by Martin Jacobs

Created on: April 11, 2009   Last Updated: April 13, 2009

Can you get quality parts at a junkyard? You're taking your chances when you go to a junkyard to buy auto parts. Just like you're taking a chance when you buy a used vehicle. Sometimes, in both cases, the price makes it worth the risk.

If you're willing to take the time to look around and use good judgment in a junkyard, most of the time you can find what you're looking for.There are things to bear in mind when going to a junkyard to find a part for a car, most of which is common sense.

First, of course, is knowing what you're looking for. Know the make and model of your car, Know which parts from other makes and models are interchangeable with the vehicle for which you need a part.

It would help to know if the junkyard has the part you're looking for, of course that isn't always possible, but it helps. Most larger junkyards keep a general inventory of the vehicles they have in stock but they don't always know which parts are still available. Sometimes they haven't updated their inventories, so again you're taking a chance.

There's a reason the cars at a junkyard are at the junkyard. Bear that in mind when going there to look for a part. They've either been wrecked, had some sort of mechanical breakdown, been in a fire, or generally had some sort of malfunction. The vehicle may just have been old, or been a problem to the owner, or may have been abandoned.

Some have extensive body damage but still have workable engine parts. Some have been scavenged for most of their workable parts. There are those cases where something went wrong with the vehicle and the owner took the vehicle to a junkyard. It was sole there instead of attempting to trade it in on another vehicle. In most case there are useable parts on the vehicles or they wouldn't be in the junkyards. They'd have been already crushed and sold for scrap.

Another thing to bear in mind is that you need to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of mechanics. You're probably going to have to remove the part from the vehicle yourself, so make sure you know how to remove it. Or have someone with you that does.

In some cases there are junkyards that even offer a limited warranty or guarantee on some of their parts. Some of the larger chain junkyards such as Pull a Part www.pullapart.com do this. This is a bonus that you can't always expect.

Generally, if you have some knowledge of vehicles and how to repair them and aren't afraid of getting a little dirt and grease on your hands, using a junkyard to find a usable part for your old faithful vehicle is well worth it.

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