How to buy junk cars and make money

Junkyard Life is always hunting for car deals. We shop driveways for dilapidated vehicles covered in tarps or dirty with debris or covered in tree sap. All telltale signs of a non-running vehicle. We bought this 2002 Honda Civic because it had a tarp covering the back window. The tarp was sagging into the Civic, showing evidence that the tarp had been there awhile. The reason for the tarp? A large tree limb fell on the roof, breaking the back glass and denting the roof. The owner, at first reluctant to sell, was ready to make a deal six months later. For $300, the ran-when-parked Honda found a new owner in Junkyard Life. We needed to do some major cleanup. A junkyard rear window glass, seatbelts, new wipers, and a new fuel pump were the major items replaced. The Civic was back on the road after the roof was pushed back into place using Porter power hydraulic tool. The lesson here is to look for a deal. They are parking in driveways and yards all over your town. A little sweat equity and little money add up to a profit if you decide to flip the project and not turn it into your daily driver. We see it as a win-win scenario. You may hit some snags along the way, but the more you practice the junk car craft, the more you will learn.

2002 Honda Civic in as-found condition, minus blue tarp that was covering damage.

How to buy junk cars and make money

• Always look for a diamond in the rough. Scan driveways and yards for vehicles that have been parked for a long time. Dirt, debris on top, dingy with grime or damage?
• Inquire with owner, and ask if the vehicle is for sale
• Make your best deal. You will learn over time how to factor in the unknown expenses in the price or just offer scrap value. Many will be glad you took their eyesore away. Always another deal down the road.
• Sweat equity: cleanup the vehicle, determine what need to be done to get it running. Buy junkyard parts if possible.
• Mechanical: fuel systems, tank, fuel pump, brake lines, etc. Vehicle needs to be road worthy or sell as parts/project to make your money.
• Keep a good attitude. You will encounter headaches. Besides the automotive grinding and busted knuckles, paperwork and trips to the DMV will become regular occurrences if you decide to hustle junk cars.
• Don't try to hit a home run every time. Make some money and move on.

Jody Potter — Junkyard Life Watch more Junkyard Life on YouTube If you got time, we need your help hiring a cheap camera holder and dog food. Your views, and likes help us. Thanks! Buy a Junkyard Life TSHIRT

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Budget Buick Build Before & After: Cherry Avenue Auto Parts Junkyard Part 4

Need a reason to visit a junkyard? Buy a busted Buick. Watch Junkyard Life put this grandpa-fresh LeSabre back on the road. We won the bid on a wrecked 2000 Buick LeSabre with $650 at a local Birmingham, Alabama wrecker auction. The Buick came home on a wrecker, but as a bonus, we had keys and the 3800-V6 engine runs. Well, sort of. The bent Buick has a torn up radiator, so we didn't let it run for long to avoid overheating the engine. This purchase would be prime flipping material – the Double Aught Budget Buick Build – if we could locate all the parts and put it back together. (Note: Save time, money, and headaches when you buy projects that run.)

MAKE A LIST

We jotted down a list of damaged parts and a scoured websites, such as Facebook Marketplace and the local Pull-Your-Own yard. The key to a budget build is finding straight body panels that have matching paint to what you are working on. This saves big money. 

JACKPOT!

We found Cherry Avenue's listing on Facebook Marketplace. Their Buick parts car was the same color as our car! That's a major bonus. Bolting on same color parts saves a ton on paint expense. Even with the saving, we did spend $450 in parts for a $650 car!

DISMANTLE

Cutting away the bent parts and removing the damaged pieces left the front end of the Buick nearly naked. We found color-matched hood, fender, grill, and bumper cover at Cherry Avenue Auto Parts. We also snagged a replacement frame horn piece that was crunched in the front end collision. The new boxed frame horn structure (unibody does not have traditional frame) would need to be welded into place. A few other parts, headlight, air intake box, and radiator were located at the local you-pull-it yard.

A FAMILY THAT JUNKYARDS TOGETHER...

I try to include my family in the many automotive projects that funnel across my driveway junkyard. This time my youngest daughter, Noelle, pitched in with some underhood wrenching to put the airbox and wiring back in place on the 3.8 liter Buick engine. My son, Joe, you may remember him from the Project $300ZX (https://youtu.be/kRqUlRAHbiQ), helped out at the you-pull-it yard grabbing a radiator and a headlight. 

Teach them how to do stuff and they will do stuff. It's simple. And you're helping yourself, down the road, at the same time.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

The fun begins when you put the final pieces of a puzzle together. But there is always a few problems to solve. The Buick's factory aluminum hood did not want to line up with the fender edges. Metal against metal. Bam! No good. A degree in Alabama Auto Mechanics was needed. A chain hoist and a tree were used to pull the understructure into position. When all aligned, bolted, and welded in place, the fenders were mounted. The hood, headlight, grill, and bumper cover were easy additions. 

Almost as good as new! 

