Do the junk yards still have "squawk boxes"?

A friend told me he heard that the junkyards no longer communicate
with those squawk boxes, or at least there are better ways for them,
and even me (a mere consumer), to find who has a particular part.
We're looking for an unusual part. Is there another way? (I suppose
it involves the net?)

Thanks a lot.


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www.car-part.com , searchable used auto parts clear across North America.

 

In rec.autos.makers.chrysler on Sat, 13 Aug 2005 15:14:21 -0400

Great. Thanks a lot. The page gave one yard about an hour from here
with 6 of the steering boxes we need.

It bothers me a little that they are all $125 in Maryland when some
places in Virginia want $250. OTOH, aren't most pickup truck steering
boxes likely to be in fine condition? (My friend's didn't fail until
he had 350,000 miles on it, and it only leaks fluid now.)


When they list parts from different years, have they already consulted
the replacement list to see that they all fit?


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What year vehicle and make is this steering box you need. Tell me its a 87
Dakota 4x4 truck, I have a brand new one

 

In rec.autos.makers.chrysler on Sat, 13 Aug 2005 19:35:27 -0400

No. Actually it's for a '97 Nissan pickup truck. In a recent thread
here, someone asked a Mazda question since he said you were more
supportive than the Mazda group. This was less OT because it was
about used parts in general. I hope I haven't misled anyone too
much.

If I read too many groups at one time, I can't remember to check all
the right groups.



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Can't say. Still don't know what you're looking for!

Yes, the search results contain only directly-interchangeable parts.

 

In rec.autos.makers.chrysler on Sat, 13 Aug 2005 20:31:27 -0400

Let me limit it to just this general question. If a yard in Maryland
has 6 of them (whatever them is) that presumably fit, including one
that is the year of the car, but they only want 125,

And some of the others are all the way in Virginia but cost 250, would
you think the ones for 250 are better, because they cost more?

The first ones have the advantage that they have more than one, so if
the first is bad, they can exchange it** instead of a credit slip.
Also, they are only 45 minutes away, and even if the first one is
shipped, if it's no good, after installation, we could drive up ando
exchange it for the other in less than a day. Virginia we'd have to
ship it back/wait for the second one***.

**Come to think of it, what does happen when a yard only has one, and
it turns out bad? I had the feeling they don't give the money back,
just a credit slip or something. Is that what happens?

***Or would they eagerly ship the second while we shipped back the
first? Charging a second time, I guess, and reversing the charge when
they get the first one back? Oh, yes, another advantage of staying in
state is that it's much much easier to sue in state. I bought my
computer from an out-of-state guy at a computer show, it gave me loads
of trouble, and because he was out of state, if I had wanted to suing
would have been totally impractical.

Embarrassed a bit: It's a 97 Nissan 2-wheel drive automatic
transmission pickup-truck steering box.

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A warrantee? From a junkyard? I've never heard of such a thing.

 

A warrantee? From a junkyard? I've never heard of such a thing.

Sure.....ever heard of Greenleaf?

 

The yard with six of them at $150 has lots of them - so they are
common as dirt, and priced accordingly. The guys in Virgini' only have
a few, so they are scarce as hens teeth - at at $250, are priced
accordingly. It's supply and demand - or charging what the traffic
will bear.

If you want a REAL good one, I'll sell you one for a grand. It'll take
a little while, because I'll have to do a web search - find the yard
with six, have one shipped up here to me so I can send the overpriced
part to you. If you feel better because you paid more for it we're
both happey, eh??

 

They're increasingly common.

 

301-372-1000 Brandywine auto parts will get on the horn and look for you,
they are the biggest used auto parts store

 

Yes lifetime warranty at Brandywine, save the reciept

 

They are expensive tho, $40 for an A2 VW side glass??? I am spoiled by
growing up in western PA where there were tons of 'yards with decent
prices I guess. Had to drive 30 miles out of my way and pay twice as
much here!

nate

 

That may be more of a sign of the times rather than a difference in
location, Nate. If it's like around where I live, the scattered mom and
pop junk yards have all gone out of business and things have
consolidated to larger "efficiently run" salvage yards - so - yeah - you
drive further and pay a higher price for a more systemitized control and
inventorying of parts. It ain't all bad. Things like www.car-parts.com
and shipping parts instead of having to go get them has some advantages.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

In rec.autos.makers.chrysler on 13 Aug 2005 21:43:55 -0600 Joe

I'm not talking about a warrantee beyond the first hour, but I've
never heard of a yard that doesn't replace parts that don't work when
installed, whether installed by a garage or by a shadetree mechanic.
Going back 40 years.

I think the only time this has come up was a radiator for my mother's
'76 Cordoba, which I bought personally, but the yard iirc first
exchanged it and then tried to fix the second one. They found the
leak and did iirc. (I thought a radiator was a bad part to buy used,
but there were special reasons to do so.)

(I'm sure there are some times when it looks like the buyer broke the
part after he got it, or when they can't decide what they think, and
the policies in those cases probably depend on what the part is, what
the odds are, and even then they vary from yard to yard.)


I'll ask the next few junkyards I go to for details, like what happens
if they only had one box and it turned out to leak, and I'd also be
interested in what the yards you go would say.


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In rec.autos.makers.chrysler on Sun, 14 Aug 2005 00:07:49 -0400
posted:

Sounds good to me. Sounds reasonable, too. I'll talk to the guy
tonight and order one tomorrow.

I guess I would be happier this way. Let me ask the other guy if he
wants a Canadian one.


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We have a junkyard in Kansas City called U-Wrench-It. You pay a dollar
to get in, and you remove what you want from the car. All parts are
very inexpensive compared to other junkyards. Fuses, bolts, nuts and
other little bits and pieces are free. Starters and alternators are
usually $20, mounted tires are $5 or $10 depending on size,
transmissions are around $100 for trucks and vans or $75 for cars.
Sometimes they have sales to reduce inventory. I bought a transmission
and torque converter for a minivan last year for a total of $75,
including tax. They sold me the rear axle of a Toyota pickup on another
occasion for $19 during a big weekend sale. Everything has a 30 day
no-questions guarantee for a full refund. The only disadvantage is that
they do not keep track of inventory, so you can't call to see what they
have. But they do have a big yard full of vehicles, and it costs only a
buck to get in and see if they have your part. I have a friend who goes
to U-Wrench-It occasionally to see if they have a Mercedes in the yard.
When they get one, he pulls all kinds of stuff off because it is all the
same price as anything else, whereas Mercedes parts cost an arm and a
leg at any other junkyard.

 

Yep - we have those too - another sign of the times - inevitable, just
like WalMarts. They occasionally run radio ads: "This weekend only -
all body parts $15" (instead of the normal $25 or $35). Doesn't matter
if it's for a '94 Cadillac or a '86 Subaru. If you have an older car
that you want to fix up on the cheap, and you happen to spot a twin in
good shape (epsecially if it's the same color), you can make out quite well.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')