If you are doing some work on your vehicle, and you want to save some money on parts, one great place to look is your local salvage yard. Salvage yards take cars that have been in an accident, or cars that people just want to get rid of, and they pull out all the working parts and pieces from the vehicle and resell these parts.
Just because a car is totaled doesn't mean that the parts are not any good. A car with a crumpled trunk area could not be worth doing the bodywork to fix, but could still have a perfectly find front-end, full of working parts. Salvage yards allow good parts to find a second home and are full of various types of parts for your project.
Type #1: Generic Car Parts
When you go to an auto salvage yard, you should have an easy time finding generic car parts that are designed to fit on a wide variety of different vehicles. Salvage yards generally have a high abundance of generic parts that can easily be mixed and matched between different vehicle types.
Type #2: Manufacture Specific Parts
Some salvage yards focus on taking in vehicles from certain manufacturers. For example, you can find auto salvage yards that only take in domestic cars or that only deal with foreign cars. When you are looking for parts for your vehicle, be sure to find out if any of the auto salvage yards in your area focus on parts for a particular type of vehicle.
Type #3: Auto Body Parts
When people think of auto salvage yards, they oftentimes focus on getting mechanical parts for their vehicle. However, auto salvage yards can also be great places to get auto body parts as well. For example, if your quarter panel is damaged in your car, you may be able to find an affordable replacement quarter panel at the auto salvage yard.
Type #4: Rare Parts
Sometimes, auto salvage yards get really old and unique cars that come through their lots. If you have an old or rare car that you are looking for and can't find new anywhere, check for a used part from an auto salvage yards.
Many auto salvage yards keep searchable databases of all their parts, and can feasibly look up and find parts for you. Many auto salvage yards also have relationships with others in the business and may be able to network and find the part for you.
You can find a wide range of parts, from generic parts to manufacture specific parts to auto body parts and even rare parts. If you need an affordable part to fix your vehicle, turn first to an auto salvage yard.