OK, since I'm out of work, every day is a vacation, so this is what I did today. I went to check a local yard for a 71 Riviera and found that he's got a boat load of stuff out back. Grabbed a few shots of things. His prices seem a little high, and all these cars have been exposed to New England winters for probably decades so there isn't a whole lot that is useable, but I love looking anyway.
Do they still have the orange Omega on the top of the hill? I picked that one over a few years back and I don't think anyone's touched it since. When I was there it had a small shrub next to the door which was in the way but I decided not to pull it because it was growing well and I like foliage. Last I knew it had become almost a full on tree. This car here
Yes, it's still there. I think it's minus the deck lid though. Not sure. It took me a little bit to figure out what it was. I can't remember when the last time I saw an Omega.
Can you give us an idea what "high" prices are? If you need a part to finish a restoration then the price might not seem so high, but if your buying a part to "speculate" on then that's a different story. Sad to say but any car that's been parked for the last 30-40 years in any area with regular precipitation is going to be rusted pretty bad. Sometimes you can find some good stuff inside the cars or under the hood if they have been kept closed up, or find cars that were somewhat protected from the weather but most are ready for the crusher. I know of a 64 Catalina in a yard in Minnesota that all you can see is from the beltline up. You can walk out onto the hood with out ever lifting a leg. It was sitting in a ravine that has had years of silt washed down around it.
For my 71 Riv, he's got a grill with several broken bars, a pair of bucket seats that need recovering, and a front bumper that has a dent right on the corner on the passenger side. He asked $425 for all that. I think $350 is about the max I want to pay for all that. I'd like a to pay a bit less because there's a fair amount of work that needs to go into all that. And he wants $200 for a door for a 52 Caddy. Honestly, how many people are going to walk through his front door looking for that stuff?
I think I paid $35 for the rear marker light and a front marker with the chrome trim piece. Kind of a captive audience with 73-74 Omega parts. I bought another rear marker on ebay for $15 after shipping so his prices are basically in line with ebay prices. When you go there you have to tell him what car you're looking at. Then he sits in his office and checks online to see what parts are selling for when you go out to pick the parts. When you get back he negotiates a deal. I just say I'm looking for a bunch of random stuff and he guesses at a price before I go out there to get any of it. Overall the cars aren't that bad off. They sit on dirt and there isn't any salt anywhere near the place. Basically they have as much rust as they came in with and never really seem to age much over the years. Except for the plastic pieces which become small bombs that explode when you tug on them.
If he looks on line for prices ask him if he going to pull the parts, take pictures, place a add and going to package it all up while you sit at home a drink a cold one. That would be a a fair comparison. YOU just drove how far to his yard, YOU drag your tools out in the yard, YOU pull the parts. He doesn't have to do anything and he wants ebay prices? He needs to get real. For the 71 riv parts, I'd say $50 for a bumper, $125 for the bucket seats and maybe $50 for a grill. $225 TOPS. Like jpete says how many times does he have a chance to sell the parts. They have been sitting there how long and they are still there. I understand the guy wanting to get a good buck for his parts, but what he's doing is bad business sense. He wanted $425 And you walked. Didn't he ask you what you'd be willing to pay when you said no? He is crazy if he wouldn't of sold it for $350. So he lost a $350 sale for parts that have maybe a $20 scrap value. Its not like he was selling ultra rare and desirable stuff.
I told him I'd think about it. He's got enough late model stuff that I don't think he cares much if he moves the old stuff. Most of the old, out of the way yards around here exist because someones grandfather couldn't throw anything away. And the Swamp Yankee's keep up the tradition. They all act like you are bothering them. There was one giant yard that the state is mandating the owner clean up. I've seen pictures and I'm pretty sure he has every Mustang that hasn't already been restored. And acres more on top of that.
It's in North Smithfield RI. No idea what he'd want for a whole car. Give him a call. http://nsautorecycling.com/
Not sure about RI but a few miles north in Mass they aren't allowed to sell a complete car. Some law involving liability or some such nonsense. Some of the yards have the old title signed but not filled out that way they can make a sale off the records, but it's not really common.
In RI, in order to register a car, you either have to have the title, or a bill of sale and an old registration slip from the previous owner. Unless you but it from a dealer, then just a bill of sale is required. The yard may or may not have a used car dealer license. That would determine if you could buy the whole car and put it back on the road. Unless it was recorded as "Salvage" and then you need a state "Salvage Rebuilder" license. And there aren't many of them around. Typically body shops.
