Anyone ever used online salvage auctions?

"BorkBorkBjork" (tbirdlemons)
05/18/2016 at 16:56 • Filed to: None

I am thinking about buying a parts car for some project I’m working on, and I came across Copart. Now I would like a running and driving parts car, but since the only parts I care about are the engine, transmission, and rear-end I am not concerned about buying a wrecked/salvaged vehicle.

Has anyone done something like this? I have never bought at auction before and have always used Craiglist to find cars and parts on the cheap. I assume that after I pull everything off of the car I need and Ebay whatever else is in good condition, I can just trailer it to a scrap yard and get $200 per ton for steel scrap.

Thoughts?

DISCUSSION (11)

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > BorkBorkBjork
05/18/2016 at 17:08

And friend has a LeMons car, and one of the ways to get around the $500 price cap is by buying junker cars to disassemble, use the 1-2 parts he needs, and sell off whatever is left of any value. The wrenching part is all I do — he keeps track of everything and has spreadsheets left and right tracking and documenting all of it.

It’s a lot of work for what you get out of it, and if you don’t mind putting a lot of sweat into the teardown and don’t mind the hassle of selling and shipping parts, it works out. If you need something like a full engine and you don’t want to plunk down a ton of cash, it’s for sure the way to go.

Also, you get to find meth pipes and various other things you wish you hadn’t during the teardown. Keeps it interesting. In my friend’s case it also keeps him flush with spare parts which is handy on race day.

Aaron James > BorkBorkBjork
05/18/2016 at 17:10

never at auction but i did buy a wrecked mustang GT once for the drive train. After i had everything i needed we stripped the rest and sold it. What remained was just a shell. we used sawzalls and cut it up in small enough pieces to fit in the bed of a pickup. One thing you need to make sure of is you keep the vin intact and turn it over with the title and the scrap. otherwise they might not take it thinking you stole it and stripped it. do you need a dealer license to buy from copart?

Decay buys too many beaters > BorkBorkBjork
05/18/2016 at 17:32

Copart used to be a sweet deal, but it’s been ruined as of late by a lot of quick fix craigslist conmen. Prices have been driven up to the point that it’s not really a great deal any more on anything not Korean. Also the fee schedule is pretty terrible, be sure to figure that in.

Phillipsaur > BorkBorkBjork
05/18/2016 at 17:55

Depends on where you live; I was looking into it, but since I live in California I need a broker to bid for me.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > BorkBorkBjork
05/18/2016 at 18:21

If you’ve got a place to store it, great. I don’t have that. I get used parts from www.car-part.com and I’ll either get them to ship it to me (some places will only ship to businesses) or I’ll go pick it up.

BorkBorkBjork > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
05/19/2016 at 11:40

I have the time and the space for it, and I’m looking for a whole powertrain and some miscellaneous suspension parts, so it looks like it will work out. Any idea if I need to have a business license to purchase through them?

BorkBorkBjork > Decay buys too many beaters
05/19/2016 at 11:43

I’ve checked the fee schedule and, yes, it is pretty asinine. Still though, it looks like I can get the car I want for about half of what the most run-down Cragislist posts claim.

BorkBorkBjork > Aaron James
05/19/2016 at 11:44

Good point on bringing the Title to the scrap yard, wouldn’t have thought of that.

And I’m not sure if I need a certain license to buy through Copart, looking into that now.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > BorkBorkBjork
05/19/2016 at 12:03

http://www.copart.com/us/search?Filt…

BorkBorkBjork > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
05/19/2016 at 12:22

Sweet!

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > BorkBorkBjork
05/19/2016 at 12:35

It sure does seem like you can buy two similar cars, one with a smashed front and another that has been rear-ended, for few hundred bucks, and sell off enough leftover parts to cover it. All I’m lacking now is time, space, and a lot of mechanical knowledge! Other than those details it’s a goddamn free car! :)