Could Chrysler Be Killed This Friday?

[rob302]

nitro may be right on that.

when steel was up to $225/ton, all the junk yards here cashed in. the FOUR right by my house all mysteriously just disappeared within a year. i've never been to one since. now 2 are fields, and two are semi truck parking lots.

it's weird, i imagined a junk yard being as permanent as a cemetery. just something that would always be there.

[NitroPT]

Originally Posted by rob302

it's weird, i imagined a junk yard being as permanent as a cemetery. just something that would always be there.

I have (as do you) friends that often go to large auto recyclers/wrekers and see cars that are not only rare but popular like PT's being stripped and crushed all the time.
Here in Northern Ca specifically Rancho Cordova has one of the largest area's of several dozen auto recyclers/wreckers (at this point I just call them auto recyclers) that not only sell the usual parts but also sell off valuable materials that hold the highest value. The good thing is that established a nation wide parts search system so for at least a short while you can find most things you are looking for if the auto recyclers counter person knows how to use the search program.

Now I will say in some states that they are still call those weed overgrown fields with old semi stripped vehicles and old washing machines "junk Yards" that is a whole different animal!

[rckstein]

Originally Posted by rsrocket1

Many parts will be available for a long time in junkyards across the fruited plain.

In my area, there are several salvage yards that allow the customers to go into the yards (some free, some charge a nominal $1 fee) and you can browse all the vehicles at your leisure for the parts. But in these yards, I've also seen all kinds of damage caused to otherwise perfectly good parts, by someone before me ripping them out to get to the one part that they needed. That's sad that others may not care what others may be interested in, just as long as they get their part.

Then there are several yards that do not allow any customers into their yards. At these, you have to tell them what you want and they will go pull it for a fee. I suspect they do this do to all the damage that many customers may have caused in removing parts to get to the $0.50 clip for a panel, or whatever. These yards most likely have vehicles that are still in the best condition and still with all their original parts, but sadly, nobody will get into the yard to see what's still on them.

[ptcruisersteve]

Originally Posted by NitroPT

Well see about this one. As the demand for raw materiel increases out side US salvage yards may be increasing the their output of recycled materials from vehicles in their yards.

The same mentioned vehicles as Handy described are as popular in Californian as well. But I think that those models sold well in most heavily populated states. Here you can't drive 2 block and not see one.

I have 7 Pt Cruisers on my block in Thousand Oaks, CA.

[NitroPT]

Originally Posted by ptcruisersteve

I have 7 Pt Cruisers on my block in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Ya there are dozens here in Sun City Lincoln as well. Most were garage kept from new and will end up being given to someones grandson or granddaughter as their first car. Already seeing a lot of that happening this year.

There are so many I have met and even worked on their PT Cruisers that have been around since the PT was introduced and have attended so many some in the hundreds of PT Cruiser events. I often see a few members posting pictures of their PT Cruisers and laugh to think they have no idea I know these people and their PT. LOL

[NitroPT]

Originally Posted by rckstein

In my area,

well well more we keep learning about members here on this forum and ther true experience levels...rolmao...
Dude get out more. This is normal for over several decades at auto recycle yards. Dating all they way back to when Pick-N-Pull started the tradition of customers seek and distroy for the parts you want.



ops now I have done it open the proverbial Pandora's box.....

Then again I do know a bit about some that have gotten into ....shall we say some interesting confrontation with the legal system as well...

[rckstein]

Originally Posted by NitroPT

well well more we keep learning about members here on this forum and ther true experience levels...rolmao...
Dude get out more. This is normal for over several decades at auto recycle yards. Dating all they way back to when Pick-N-Pull started the tradition of customers seek and distroy for the parts you want.



ops now I have done it open the proverbial Pandora's box.....

Then again I do know a bit about some that have gotten into ....shall we say some interesting confrontation with the legal system as well...

[044400]

There is no shortage of PT's at the boneyards. This is the glory days for vehicles 10-20 years old to be in their final resting place.

[Handy_Cruiser]

Originally Posted by rckstein

In my area, there are several salvage yards that allow the customers to go into the yards (some free, some charge a nominal $1 fee) and you can browse all the vehicles at your leisure for the parts. But in these yards, I've also seen all kinds of damage caused to otherwise perfectly good parts, by someone before me ripping them out to get to the one part that they needed. That's sad that others may not care what others may be interested in, just as long as they get their part.

Then there are several yards that do not allow any customers into their yards. At these, you have to tell them what you want and they will go pull it for a fee. I suspect they do this do to all the damage that many customers may have caused in removing parts to get to the $0.50 clip for a panel, or whatever. These yards most likely have vehicles that are still in the best condition and still with all their original parts, but sadly, nobody will get into the yard to see what's still on them.

Here in Arkansas, the self-service U-Pull-It and Pick-n- Pull yards have driven most of the traditional front-counter-only salvage yards out of business.

Destruction of the salvage cars during parts harvesting is a problem, of course. It appears that some folks will attack a car with a saw and cutting torch just to get some small part they could easily take off without causing all the damage. Pick-n-Pull in Little Rock is terrible about this. And the management doesn't police the yard so it's pretty bad. I'm not sure what's up with their management structure. I once had to go online and send in a complaint on the way they were being openly racist to Latino customers. Can you believe that? At least someone from corporate did contact me to talk about it. There's absolutely no room for that kind of hatefulness anywhere in my opinion. Since then Pick-n-Pull has changed management at Little Rock about three times. I figure they don't pay enough to get decent folks and the ones they do get soon leave.

On the other hand, U-Pull-It does a pretty good job of keeping folks from needlessly destroying cars. U-Pull-It started in Little Rock and is now in several states. I've known the owner since I was in college and he's a great guy and he pays his folks a living wage. The U-Pull-It yard that's in Little Rock now is smaller than Pick-n-Pull, but I always go there first when I can. There's several good self-service "poor body" salvage yards here too and I like them as well.

I do believe that if steel prices go up, more PT's will go straight to the crusher. But that's the way it goes for all car models in the end. And that's why some cars become rare. However, considering the vast number of PT's made, I figure there will always be one or more in most salvage yards for a decade or more to come. And since many parts used on PT's fit many other Mopars, I figure the availability of most new parts will stay strong for a long while too. The end of Chrysler would likely not affect this much.

[NitroPT]

I recall a few members on this very forum suggesting if someone wanted to know how to get to or take something apart on a PT to go to a Pick-N-pull or U-Pull-It yard and try it there before their own PT