Discussion
Finally found a nice wing in the correct colour for the wifes car. Got it from an old school scrapyard. OMG what a place, it was disgusting. Part flooded, oil everywhere, car parts on the floor where ever you walked.
The lads that work there deserve a medal.
I just can't resist messing about with cars.
The lads that work there deserve a medal.
I just can't resist messing about with cars.
Ahhh,, a proper scrappy you mean? Not like these modern day ones where they take the bits off for you.
Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
Piersman2 said:
Ahhh,, a proper scrappy you mean? Not like these modern day ones where they take the bits off for you.
Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
Aye, takes me back, happy days...Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
But where do you find them nowadays?
Last one I tried wanted £100 for a rusty old steel wheel and part worn tyre. He wouldn't even budge when I pointed out I could get a brand new wheel and tyre for that.
Trouble is, I ended up buying 4 wheels and tyres for £50 from facebook. I now have 3 wheels and tyres I don't know what to do with....
Last one I tried wanted £100 for a rusty old steel wheel and part worn tyre. He wouldn't even budge when I pointed out I could get a brand new wheel and tyre for that.
Trouble is, I ended up buying 4 wheels and tyres for £50 from facebook. I now have 3 wheels and tyres I don't know what to do with....
Did a tour of Gtr Manchester and South Lancashire for a couple of days looking for the wing. Ended up near Padiham.
I think places have tried to do things properly but it is just too much hassle for them and it is going back to what it was years ago.
I got an immaculate wing for a K12 micra for £25 and a parcel shelf for a tenner. I used the micra rather than my Passat because I just enjoy driving the thing. It sips fuel and does 70 on the mway as good as any car. (sort of). Not bad for a 500 quid shed.
I think places have tried to do things properly but it is just too much hassle for them and it is going back to what it was years ago.
I got an immaculate wing for a K12 micra for £25 and a parcel shelf for a tenner. I used the micra rather than my Passat because I just enjoy driving the thing. It sips fuel and does 70 on the mway as good as any car. (sort of). Not bad for a 500 quid shed.
Piersman2 said:
... filling my pockets with 'extras'
I can recall, through the mists of time, asking the proprietor for the price of a part that I had retrieved, and for him to state ... "that'll be £x, and a fiver for what's in your pockets!"
There's not a lot that can be said in a situation like that - eyes firmly fixed on the ground, extract the fiver from you jeans, and slink off the premises (hoping that he'll not remember you the next time).
Piersman2 said:
Ahhh,, a proper scrappy you mean? Not like these modern day ones where they take the bits off for you.
Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
I'm not surprised if customers nick half their stock Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
Wacky Racer said:
Piersman2 said:
Ahhh,, a proper scrappy you mean? Not like these modern day ones where they take the bits off for you.
Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
I'm not surprised if customers nick half their stock Spent many an hour climbing over cars piled up to 5 high to find a part, filling my pockets with 'extras', dodging the rabid, oil infested, chained dog at the gates, trying not to step in every oily puddle, and then only having to pay a fiver for a very tired starter motor or similar to the thug at the gate.
Not many like that around anymore!
I think there's still an old school place near me, cars stacked 3 high, not been for a good few years.
When I first started in the motor trade in the 60`s scrap yards were like this.... 
You had to paddle around in mud and oil, huge Alsatian dogs running around with car tyres and crankshafts in their mouth. Then you had to balance on one car and remove the part you wanted on the car above. Health and safety was not invented in those days.
You had to paddle around in mud and oil, huge Alsatian dogs running around with car tyres and crankshafts in their mouth. Then you had to balance on one car and remove the part you wanted on the car above. Health and safety was not invented in those days.
warch said:
There's a lovely (I.e. disreputable looking) scrapyard up the valley from me. They've got proper old school motors on site too and spilling out onto the road outside, including a 106, a 205 former rally car and a 309. I love the smell of diesel oil and damp trim as I go by.
Haha, I've not experienced that scrapyard smell for a few years.Around the age of 17-18, I'd often be found climbing in/around the cars in Metro Breakers in Colindale, London. I had a base model 1.2 Corsa LS as my first car, which within a few months became a GSi replica thanks to that place. Leather fronts from a Calibra to boot, with Astra GSi 256mm brakes & master cylinder. There was always a lovely array of nice E30's, 205 GTis and R5 turbo's to be "removing" parts / badges from....
agent006 said:
Harry Buckland's in Cheltenham is still refreshingly old world. Though they drain everything down properly these days you do still get the feeling that the ground you're walking on is particularly flammable.
Harry Buckland's is still going? Wow. I used to get dragged along there by my dad around the late 70's as a kid. Usually on a Saturday morning to get the parts needed to repair his car ready for work on Monday. Then again in the late 80's I'd be looking for parts for my first car, a Herald. I remember seeing an Austin Champ in there for years, and yes the dogs, the mud and oil and the smell.Used to love to the scrapyards in the 70's climbing on balancing cars. What used to freak me a out a bit considering I was a teenager was the smashed windscreens at head height and dash intrusion always used to make me think whether they survived and who had to clean the blood off the seats before they got there. I remembering trying to get a seat out out a spitfire that was rusted, borrowing the yards hacksaw to remove it, breaking the blade, not buying the seat as it was stuck and legging it out before he saw the blade.
I used to work in Cheltenham fairly regularly in my last job, if I had an hour to kill I'd have a wander around Harry Bucklands to pass the time, there'd always be something in there you wouldn't be expecting, like the Ford Courier van in the first picture above, when was the last time you saw one of those?
There is still an old school scrappy locally to me but I don't think they let you to remove parts yourself anymore, I can remember being in there years ago sliding about on the bonnet of an old Rover trying to scavenge parts from the Granada on top of it only to notice when I got down that the Rover was my mother's old car! There was another one that had a massive skip full of wheels near the entrance, it was a great way to waste half an hour getting stinking dirty scrounging in there for part worns.
There is still an old school scrappy locally to me but I don't think they let you to remove parts yourself anymore, I can remember being in there years ago sliding about on the bonnet of an old Rover trying to scavenge parts from the Granada on top of it only to notice when I got down that the Rover was my mother's old car! There was another one that had a massive skip full of wheels near the entrance, it was a great way to waste half an hour getting stinking dirty scrounging in there for part worns.
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff