Dallas Junkyard Runs

Dallas Junkyard Runs

Alasondro Alegr? said:
So the motorcycles, they can be bought, fixed, and re-licensed? As opposed to the cars, which can't, right?
Click to expand...

Yes to the former and sometimes to the latter. For the most part, once a car gets set out on the yard for people or staff to pick over (as opposed to the bullpen area) the yard isn't going to sell it and the only place it's going to go is the smelter.

However, cars that are set aside for resale like the W124 up there obviously are intended to be repaired and put back on the road. Likewise, yards may sell cars that are still in the 'bullpen' area because they haven't had fluids drained (usually destructively), catalytic converters removed, etc. It's unusual for them to do so, though - most people seeking a rebuilder go get them from insurance company and police auctions thereby cutting out the junkyard middleman.

However, at least in my state, any rebuilt vehicle must undergo a special state inspection to ensure that it's safe and legal for use (entirely separate and different from the annual vehicle safety inspection) before a new title can be issued, let alone re-registering or plating it.

Which, IMHO, is a good balance - sometimes people sell perfectly good (sometimes rare) cars to junkyards because they don't know what the car is, it's unpopular, it has too many memories attached, or they just hate it and want it gone today. At least there's a slim chance that such a car could be saved.
 
Last edited:
I'll be happy to give you the number of the yard and you can talk to them about it. It's not been placed out on the main yard yet so it could still be bought.
 
QPC1lww.jpg


Am I reading this correctly - 1989 Mercedes-Benz 320?

How can it be a 320 if there hasn't been a 320 in 1989, the only possibility would be a 300 or 300-24 valve.

Also, about that picture hoster that went down - don't wanna use armedcats? :)
 
It does say "300", but the "z" in the misspelled "Mercedez" is merged into the 2nd "0"
 
Dallas Junkyard Runs

Mitchi said:
QPC1lww.jpg


Am I reading this correctly - 1989 Mercedes-Benz 320?

How can it be a 320 if there hasn't been a 320 in 1989, the only possibility would be a 300 or 300-24 valve.

Also, about that picture hoster that went down - don't wanna use armedcats? :)
Click to expand...

Pretty much what Labcoatguy said - sloppy writing. It's clearly a 300.

As for the hosting, it was a personal server that I had at a colo along with a rack of servers for a client - at this colo host you had to rent by the rack or half rack and my client's gear occupied 2/3 of a rack. The server started having power supply problems and right around that time the client wanted to get cheaper colo so I moved the servers. At the same time, the US government started working on restrictions and liabilities for public server operators so I gave it up as a bad idea and never repaired mine as it would only be an income drain even if it were running. It's sitting in a closet until such time as I can be arsed to pull the photos off and upload the several gigs of photos somewhere else.

I've been using imgur more recently. Armedcats, like the FG IRC server, is not terribly compatible with the VPN I use for work and I can't be bothered to troubleshoot that either.
 
Last edited:
Ahh, now as Labcoatguy said ... it starts to make sense.
 
I just want to post in here about what a crazy small world it is.

I've been going to the junkyards you posted for about 15+ years. Still remember when they were Al's.

I like that LKQ cleaned them up some, but wow the staff at the Dallas locations are 1) rude 2) lethargic 3) price gougers!

Fort Worth LKQ is leaps and bounds better, but I can't afford (time wise) to drive an hour each time.

LKQ second ave (about 5 min from me), LKQ 310, and LKQ loop 12 routinely gouge me. The can have a part listing online for a door. "door, complete $34.99" I have verified with corporate that this basically means you get ANYTHING ATTACHED TO THE DOOR for that price.

But nooooo...when you go up to the counter, the ghetto staff at these locations charges you for a door, a window, a door panel, a window motor, a mirror, door hinges, armrest etc etc etc. It's absolutely absurd.

And don't get me started on what they do when you try to buy a whole engine, complete!

I've put in numerous complaints to their corpororate, their "sales managers" at each location - literally gets nowhere. It's become much much worse in the past 2 years.

If I had any other alternative that's as clean and organized, I would go.
 
Have you noticed LKQ 2nd ave, 310, and Loop 12 price gouge like crazy? It's gotten much worse over the past few years.

"door complete $34.99" but when you get up to the register they charge you for door, window, mirror, weatherstripping, door panel, hinges, window motor etc etc. It's ridiculous.

numerous complaints to corporate and "sales managers" on each site have done nothing to stop this behavior.

I have verified with corporate that their "complete" descriptions for certain items like doors, trunks etc are priced for EVERYTHING attached to them. So a "complete door" would include mirror, glass, handle etc etc.

Don't get me started on what they do when you try to buy a whole motor!

Ft Worth LKQ PNP is MUCH friendlier, MUCH cleaner, MUCH more organized. And you actually pay what the online price sheet says you'll pay.
 
Last edited:
I hadn't noticed much of a difference between all the PnP/LKQ locations. They all behave as you describe in the first part of your post, at least as far as I've seen. Fortunately, Pick N Pull isn't the only self service yard around and there are many, many, many others to choose from. If you sign up for PnP's loyalty card program, you get the usual 'rewards points' (bleah) but you also get advance notice of sales as well as private, members-only half-off days.

The best deals are to be had when one of the yards has their quarterly or biannual "all you can carry for $x" sales. The last one I went to had a $25 price and there were huge dudes staggering the required four steps out of the gate with things like truck cabs, half-cuts of cars, engines, etc., etc. Not only good deals but good entertainment.
 
Between the last post and now, I've sold the F-350 and bought a Bronco. I've also helped Der Stig obtain a Bronco and have been scrounging parts for both the trucks so junkyard runs were the order of this past weekend. As always, pictures are clickable for higher res versions.

Here's a pile of (mostly) Kawasakis.


Anybody need some wheels and tires?


This yard is not a Euro or VW specialty yard, but it has lots and lots and lots of dead Beetles (and other VAG products).


Lots and lots and lots of dead Beetles and VAG products...




Fire seemed a common cause of death.


This A8 was in there, looked a recent arrival.








MOAR BEETLES


This Infiniti M30 convertible was more than a shame to see in there.


Piles and piles of stuff. This was the yard that had that Fairlady and it does seem that someone rescued it.


This stripped Suzuki Samurai was waiting to be set out on the yard and meet its final fate.


This is what is used to move the cars around. Please note scale.


Further back in the intake area was rickhamilton's favorite car, the Divorcemobile!


- - - Updated - - -

On to another yard. This is the one that has the intact bikes in the front that they try to sell for exorbitant prices.

Spotted this Cushman three-wheeler. Think it was once part of DFW Airport's fleet.


What was left of an International Harvester pickup. Shame.








Sometimes there is justice in the world.


Found these Insights sitting side by side.






Insights are very rare finds in junkyards. However, note the list of issues/description written on the windshield by the auction house that sold the thing to the junkyard for this red Insight.


"Honey? That fire hazard recall notice we got for the truck? Did you remember to take the truck in to have that done?"


On to yet another yard.


This W116 caught my attention. Seemed to be in okay cosmetic shape, real shame that it was in this yard (which it has no chance of being sold out from IIRC.)




This was the runabout for the junkyard, I believe - a first gen New Ram 2500 V10 4x4.




General shot of this smaller junkyard.
 
Last edited:
I believe it was, yes. The yard will be making some money off them even if they never sell a part.
 
And over to the nearby Pick-N-Pull chain location. Sometimes the most interesting things you see on a junkyard run aren't actually in the junkyard but parked outside. This is a Geo/Chevy Tracker that's set up as a serious offroader and shows signs of real usage in that direction.








That Tracker seems to have been in the same offroad club as this guy and his well done Hilux.








What was left of this '66 Chevrolet Impala was being offered for sale by the yard - unusually, outside the inner fence. I guess they figured nobody'd steal it.


This guy had an interesting idea - flush-mount big LED reversing lights in the tailgate. I may consider doing that with the Bronco.


On the way out, I spotted this VW Caddy from Mexico.






The next day, in a different junkyard sector on the other side of town - you can see the creepiest things in junkyard areas.


This rather large recent Super Duty was sitting in the employee parking area of the yard. Note scale compared to "normal" full size trucks near it.


General views of the yard.




The interior parts donor for Der Stig's Bronco.


And the donor of map pockets for mine.




Yay, stuff.


Back over at that Pick N Pull chain location - this is what the manager drives.


Some closer looks at the 'rebuilder' cars they had for sale.












While actually retrieving parts, I came across this 8th gen Ford truck that someone had shot a few times. The hit on the door was a shotgun slug, the one on the fender was (I'm guessing) a .45ACP pistol.


 
Had to make a quick run on Monday. Found a part Der Stig needed at a relatively little yard that was deceptively named - Garland Auto Recyclers is nowhere near the town of that name. Well organized and run, though.





Something Italian in a fitting place.


The object of interest.


Hm, the part's missing.


Ah, found it in the back of the truck.


Spotted these on the way out.





















Then over to a Pick N Pull to save a Bronco part from the crusher. This was in the 'rebuildable' lot.











Not much left of the Bronco.


But I got what I wanted. :D
 
Last edited:
Another month, another set of junkyard runs. First, a run to the local indoor (!) motorcycle salvage yard - L&L Cycles.



I've been going there for more than two decades now, but only they've only recently gained wider notoriety as they've suddenly been featured on popular TV shows like Fast N Loud and new shows likeNaked Speed. it's one of the very few places in North America that you can walk in and have a good chance of finding a good tank for a 1950s import bike or even NOS import bike parts from the same era. Here's a video I shot of the place about 8 years ago.

[video=youtube;-CQ6xTHXuBc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CQ6xTHXuBc[/video]

There's always something vintage and interesting there either out in the parts warehouse, in the service area or up for sale. That day was no exception; there was this 1963-1969 Honda CA77 Dream Touring 305 there, among other interesting vintage and modern machines.





With the exception of some damage to the muffler, it looked to be in amazing shape - and it cheerfully started and ran when it was put back inside for the night.

A few days later, I had a list of things I needed and I proceeded to make a progress through many of the local junkyards to try to find it. This effort would in the end be curtailed by rain, but before then...

At the first yard, this was close to the entry gate. It's a Ford Fairmont Futura just for Craig:






Further in, we found an SN95/New Edge Mustang convertible that was apparently owned by a rickhamilton clone. It had been Plasti-Dipped beige.







Close to the truck and SUV area, there was this lone 1980s fake beadlock wheel and tire.


I was very happy to discover that there was a little less imported left-lane-bandit-asshat-mobile in the world. Having been stuck behind them on PCH and the Grapevine in California too many times, I would shed no tears if all of these were melted down and the resulting ingot flung into the sun. Good riddance to an 87 Vanagon.







Some desperate Vanagon owner has thoroughly stripped the dashboard of anything useful and flung the board out.







- - - Updated - - -

A few doors down was this Dodge conversion van - this was just about as awful. It appeared to have a space for something like a waterbed in the back.





However, you would have had to have been some sort of an exhibitionist to use it, since the entire side of the van had been converted to be a window.





This was, unsurprisingly, not a terribly popular option for conversion vans.



There was this somewhat rare 9th gen Ford F-150 Flareside with a dubious (albeit skillfully applied at first glance) paint job.





Apparently someone had decided to use this Ford Expedition as a wood storage and home demolition shed.





To be continued later today... :D
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top