If you’ve never been to a salvage yard, the idea of visiting one might seem a little intimidating. But if you’re on the hunt for discount auto parts, a salvage yard is the absolute best place to find them. Whether you’re planning your first yard visit soon or you’re simply curious about how these businesses work, our team at Ace Auto Parts has all the details you need to know below.
What Does a Salvage Yard Do?
Salvage yards purchase used vehicles that are no longer fit to drive. Depending on the vehicles’ condition, the yard might pull out components of the automobile and sell them to consumers as used car parts. Or, they may restore the vehicle to driveable condition and sell the fully intact car, truck, or SUV to a consumer.
Do you have an old vehicle you can no longer drive? Check out how to sell your car to a salvage yard for some cash.
Pulling Parts: Does the Yard Do That or Do You?
The part-pulling process varies from yard to yard. In some cases, salvage yards will pull functional and usable used car parts — as well as oil and other fluids — from the vehicles they purchase. In other cases, a yard might remove the vehicle’s fluids and tires before transitioning the remainder of the vehicle to the yard and allowing consumers to pull the parts on their own.
If you’re unfamiliar with pulling parts or lack the tools to complete the job, it’ll be in your best interest to visit a salvage that pulls their own parts. These types of yards (Ace Auto Parts is one of them) will have a used car parts inventory, and they’ll be able to search that inventory for the part you need.
Yards that operate this way may also have connections with other salvage yards and may be able to acquire parts from those yards if they do not currently have what you need in stock.
What To Expect When You Visit a Salvage Yard
If you’re heading to a salvage yard to locate used car parts you need for automobile repairs or a vehicle restoration, what you should expect depends on the yard you visit. A yard that pulls its own parts will have done a thorough evaluation on each in-stock part to verify that it’s functional and still has a considerable remaining lifespan.
If you’re pulling parts on your own, you’ll need to evaluate them yourself, so the DIY parts-pulling route is best for someone who has significant auto parts knowledge. Ideally, you’ll want to get a warranty on the parts you purchase, because, like new auto parts, used car parts sometimes malfunction, regardless of their quality.
Looking for Discount Auto Parts in St. Paul? Check Out Ace Auto Parts!
At Ace Auto Parts, we’ve proudly served Twin Cities vehicle owners for more than 100 years, and when you’re on the hunt for quality used car parts, we’re here for you too! To find the part you need, feel free to give us a call today at 651-717-4299 or use our parts search tool to see if we have your part in stock. Even if we don’t have it now, we can get it for you, so contact us and we’ll get to work.