What Is a car breakers yard and why would I use one?

Running a car is a rewarding but also an expensive venture. With the improvement in the technology in standard versions of car models today comes the increase in cost in the unfortunate, and likely, event that your car breaks down – or at least needs a part replaced.

As a generation of consumers, the idea of finding a second-hand part to replace a broken one is likely foreign to many, especially young, motorists. Many therefore will not know what a car breaker yard is. In this blog, we will explore the idea of a car breaker yard and why it may be more economical for a motorist to use one.

What is a car breaker yard?

A car breaker yard, also known as a scrapyard, is where broken down cars are accumulated. Typically, a car which has been in a serious road accident and/or has been written off, will typically be sold to the scrapyard. This is also the case for any cars which a garage or even a motorist, should they feel knowledgeable enough, deem to be irreparable. These cars are sold to the scrapyards where they rust.

A car breaker yard is where motorists can come to select a particular vehicle and break it down to salvage any workable parts. In U-Pull-It’s case, an individual can select a particular car from our online catalogue, select a time slot and come down to our yard to remove parts they require during their one-hour slot. Typically, a car breaker yard will allow an individual to bring their own tools to remove parts, however U-Pull-It do not allow the use of power tools. Once a car has been disassembled in the car breaker process, it then becomes available for breaker parts.

Why should you buy car parts second hand?

The idea of a car breaker yard is that a motorist will be able to find a specific car part for a much cheaper price than having a car manufacturer make a new one. There are obviously some parts which you shouldn’t buy second hand –brake discs for example are designed to wear down over time. But by and large, finding a second-hand part can save you a lot of money.

Although there may be certain uninformed connotations of scrapyards, these places tend to take in a huge range of cars every year, meaning there is usually no shortage in the number of quality parts available. This is another reason why car breakers are an effective scheme as they potentially provide the opportunity to access some parts of older, possibly discontinued, cars.

With the focus on recycling car parts comes the environmental advantages of a car breaker yard. By recycling parts, you are opting for an eco-friendly solution for your car trouble. Ordering a brand-new part will in itself require new resources to build not to mention the pollution cost of delivering the part to your home or local garage.

How to make sure your second-hand part will fit your car

There are certain checks you should always make before taking away a second-hand part from a scrapyard. These checks should begin as far back as when you are selecting the yard itself. As with any purchase, you should shop around before you make your final decision. Questioning what services particular yards are offering? How much will they charge you for the part when you’ve extracted it? What other charges are they placing on their car breaker scheme? This should help you decide on the best choice of scrapyard.

Then you should consider the part itself. Again, like any purchase, you should check the history of the part and there are a variety of checks you can make in this respect. A great tip is to bring along the part you are looking to replace. This will allow you to make a visual comparison between the two parts to see whether the one you are purchasing is the perfect fit. You should then check the vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number to check the make and model matches that of your car. Some parts will even have a part code which should offer further clarification of whether the part is a good fit. It is important to note that although there are a certain number of car models, there are a huge variation of model variants, so a part for one Vauxhall Corsa, for example, may not fit another.

The best place to start is to search for a competitive and affordable price, and the online catalogue here at U-Pull-It offers just that.