Hello folks, I was born in '47, grew up in a small town, Candia New Hampshire. My first job, when I was 9, started work on the dairy farm down the road. I stayed until it was time to join the Navy. Built my first motor car when I was 10, a wooden soapbox, rope steering, wood drag brake, and a 3 hp Biggs (6 mph). In those days you could drive a thing like that on a country road. Always loved poking around in old junkyards. Still do, like going on a history tour for free. Seems like the real old good ones are disappearing though. In those days, the king of salvage around here was a guy named Albert Lambert. His junkyard had everything you could possibly imagine, you could want. Lambert's was a treasure chest. An old mechanic neighbor named Bob brought me there for the first time. He taught me what he called junkyard manors. There was a big discount trick hidden in those junkyard manors. Albert was shrewd and it made him very rich, but he never let it show. Everything he did was based on common sense and trust. The manors worked like this: when I would go out to unbolt something I needed, I was taught to bring Albert something too. I would spend an extra 15 minutes and unbolt a generator or starter or radio. When I went in to settle up with Albert I would also hand him his generator. It paid off, I paid a third of what others had to pay. Sometimes Albert would wave me on my way with my part in hand for nothing. Bob's junkyard manors comes down to simple straight forward respect, but in the most unlikely place. Its hard to find that kind of place now. I'm always on the lookout though. Well, thats about the half of it, junkyard manors.
Welcome- its true, as i was told as a young guy, these guys don't need your money or you, but they do favor respect and a finders fee (fresh doghnuts are a good start).
Hey Edisonian, Good intro, reminded me of a yard in Londondery Vt. near my hometown. The old guy was kind of a hermit and just wanted someone to talk too. I read in the paper where he p***ed away last year, I guess his yard went to the s****ers after his p***ing. Old tin is hard to find anymore, we aren't getting any younger guys, (born in 1946).....
Welcome to the H.A.M.B. from Arkansas City, KS. Your bit about the "Junkyard Manners" sounded so familiar to some encounters I used to experience here when I was a kid. Times were different then, but I think better in many respects. firstnomad
Welcome from the Netherlands. Junkyards in Holland, well actually almost everywhere in Europe are non exsisting due to enviremently ******** rules. In Holland a junkyard must have a concrete floor with oil resistant coating so not a drop of oil can go in the ground (unless you have a BP oil platform in the ocean ) I visited the US 7 times mostly just to wander around your great salvage yards, it's a shame they slowly disappear.
The Jalopy Journal
