Anyone miss scrapyard foraging?
Discussion
I fking loved going to scrapyards when I just started to drive. I bought a wheel arch set from a golf gti to fit to my 1.1L I nicked the golf ball gear knob and bought the centre consol and vdo gauges, bought a rev counter dash and wired it up. I felt guilty when I left so went back to fess up about the gear knob and the bloke said keep it as I spent a lot !!! It was great times looking around. I found a leather interior for the golf but had to wait until payday and was sold then - i was gutted, it's never the same if you can't take the parts off yourself ??
I wish I knew of one near Slough that you can walk round and pick parts yourself from cars.
I wish I knew of one near Slough that you can walk round and pick parts yourself from cars.
DKS said:
In south Hampshire there's only really two major yards but neither stack cars on top of each other. They both allow you to wander about freely with a hi-vis vest on.
I feel quite lucky now!
Silverlakes used to stack before going all fancy with the racking. I feel quite lucky now!
And the one in emsworth didn't stack but often had rare American cars.
simonr100 said:
I wish I knew of one near Slough that you can walk round and pick parts yourself from cars.
Theres used to be one in Chalvey - going back a few years though, so probably not there anymore, mate bought a MKII Escort with MOT (probably dodgy) for £35 from there, drove to Burnham Beeches and the rear axle decided to part company on a bend!Theres http://www.carspareswestdraytonltd.co.uk which is just the other side of Iver
Edited by Pickled on Thursday 5th May 20:04
KungfuPanda, any photos ? (of the car)
I used to go with my dad as a kid, and then a flurry of perhaps 4 or 5 visits looking for rear leaf springs for my MK1 Capri, I was given to doing "demonstration runs" int he Heald Green Pub Car Park in Heald Green, which involved a robust armful of handbrake and all 90 odd bhp deployed in first to provide a convincing drift/doughnut, before drifting existed and anyone called Doughnuts Donuts, I was alright at it but it wasnt great for 20 year old leaf springs.
I used to go with my dad as a kid, and then a flurry of perhaps 4 or 5 visits looking for rear leaf springs for my MK1 Capri, I was given to doing "demonstration runs" int he Heald Green Pub Car Park in Heald Green, which involved a robust armful of handbrake and all 90 odd bhp deployed in first to provide a convincing drift/doughnut, before drifting existed and anyone called Doughnuts Donuts, I was alright at it but it wasnt great for 20 year old leaf springs.
Pickled said:
Theres used to be one in Chalvey - going back a few years though, so probably not there anymore, mate bought a MKII Escort with MOT (probably dodgy) for £35 from there, drove to Burnham Beeches and the rear axle decided to part company on a bend!
Theres http://www.carspareswestdraytonltd.co.uk which is just the other side of Iver
Thanks for that, I had never heard of them. I emailed them and will hopefully go there this weekend 👍Theres http://www.carspareswestdraytonltd.co.uk which is just the other side of Iver
Edited by Pickled on Thursday 5th May 20:04
It's still possible at a few places near me and it's still enjoyable when you're 'shopping' for a part or upgrade part you've decided you need but don't mind if you don't find in the first visit... but it's still horrible when something has broken on your car and ridiculous part prices have forced you out in the rain at -4c to try and liberate the required part from a car sitting one or two levels up.
Cheers,
Grant
Cheers,
Grant
Iva Barchetta said:
Sunbury salvage and Atkinsons off Haydons road SW19 were my yards of choice BITD.
Left my first car,a MK2 Cortina at Sunbury.
Small world, I got the GT badges for my first car (MK2 Cortina) at Sunbury. It was the top car on the stack on a windy day, but I HAD to have them!!Left my first car,a MK2 Cortina at Sunbury.
Also went to Atkinsons frequently - got a bonnet hinge for my Fiat 125 there - tricky when you can't really open the (front-hinged) bonnet because of the car stacked on top!
Trips to places like that were the highlight of the week!
I used to go to the scrap yards around Barnsley, Milton Gough, springs to mind. Negotiating oil, mud and dog crap clambering up piles of cars for that elusive part.
I had a mate who I took who after a visit went to show the owner a handful of clips and small bits. When he was asked to pay he did. I explained that those bits were the sort they expected you to have for nothing, charging for the big bits.
Next time we went he was wearing wellies and it was hard not to notice he could hardly walk as we paid for the big bits. Once back at the car seeing him pull bits of his wellies that were huge it was hard not to laugh. He never really got the hang of the art of scrap yards, arguing over prices and the rarity put on every part by the owners of the yards.
I had a mate who I took who after a visit went to show the owner a handful of clips and small bits. When he was asked to pay he did. I explained that those bits were the sort they expected you to have for nothing, charging for the big bits.
Next time we went he was wearing wellies and it was hard not to notice he could hardly walk as we paid for the big bits. Once back at the car seeing him pull bits of his wellies that were huge it was hard not to laugh. He never really got the hang of the art of scrap yards, arguing over prices and the rarity put on every part by the owners of the yards.
Bells in Bishop Auckland. Spent many a Sunday in there clambering around wreck after wreck. Some say it seems madness looking back I just remember common sense and being careful. Nobody I remember got hurt or killed.
I think a lot of the smaller bits of trim etc and brackets just get crushed now.
How times have changed. I miss those days and I'm only 35.
I think a lot of the smaller bits of trim etc and brackets just get crushed now.
How times have changed. I miss those days and I'm only 35.
M3333 said:
Bells in Bishop Auckland. Spent many a Sunday in there clambering around wreck after wreck. Some say it seems madness looking back I just remember common sense and being careful. Nobody I remember got hurt or killed.
I think a lot of the smaller bits of trim etc and brackets just get crushed now.
How times have changed. I miss those days and I'm only 35.
what was that fella called at Bishop, 'Pick Arab' or something? Gypsy fella with a belt of gold sovsI think a lot of the smaller bits of trim etc and brackets just get crushed now.
How times have changed. I miss those days and I'm only 35.
Oh I remember it - I borrowed my Dad's SD1 V8 and the gearbox went - we agreed that he'd pay and I'd fit it.
I vividly remember climbing up 2 cars and them lifting the donor SD1 with a ropey old hiab whilst I'm lying on the roof of the 2nd car trying to undo the bolts whilst the car is pulsing up and down.
I vividly remember climbing up 2 cars and them lifting the donor SD1 with a ropey old hiab whilst I'm lying on the roof of the 2nd car trying to undo the bolts whilst the car is pulsing up and down.
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