Auto salvage yards provide some services like recycling and junk car removal that are essential, and most of them sell used car parts from scrap vehicles at a discount. Used auto parts are not always easy to come by, so finding a well-stocked salvage yard in your area is an excellent place to start. 

Getting Started

If you are looking for parts for your car or truck and trying to keep costs down, you may want to look around the area you live in and see if there are any salvage yards nearby. Often, larger areas have salvage yards with more stock, so traveling to one may be worth the time and fuel. 

It is essential to call the salvage yards you plan to visit to see if they have the part you need or have a vehicle like yours that you can get some parts from. Some salvage yards do not inventory every item on the vehicle, so you may need to go and look over the donor vehicle to see if the parts you need are there. In these cases, the yard may only verify they have the vehicle in the yard, but not what is still on it. Most operators can tell you if the vehicle is picked over already or is mostly intact, which can be helpful. 

Preparation For Salvage Trips

When you are going to several salvage yards looking for parts for your vehicle, take some pictures of the old part that you are replacing with your smartphone, so you have something to compare the salvage parts to. Once you get to the salvage yard, you can use the pictures to compare the available parts to ensure they will fit on your vehicle. 

If you are going to a yard that requires you to remove the parts yourself, check the tools needed to get the part off your vehicle and take them with you. Most salvage yards do not have tools to loan, and if you want the part, you can't depend on it still being there when you come back with tools to remove it. 

Planning is critical, and if you need help removing the part from the vehicle, bring someone with you. Once you are in the yard, you will most likely be on your own to remove the parts unless to need an entire engine.

Salvage Prices

In most salvage yards, the price is significantly lower than retail prices, and large yards are not open to negotiating the price. In smaller yards, the owner may be flexible about the prices, and you could make an offer on the item you need. You will need to feel out the situation to determine if you are working with someone open to negotiating or not when you arrive at the salvage yard.

For more information on auto salvage yards, contact a company like A & B Truck Recycling.