RotaryBzzz

Hi Forum,
I thought I'd start a new topic on something that I feel hasn't been covered concisely. How we as Accord enthusiats can maximize our performance & maintinence buck from local junkyards. This post grew out of something I've loved doing but haven't had time to do....so I guess I'll live vicariously thru you guys. What I'd like to see contributed is lists of yards that you, personally, have seen Honda Accords and/or other good sources of used parts for Hondas. Also, tips and tricks for using the yards. Let's make this a nationwide effort b/k we are all nationwide anyway.

My List of Los Angeles Area Junkyards & Experiences over the years:

San Fernando Valley - Sun Valley : Pick Ur Part ($1 entry - mostly stripped cars)
Ontario : Pick-Ur-Park Auto Parts ($1 entry - my FAVORITE - many cars untouched)
South Bay LA : Wilmington Ecology, Wilmington Pick-Ur Part ($1 entry - pretty good, saw newer Jap cars)
Orange County - Anahiem (North of Westminster/Stanton - on Beach Blvd) : Pick-Your-Part ($1 entry - can be good to very good b/k its located in affluent OC)
Monterey Park Ecology : ($1 entry - stripped to hell cars - don't waste yur time unless looking for basic shiet like lightbulbs, tire irons, etc)


SO, you've decided to save money and/or look for hop-up parts from the junkyard for your accord (or other car). Or you've decided you want learn more about cars in general. Whatever the case, you can expect good times and learning lots of shiet from your local friendly junkyard.

How junkyards breakdown: 2 types - Dismantlers & Pick-Ur-Parts

Dismantlers
Dismantlers remove parts beforehand & have them in stock. You'll find engines, trannies, sets of wheels with tires & more just waiting for you to buy them. These places will charge for this service, charge according to their profit schemes and sometimes will try and rob you (if you don't know what your doing). Edit: you can often times bargain with them

Auto Wrecking - aka the Classic Junkyard - Pick-Ur-Part
Autowrecking (aka the $1 dollar yards) are a special place. Here, you bring your own tools and literally pull/break/pry and yell your way to victory in removing engines/transmissions/doors or whatever part of automotive paradise you want. Everything and anything is for sale and done so at a set price. Usually very cheap. Bonus tip: many times pick-ur-part places will run 50% off specials....so if you've found a relatively common part that you need, you can "save a buck or two" by looking for one of these days to buy.

Here's what you can expect:

1) Junkyards are usually located in industrial / crappy areas of an area
2) They are relatively safe however b/k the ppl in them are just like you - relatively normal
3) Most places are open 7 days a week till dark.
4) You will usually pay a $1 fee to enter a yard
5) You "usually" must be 18 years old to enter but sometimes you can bluff you way thru (my friend in HS actually bought a fake id just for this purpose)
6) It's always fun searching for treasures. Sometimes you find them.
7) Once you've been 'wrenching' long enough, you'll be able to spot and ID all kinds of cars...from ford's to bmw's to toyota's
8) If you don't have a tool, you can usually find someone nice enough to lend you their's temporarily (this is how I got a complete exhaust cut off for me one time)

Here's how to find local junkyards:

goto
http://www.switchboard.com
search "automotive wrecking"
viola!

What you'll need to bring

1) Couple bucks + ID. Most places do take credit cards same as cash.
2) Set of trashed shoes (your shoes will get nasty)
3) Gloves (you'll touch shiet that is sometimes *questionable*)
4) Baggy old pants with deep pockets (I'm sure you'll find a use for these upon exiting the yard)
5) Basic tools: rachet set (8-19mm sockets), extensions for rachet, philips, stubby phillips, heavy-duty long flathead screwdriver, small pipe (act as a breaker bar), vise-grips, NEEDLE-NOSE PLIERS W/ WIRE CUTTERS, set of open-closed enders always is handy, pencil/pen,
6) bottle for water that you leave in your car. This is what you'll use to wash your hands with when your finished.


HOW YOU CAN USE THE JUNKYARD TO MAKE U FASTER

Depending on where your at, they're may or may not be a whole lot of honda's sittin' pretty waiting for you to ravage them. If your car is too new, you will definately have a problem b/k the dismantelers would've bought them at the "wreck auction" - sorie dude. However, that doesn't mean you can't find other shiet fo y0 car at the junkyard.

Obviosly your results may vary....

In the past, I've found K&N filters, performance mufflers, sets of aftermarket sway-bars, tokico gas shocks (didn't buy thou - didn't know how good they were), new 3 core, high-performance radiators, BBS wheels, headers. Now granted, finding this stuff might sound difficult but I haven't checked the yards for a couple years now. As time progresses, newer cars come in. Obviously, what should be done is list HOW EX/ EX-R's and Type R's and SIR's are different than regular accord and/or what parts can be transferred from one car to another: My incomplete list (pls contribute your own insights) of what you can strip off high-end models of your car:

WHAT I WOULD PULL OFF AN EX:
rear sway bars,
wheels,
rear disc brakes,
master-cylinder,
power-driver's seat
upend cloth interior
intermittant/low/high speed windshield wiper control
cruise control
6x9's in the back with separate tweeters in the front

For those of you that have different years and different body styles, please contribute to this thread on HOW YOUR CARS ARE DIFFERENT.

