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Years ago I went to a junkyard to get a door handle for a 1963 Bel Air because mine broke off and I got tired of using vise grips. It was one of those good kind of junkyards that let you roam around and pull your own parts. I headed to where they kept the older Chevys which were off to the side in the tall weeds nears some trees. I spotted a black one that was close to my year and fought my way thru the weeds to get to it. As I was looking thru an open window I thought to myself " What an ugly interior " it was bright yellow and black and just as I started to open the door I discovered what I thought was the interior was actually yellow jackets. They completely covered the top of the back seat, most of the headliner and one of the door panels, there must have been between 500-1000 of them. I froze in my tracks and slowly backed away and went to another section of the junkyard where I found a door handle just laying on the ground. I would have had one miserable day if I had yanked that door open. I told the guy at the gate about it and he said, " Yeah, there are a couple of cars back there I need to smoke. " I assume he was talking about bug bombs. I have been to many junkyards and have yet to get stung, have you ?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I'm amazed that you still have a wrecker with parts for a '63. Most of ours have closed up, and the one classic/antique yard moved to CA. I spent full days there. Never had a bee problem at one, but had to uncover and destroy a 3'x4' x 2' deep underground hive of yellow jackets under a soccer field once, after several mothers got stung in the butt.
Decades back in Northern Calif was a wrecking yard called "Junky George". Owner always looked like he just woke up from a huge drunk. Am sure he has long gone so feel safe talking about him.
He tells me about a young kid that wanted a small part for his Chev Carb, George says "buck and a half",kid says that the Dlr wants only $2 for a New piece and George says "that's right and they don't have it" so "buck and a half sounds about right".
He tells me another Carb story.
Guy comes in looking for a Carb part. George says it would be $35. Guy says that is high and how much for a complete Used Carb and George replys $35. The guy asks why the same price of $35 for the part or the Carb. George replys that w/o that small piece the rest of the Carb is JUNK.
Now to my personal story.
I have a Weber 40DCOE Carb on a Turbo engine. The float tab broke on me and is flooding the engine at lower RPM so am getting poor MPG. Did JB weld a semi repair so the Carb is functional to drive but needed a NEW Carb cover.
Tried to find a cover New or Used.......NOTHING. New Carbs, sure for a hefty price.....I just need the cover.
After months have finally scored a Used cover from a Weber Dist (so they say). Paid yesterday for it and a couple additional items up front.....hope it's in the mail next week.
Ironic thing is I am a VW mechanic/engine builder/Parts house owner of 28 yrs and find it crazy that some items are hard to come by......especially when Money is involved.
Not a bug story, but a story nonetheless... Was at a yard last year pulling some hard to find trim pieces. Whenever I am at the pick'n'pulls there are all sorts of strange people and invariably somebody always manages to interrupt me.
This particular time I was laying down unfastening some pieces and noticed a guy start working on the car right next to me. I kept an eye on him as some of my tools were out of my reach. I noticed that he was wielding a large bowie knife. Now I am a little curious, trying to figure out what he could possibly be removing with a miniature sword. I kept working but he noticed me glancing over. He sort of stepped towards my location so I grabbed my pry bar as a means of defense and kept cool. I asked him "whats up?", he then proceeded to give me the story of his life for that month... how he was a mechanic and was wronged by some guy at work, they had an argument, then this guy found out this other guy was going to yard to pick seats of this red Deville he was "working on". He went on and on with his story and I was trying show I wasnt interested, didn't work, he kept on but eventually left. I went to look in this Deville to find he had slashed everything he could with that knife; seats, dash, door panels, etc. He then scribed a nice F* You note to that guy he had an argument with, right on the hood.
Crazy people at the yard, always, but he takes the cake... so far.
Not a bug story, but a story nonetheless... Was at a yard last year pulling some hard to find trim pieces. Whenever I am at the pick'n'pulls there are all sorts of strange people and invariably somebody always manages to interrupt me.
This particular time I was laying down unfastening some pieces and noticed a guy start working on the car right next to me. I kept an eye on him as some of my tools were out of my reach. I noticed that he was wielding a large bowie knife. Now I am a little curious, trying to figure out what he could possibly be removing with a miniature sword. I kept working but he noticed me glancing over. He sort of stepped towards my location so I grabbed my pry bar as a means of defense and kept cool. I asked him "whats up?", he then proceeded to give me the story of his life for that month... how he was a mechanic and was wronged by some guy at work, they had an argument, then this guy found out this other guy was going to yard to pick seats of this red Deville he was "working on". He went on and on with his story and I was trying show I wasnt interested, didn't work, he kept on but eventually left. I went to look in this Deville to find he had slashed everything he could with that knife; seats, dash, door panels, etc. He then scribed a nice F* You note to that guy he had an argument with, right on the hood.
Crazy people at the yard, always, but he takes the cake... so far.
Most of the people I encounter in the bone yards are tool moochers, one reason I never bring many with me.
I don't call them junkyards anymore technically they are called salvage yards. I score so many good or near new parts from them it has saved me a small fortune over the years. I enjoy going to them except for in the blistering heat. I have one about 10 miles from me that is Harry's U pullit. They have another location that is about 200 acres supposedly the largest in the world they claim on the website. That one is like an hour from me. It's like a prison though with security guards, cameras, barbed wire fences and a lookout tower in the middle of the yard. No joke!
when i worked at a junkyard in the late 70`s a fellow drove down from Ohio in a very rusted 68 road runner .. i remember he bought nearly everything sheet metal he could unbolt and replace on his car .when he left he had a red car with a blue front end ..a white door and a brown door .. and a green quarter panel stuck under a black trunk lid ...
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