Junkyard Lingo

Here are some common terms used at the junkyard / salvage
yard with some interpretations to help you understand them
and when to use them.

1. Scale Car - Car arrives at the yard with no engine, 
trans, bumpers, fenders, doors etc. This is what some club
members do with cars once they are done with them. This is
also known as a crusher. The car gets processed -- remove
gas tank, tires, valuable metals such as ac condensor, 
radiator and catalytic converters and then placed in the
crusher.

2. Processing Area - This is where cars are prepared for 
placement in the u-pull-it area of the yard. Catalytic 
converters, gas and gas tanks are removed as well as all 
fluids such as engine oil, brake fluid, radiator fluid,
power steering fluid, tranny oil, rear gear oil and of 
course Freon.

3. Core Charge - This is when the yard charges a small fee
to help you decide to return the bad parts you are going 
to replace with the ones you just bought. This is also 
known as Let s charge the customer some more money. 

4. Yard Crawler - When you need to get under the car in
the dirt/mud to remove some parts and do not want to get 
filthy laying in the dirt. The best yard crawlers are the
trunk carpets from full size cars such as Cadillacs, 
Electras, Bonnevilles, Olds 98 etc.

5. Trunk Treasure - Goodies you find in the trunk such as
power tools, hand tools, auto chemicals such as carb
cleaner and small Freon cans, never used orig spare tire,
uninstalled auto parts etc. Most commonly found in cars 
that someone started to fix and gave up so they loaded 
everything in the car and called the yard to come haul 
it away after realizing they do not know what they are 
doing or they ran out of money before they got started.

6. Glove Box Gold - Like new owner s manuals you find in 
some four door cars that are in excellent condition and 
are junked for obvious reasons - wrecked, blown engine or
 not so obvious reasons - abandoned vehicle, impound car.

7. Grease Bomb - Describes the engine compartment and
front under carriage of a car that looks like the front 
six feet were submerged in a vat of grease. This usually 
results from leaky valve covers, oil pan, timing chain 
cover and other unknown forces of the automotive 
environment.

8. Carcass Car - Describes a Skylark after one or more
club members have pulled all the good parts off a car 
such as front clip, doors, bumpers, interior and 
drivetrain. The only thing left is the rear clip and 
frame although these parts have been known to disappear. 
See #1.

9. Universal Trunk Opener - Also known as a large flat
blade screwdriver. It is used to pry out the trunk lock 
cylinder and pop the trunk when no keys are found in the
car. It is also used in some states to operate the 
ignition to get a free parts car.

10. Ford/Chrysler Tools - You use these tools to remove
parts that you can not remove with normal hand tools. 
Usually occurs when the parts are rusted, welded in place,
have stripped fasteners and/or you forgot the right tools 
at home. You have to use a hammer and chisel to remove the
part. These tools always seem to remove the part and they
can be used on all parts.

11. Custom Drop Top - Aka four door convertibles the 
factory never made. Just before a four door ends up in the
yard, someone decides to make a convertible out of it by 
cutting off the roof. Also called a parade car by some 
individuals.

12. Serious Yarder - Someone who is known by all the yard
personnel and is on a first name basis. Also, refers to
someone who brings a generator to the yard to operate 
power tools and may also have a gas powered metal chop
saw to cut up the salvage car. Several club members 
qualify for this title!

13. Locking Lug Nut Removal Tool - aka #10. Three pound 
sledge hammer and large chisel. You never find the locking
lug nut key in the car so you need to use the three 
pounder to break the stud or using the chisel, slowly
rotate the locking nut with mild hits and at unusual angle.

14. Parts Quandry - This occurs when you run across a 
part and do not know if you have a spare or extras at 
home. After buying the part and putting it away at home,
you realize you already have three others and they are in 
better condition.

15. Heartbreak Car - This is a car you find in the yard 
that is in excellent condition and is in better condition
than the car you are trying to repair. This term also 
refers to the car you have been trying to buy for some
time for a decent price only to find it in the yard 
knowing the owner got $100 or less for it.

16. Posi-tively Not - this is your chance of finding a
posi rear or 12 bolt rear in the yard.

17. Five minutes won't make a difference? - The question 
you ask yourself after finding someone else in the process
of removing parts you need after arriving five minutes 
after the yard opens.
 
18. Junkyard Gold - The rare parts you find once or twice
a year that are worth their weight in gold such as 
rust-free core supports and passenger side fenderwells.

19. Parts Frustration, Part bad luck - Related to #14.
Occurs when you find a part this week you needed last 
week when you had to buy a new one which costs five times
the used part. Also occurs when you decide you do not need
the part then realize next weekend you need it. So, you go
back to the yard thinking it is still there and you only 
find #8.

20. Tool Time - No, this is not related to the TV show 
Home Improvement. This occurs when you check the car you
worked on and immediate area to make sure you did not 
forget any tools. You would be surprised at how many 
tools you will find if you look hard enough. This is also 
a good way to find some tools left behind by other yarders.

21. Hide&Seek - Occurs two weeks before the 
all-you-can-carry sale for $30. You bury, hide, stash, 
disguise, dismantle and/or relocate to another 
manufacturers section i.e. GM parts in Ford section. 
Clearly evident prior to the sale with a lot of yarders 
removing parts but no one leaving the yard with any parts.
When the sale occurs, you try to remember where the parts
are located and sometimes learn that someone else found 
your parts and took them. This is part of the risk with 
the hide and seek method.

22. Yard Engineering - Occurs during the all-you-can-carry
sale. You have to carry the parts ten yards. An infinite
number of ways to carry parts will be tested, some with 
success. This is an excellent way to test seat belt 
strength which are used to carry heads, rims, short blocks
and disc brake set-ups.