Discussion
Yep there are still a few around.
I hadn't been in one for years but then bought a VW van and wanted a sunroof.
Popped to Mick Merrill - cars only 2 high these days but the big dog is still there.
Then I went to Copes its like stepping back in time - all they need is a banjo player.
Still got a complete sunroof out of a Clio for £20 better than £200+ for a new one.
But yes the scrap yards only get cheap tat in. The specialists buy all the exciting stuff.
I hadn't been in one for years but then bought a VW van and wanted a sunroof.
Popped to Mick Merrill - cars only 2 high these days but the big dog is still there.
Then I went to Copes its like stepping back in time - all they need is a banjo player.
Still got a complete sunroof out of a Clio for £20 better than £200+ for a new one.
But yes the scrap yards only get cheap tat in. The specialists buy all the exciting stuff.
I work in an old school scrapyard and I love it. There's so many old cars to rummage around in and I've learned more working there than I have doing any course. We get a lot of interesting stuff in, particularly after destruction derbys, old jags, classics etc.
Generally, we remove the parts for the customers unless it's someone we know and trust then we just let them work away. Too many people out to fill their pockets these days.
Best bit about it, I get free petrol and I haven't paid for a part for my own cars in 2 years
Generally, we remove the parts for the customers unless it's someone we know and trust then we just let them work away. Too many people out to fill their pockets these days.
Best bit about it, I get free petrol and I haven't paid for a part for my own cars in 2 years
Not many left close to me. The best one use to be Car Transplants near Nantwich which was a wonderful place to find parts. It's now a counter only service so you ask for the part required and then a 'runner' goes off to take it off for you 
Sadly there's a large picture on the wall showing the site in the late 70's, cars piled 3-4 high with narrow pathways snaking around between them, they really use to cram them in!
There's only one left now but it's still the real deal, cars piled high with oil and fluid everywhere, heaven
Sadly there's a large picture on the wall showing the site in the late 70's, cars piled 3-4 high with narrow pathways snaking around between them, they really use to cram them in!
There's only one left now but it's still the real deal, cars piled high with oil and fluid everywhere, heaven
Seeing more breakers who want you to either call ahead and they'll go get the part if they have it, or wait in the cabin while they root around for it
There's still 2 near me who'll let you on site and wielding tools to do it yourself, in a lot of cases though the cars they have in (as said earlier) are newer than the ones I have. Don't really find that many Mk2 Fiestas in scrap anymore, sellers know the value and break them themselves
There's still 2 near me who'll let you on site and wielding tools to do it yourself, in a lot of cases though the cars they have in (as said earlier) are newer than the ones I have. Don't really find that many Mk2 Fiestas in scrap anymore, sellers know the value and break them themselves
Nice to know they are out there, I remember many happy Saturday mornings in the seventies and early eighties rooting around at Race Brothers in Northenden (nr Manchester) as a kid, long gone now but I wonder how they clear a site like that as it must be fairly contaminated after years of that.
Ah, the man's playground that were scrapyards of old.
So many memories: persuding a mate who was wearing overalls to lie underneath a Capri to unbolt the front bumper and hoping he didn't spot the giant dog s
t he was about to lie in (he didn't!), turning up to buy yet more Capri parts whilst wearing black nail varnish - goths and scrapyards don't work!, buying a 'new' Capri seat (theme developing here) from a crashed car that had a massive bloodstain on it (the upright of my drivers seat collapsed whilst I was driving), trying to impress the large bloke by attempting to pick up a Ford Pinto engine by myself - 22 stone those engines IIRC.... just managed it though!
There was always a the Fat Lad hanging around who you were wise to keep on the good side of. You should never, ever say "hey up Fat Lad, is the gaffer about?".
They don't like that.
Good times!
So many memories: persuding a mate who was wearing overalls to lie underneath a Capri to unbolt the front bumper and hoping he didn't spot the giant dog s
t he was about to lie in (he didn't!), turning up to buy yet more Capri parts whilst wearing black nail varnish - goths and scrapyards don't work!, buying a 'new' Capri seat (theme developing here) from a crashed car that had a massive bloodstain on it (the upright of my drivers seat collapsed whilst I was driving), trying to impress the large bloke by attempting to pick up a Ford Pinto engine by myself - 22 stone those engines IIRC.... just managed it though!There was always a the Fat Lad hanging around who you were wise to keep on the good side of. You should never, ever say "hey up Fat Lad, is the gaffer about?".
They don't like that.
Good times!
Edited by Faust66 on Sunday 7th August 12:09
http://www.aboutmyplace.co.uk/showmap?mt=b&ms=...
Yes Some do still exist,my mate used to say about the bosses daughter 'I'd rather f**k her than fight her'.
