I called up the local salvage yard (they pull n you pay) and asked how much it would be for a stock bumper and brackets w/ no end caps. The guy leaves the phone for a second, comes back, and says 35 bucks. That is bull! Thirty five bucks for a piece of stamped sheet metal >_<
Sorry, had to rant a bit. I'm better now, but still bumperless :'(
Yeah, I was about to head to Harry's U Pull It, but I found a front bumper kit that has all the steel pre-cut. All that it needs is to be welded. 60 bucks for it! Come with a 2" receiver, d-ring tabs, and steering box brace.
i think i remember a junkyard asking 60 for one once AND 2 bucks to go in and pull it. who wants to pay 2 bucks to go pull somthing yourself and buy it.
I went to a local yard all ready to buy stuff, and they were like, sorry, we don't let anyone in our yards.
Alright, how much for a tail light? "35 dollars, and it has a small star shapped crack in it" -bull
Alright, how much for a fender flare? "We don't sell fender flares separate, only the whole fender" - so how are you supposed to sell rear fender flares with the fender attached?
Alright, how much for a header panel? "We only have a front clip from an '01, and its $1,400" - bull, I can buy new cheaper.
The secret is to know someone at the yard. I cant pull at my local yard, but I know someone there so I can walk the yard and find what I want. Just need to get someone to pull it. But if he wasnt there, most of the time they are a ripoff... considering aftermarket is as cheap or cheaper. Hell i got a new front bumper (skin only no caps or brackets) from quadratec for $25 cleareance. Junkyard wanted $35 and it has surface rust. Qudratec actually isnt that bad for stock replacment parts.
I'll touch on what Sean said. When I go to my local U Pull It yard, I go & browse, If they don't have what I need, I'll give the guy $10 and say "Have lunch & a beer on me". When I go back, the guy usually remembers me. I got a trailer hitch for $15 a front bumper for $10. Also, & usually grab all of the Jeep emblems I can get (geocache swag) no charge. He doesn't charge me the $2 admission either. He's know to the point where he'll call me if the get something in that I'd be interested in.
there is a place in Baltimore Maryland called Certa-fit (or certi-fit, one of the 2) and they deal with reproduction parts. They charge 12 bucks for a brand new bumper, its where i got mine and it fits perfect.
I figured I would try calling again, maybe I would get a different guy answering and there would be a different price. Well I got the same guy, but a different price. 65 bucks for a front bumper and the brackets! I also asked how much a front ds would be since I am installing a SYE this weekend. That also was 65.
it;s all about knowing the people. Some places decide what sounds good to them at the moment. this guy may have thought "hey that's the second request for a cherokee bumper, mabye i can get more for these things." Not all junk yards realize they are a "junk" yard and think it's all gold out there.
I called up the local salvage yard (they pull n you pay) and asked how much it would be for a stock bumper and brackets w/ no end caps. The guy leaves the phone for a second, comes back, and says 35 bucks. That is bull! Thirty five bucks for a piece of stamped sheet metal >_<
Sorry, had to rant a bit. I'm better now, but still bumperless :'(
it;s all about knowing the people. Some places decide what sounds good to them at the moment. this guy may have thought "hey that's the second request for a cherokee bumper, mabye i can get more for these things." Not all junk yards realize they are a "junk" yard and think it's all gold out there.
My favorite yard locally is on the reservation. they have a great selection of the kinds of things i want. they let me do pretty much whatever i want and the guys in the yard are helpful when i ask for stuff. cheerfully lifting a vehicle up with the yard loader while i cut off axles. that kind of thing. but they are not that way with everyone, and not all the time.
the rules are weird and hard for most white people to understand. the sign clearly states that no one is allowed into the yard ever. and yet some people(like me ) are. the sign clearly states that they do not install parts, yet there is a three bay garage where thay are clearly doing just that. most of the communicaton is contextual instead of straight out speech.
When i go there i i'll typically walk in the office door stand against the wall and wait for whoever is behind the desk to make eye contact. if they recognize me they usually just nod and out the door i go. once in a while he'll ask what i'm looking for this time. maybe give a hint where i'll find it. if whoever it is doesn't recognize me and i stay quiet they'll go get one of the mechanics and say "he cool?" then off i go to get my stuff.
where people run into trouble and have bad experiences or get overcharged is when they take silence as a cue to start speaking. With these folks a healthy respect for silence and timing pays off in both short term and long term dividends. when you bring the part, parts, whatever up to the office. again you waith quietly until somebody notices you and comes over to start the negotiation. not everybody who works there is allowed to do the money parts.
they know what it is worth as scrap, they know what it's worth on the internet. you know that you provided the labor mostly yourself and that they didn't pay more than a hundred dollars for any vehicle in there. they'll pretty much accept anything that's 40% over scrap weight. although i've been lucky to get some axles for less than scrap weight.
if you follow the other path and speak into silence you won't be allowed into the yard you'll be charged whatever they think they can get, and they'll be surly instead of stoic. you will still get anything you want. you'll just pay more.
I know of yards that charge 50% of the dealer price. $100 from Chrysler new, its $50 from them. That doesn't go for every part but most parts get priced by that.
I got like new rear and front bumpers from a white 1999 Cherokee Limited. You can have them if you remove them. (Still attached) I'm waiting for Terry at Rigid Fabrication to build me new ones.
