Are junkyards dying out?

[rusty ol ranger]

My favorite yard closed up years ago....2021 i think. Sucked cause it was huge, had a decent selection of old stuff (including a solid, repairable 76 Lincoln i tried to buy...but they wouldnt sell) and was all pull your own.

Theres 3 yards left in adrian20 min drive)...dusseus, schniders and youngs. Dusseus is almost to clean and nice...but its you pull and you can even drive back there. I wont deal with schniders, and youngs is way overpriced.

So i usually go to toledo

 

[ekrampitzjr]

There are little computers in everything.

I don't know if tail lights are really programmable like that but many things are.

The recent Ford taillights have some of the proximity sensors built into them. Those are the same kinds of sensors you see built into the bumper covers of other vehicles. I agree several thousand dollars for a taillight is ridiculous, but Ford executives need to be able to afford a new yacht every so often. /sarc

 

[ekrampitzjr]

One thing we haven't touched on: many newer cars need special tools and equipment to work on them. Years from now, when those special tools are no longer available, good luck keeping that car on the road as it ages.

As I was leaving Mazda, one of its new SUVs coming on the market required a special rig to remove the entire front end including front suspension to replace the engine or transmission (which was a hybrid unit, joy joy). To use the rig required the SUV to be hoisted. The home mechanic trying to keep one of those SUVs running in 2045 won't stand a chance. And it ain't just Mazda doing this kind of change; they all are. That's another factor with the demise of salvage yards. The yards aren't going to be able to disassemble these vehicles to pull an engine, at least not easily.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

As I was leaving Mazda, one of its new SUVs coming on the market required a special rig to remove the entire front end including front suspension to replace the engine or transmission (which was a hybrid unit, joy joy). To use the rig required the SUV to be hoisted. The home mechanic trying to keep one of those SUVs running in 2045 won't stand a chance. And it ain't just Mazda doing this kind of change; they all are. That's another factor with the demise of salvage yards. The yards aren't going to be able to disassemble these vehicles to pull an engine, at least not easily.

That is kinda standard practice for pulling a FWD based engine/transmission. Lift carcass off front subframe, engine/trans off subframe. Assembly is reverse of disassembly.

Yards will pull them all day whoever, we did more than a couple off breeds from salvage yards when I was at Chrysler.

Actually even with the old air cooled bugs, the engine goes out the bottom.

 

[Shran]

I am kind of surprised that there aren't yards that specialize in like 2000? and older vehicles. Full size Bronco for example... it's hard to find even a really bad one for sale for under $4000... GM square body trucks... another good example. Weird stuff like an old Datsun car, mini truck stuff, Jeeps, etc that you could sell as project vehicles. There IS a market for parts for those and there will continue to be! I think a guy could make a killing on being the "enthusiast" yard where you can find a fender for a 85 Ranger and a 5.3 LS V8 to put in your other project... it doesn't have to be a yard full of Kias that are unfixable and worth nothing.

Anyone want to sponsor me some land, a building, and a loader to get started???

 

[ekrampitzjr]

That is kinda standard practice for pulling a FWD based engine/transmission. Lift carcass off front subframe, engine/trans off subframe. Assembly is reverse of disassembly.

Yards will pull them all day whoever, we did more than a couple off breeds from salvage yards when I was at Chrysler.

Actually even with the old air cooled bugs, the engine goes out the bottom.

The new SUV is actually rear drive, but with 4WD. The engine and transmission are mounted longitudinally as in a rear-drive car, not transversely as in FWD–based Mazdas. That complicates things because of the length of the combined powerplant and tranny combined with the need for the rig, which is not much shorter than the entire vehicle.

 

[RobbieD]

but Ford executives need to be able to afford a new yacht every so often. /sarc

And, pray tell, just HOW ELSE are you supposed to get rid of these yucky barnacles?

Besides; with my new tax breaks, I can upgrade to a super-yacht this time around.

Life is great . . .