Big savings at the junkyard
TRI-CITIES -- That unexpected tire blowout or fender bender is probably *not the way you want to spend your hard-earned money. It's why more people are hitting the junkyards to find car parts. KEPR shows how these shoppers are saving a lot more than you might think. This is not Salina Hackney's first trip to the wrecking yard.
"I had to get a mirror because I broke my mirror off my car."
And this time she is looking for car doors. She's not picky on color.
Salina looks at the doors, "It's my favorite color, its green, the best color in the world.. But I kinda like the red too... Red cars are always the best."
And more people are catching on to this trend. Sales at Pasco Auto Wrecking are up 50 percent.
"Airbags, wheels, anything," says Sales Manager at Pasco Auto Wrecking. "Prices of parts are more expensive than they used to be," he explains.
Which is where an old part may do the trick.
Salina tells KEPR, "I went to the dealership, they were asking $200- $250 for a mirror... And I came here and got it for $75."
An average transmission costs about two-grand to replace, depending on the car. You can buy it at a scrap yard for about half that price, though most of us wouldn't know how to fix it. But take it to a mechanic and you're still likely to save over ordering a new part.
Small parts are the most popular buys and usually offer the biggest savings. Wheels like this one can cost up to 400 dollars at a dealership. Here it's just 45. It might sound too good to be true, but most yards even guarantee their parts. They can do that because most of their inventory comes from crashed, undriveable vehicles.
Craig explains, "More cars being crashed, more cars are on the road, we're gonna stay busy."
Revving up the idea of one man's trash is another man's treasure.
"Some people hate their stuff but then you come here and you're like aww that's beautiful, I could work that," says Salina.
Pasco Auto Wrecking just started expanding its business to eBay to sell parts all across the country.
"I had to get a mirror because I broke my mirror off my car."
And this time she is looking for car doors. She's not picky on color.
Salina looks at the doors, "It's my favorite color, its green, the best color in the world.. But I kinda like the red too... Red cars are always the best."
And more people are catching on to this trend. Sales at Pasco Auto Wrecking are up 50 percent.
"Airbags, wheels, anything," says Sales Manager at Pasco Auto Wrecking. "Prices of parts are more expensive than they used to be," he explains.
Which is where an old part may do the trick.
Salina tells KEPR, "I went to the dealership, they were asking $200- $250 for a mirror... And I came here and got it for $75."
An average transmission costs about two-grand to replace, depending on the car. You can buy it at a scrap yard for about half that price, though most of us wouldn't know how to fix it. But take it to a mechanic and you're still likely to save over ordering a new part.
Small parts are the most popular buys and usually offer the biggest savings. Wheels like this one can cost up to 400 dollars at a dealership. Here it's just 45. It might sound too good to be true, but most yards even guarantee their parts. They can do that because most of their inventory comes from crashed, undriveable vehicles.
Craig explains, "More cars being crashed, more cars are on the road, we're gonna stay busy."
Revving up the idea of one man's trash is another man's treasure.
"Some people hate their stuff but then you come here and you're like aww that's beautiful, I could work that," says Salina.
Pasco Auto Wrecking just started expanding its business to eBay to sell parts all across the country.
