Why do salvage yard guy have a junkyard dog attitude

I always remember the day when a customer walked up to the counter with a part, and started haggling on the price. The owner's wife walked up to the man and said "When you go to the grocery store, do you get to negotiate the price? Why do you think this is any different?" Funny thing was I recognized the man. A Minister. Another time one of my College Professors came in to get a radio antenna for his car. He was armed with a hacksaw. Yes I have a College degree and worked in a wrecking yard. Helped upgrade yard I worked in to computers. Eliminated a lot of the boneheads who wanted to go in and wander around. When we left for lunch or at the end of the day, we cruised the back fence. Usually found something hiding in the weeds, or a rope dangling. Saw a rope once, left it in place, went in the yard retrieved the parts, and tied it to a rear axle.

 

They're probably tired of people who want cool stuff for next to nothing. Plus, you have to remember, that to them an old car is just that. An old car. They don't often see your vision. I told the guy I use that I was building a T Bucket and he couldhave cared less. "Yea.... whatever. You want the engine or not? $400."

 

One of the better threads on this theme. Too many just wind up being ***** sessions. We've heard from both sides, and most posters know that it's no picnic trying to run a junkyard and come out far enough ahead to make a living and pay the taxes, comply with gov't regs, etc. As stated earlier, junkyards are not Wally World. If you treat people like lowly servants, they know which at***ude to pull out of their back pocket for you, too.

I've never been to a junkyard where I couldn't get along with the owner and his crew. But I treat them the way I would want to be treated if the shoe were on the other foot, you know? If you care about people, you talk with them. I always like to ask about the history of the yard. That often times brings out COOL stories about dads and grand-dads, and the Ts and REOs, etc., that were there in the beginning. If you really don't care about these people, they'll know it and probably just treat you you like another customer and get you out of their hair as soon as possible.

I tell folks about the cars I have and have had, and I ask about their personal rides and such. Resultantly, I know where several 392s, plus one 426 Wedge, are salted away, should I ever win a big lottery. If you're not cool with people, they sure won't give you any inside info like that. One old fella opened up an old box truck and showed me his spectacular A coupe. Nicest one I ever saw outside a show.

I have a lot of great memories of time spent in real, old-timey junkyards, and the people are half of the fun, for those who just open their eyes. Life's a two-way street. It's a better ride when you open your mind and enjoy it.

 

yeah honestly idunno about all that my best friend ran a yard for a good part of 5 years till it closed down, hed give ya the shirt off his back if you really needed it, and the local salvage guy where i live now likes me too, that idunno why, he doesn't like many people, guess its just that birds of a feather thing..

 

I gotta agree, its all about honesty and respect. I dealt with one yard , outside San Diego, as a pimply faced kid that was run by two brothers that were Hell's Angels and these guys let me go through their yard unsupervised and if they didnt have what I wanted then they would get on the hotwire (remember those?? LOL) and find a yard that did and told that place they were sending me over and treat me right ..... a couple of straight up guys, never rude or ornery, and neither was I (of course!).

The wrecking yards sorta changed in that area when new owners took them over in the early eighties and turned them into "ecology centers" .... what ever that means. I guess that is when the government got heavily involved.

 

Who would have guessed someone who hoards up old junk cars for a living could be half nuts with an ingrown disposition LOL ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

I have a knack for befriending people with grouchy reputations.
Back in the 50's a guy ran a wrecking yard near my shop and had
almost everything I ever needed but he NEVER let anyone in the yard.
Eventually I got to know him quite well and he would let me use his tools
and torch to pick parts. Today he is one of my best friends and lives on a
million dollar estate that I am proud to say that I helped buy.

 

The bigger more organized yards seem to have nicer people, at least up front. Of course there is no self-picking and you really don't interface with the guy out back who is picking parts when it's either 100 degrees outside of they have to chip the parts out of a 3" ice blanket.

And the EPA is totally up their *** for fluids spilled on the ground, freon being let loose into the air, etc. The bigger they city, the worse the problems are.

Bob

 

all you would have to do is spend a week or two with an old timer in their yard...99% of the folks you deal with are stand up and respect what you have...the rest have all kinds of issues...i've delt with them all...it gets tiring after a while...they come looking for trim or someother small trinkit,you have them show exactly what they want,then you take the time to surgicly remove it so everything within 3 feet is not destroyed...when all said and done you tell them 20 bucks and you'll know why we sometimes have a 'tude..i love the the true hot rodders that build and rebuild what they drive...there are just some folks that shouldn't be in that cl*** of folks...they should stick to what they think they know...

 

I think it is because everyone is on their case about stuff. If it was not things like the EPA or here, our MOE, it would be the new home owners who bought homes right next to the auto yard, or the local crook who likes to steal parts/cars..yes, even them, or a developer squawking about the fact he cain't sell his development with that 'yard' the way it looks...

Depending on the area it is kind of understandable to me. Consider--I know of two yards in London ON with 2 rather nice owners, both seem fair and reasonable to me--but can turn into a grouch in no time flat if crossed up by someone trying to get a lower price for something he knows is higher in value

 

I went to the pick and pull and spent a good solid hour and a half pulling a set of GT-40-P heads off an explorer once, and when I went to pay, the guy at the counter charged me for aluminum heads...after I informed him that aluminum doesn't rust, he asked if I had a magnet..to prove they were not aluminum. Long story short, he finally found a magnet, and had to adjust his at***ude...and his price. Some days you get the guy who knows, and others you get the guy who is a know it all....