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Junkyard guides

How pull-your-own yards work, what to bring, how to find a used part and how to sell a car that's done. Plain answers, no prices, no hype.

Linocut print of two people carrying toolboxes through the gate of a pull-your-own-parts yard, with wheelbarrows and a wagon by the office Guide #01 How pick-your-own-parts yards work The gate, the rows, cars up on stands, pulling the part, paying at the counter, core charges and returns. Linocut print of a junkyard tool kit laid out flat: toolbox, socket set, breaker bar, pry bar, locking pliers, screwdrivers, spray can, gloves, safety glasses, water bottle and a folding wagon Guide #02 What to bring to a junkyard Hand tools, penetrating oil, boots, gloves and glasses, battery tools, a wagon, and the rules to ask about first. Linocut print of a gloved hand signing paperwork on a clipboard on the hood of an old car, with the keys and the title beside it and a yard gate behind Guide #03 How to sell a car to a junkyard What affects the offer, the paperwork most yards ask for, towing, and getting the offer in writing. Linocut print of a man in a salvage yard holding a used alternator in one hand and checking his phone with the other Guide #04 How to find used parts at a junkyard Part numbers, interchange, online inventory, calling ahead and checking a used part for wear. Linocut print of a worker carrying a pulled part past shelves of tagged alternators, starters, headlights and mirrors at a full-service yard Guide #05 Full-service vs self-service junkyards Who pulls the part, what you need to bring, and when each kind of yard makes more sense. Linocut print of a salvage yard: rows of cars on wheel stands with hoods up, stacked cars and a loader, and two people walking in with a toolbox and a wagon Guide #06 Junkyard vs scrap yard What a salvage yard does with a car, what a scrap yard does with metal, and which one you need.

City guides

The cities with the most junkyards in the directory, each with its pull-your-own and full-service yards, the yards shown to buy junk cars (with proof), top-rated independents and where yards cluster.

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