by Jeffrey Sammerson

Created on: May 17, 2008   Last Updated: September 02, 2010

For a lot of 'Do-It Yourself-ers', going to the junkyard is like going to the toy store when you were 10 years old. There is no telling what you might find in a junkyard. It is a great big department store outside for cars. I have always worked on my cars myself and I have found many perfect parts to fit my needs at the junkyard and I have saved a lot of money in the process.

Costs of everything are going up. And this includes labor rates, paint, tools and parts. So many good cars end up in the junkyard because it would cost more to fix than it is worth. This results in thousands of next to new replacement parts for for all the weekend warriors out there. There is nothing wrong with these parts. If a car was in a frontal crash most of the back body parts and windows are usually fine. If it gets hit in the back, you can pick from front body parts and engine parts and so on.

Just recently, my fiance's car was hit in a hit and run while she was at the grocery store. She drives a Toyota Matrix, and the entire hatch needed to be replaced along with one tail light lens. So we called our insurance company to come out and assess the damage, since I have a $500 deductible. The insurance company gave me a check for $1200, to buy a new hatch and have it painted, plus a lens.

So I got on-line and on the telephone to start my journey for a champagne colored hatch with no window, because I was keeping my window to save a bit of money. It only took me three weeks to find a hatch in a junkyard that was the same color and only cost $400 plus another $60 for the lens. And they didn't mind keeping the window because they can sell it for $300 itself. But of course the hatch I had was listed as an A, which is the hatch with all offered options. The one I bought was listed as a D, which is the hatch with little to no options. It turned out to be an easy fix. I just had to switch out all of the inner workings and the lock, and everything was fixed. I saved over $700, and just had to spend a Saturday working on my car.

This is only one instance where junkyards are useful, there are many more. If you need a radiator, a junkyard is worth a call. Maybe you need a window or windshield replaced, again, a perfect time to call the junkyard. The list goes on and on. And you will save a sizable amount of money as long as you are willing to put the time in. And in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little money?

Depending on where you live you might even have You-Pull-It yards. If you have these near you you are going to save even more money. You pay a small fee to get in, but this is well worth it. You get to go in the yard and find any parts that you need or even think you might need in the future, and you pay a very reduced price for the parts because you did all of the work. These yards are a good opportunity for any weekend warrior to save hundreds of dollars.

The prices for everything are going up today, if you get a chance to save $100 or more why would you pass it up. Accidents may break up your car, but they don't need to break the bank. Whether you or the insurance company is paying. So the next time you're in a fender bender, call the local junkyard for the parts you need and save yourself some money for your troubles.

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