What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think “Junk Yard?” – Dirty, smelly, piles of trash? Re-runs of “Sanford & Sons” on TVland? Or just no idea at all?
“Crazy Rays” Junk Yard, Mt. Airy, Maryland on a sunny Saturday morning.
Having grown up going to Yards more often than I’d like to admit, there are different ways you can look at the experience. First off, there is a huge difference between a Dump, Metal Yard and a Junk Yard (aka: Salvage Yard or Wrecker Yard). Dumps are the “dirty, smelly, piles of trash” you were probably envisioning. A Metal Yard is generally filled with old washers and refrigerators and sometimes cars but it’s main purpose is recycling. However, a dedicated Car/Truck “you pick it – you pull it” Yard is unique. The premise is simple, bring whatever tools you think you might need, pay $2.00 to enter the 30-40 acre yard, scour, search and find something you might need and start your disassembly project.
“Look Yonder” … members: Brian Y (left) and Daniel S (right) setting their sites on a new find.
For me going to the Yard brings mixed feelings. It’s a somber and humbling place when you view it as a car cemetery especially when you start to dig into the wrecks and car-b-cues. I will say that after a while you start to become desensitized to it. There are times where you will drop your hat in a moment of silence for vehicles that are just shameful to see in the yard, classics, that should have found a home – instead of being regrettably abandoned to the Yard.
The charred remains of a late-model Eagle Talon / Mitsubishi Eclipse — from what we could tell
Is that K.I.T.T? — I’d give ’em $50 for it.
Nothing like a BMW inline-6 blocking the path. Was Mike C here?
I will admit, going to the yard alone is a boring experience – like touring a museum about Rust and Corrosion. But going with other folks can be an awesome adventure! It’s a time to flex your “useless knowledge” muscles about makes/models of vehicles and parts you might know about. Then there is the “find the diamond in the rough” game. The rules are simple: “What is the most standout or odd car you can find amongst the ruins?” — is it the canary yellow Opel GT? ’50s Chevy? Or the random Renault LeCar? … It becomes a real treasure hunt.
Member: “Mountain Man” Dan S (left) searches inside of this square body Chevy Blazer. Our top pick for the “diamond in the rough” not because of it’s scarcity, but because it’s the Chicken Shack Truck! Making it our #1 pick for the weekend.
Aside from amassing 11 defrost switches for a late ’80s Audi that I’ll probably never use again, going to the Yard does pose a huge advantage for Racers. If you can collect “known breakables” cheaply you can keep them in your stock and for a fraction of the cost you can upkeep your race car easily without breaking the seasonal budget. There are a few other benefits to the yard as well: ability to practice working on a part or section of the car before you attempt the job on your own or ruin something; at the Yard you can mess up and no one really cares. The other upside is “experimentation” update / backdate parts or mix-&-match items if you’re trying to MacGuyver a project. Who knew that a Mercedes 190 radiator fit a late ’80s Audi Quattro… on paper no way, after a trip to the Yard — Heck Ya!
The Yard is the ultimate test in patience, like my father (Nic M) used to say “if you can figure out how to take something apart without breaking it you can put it back together.” — most people don’t have that same level of discipline, generally destroying 100s if not 1000s of dollars of parts just to get at something worth $5. As member Brian Y puts it “if I have to spend more than 5 minutes on something, and I don’t need it, I just leave it alone — but if it’s something I want, I’ll spend the time.”
We hope that you can join us on our next Junk Yard adventure!
Until then, Happy Hunting 🙂
More photos available in the Vault!
