VW Salvage Yards, Going Extinct?

[CoBro]

A huge VW salvage yard closed in my area not long ago and I'm really bummed. They had Air and water cooled cars to pick from and I'd bring my tools and pick parts when I needed them. Even my girl enjoyed walking around the place to see what they had and give me a hand. Now I'm stuck buying new pieces off the internet and out of catalogs or chasing used parts all over the county. The remaining salvage yards sell only water cooled VW and other import crap. Are salvage yards phasing us out? Do you guys/girls still have yards that stock vintage parts? If you do, count yourself lucky.

[Stocknazi]

it seems salvage yards that have mainly old cars are getting harder to find. alot have been crushed or the owners are older and simply sell out to other interests, prehaps land developers? im sure there are many more reasons. older yards are still out , you just have to look harder.
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[dieselnut]

There used to be a large (mostly) aircooled junkyard in Zearing, Iowa. At one time, they had over 750 cars, and this yard is well inside the city limits of a town not much larger than 1000-1500 people. The vast majority of the remaining daily driver aircooleds slipt off Iowa's roads in the 90's, and the yard was thinned off for the most part during that time.

What remains is for sale - some of you probably knew or at least heard of Ron - the proprieter. I've always wondered what happened to that Dormobile that he had... Anyway - he's selling the yard via ebay - here's a link and hopefully a walk down memory lane for at least a few of you.

http://cgi.ebay.com/VW-Business-Salvage-Yard-or-Ho...dZViewItem

Here's a picture of Ron - saint or sinner depending on who you talked to...lol.

And the front of the place:

Last time I went by there, sometime last year, there was a logo'd Type 3 panel sitting outside. Probably a hack, but ya never know... It's always fun driving around Zearing, there are still LOTS of VW's in action there as a result of "Services Diversified".

[dieselnut]

There is another mainly VW yard in Lafayette, Indiana - out on the west side of town. Haven't been by there for a couple years, but last time I was he was still up and running. He had a 21 Window that he wanted around 8K for, along w/ a few other things. The 600 series Benz was the cool ride to check out last visit. An older guy w/ a German accent ran the place. He was cool about letting me look around, not always the case anymore. Junkyards forever....

[67_13Deluxe]

We have a few here in Eastern North Carolina. 3 within 40 miles of me.
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[BUCIOBATISTI]

One of the big VW yards in San Diego closed not too long ago. It was called Beetlemania and they usually didn't have too much intersting stuff and almost never good prices. I did, however, unbelievably, find a set of 4 original Empi 4 Lug Sprint Stars with the caps for just $80 for the set. Only deal I ever got out of there.
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[vwsinglecab60]

there was a reasonable sized one in houston that closed last year kevorks

[derv]

[dstefun]

BW VW Wreckers in Roseville CA just phased totally out of air cooled - now water cooled only. They used to have oodles of cool parts, busses, and even a few SC's. They list themselves as Northern California's largest all VW wrecker. It's the old economics thing - few cars available to buy so few desirable parts available to sell. And the old cars take up just as much space as the new ones they can get and sell lots of parts off of. Even the PickNPull lots are drying up big time. It's sad to see what's gone just in the past 5 years.

[Erik G]

[UZI]

http://cgi.ebay.com/VW-Business-Salvage-Yard-or-Ho...dZViewItem
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[Enkiel]

[TeamSpatula]

only $98k - anyone need an investment???
I've seen several local & regional yards get shut down - environmental regulations, insurance costs, and the fact that a lot of these places were run by a guy who is now getting old, and wants to get out of it, or who dies, and his wife just wants out...Unfortunately I've seen way too many VWs, and old American Iron from the 40s & 50s crushed within the last 10 years...and I know more are coming...
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[GutBus]

Last fall, 2005, I stumbled upon an ancient junk yard in central NY. I went and looked through the yard in November, found several beetles, couple split buses, few bays, squarebacks and early rabbits (some diesel). I got some parts, went back a few weeks later for more, and there was a for sale sign posted at the entrance of the property. He's really old and says he wants out. Everything is to be crushed early spring of 06', unless another buyer wants to keep the yard as a business, but not likely. Just my luck, cant this dude stick it out another year or so ti'l I get the rest of the parts out. Why I dint find this yard years ago is what keeps me awake every night.

