Junkyard Find Question

[marquis_82_withneons]

just a random question guys. over last summer i was fortunate enough to have friend find a 76 LTD and an 84 (i believe) Grand marquis in the same yard.. and sitting right next to each other.

anyway.. i picked up a 120mph or 140mph speedo whatever it is, for my 77 LTD. along with a tail light with chrome trim for the LTD, trim for the trunk, the indash clock, one front corner light and rocker panel trim,

and for the Merc i got 2 replacement front corners.

i beat my self up for a while after spending 215 bucks for all this. but after looking around lately and seeing that front corners alone are going for 50+ im starting to think i got hell of a deal.

what do you guys think.. did i get raped or did i rape them? :3

[marquisman]

Im not gonna say you got screwed but, I prolly wouls have picked that stuff up for just under a $100. Last year I found two corner lights of a grand marquis, I got the pair for $10. The speedo would have gon for $20. Thing is, its not too often you find them cars in the yard. So, I dont think you got raped, you just paid market price based on newer cars.

[sly]

kinda depends on the yard. the ones around Scott are very inexpensive... the ones around me are rather "modern" in their pricing (re: no Vaseline). The one's near my dad (the other side of DFW) are pretty decent.

[fmansfield444]

I have 3 yards pretty close to me and 2 are ok pricing and the other is ridiculously cheap. But the cheap one stacks the cars 3 high and ya can't hardly get anything. 2 down in Louisville are dirt cheap (2 tripminders for $5). But those cars are so old you kinda have to buy what you need as soon as you find one, if its a pricey yard it kinda sucks but there's so few left you can't pass it up.

Forr all that stuff I'd probably pay 150 at the 2 yards I frequent.

[marquis_82_withneons]

eh.. ill take that then.. considering ive never seen either of my cars on the road let alone parts in a yard.. i feel a little better know its not too bad. thanks guys

[gadget73]

being the cheap bastard that I am, and being spoiled with cheap yards, if the lenses cost more than 20 bucks per I don't want them. I was at the yard Saturday and we left with 4 speakers, 2 headlights, 3 sets of headlight bezels, an instrument cluster lens, a tripminder for a Jeep, and a door for an F250 and it was 66 bucks. I've hauled armloads of trim out of that place for 50 bucks a shot and it was enough trim to do 2 cars.

[fmansfield444]

Mans that's cheap! A door alone will cost me $50.

[marquis_82_withneons]

.........................hook me up?.... please.... hahah ILL DO ANYTHING!!!!!!..

no for real though, maybe indiana just sucks. i have no luck with either of my cars ever, helps to have good yards too.. ours are all crushed. or the yards are so tiny the odds of panthers being there are slim to none

[Mainemantom]

Much depends upon the yard. Some think there stuff is gold. I have a 75 Ltd. You sometimes can buy NOS parts via Ebay reasonably. Shop around and negotiate the price. What someone wants and gets is two different things. Many pick a part yards are reasonable. Carpart.com is a good starting point to see what stuff goes for. About 90 % of my used parts come from out of state as there are no good JYs here. Good luck !

[Lincolnmania]

normally that is what i do is hook up gmners with parts, but i'm laid up for a while hoping for the day i'll be able to harvest parts again.

[marquis_82_withneons]

im in no hurry.. but when the time comes.. my LTD needs some exterior trim. and shes a pain to find parts for. most of those sleds that survived went for derbys... :'(

[BuffaloRider]

For $215 I say take it while you can get it!

If I saw a vehicle from the seventies in the couple of junkyards that i go to here in Columbus, I'd stop and stare... you just don't see it. There are a handful of other tiny junkyards but I haven't tried yet because they're only open during my work hours... and they're tiny.

That's one of my dream jobs, to own a junkyard that specializes in older cars. That'd be awesome.

[GM_Guy]

In contrast to Marquisman, yards around me want $75 for a speedo. Tail lights are another item that is priced high around here. And in the end, it comes down to the mood of the guy at the counter when you come out. I've had some ask for 20 bucks while I tote out a box of misc. pieces, and I've had some start pricing out individual components of an assembly (those guys get to keep the stuff).

Alex.

[marquis_82_withneons]

thats exactly what this guy was doing... he asked me how much i thought my findings were worth and i said i got 200 to work with.. got them for 214.. the 14 being from sales tax obviously. real shady place.. doubt id go back if it werent for being the only 2 ive ever seen in a yard

[85crownHPP]

I have a decent u-pull-it just outside of town, I'm always open to requests (except for large items) as long as you don't mind waiting until the next time i go. I usually go once a month, but special trips could be arranged. I also have a small hoard of parts, might have something you want already.
I do have a chrome dome light, but it is an exceptionally shiny one I don't think I can part with