If you’re bold enough to go this route, you could save yourself a tremendous amount of money if you buy a salvage car. But first you’ll need to find a salvage car. Auto salvage yards are like dealerships for salvage cars. Wrecked cars, those that have been in accidents and the like, end up on these yards, and are there for the taking if you know how to look. You can often find salvage yards in a phonebook or on the Internet. You should call ahead of time to see if they have any salvage cars available for you to buy.
This is true for both new and used parts, but I would highly recommend only buying used auto parts online if it is your only recourse. Used parts can be very difficult to determine quality even with the product in hand, much less through someone’s web page who is trying to sell it to you.
You may be wondering, why should I not look for potential buyers in my area when looking to sell my car rather than an auto salvage company? The answer is you should. It is quite likely that you may be able to find a car enthusiast or a needy person who would be willing to purchase your damaged vehicle but in some cases you may actually not be able to find a single buyer willing to pay for your beat up ride. This is because the cost of repairing the vehicle may be well over the actual worth of your car.
Now you want to check out their ordering system. Most automotive parts sites use an Online Catalog Ordering System. They are very easy to use. Some will ask you for your vehicles year, make and model then you click the search button and a list of all the parts available for your vehicle will appear. Others may ask you what part you are looking for first and then ask for your vehicle information. So make sure you have all the needed vehicle information handy. Your vehicles, year, make model and engine size, should be all you need. You can get most of this information from your registration. You engine size is on the information label in your engine compartment or sometime stamped on your air cleaner or valve cover.
If a second chance is what you honestly wish, then the first thing you must do is stop any pushy or needy behavior. When you come across as needy you give away all your power. Pleading, begging or arguing about the relationship will drive them away from you… it’s the worst possible way to salvage a relationship.
I am not going to say all but most repairable salvage cars will not take a lot to get them back on the road. Just fix the minor stuff and have the car inspected and registered and you back in business.
Decide what you want to spend for the part before you go. This can keep you from overspending on your budget. Sometimes these car battery cost have staff who will pull the part or get it off a shelf. If you know what you want to spend it will help you determine if you want it from this place at all. Also, find out what they will charge you for it if you find it and pull it yourself. You don’t want to go through the hassle only to leave it behind because their prices are out of reach.
It also depends on the vehicle you have. If you have a brand new vehicle, you will want to get brand new parts for it. If you have a used vehicle you bought in Los Angeles, then you can probably get away with buying used parts. Just make sure that the used parts you buy are high-end and not cheap. Low-end used parts are more hassle than they are worth. If you are going to go used, you might as well get the best used parts that you can.
Let us start with ease of obtaining. Obviously newer car parts will be easier to get than older ones. A friend of mine still has a 1975 Pontiac Lemans. To obtain parts for this car he has to literally go to junk yards and even online. No new car dealers keep parts beyond 10 years or so and even auto parts stores limit their inventory to cars under 20 years. A 30 year old vehicle is almost impossible to find parts for. Plus, if you can find the part, depending on where you get it, the cost could be anywhere from 20 to 100% over the original part cost. To say that late model car owners are taken advantage of would be a gross understatement.