the going rate. I've had the same game plan as your thinking, so give it a try and please let us know of any success in your auto parts treasure hunt. I'm sure there a way to make a buck at it.

The nice thing about the yard that I go to is that it is a very large, high volume yard, which means inventory comes and goes very quickly and there's tons of it. Tauruses, for example, they probably have 20-30 of them at any given time. Also their prices are standardized, so they won't charge more for a bmw headlight than a taurus headlight. I figure if I can learn some good stuff to look for I could score from time to time. Whatever I do it will be very small time, I don't want to go buy 10 taillight assemblies, sell 3 and have the rest sitting around forever. I'll probably only do 1 or 2 things at a time just to test the waters. I already have a good thing going with what I sell already, I just want to see if I can monetize my occasional junkyard trips.

 

[clovis97]

I think that NHB has pretty much nailed it.

The Chinese are repopping many items that used to sell very well, with huge margins. Side view mirrors, for example, used to sell for $75 per side on ebay. You can buy the same mirror for $35 with free shipping, and it is brand new.

Most of the yards in our area that are still cheap on their prices have already pulled the good stuff, like ECM's. I suspect that they already have deals with other people, core buyers, etc. It is possible that they are selling those for a flat rate, but the buyer takes everyone that they have.

For instance, I know a guy that only sells centers on ebay. He has a deal where he gets every center cap that comes in, and he pays them a flat $5 per cap, regardless of condition. He says that he stops in 2X a month, and it is commonplace for him to buy 200 caps at a time.

I believe that there are some deals to be had. Not everyone has the time to scour ebay for the greatest things. There are still some gems to be had.

One thought that comes to mind is super clean parts from super clean cars. On occasion, you will see a near spotless vehicle, that maybe was garage kept and only had 32,000 original miles, but got totaled in a wreck. If you see one of these, go home and look up the used parts for that made and model. Research before you buy. Super clean parts, generally speaking, will sell for a premium if there is demand for that model, make and year. You should probably forget it if it is a Citation or an old Corolla, but should you happen to stumble across a desirable car, in impeccable condition, like a Mustang or Camaro, that car might be a gold mine. KWIM?

 

[NHBandit]

I think that NHB has pretty much nailed it.

The Chinese are repopping many items that used to sell very well, with huge margins. Side view mirrors, for example, used to sell for $75 per side on ebay. You can buy the same mirror for $35 with free shipping, and it is brand new.

Most of the yards in our area that are still cheap on their prices have already pulled the good stuff, like ECM's. I suspect that they already have deals with other people, core buyers, etc. It is possible that they are selling those for a flat rate, but the buyer takes everyone that they have.

For instance, I know a guy that only sells centers on ebay. He has a deal where he gets every center cap that comes in, and he pays them a flat $5 per cap, regardless of condition. He says that he stops in 2X a month, and it is commonplace for him to buy 200 caps at a time.

I believe that there are some deals to be had. Not everyone has the time to scour ebay for the greatest things. There are still some gems to be had.

One thought that comes to mind is super clean parts from super clean cars. On occasion, you will see a near spotless vehicle, that maybe was garage kept and only had 32,000 original miles, but got totaled in a wreck. If you see one of these, go home and look up the used parts for that made and model. Research before you buy. Super clean parts, generally speaking, will sell for a premium if there is demand for that model, make and year. You should probably forget it if it is a Citation or an old Corolla, but should you happen to stumble across a desirable car, in impeccable condition, like a Mustang or Camaro, that car might be a gold mine. KWIM?

The idea of looking for specific high demand cars is good if they can be bought privately. Finding a deal in a salvage yard is not so likely. There are specialty yards these days that do their best to buy ALL of a particular brand in their area so they can control the market. Example is this yard owned by a good friend of mine back home in NH. When I managed a yard in NH I would call him any time I got in a Camaro or Firebird and he would buy it sight unseen over the phone and send a truck to pick it up. Camaro Heaven - Your one stop Camaro & Firebird Shop

 

[clovis97]

The idea of looking for specific high demand cars is good if they can be bought privately. Finding a deal in a salvage yard is not so likely. There are specialty yards these days that do their best to buy ALL of a particular brand in their area so they can control the market. Example is this yard owned by a good friend of mine back home in NH. When I managed a yard in NH I would call him any time I got in a Camaro or Firebird and he would buy it sight unseen over the phone and send a truck to pick it up. Camaro Heaven - Your one stop Camaro & Firebird Shop

I think that you are dead on.

I am still kicking myself for not buying my sister's Mustang, which was recently totaled. Insurance totaled the car after a minor rear end collision, mostly because of the miles and year of the car. I doubt that one out of 1,000 people could ever tell where the car was hit.

Her Mustang had 250,000 miles on it, but it was in superb condition. Garage kept. Unbelievably nice paint and body. Interior was spotless. The carpet had no wear. New tires, rims in super condition.

That car could have been parted out for a handsome profit because the parts were in impeccable condition. She got a premium for that car, but still sold it too cheap to another family member, just to help them out.

 

[frankendime]

Here is some stuff I snagged out of the junkyard. Got about $25 in all of it. Air filter and the chrome off of a 55 Plymouth. Rear window trim off a 66 Barracuda. I think there is some profit to be had here. The 77 Pinto I bought on a Facebook auction site for $500. I put a $30 junkyard battery on it and flipped for $1000