Dallas Junkyard Runs

On the way to the next yard I had to make a detour; there had been a four car accident on the block and a Tacoma had ended up on its roof.





Spotted this original 1984 digital clock and 8 track combo that would fit Der Stig's Bronco, but he didn't want them for some reason. :p



I'd been looking for Lincoln Mark VIII cooling fans to adapt to my Bronco (among other things) but in recent years the utility of these fans has become common knowledge. This sight was to become common on my quest for Lincoln cooling fans:



Going to junkyards isn't without undue hazards for the unwary. You need to be on the lookout for vehicles with biohazard markings. Unlike out in the wide world, these stickers are never jokes in a junkyard.





Another example at another yard:



An interesting bit of automotive related Americana sighted at yet another yard.



Saw this parked outside a Pick N Pull yard on the other side of town.





That's not the usual car recovery D-ring - it's more like the kind you'd use to recover a very large truck. I was rather puzzled as to why someone would fit such a large, heavy thing to a car until I saw the front. After seeing the front end held on by external bolts and all the fender damage, it was clear the owner was experienced in unintentional offroading and automotive forestry.





Like most Pick N Pull chain yards, this one had a rebuilder section.













In the yard proper, was this - one of the faster US cars of the 1980s, a Dodge Daytona Turbo. Most of them were scrapped long ago so it's unusual to find them even in yards today. They were most generally famous for being the leading lady's car in the TV show Hunter.





This was back in the truck section; they're becoming increasingly common junkyard fodder these days.





Sometimes it's amusing to look into cars and see the idiot engineering that some owner's applied. Whoever owned this truck hated the bench seat it came with and for whatever reason didn't get the factory bucket seat brackets. Instead he just got some thin gauge angle iron and grade nothing bolts and cheesily bolted some bucket seats to the two bench anchors. Apparently he was lucky enough to not crash the truck before something died and got it sent to the junkyards.



Saw these outside of the last junkyard of the day, right before the rain brought an end to the day's explorations. Click to zoom in on both to see humor value.



 
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But 8 tracks are awesome man. I think you should buy that for his birthday or xmas. :D


At least the Fairmont didn't end up with an LS swap...


Yet. :evil:


Or you could put a mod motor in it. :D
 
Friend of mine used to have a Charger like that, FWD and 4cyl, his was even none turbo, but with some mild NA tuning. it was loud and seemed like an even bigger insult to the name than the Mustang II :p
 
For MOPAR people, it is like the prequels are to some Star Wars fans, they refuse to admit it was made.
 
@biohazard cars: blood? enormous amounts of garbage?
 
@biohazard cars: blood? enormous amounts of garbage?

Usually significant quantities of blood and other body fluids that get spilled in a crash, especially from people suffering from HIV or other such diseases. In theory, by the time the car has been placed on the yard the pathogens should have timed out, but......

Let's just say that I won't be getting any interior or cab parts from a car that's got biohazard stickers on it. I also generally tend to avoid vehicles that have had the airbags blown when looking for interior bits.
 
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Usually significant quantities of blood and other body fluids that get spilled in a crash, especially from people suffering from HIV or other such diseases. In theory, by the time the car has been placed on the yard the pathogens should have timed out, but......

Let's just say that I won't be getting any interior or cab parts from a car that's got biohazard stickers on it. I also generally tend to avoid vehicles that have had the airbags blown when looking for interior bits.

Are there people who ignore the warning and pull parts from these cars anyway ? What if they get sick and try to sue the junkyard ?
 
Are there people who ignore the warning and pull parts from these cars anyway ? What if they get sick and try to sue the junkyard ?

Most junkyards have you sign liability waivers before entering. Pretty sure no judge would hear a case along the lines of "I paid $35.99 for a stained car seat out of a totaled car in a junk yard and got HIV so I want to sue the junkyard."

You'd probably have a better case if you got tetanus, since no cars have warning stickers for rust, but still not good enough to pursue in court.
 
Most junkyards have you sign liability waivers before entering. Pretty sure no judge would hear a case along the lines of "I paid $35.99 for a stained car seat out of a totaled car in a junk yard and got HIV so I want to sue the junkyard."

You'd probably have a better case if you got tetanus, since no cars have warning stickers for rust, but still not good enough to pursue in court.

The Dallas junkyards are no exception - any shop that lets you pull your own parts has a disclaimer sign in sheet.

Yes, I've seen a few people pulling interior parts from biohazard-marked cars - technically by the time a car gets out to the junkyard it's been more than enough time for any pathogens to have died (it's usually at least two months from whatever accident killed it) but I personally don't feel like rolling the dice like that. Of course, pulling things like the engine, suspension, rear axle, etc., are generally just as safe to harvest as they are on any other wrecked vehicle as obviously the biohazardous material won't have been anywhere near them - I've done that myself with no qualms.
 
I've never had to sign a waiver when I went to my local junkyards, but I have never seen a car with biohazard stickers in one.
 
I don't think I have either, but there is always a sign out front the gives a few warnings and the yard is not responsible for injuries.
 
I'd hit the junkyard early last week to try to help a friend out with a part for an Acura RL. Not much luck with that, but I did spot a few interesting things at one local Pick N Pull.

Nothing of value was lost:


These early transitional RWD Datsun 810/Maximas are rather unusual, rather a shame to see one here.


LCG, need any parts? Nobody else seems terribly interested in this...


Sunday, Der Stig met up with me and we went to scout out a replacement rear axle for his Bronco. Given the primitive nature of the Pick N Pull parking lot, I brought along an appropriate vehicle.


Some of the carbage we spotted in our travels can be seen in this post on the Carbage thread.

We found a few candidates at Pick N Pull, then went to Awesome Auto Salvage to see what they had there.


There was this unusual (RWD) 200SX that came with the optional VG30 V6.


Nissan's first release from their Department Of Alien Inspired Styling, the NX2000. This particular one had the very rare T-top option.






They had several wrecked motorcycles around, including this GL1000.






Also, this GL500 nee CX500 motor, not one of Honda's better ideas:


And of course, the traditional F-body Camaro in its natural condition (crashed) and correct location (junkyard.)


There was more, but both times I've been I was far more interested in locating parts than taking pictures.
 
Nissan's first release from their Department Of Alien Inspired Styling, the NX2000. This particular one had the very rare T-top option.

is this the same as the 100NX they sold here?
 
I guess the S12 suffers from the same disease as my Integra... They're both predecessors of very popular vehicles and no one really cares about them...
 
The problem with the S12 is that the uplevel engine versions were either not terribly impressive (CA18ET) or added quite a lot of cost (VG30E). The latter was a $15K car (to start) when the base 300ZX with the same engine and better almost everything else was an $18K car. Considering the base engine car was about $9K....
 
You seeing a lot of hail cars yet? My 2013 Accord is in a lot somewhere I'm sure.
 
Accidentally posted, please ignore.
 
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You seeing a lot of hail cars yet? My 2013 Accord is in a lot somewhere I'm sure.

Nope. Most of those are disappearing in long convoys and caravans heading for Mexico to be sold at large profits.
 
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