i got up this morning thinkin it was gonna be a great day go do my errands then head to the local junk yard i get up there and look around making my way to the trucks only to get to the back lot and find that out of the 15 73-79 f100's that was there ,well now there are only 2 left and ones a tow truck man was i ticked when i asked about them the guy had sent them to the scrap yard to be demolished now i got find another parts house god this sucks

 

Same thing happened here not 2 mths ago. there were 3 u-pul-it's around here and the best one sent everything earlier than 1980 to the scrapper. I let them know how pissed I was.

 

Junkyards flip inventory every few months. They sell what they can and then scrap 'em. I know it sounds cruel but that's just how it is.

 

yea but those trucks still had alot of great parts i mean useable parts interior and exterior

 

That's a bummer. I know the feeling. I've missed out on good used parts that I needed at the junkyard too.

I wish I had more spare time to go the the junkyards regularly to keep up with their inventory.

 

Unfortunately it's an all too common story all around the country.

 

It would be nice if they pulled what was salvageable off of the truck before scrapping it. Maybe inventory it and that way they can still sell good parts and still have room.


My 2 cents

 

Common rule-of-thumb around here is: anything 10-years old or older gets crushed regardless of what parts are still left on it. There are only about 2 lots left in this valley that still have any older vehicles...

 

I am lucky to developed a sort kindrid ship with the cash lady at the counter, maybe because I look like a bum when I go "parts" shopping?

Meaning I look ready to crawl under and drop a xmsn or pull a greasy Dana 60 , which I have in the rain/mud/snow.

Hell people getting parts there ask me for directions to this and that.

So she will either...
1. cut me a deal on price's
2. will hold what ever I ask her to in the back shop
3. have the boys drag up that ol red 79 F250 4x4 and put it out back, in the hands off
lot.
Only problem with that, one of the boys is a 73-79 ford truck guy also, dang-it.

Found out she is the press of a local car club, with a SWEET 65 mustang, anyway I've worked hard and long to make friends with her and her hubby that owns it, and it pays off every time I go there.

She even ask me to pull a part for the counter once in a while, which I gladly do, gotta love mom and pop business's.

Bottom line, be VERY VERY nice and explain your situation on needing a part held or a truck held back for a bit.

Or ask if you pull it can they hold it for a small fee?

 

I'm a little reluctant to turn this into a political thread, but it seems to me the private sector economy has done FAR more to get parts vehicles and possible collecter cars into the recycle bin then any federal law could have or would have.

When the price of metal skyrocketed, parts cars dissapeared almost overnight around here. In about 2003 I could just about pick the color of the part I wanted for my 10-20 year old project cars, and then in 2004 I couldn't even get the parts anymore.

I don't go parts hunting in the salvage yards much anymore and my enthusiasm for the hobby took a little hit that year.

 

I am a little lucky in that my two favorite yards try to keep their 67-79 Ford trucks as long as possible for all of us guys that need parts. I can count on the same group of trucks being there week after week while the 80-96 trucks fly out of there, not to mention all the Rangers, Taurus', Windstars and crap like that.

Josh

 

i guess i struck it rich then, got a local un-official auto wreckers, that mainly if not only caters to 67-79 Ford trucks and some older! and there is a strict don't crush it rule there, so a truck rarely gets crushed,

and the best part, he will strip a truck down to the bare bones, i mean bare, no nut or screw left! not a single part, unless it is broke, etc etc, then what ever is left over gets scrapped, but he mainly keeps every thing, he has i bet at least 40-50 trucks all parked in one big row (mind you ever truck is full of parts in the cab, and so is the box, and he has a topper for just about every truck!, and one smaller one, mostly 60s to 79 stuff, then he has a 1 car garage full of parts, and one good sized farm barn, full of parts, and the basement of the barn is full as well, everything from wiring harness's to windshields to side glass, to hood hinges, to bumpers to motors to transmissions to dashes and every thing in between, and generally i can get free parts, or for a very very good price, since i advertise his mini hobby auto wreckers on the internet, but if he don't have it, no one does locally at the wreckers, since they crush everything down that is old, which is a shame, but at least i got this old local guy as my gold mine!, i am thinking someday i might be inheriting a mini gold mine of my own, from him,

you see its who ya know, and how nice you can be, i treat the old guy (Mike) with respect, and try and help him out as much as i can, and in return he helps me out, when ever i need that now hard to find part, i think he really is amazed at the passion a 20 year old like myself has for these old trucks! and the knowledge i have of classic cars/trucks in general, my father has only really known the muscle car era, late 60s/70s and into the 80s/90s and even he learns things from my shop talk with Mike! lol lol

so go out there, and find your own farmers autowreckers, i don't think my find is very common, but i am sure a few old farmers have some old trucks hanging around, the story i keep getting is, people find these old farmers still use these old trucks, thus they don't want to part them out, but its always a good idea to leave your contact info with them, because some day that truck will be available, then you can get first pick on it, when a family member inherits it, and wants to part with it,