WHAT I WOULD WANT TO PULL OFF A DX:

non-power steering pulleys
non-A/C pulley / belt
non-power antenna assembly (lighter)
non-A/C assembly with plastic heater-ducting
rubber firewall plugs to cover holes

I think we can all learn something here so please contribute other ideas about what someone could want off a DX or LX.


How to make a fast buck at the junkyard (or how to get your $1 entry fee back)

- "Freshly laid" cars are the best for searching thru
- Check under the driver's seat and in the cracks using a 14mm rachet to quickly pop-off the front two bolts. Viola...all the change that you've dropped thru the years will be sitting there like a piggy-bank. I even found a diamond one time.
- If you see an import similar to your car - your definately in for finding spare side-marker bulbs, brake-light bulbs, bolts, the plastic fuse-cover, misc plastic engine pieces, hoses, clamps, fuses and more.


EXTRA - What you can learn at the Junkyard that you can NEVER do at home:

Smashing up shiet is fun but even more so if the shiet ain't yours. Think of the junkyard as a romper-rooms for guys and that's exactly what it is. Here is where you can learn how to apply:

1) just enough force to smash a windshield
2) practice removing windshields
3) practice cutting thru body metal with that Milwaukee Sawzall yer dad has in the garage
4) practice wrenching and more
----------------
NEW:
5) practice taking apart suspension pieces like tie-tods, control arms, etc. (not that you would but if you wanted to freshen your suspension, sometimes you can find newer cars with better tierods, replaced control arms with intact balljoints (i.e. unripped rubber boots - from a car that had been in an accident previously, & had been repaired by insurance, then junked just a few years later. You might be able to find 20-30k mile balljoints/tie-rods on a car with 180k on the odometer. Fresher suspension for cheap!)



Pls post your experiences about finding honda parts at local junk yards, junk yard tips, and wrenching tips!




Modified by RotaryBzzz at 1:08 AM 4/15/2003

jweller

Great place to buy a spare head and learn how to port. doesn't even matter what the head is off of. the idea is to lean how to use the tools and kind of what you are doing before you trash your own head.

Nick M

The 5th gen DX came with no PS steering?

Accord94DX

They came with power steering.

http://www.car-part.com rocks.

93acclude

junkyards are the best. When I did my engine swap I got just about everything I needed to convert my car to 5spd from a junkyard. I found the car I nedded and went to work. In about two hours, me and a buddy pulled

clutch pedal assembly and clutch master cylinder
brake pedal assembly
shifter assembly and linkages
main harness
engine harness
ecu
cruise control unit
and some other small things

In total it cost me about $120.
All that stuff new would be about $2000.

Not only did I learn how to get that stuff out, I learned how to install it in my car.
Junkyards rule.

urbanlegend21

the next best thing to a junkyard is E-bay. We just got 2 94 Prelude VTEC knuckle assemblies for $51. So all I need now are the calipers, which you can get for $44 rebuilt.

Stew Pidasso

The junkyards around here usually ask "What's an import?"

Thanks for the advice though. I'm sure it will come in handy someday.

carolinaACCORD

some of the best stuff to get at junkyards. especially the ecu's, they are outrageous from honda.

RotaryBzzz

Xlnt post. Definately another bonus: getting to rip apart and practice on ANOTHER car to see how things are put together BEFORE ripping apart your own.

Also too, junkyards are a great place for finding lengths of wire, specialized electrical connectors/ bulb sockets / etc. for interesting and inventive applications. You'd be amazed what you can hook-up with the trunk-release mechanism + wires from an ole civic (think james-bond)

Stew Pidasso

I did get those valve cover bolts off of an Accord before. The ones with the rubber grommet built in. Those are expensive from Honda but then so is everything else...



[Modified by Stew Pidasso, 1:26 PM 2/14/2003]

Unknown Member

some junk yard in maryland are rip offs. Dont ever go to one to buy a b18b or anyhonda motor.

95sihb

Rotorybzzzz

i bought a home in gardena,ca and i have gone to the pick-a-part in wilmington with my dad when i was 15 im 25 now but i remember the place back then it was really new ......i was with my dad so i think if you are under age all you need is someone to be 18+ to come with you ... it's been along time ...... i need some parts before i move to maui!

louder160

It's always fun to remove a radio out of an old caddy with nothing but a dead-blow hammer and a 3 foot pry-bar!

hagrid

great post. i havn't actually gone to it myself, but i know there is a pull-ur-part in allentown, PA. heard their really good over there, some members and i were considering making a trip out there together, but it got delayed. I hope to go there soon.

