Shopping For Spare Parts Made Easy
It is estimated that there are approximately 15,000 individual parts in a modern automobile. That estimate may be slightly high or it may be slightly low but the point is there are a serious number of parts that may need replacing and as any car owner knows this can cause a major headache.
When talking about car repair it may come as a surprise to some that the major expense is not the spare part itself. Costs of replacement parts can range from $2.00 for a package of tail lights to hundreds of dollars for a side panel. Regardless of the price, the major expense is in the labor paid to have that part installed. Labor costs of mechanics can range from $40-$100 per hour. So as an example, if you were to take your Toyota to a mechanic to have a tail light fixed you would most likely pay somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty dollars for a repair you could do yourself at a cost of $2.00.
To put it simply, why would anyone pay a mechanic for basic car repair? So let’s assume you have read this article and you are now motivated to do the repair yourself. Where do you go to find the best deal on spare parts? We begin our search by saying that you do not go to a dealership. There are no good deals at dealerships; you will pay top dollar, period. Your next choice could be an auto parts store but again, the cost is prohibitive for anything other than the most basic of parts like the aforementioned tail light.
So that leaves you with two viable choices. One that many people never consider is to buy a spare auto and use it for spare parts. Finding the make and model of your present vehicle is not that difficult and if you plan on owning that car for quite some time then you will save on spare parts for years to come. Storage of this spare auto is of course a problem. And so we come to the only logical choice for anyone with some tools and a sense of adventure.
There are an estimated 25,000 salvage yards in the United States. Chances are there is one in your city within a couple miles of your home. Modern “junkyards” are so much different than the ones you may remember as a kid. Today they carry literally hundreds upon hundreds of cars and a computer inventory so that they can instantly tell you if they have the part you need. In addition, the internet now allows salvage yard operators to find your spare part instantly if they don’t have it in their yard. Just give them a call, ask if they have the part you need, take your tools down to the yard, and “U Pull It” at a savings that can approach 60%. How simple is that?
There is no logical reason for a person to pay top dollar for a spare part. Even if you don’t have the confidence to do the repair yourself you can always suggest that your daughter’s boyfriend needs to impress you with his skills. Consider it a great bonding experience for the both of you.