it sucks the auto wreckers are crushing these old iron down, but if you look you will find them, down country roads, and behind or in, barns, so keep a eye out when touring the country side, and don't be afraid to do some door knocking, it never hurts to ask, so be nice, and make friends, its a great way to get parts or have parts reserved for you, or even have them contact you when a truck from your generation comes in, and you can make many new friendships with some simple shop talk and kind words and doing them some favors doesn't hurt either, the car/truck hobby is a great place to have fun and meet new people, and learn new things! so get out there and start hoarding parts! and once you gain a good size collection, you can figure out what ya really need, and what you don't, then you can make some money on the side, selling parts in local internet/newspaper ads

-Brent

 

This is what I see in this area. the local big bone yard, if it is 10 years old, or older they will not even take it, and if your not buying a big ticket item, they don't want to be bothered with you.

They want $50 for two 15X5.5 Ford rims for my truck. Well , I made contact with a guy, who lives between work and home, and tonight when I am headed home at midnight, he wants me to stop and pick up two rims for free. He said he would break the tires off the rims for me till I get there. (He has a 79 w/302 I want to look at too.)

Yup! FREE!!,...... So Brent you are right stop by talk to them with your hat in your hand attitude, and shoot the breeze, you never know what you might get hooked up with for your dent. (Be careful you don't get a cow in a daughter custome from a farmer!)

However, I did just miss a red 78 F150 300 I6 I am sure that went for next to nothing. I recently started taking rides on country roads I usually don't travel and have located several 73-79 dents, I am going to make contact and see what I can get my hands on.

I just made room in my rather large black top drive way, so now I can get a dent and strip it of EVERY last usable part, and send the rest to the scrap yard, and just like Brent said I will sell, fix my dent and stash some good stuff.

 

here is some really great things i scored from Mike the owner the local ford part gold mine, (i will only mention a couple things, since i could make a big list!)

Black like new, i mean like new, original dentside dash pad, 100 bucks,

for 500 bucks we got a 1977 F-150 short box 4x4 frame, with complete front Dana 44 with 3.50 gears, and a rear 9" with 3.50 gears, and NP-205 transfercase, only thing missing was the front coil springs, but i have since gotten a pair from a 1991 E-450 Ambulance, it sure sits up nice now!, the rear has the factory blocks, can never think,,,, there either 2" or 4"?? and we upgraded the rear with some more leaf springs out back, to give the truck a nice stance,

mind you the frame was taken off the road some 13 years ago, thus rust was fairly light, some factory frame paint remained! very rare for this rust belt area, so some sand blasting to get all the surface rust off, and bingo, some 6 coats of black epoxy primer to seal it, and its like new again, (now i have to oil the heck out of it, to keep it that way!)

local wreckers quoted us 2,000 bucks for the frame alone, if they could even find one, let alone a transfercase or axles cost added on!

on further inspection the rear end in the 9" was worn out, so we went back to Mike seeing what we could buy off him, well luckily he had another 9" complete pumpkin with the same gear ratio, which is important to match the front, its only a open diff, but so was the worn out one, but this one he gave us for,,,, get this FREE! was like new! the gear teeth looked like new!, and he also gave us a axle for the one side, since we had to pull both axles to remove the pumpkin and redo the wheel bearings, and the one axle looked like it had worn teeth, got that axle for free too,

along with a complete almost like new complete wiring harness for FREE!, (since the previous owner did a real hack job, and even spliced in extension cord????)

so it pays off to be nice and do some friendly small talk, and of course do them a few favors never hurts! and you will be amazed at what is still out there, i live in Southern Ontario, we are in prime rust belt area, due to road salt, and if you keep your peepers wide and open, you will discover lots on those country roads! there could be a local part gold mine near you! with out you even knowing it!

so happy hunting! the wreckers may be empty of these old trucks, but the barns and fields are still full of ole Fords! there out there, if you can't see them, your not looking hard enough, if you don't live out in the country, i suggest you take a sunday drive every week, or more if you have time, and just map it out, and go row by row, and check all the roads and back roads you can, and bring a friend, it helps, 2 sets of eyes is better than one set that should be keeping a eye on the road! as well as looking for old field Ford's, even ask other people who have a old ford truck, chances are the really good looking trucks owners will know where all the little part gold mines are, that's how i found mine, word of mouth, and the funny thing is my truck has been at this gold mine before, back in the late 90's! when the previous owner did his restoration, well he did mickey mouse a few things!!!!!, the reason we know, is we ran the previous owners name across Mike just for kicks, and sure enough! he knew him! what a small world,

these old Ford trucks tend to huttle together, so if you find one, for some reason there is generally more not far from it, either in the barn, or right beside it!, i swear they huttle together for warmth in the winter! lol lol but the same can be said about any other classic car or truck! if you find one, more are not far!

-Brent