B U N M A N G O

wow good thread... I just bought a set of Euro 1-pc headlights for my friend's bday from Steve at passwordjdm.com and need to get some H1 and H4 assemblies for them. I'll check out these places this week... nice since I'm in the LA area too.

RotaryBzzz

Some More Advice on Junkyard Fun

Many times, the pick-ur-part junkyards are sooo huge that to walk every row would take almost too long. One way I saved time was to double view rows meaning I would walk one row west-to-east, looking both north AND south, then jump a complete row and head east-west....kinda like this pattern

8888
-----+
8888|

8888|
+----|
8888

Something else you can expect is that some yards (most in LA) seperate cars by either Import or Domestic which is nice. There are only sooo many beat-up Buick Skylarks you can look at before you wanna puke.




[Modified by RotaryBzzz, 1:22 AM 2/18/2003]

georgeda

Sounds like you enjoy salvage yards as much as I do. My wife just totaled our 1989 Mercury Grand Marque. Now we have a '99 Accord.
I got lots of parts and pieces at our local yard in Davie, Florida - just south of Ft. Lauderdale and they have lots of Hondas. Those deep pockets come in handy because you don't want to lose those little pieces like bulbs and fuses.

Stripped Honda

i am on my way to pick a part in monrovia CA i was there over the weekend and saw a few accords behind the fence and i am hoping that they put one out so i can strip it ;o) i did see a trunk lid that i needed just laying in the lot next to a van but i was broke that day and couldnt buy it ... i am hoping that it is still there as i am going to get it they want 34.95 for it no lights i think that is a fair price

but as always i am bringing my deep pockets for those 10 mm bolts and nuts i always lose and also many many fuses

raceACCORDingly

where is this Orange County - Stanton/Westminster : Pick-Ur-Part at?

louder160

My experience is that it is really hard to find 4g accord parts in Kansas City MO. None the less it is always good when you do find a car like yours to spend some time with it to figure out how it was put together and how to take it apart. Can be VERY fun!

PreIudeSI

cool post, i should check some of these places out, i'm in LA too

JTCdudeman

Georgia here....

Let me tell you a little story abuot a junk yard.... Me and my brother were in it looking for a drive train yoke for his car... He is 17 and looks 14... Short fat... We finally found one and were trying to take it apart when this guy came out and started accusing us of breaking his glass... Now, this guy was the owner... Pic on the kids right? I think he was... He accused us of breaking 3 pieces of glass and said he was going to call the cops or we would have to pay $600 restitution... Be careful if you dont look old enuogh, ppl will try and take advantage of you... Might I add it was cold and I had a beenie on that made me look like a ghetto superstar.. Anyways, we left after this guy had a fit and threatened us... I tried to get him to hit me by pissing him off worse... I was just thinkin money... He said he had cameras everywhere, except wher WE broke the glass.... Lol... dumbass thought we woudl give him our real names and phone #'s.... But, it coudl have ended up bad.... AND NO, we didnt break anything or get that yoke!

I also have a local HONDA/ACURA junkyard... Could it get any better? everythgin honda and acura make... Tons of cars too.. The 5th gen prelude has 7 cars and all the other cars have more than that... Anythign you could ever need... I go up there looking some days when I get bored seeing all the different things in cars.... Might I add that this guy owns a specific junkyard and that sounds awesome.... But he wants an arm and leg for anything... Cost me 150 fo a distributor for my car... It wasnt in good shape and it didnt work... I took it back and had it out with him... Then it cost me 25 for a new one... I guess he figured I woudl ruin his bussiness... I named all my mechanic friends that spec Honda only and he knew 8 of them.... I told him they said he was a good guy and would fix the problem... Saved me 125 and made him feel so guilty he has another guy help me if I go up there now....

Overview: If the junkyard is a redneck junkyard beware... Signs of it, a big redneck statue in front of it... Honda specific junyards are awesome, but tend to cost a bit more... Pull-a-part is great...

del_parker

I've gotten a door for my old '86 isuzu pup at one. had a little too much fun off-roading.

ClayMan

on a semi-related note, please help me complete the list of differences between a 6th gen coupe LX and EX! (both 4-cyl. 5-speed versions) i just got an LX, and was wondering what i'm missing out on (and what parts i can retrofit if i come across anything)

-rear drums vs. rear discs
-no ABS vs ABS
-no sunroof vs sunroof
-no homelink vs homelink (this overhead console seems to be the same as a lot of other hondas/acuras... hmm)
-plastic steering wheel vs leather?

what else is there? i can't think of anything more.. tia!

Baltz

Good post RotaryBzzz!

Now only if I could find a good junkyard in Tennessee then I would be in business