Any of you guys a little uncomfortable going to salvage yards? I'm not into believing that vehicles have a soul or anything like that, but their "lives" are effectively ended when they're crushed and I doubt that metal is going to be used to make new Reatta parts.

I was at a local u-pull earlier today before this thunderstorm began that we're currently experiencing mostly to get a headlight assembly and corner lens for my friend's '93 Lesabre. I was successful in pulling them but stopped at a '90 Riviera. I was at the yard before and saw it then but it had been pretty well picked since then. I decided to get the climate control switches and the IPC, Reatta-compatible items that my brother may need for his coupe in the future. I went around to other GM cars of the same vintage looking for Teves parts but they all had vacuum systems.

I was a little upset with myself because a short while back when I was at this yard I told myself that I would come back and get a few other things. There were a couple '88-89 Riviera's that I wanted to get the CRT's and other electronics from...they're not making any more of them. There was also a Pontiac 6000 with rear disc brakes; a rare option and the only compatible hardware to replace the rear drums on my Century.

I get there and they're crushed . Dang it, the guy in the office said he'd charge me next to nothing for the CRT's and stuff.



I'm not hating on salvage yard operators...it's their business that they need to keep running. My philosophy, I guess, is to get what you can. We're at the point in time where our cars are old enough where some are getting sent to yards but there's not much collector's interest. Body parts, windshields, Teves parts, electronic modules, CRTs, instrument panels...get all you can. On the flipside it wouldn't be good if parts are being hoarded and all the Reattas and to some extent Rivi's are reduced to their unibody structures in every salvage yard, but I figure its better to get these parts that probably aren't going to be made again rather than see them be crushed.

I feel its better to see parts available on ebay rather than crushed, because at that point they're not available, err usable, at any price.

(I hope you don't mind me saying all this Jim...)

I agree with the importance of grabbing anything that works in a Reatta. I go to u-pick yards all the time. I take a portable battery jumper and check the IPC's and CRT's. I have 3 IPC's for sale. I had two great CRT's but sold one. I always keep a spare on hand.

There used to be a huge yard in Central WI. (Waupun) They had hundreds of good 50's,60's and 70's cars. Sold the yard to someone else. The new owners crushed 'em all. The price of steel was worth more to them than the selling parts for guys like us. I asked if he had a headlight for a 1990 LeSabre. He said he didn't have anything that old. Shame shame.

The folks at Pauls Auto Wreckers have a saying that they repeat often. " Come back soon. We're crushing cars daily!"

I had a perfect body and interior 88' blue on blue lined up to buy from a local pull-a-part. I said I would be there to buy it for $500 on Friday they crushed it on Wednessday.

Any of you guys ever notice too that there's some cars in yards with no body damage, that seem to have been driven under their own power to there? The guys on the A-body message board have noticed this a lot with Ciera's and Century's

I think those are what my brother used to call "Wolfs Row" cars. They were trade ins that weren't worth reselling because if the safty check found anything wrong, it would be too costly for repairs, then adding the cost of adding to inventory, and paying of salesman commissions, just not enough left for profit. So off to the salvage yard it goes.
Our local u-pick yard pays dealer $300.00, puts car out in yard for about 6 months. Car gets picked over, making yard between $500 to $1500, aluminum wheels scapped at $30.00 ea. And then off to the crusher.

I can recall back in the lean and hungry days being at the Yard pickin parts for the Vega, and would see a rig drive in, motor smoking or brakes squeeling and that would be the end of her!
Yard gave them $50.00 and they walked away.

Truth is:> most yards are in the scrap business not the parts business. In my day you could take a motor and trans from most any car and put into another car by just hooking up a battery cable and a gas line.....Now you need the right computer to run the motor and transmission. Miles of wires and reprograming. This is probably not a problem for the guys who grew up with computers. It is over my head. Glad I grew up with large cars and big motors. A time that was and never will be again......

ken