[UZI]

[Riff Raff]

Air Cooled wrecking yards have been extinct up here for 15 years or more.
We're over it now.

We have all learned that we have to be our own parts men as well as mechanics. It has forced us to become Parts Pigs and Bolt Nazis.
It's not really that encumbering, it just forces us to take the long view and plan way ahead for any possible problem that may be encountered, or part that may be required.
Also, one stands a much better chance of aquiring the parts he needs if he has parts to trade for them. Cash is a distant second.
Those of you who still have access to an A/C wrecking yard are a lucky but dying breed.
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[splitpile]

I can't imagine what will happen when Tom Tom decides to sell out in Utah, he has at least 20 or more split buses, 40 or more bays, a few 356's and I lost count on early beetles. Then you have buildings and buses full of parts. Did I mention the BD Deluxe also. It is the best VW yard I have ever seen and that's only because he won't sell anything

, The one in Vegas that shut down a few years back. I pulled as many buses as I could (my DD came from there) and couldn't get back for the rest of the buses and/or parts. Somewhere I have pics of what was left being crushed!!!
There is another one in Arkansas, but it's all models of cars, set by make, at least 100 VW's in the back row, but the owner won't sell anything.

Also there's another in Texas that's closed down (husband died) his wife kind of runs it but wants 1000 dollars for each bus, all or none, in todays market that could be a deal now.

Of course there's Leymans in Michigan (675 plus VW's), but between me and then Lind and Greg there isn't much left, but neither me or them got to clean out the parts room!!
Randy is still open in Paso Robles ?
Then aren't there a few in Washington/Oregon
BRAX in Montana, he has the goods
Of course there is all the secret yards we all know about but won't devulge so we won't be snaked on a good find.
There are 2 in Hesperia, Chriss's then way out in the middle of BFE Hesperia there is a small VW wrecking yard. Last time I was there they had 3 Oval Vert BAJA"S, hoods, deckids cut to baja, doors welded shut solid and capped, bodys beyond repair. Beautiful mid 60's DC and other stuff spread around.
I almost forgot the one at 4 corners in Cali.
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[Clara]

On the road trips Greg & I took in September and November we found a number of ACVW yards and shops. In towns where there were bugs driving around, there would be a shop that worked on them. But if there was no shop, rarely would you se a ACVW.

The thing was, mostly the shops were run by guys who are in their late 50s or in their 60s. Many were thinking about retirement plans. Several said their shop was for sale. The ones who had sons who were in the business, those shops were not for sale. Often those shops also worked on water cooled as well. Seems to me that the yards usually were shops as well.

Ron in Iowa was actually there when we stopped by, but he has retirement plans. He was trying to talk a local guy who actually drove over in a split (I forget his name) into buying his shop.

Tom-Tom has a lot of stuff, but a lot of it is dented, and it is not as rust free as he thinks. It;s a LOT of stuff, though.

Used to be junkyards down by the bay when I was a kid in the SF Bay Area. When I went to look for a part for my 59, there were always 2-3 splitties there. They got rid of the junkyards, now.

It's getting harder to find the old splits in junkyards.
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[Ollie W]

Yeah, I used to go to a yard here in Portland when I was in high school (86-90) looking for bug parts. They had tons of stuff and bugs stacked 4 or 5 high. It was the best playground I'd ever been to.

Anyway, I was out of the VW game for 15 years. I went back to the same place last year with my 61 DC and they just shock their heads and laughed. They said that they'd gotten rid of everything air cooled.

Guess you don't appreciate something until it's gone.

Chris

[Mr. Electric Wizard]