I'm old enuogh to remember this the place where if you had a mini with the 850 engine,you would go searching for a an Austin 1100,or if you were lucky a 1300 and remove the engine and gearbox.
Although unless you are known to the family you can't go help yourself anymore.
And this is the place where one of the staff goes to the local chippie in a 20 year old Rolls Royce to fetch the food.
Yes Some do still exist,my mate used to say about the bosses daughter 'I'd rather f**k her than fight her'.
I'm old enuogh to remember this the place where if you had a mini with the 850 engine,you would go searching for a an Austin 1100,or if you were lucky a 1300 and remove the engine and gearbox.
Although unless you are known to the family you can't go help yourself anymore.
And this is the place where one of the staff goes to the local chippie in a 20 year old Rolls Royce to fetch the food.
A few still in Grimsby, not the biggest but sometimes have some interesting cars about. You can wonder about and do as you please. When you leave your tool box is twice the weight it was when you entered and your pockets and trouser legs are rammed with stuff, then you pay for a tiny little part so they dont suspect a thing!
weezb said:
I remember going to a scrappy in the greater Glasgow conurbation for tyres. There were 3 guard dogs, the mother was a Rottweiler of gargantuan proportions, she was, however, dwarfed by her 2 sons: the mother had been cross bred with a Bernese mountain dog, which produced a huge "Rottweiler" with no dark patches, purely sandy coloured and another creature that was the closest embodiment to Chewbacca that I have ever saw, albeit this loped on all fours.
The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
The best description of scrapyard dogs I've ever heard. Only to mention most of them are brain damaged from drinking oily water and held by the weakest rustiest chains you could possibly get.The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
CDP said:
weezb said:
I remember going to a scrappy in the greater Glasgow conurbation for tyres. There were 3 guard dogs, the mother was a Rottweiler of gargantuan proportions, she was, however, dwarfed by her 2 sons: the mother had been cross bred with a Bernese mountain dog, which produced a huge "Rottweiler" with no dark patches, purely sandy coloured and another creature that was the closest embodiment to Chewbacca that I have ever saw, albeit this loped on all fours.
The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
The best description of scrapyard dogs I've ever heard. Only to mention most of them are brain damaged from drinking oily water and held by the weakest rustiest chains you could possibly get.The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
Faust66 said:
CDP said:
weezb said:
I remember going to a scrappy in the greater Glasgow conurbation for tyres. There were 3 guard dogs, the mother was a Rottweiler of gargantuan proportions, she was, however, dwarfed by her 2 sons: the mother had been cross bred with a Bernese mountain dog, which produced a huge "Rottweiler" with no dark patches, purely sandy coloured and another creature that was the closest embodiment to Chewbacca that I have ever saw, albeit this loped on all fours.
The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
The best description of scrapyard dogs I've ever heard. Only to mention most of them are brain damaged from drinking oily water and held by the weakest rustiest chains you could possibly get.The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
CDP said:
Faust66 said:
CDP said:
weezb said:
I remember going to a scrappy in the greater Glasgow conurbation for tyres. There were 3 guard dogs, the mother was a Rottweiler of gargantuan proportions, she was, however, dwarfed by her 2 sons: the mother had been cross bred with a Bernese mountain dog, which produced a huge "Rottweiler" with no dark patches, purely sandy coloured and another creature that was the closest embodiment to Chewbacca that I have ever saw, albeit this loped on all fours.
The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
The best description of scrapyard dogs I've ever heard. Only to mention most of them are brain damaged from drinking oily water and held by the weakest rustiest chains you could possibly get.The place was ran by a fellow that if Hans Christian Anderson, Walt Disney and Guillermo del Toro got together to create the most pitiless looking man they could, they would still come nowhere near to the emotionless granite of this fizzog. Which truly makes me fearful of who his "employers" were, as this fellow not only ran it but worked/lived there, in a small office, due to paying off a debt for some transgression to the owners.
I'll never forget sitting in that office as the tyres were sorted out for us, those 3 dogs sat and stared at us with the same look in their eyes that I have only ever saw in one other place: a wildlife documentary, as a cubbing and hungry lioness stalked its prey. I still shiver thinking about it, we'd have had no chance had one took umbrage, the rest would have surely followed.
I think the writers and creatives on Ghostbusters had a Scrapyard experience as this is eerily similar to the one that used to live on a scrappy at Trafford Park,
It was about 50 percent bigger than any other Alsation and had a coat that was basically dripping with engine oil, made the mistake of entering on a Sunday to have a mooch and see if they had a MK1 Capri in, they didnt but the dog was loose, luckily he couldnt climb cars.
It was about 50 percent bigger than any other Alsation and had a coat that was basically dripping with engine oil, made the mistake of entering on a Sunday to have a mooch and see if they had a MK1 Capri in, they didnt but the dog was loose, luckily he couldnt climb cars.
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