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A wrecking yard, or auto salvage yard, more commonly known as junkyard, is the location of an auto dismantling business where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles (most commonly automobiles, but junkyards for motorcycles, bicycles, small planes and boats exist too) are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts are sold to metal recycling companies.
In the United Kingdom car salvage yards are known as car breakers, while motorcycle salvage yards are known as bike breakers.
Many salvage yards operate on a local level — when an automobile is severely damaged, is malfunctioning beyond repair, or not worth the repair, the owner may sell it to a junkyard. The salvage yard will usually tow the vehicle from its location to the yard. At the salvage yard the automobiles are typically arranged in rows, often stacked on top of one another. Inventories are kept in the office, as to the usable parts in each car, as well as the car's location in the yard. Most yards have computerized inventory systems.
In recent years it has become more common for people to use satellite part finder services to contact a multiple salvage yards from a single source. In the early days these were call centres that charge a premium rate for calls and compiled a facsimile that was sent to the various salvage yards so they could respond directly if the part was in stock. Many of these are now web based with the requests for parts being e-mailed instantly.
Often parts for which there is high demand are removed from cars and brought to the salvage yard's warehouse. Then when a customer asks for a specific part, he can get it immediately, without having to wait for the salvage yard employees to remove that part. Some salvage yards will however make you remove the part yourself. However, it is more common for a customer to call in and inquire whether the specific item he needs is available. If the yard has the requested item the customer is usually asked to leave a deposit, and to come to pick up the part at a later time. The part is typically installed by the customer or his agent ("his mechanic"), however some salvage yards also provide installation services. Other salvage yards allow customers to remove parts themselves, often at a substantially reduced price compared to having the junkyard's staff remove it. This style of yard is often referred to as a "You Pull It" yard.
The parts typically dismantled from automobiles are any small and easily removable items, such as the light cages (commonly known as just "lights", e.g. headlights, blinkers, taillights), seats, parts of the exhaust system, mirrors etc. However, in many instances major parts such as the engine and transmission are removed and sold, usually to auto parts companies who will rebuild that part and resell it. Other, usually very large, junkyards will rebuild and sell such parts themselves. Some salvage yards will keep older cars in good body condition and sell them to amateur car builders and collectors, who will restore ("rebuild") the car for their own entertainment. These cars are known as "rebuilders."
Many cases exist where stolen cars are taken to junkyards to be taken apart, since the total value of a car's parts is often greater than the value of the car itself and this is even more prolific with motorcycles due to the high cost of replacement parts.
Most Recently, Auto Salvage Yards have taken on a new name as Automotive Parts Recycling Centers. These intel highly skilled and environmentally conscious technicians that are re-using quality auto parts, at a lower cost to the consumer.
External links
- Roblin's Garage - Classic Auto Salvage — only wrecking yard on the internet that pictures and lists EVERY vehicle in stock.
- Sambucci Bros., Inc. — sample larger wrecking yard.
- AAA Trucking and Van Parts — sample larger wrecking yard.
- John's Auto Parts — Very Large, nice salvage yard.
- Autoskill, Inc. — A comprehensive website for the use of different establishments within the automobile dismantling business.
- Cherry Auto Parts — sample salvage yard.
- Toms4n Auto Parts — sample of a market specific salvage yard.
- Gissit Motorcycle Parts Finder — sample of a satellite part finder service for motorcycles.
- Mrcomplete Auto Recyler — sample automotive recylcling center specializing in Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge Parts.
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