Grandpa-fresh

The Double Aught Budget Buick Build name is a nod to the 2000 model year, which introduced the redesigned LeSabre's front-wheel-drive, full-size, 3800-V6 to another decade of sensible transportation. You know your grandpa would give the Buick LeSabre a 4-star review every year. From 1992 thru 2000, the Buick LeSabre maintained a legion of buyers eager to hold the keys and place this full-size people mover at the top of the best-seller list.  

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Leave us a comment. Do you think we did ok? After all said and done, about $1,200 was spent to get the Buick back in shape for the road. Have you worked on a similar project? We're always under a budget constraint at Junkyard Life. We cheap because we have to be out of necessity.

Do you have a junkyard or a junky yard?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com

WATCH MORE FROM CHERRY AVENUE JUNKYARD:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

 

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Follow is for more from our Junkyard Life Rusty Gold Rescue Team! We are always hunting, junkyards, old cars mysteries and stories from the cool people who keep the world from becoming boring. 

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Junkyard Tour: Cherry Avenue Auto Parts, Birmingham Alabama - Part 3 - VIDEO

Hunting for parts at Cherry Avenue Auto Parts in Birmingham, Alabama turned into a guided tour by "Baz" Sultan, the 19-year-old son of, Paco Sultan, the owner. "Baz" tried to show me, Jody Potter, and Ron Kidd all the old school iron on the yard. In modern day junkyard lingo, the "old" stuff is from the 1980s. Ha! We wanted more and despite the sweltering heat and tall weeds we did scope out a 1975 Datsun 280Z, and a 1971 VW Beetle. For those just joining us, in Part 1, we saw a 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix in Part 2. Go back and watch if you missed out. Our main reason for visiting Cherry Avenue Auto Parts was to buy parts for our 2000 Buick LeSabre. We bought a wreck at the local auction and needed to find a replacement grill, fender, header panel, headlight, and support structure under the left fender. I found Cherry Avenue's listing on Facebook Marketplace. Their Buick parts car was the same color as my car! That's a major bonus. It saves a ton on paint expense. The Buick gets repaired in the next episode. Stay tuned! Watch Part 1 Watch Part 2

Do you have a junkyard or a junky yard?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com

Junkyard Tour: Cherry Avenue Auto Parts, Birmingham Alabama - Part 2 - VIDEO

We continue our quest for Buick parts and classic cars at Cherry Avenue Auto Parts in Birmingham, Alabama. Our guide, "Baz" Sultan, gives us the deluxe tour of the 3.3-acre yard with more than 1,000 vehicles. "Baz" has lived his entire life in Alabama and learned the valuable lesson of hard work from his parents. His father, Paco, runs Cherry Avenue Auto Parts. "Baz" has a dream of owning his own car lot when this was recorded in August 2019. His determination to be successful is evident in his words. We were inspired by "Baz" and his dreams.

While Ron Kidd and I (Jody Potter) were busy touring the yard, Blake, an employee at Cherry Avenue Auto Parts, is hard at work dismantling the junkyard jalopy. It's a 2000 Buick sedan that is a runabout used on the yard to fetch parts and tackle work. The jalopy has no doors, trunk, and only 110,000 miles on the odometer. Blake said the A/C still worked. In a short time Blake had the 3800 Buick engine cradle on the ground, as Paco lifted the body in the air with a forklift. Our day at Cherry Avenue was full of surprises. More old cars will be uncovered in the next episode. Stay tuned!
Watch Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/AhT4M621rRQ
Watch more Junkyard Life
If you got time, we need your help hiring a cheap camera holder and dog food. Your views, and likes help us. Thanks!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MORE JUNKYARD LIFE
Follow us for more from our Junkyard Life Rusty Gold Rescue Team! We are always hunting old cars mysteries and stories from the cool people who keep the world from becoming boring. Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust.

Do you have a junkyard or a junky yard?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com and Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.

Junkyard Tour: Cherry Avenue Auto Parts, Birmingham Alabama - Part 1 - VIDEO

Junkyard Tour of Cherry Avenue Auto Parts in Birmingham, Alabama on a hot summer day in 2019. Baz Sultan, the son of owner Paco Sultan, gave Junkyard Life an exclusive tour of more than 3-acres of the property. Of course we were looking for junkyard gold in the form of 1960s muscle cars, but were happy to stumble across several relics from the 1970s.

Baz, only 19 years old but full of energy and optimism gave us some insight on what it's like running a junkyard. Baz plan is to operate his own car lot, selling nice, clean, drivers, while his father continues the auto parts business.

Our true reason for landing at a junkyard on the western side of Jefferson County Alabama was an ad on Facebook Marketplace. A recent auction purchase, a 2001 Buick, needed some front end parts. Cherry Avenue Auto Parts listed a Buick in the same, not-so-uncommon gold color with parts for sale. Two Junkyard Life galoots, Jody Potter and Ron Kidd, scampered out, tools and camera in hand to get the goods and a story.  >>Watch video for Part 1.

Do you have a junkyard or a junky yard?
Send us details and we’re on the way!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com or Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.