Stuck on Your Next Car, Consider A Junkyard Find
People tend to appreciate and take care of things that they have worked hard to get. Usually when people consider getting a new car, their list of options includes either getting a late model car or a used vehicle. But there is another category that can be quite viable – the junkyard find. Restoring a car, rather than buying one that is already good to go can be extremely rewarding. That said, it is not for the faint of heart. However, we’ve seen amazing finds over the years along with some pretty spectacular transformations as well.
Below are a few things to keep in mind when starting this journey:
Search at the Local Junk Yard
The first thing you need to do is find a car to restore. Consider going to one of the junk yards near me to find the right car for you. There are a large variety of cars available in the junkyards that are completely salvageable if you are willing to put some elbow grease into them. Some junkyards now have online listings you can use to search the cars that are available to determine which is the right option for you.
Choose a Car with Parts that Will Be Easy to Find
When searching for the right car, it’s important to consider the make and model of the car. If you want to make your life easy, pick a car that was somewhat popular at the time that it was first available to ensure that finding the parts for it won’t be overly difficult. The rarer the car is, the harder it will be to find the parts that you need when you are restoring it. However, if you do manage to pull it off, you might be able to reap significant financial rewards, if it is a sought after model.
Consider the Condition of the Vehicle
When you go to look for a vehicle, it’s important to consider the overall condition of the car. You want to restore it, not completely replace every aspect of it. Make sure to look under the hood to see that the car does have at an engine and at least the essential components to get things going. It’s important to realize that cosmetic damage on the exterior of the car can be relatively easy to repair if the car is not a rare make and model.
Don’t be Afraid to Get Help
Restoring a car is not easy to do. There may be times when you get stuck during the restoration process. Don’t be afraid to look online to watch a video to learn how to do any repairs that need to be done. If you cannot figure out how to do a repair, consider having the vehicle towed to a mechanic to ensure that the repairs are done properly. You don’t want to try to rig the car together and have it fall apart on you as you drive it down the road.
Restoring a car can take a lot of time because you have to not only do the work on it but also find the parts for it. When restoring the car, any exterior parts that you need for the car may be salvageable from cars that are located in the junkyard. Pulling a door, hood, or trunk latch from a car at the junkyard will cost far less than if you bought them in new condition. Be sure to take tools with you when you go to the junkyard so that you can pull any parts you need on the spot.
Here are a couple before and after images for inspiration:
1967 Jaguar XKE Roadster
1937 Bugatti Type 57S:
