Good stuff to ALWAYS pirate from junk/parts cars

While I was cleaning up out in the shop today, it occured to me that there are a few things I ALWAYS swipe from parts cars, to "have on hand" when the time comes.

What they are, and the specific reasons I grab them, follow:

Lug nuts. Every old car or trailer I've EVER bought or messed around with came into my possession missing at least a couple of lug nuts. I now have a bin in my bolt bin dedicated to lug nuts.

Brake line junction blocks. The br*** "T" fittings (or more fittings) with the mounting tab on them. In a lot of cases, these aren't reproduced. Any time you're building a car and starting with a different rear end, you'll need one of these. They also come in handy when you're running new brake lines on an old ch***is--especially one that had a single jug master cylinder.

Alternator brackets. Just nice to have a couple options to choose from to get things to line up right. Also good to have around as starting points for making your own.

The big washer in the front hub; the one between the wheel bearing and the castle nut. They have a little notch on them that rides in a keyway cut into the spindle. These are frequently replaced with a regular fender washer, while a nail has usually been subs***uted for the cotter pin.

Misc. nuts and bolts that still have their original finish on them...or at least are not all rusted up. These go in the bolt bin, for use on other projects.

From Small Block Chevy engines (especially in junk yards), I always swipe the original tabs that they bolted to the intake manifold for hooking the factory engine hoists to. These come in handy for any engine, and should be stashed in the tool box any time you come across them. '60s Pontiacs also have these prominant hoist points bolted to the engines. Other may as well, but I've always had good luck finding them on Chevys.

Are there any GENERIC items you guys find on junk cars that you grab as a matter of policy? I'm not talking about finned aluminum brake drums on Buicks or aluminum water necks from small block Chevys (I always grab those if they're in good shape...and check every early Nailhead I find for them as well).
What are the parts you can't resist, and why do you grab them?

-Brad

 

Carburetor linkage, springs and brackets, usually can cobble up what I need from my collection.

 

Dome lights,dash knobs, column mounted shift indicators. Early to mid-sixties Olds have some really cool dashknobs and chrome metal a/c outlets!

 

Jack and lug wrench. For some reason cars are always missing these, so I grab em when I can.

 

heres some more

fuses,
flasher units,
headlite plugs (old 3 prong type good for wiring flashers),
headlite swiches and plugs,
coils and brackets....
interior trim screws,
door panel clips
power truck lock ****ons ( found in glove boxes)


later kb

 

KB reminded me of my stash of floor mount dimmer switches and matching plugs.

 

when ya gotta change engines as much as ya do with a SBC, ya gotta have prominent hoist brackets! Seriously though, I pillage the door lock rods from the inside of doors on imports. They work great for fabbing linkage, and also lockout tools.

 

Gas pedal and cable or linkage. Because sometimes you just have to make something fit.

 

I always get ANY kind of brackets. Light sockets & bulbs, cables, & linkages of all kinds too. Pullys. Speed clips. Any self-threading bolts (the larger-than-sheetmetal-screw type). Electric fuel pumps. Tilt steering columns. Fuse boxes. Day/night mirrors. Bolts that have unique sleeves built in (for hinguing things). Emergency brake levers (hand type).
That's all I can think of off-hand.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Headline: APATHY RUNS RAMPANT - Nobody cares.

 

I worked @ Bleeds shop tearing a small block out of a 80's chevy van for a sedan project he was working on and got my self a gas pedal and gas filler (didn't blow anything up) neck for the H-bomb. There's tons of reusable **** on cars link the universal steering joints on newer cars, seatbelts and seat frames, wiring plugs, door panel clips.....

 

i always steal all the fuses and light bulbs. if it has powerbrakes i take the booster and master cylinder, steering column if it has tilt and yes, the lug nuts.

 

Seems like I always grab the wiring harness from under the hood and most of the dash wiring. This give me all of the plugs for the engine, fuse block and all of the ***orted electrical stuff.

 

Old Ford 5 on 5.5 steelies, any widths and sizes.

 

Hinges and door latches. They don't take up much space, and you never know when you have a project the latches will look/work just right on.

 

Pulleys, brackets, fuses, loose change, and screws !!

 

Anything that ain't tied down and will fit into your pocket!

 

I go mostly for electric stuff fuse bocks relays wiring plugs all the light bulbs and sockets ect.dash knobs and switches door handles and if theres any lock with a key in it door trunk or ign. its mine

 

The bolts they use to bolt down seatbelts with. Interior screws, door panel clips,etc. later shawn

 

great thread.... ttt

 

I was just about to say seat belt bolts and the sleeves around em!

I'm liking electrical stuff too...remote boot solenoids, central locking actuators...good for no-door-handle applications

 

Iam going to the junk yard !

thanks eveyone.

 

I always pillage those cool cast iron intake hold downs from Y blocks. They make cool looking washers for other uses

 

change....

 

Consoles....bucket seats....third row mini van seats can usually be had for a song, and they are a great fit for Model A coupes.....

Hood prop rods...good for holding that early Ford deck lid open...hood hinges off of late model **** can usually be used for something better...

 

The nickelbag of ****ty weed that I found tucked under the ashtray in a '72 Chevy Nova.


Actually, that is NOT what to pirate from ANYTHING. (I think it was there since 1972)

"A little harsh"

Erron

 

I like the intake bolts out of chevy motore - the 4.3 6 and the SBC, 3/8 x 16 good length for fabbing stuff, easy to get, usually well preserved with oil. Old cigarrete lighters and bezels are cool too. Power steering brakets are handy too.

 

Older good clean battery trays or boxes. SBC starter bolts. Brake line hose copper washers. Washers, nuts and bolts from 9" Ford rear end pumpkins. Emergency brake parts and related brake hardware. Valve cover hold down parts. SBC water pump bolts. Stainless steel head covered bumper bolts.

But usually, I just keep the whole damn car .

Then I use the inside as dry storage container for all the stuff I pick up that's needs shelter.

 

good post; vintage sheet metal: trunk lids, doors, hoods, and ***ociated hardware. A lot of that stuff is usually in pretty good shape from basket cases on their way out to the salvage yard. Good sources are Town garages for the wrecks they still have tucked in the back; and the local firehouses when they use wrecks for training. When I find one that will let you do it, it's always been for free.

 

The wing nut that holds air cleaner on.

 

I always grab wiring pieces cause I rewire lots of cars. GM vans have a 7 wire connector near the steering column that I can get lugs for. They're handy for pre-wiring dashboards. I get the dimmer switch grommets off the carpets for my upholsterer buddy. He puts them into trunk panels for finger pulls as well as using them for dimmer switches. GM trucks with SBC from the 70s / 80s have a 45 degree adaptor for the oil pressure sender which works well for aftermarket senders to clear the intake and/or firewall. Van's usually have a 90 degree one which could come in handy sometimes. It looks a hell of a lot better than piling 3 different br*** fittings together which I've seen many times.