When it"s time to buy car parts, you may be overlooking a potential source of quality parts at reduced prices. Salvage yards are sometimes the place to get exactly what you need without paying the high prices of dealer items and parts warehouses.

If you"re one of those handy people who can do your own tune-ups, change your own oil and handle minor repairs, congratulations. You have the skills to save thousands of dollars over the life of your car. But you also know that you can spend hundreds on car parts with a single trip to the auto supply house. And if you need an item that"s classified as a dealer-only part, you could easily be looking at thousands of dollars for the replacement.

So what"s the answer? Almost since the invention of the automobile, people have recognized the value of used car parts. When it"s time to work on your vehicle, used car parts can solve several problems, including cost and availability.

Especially for older cars or antique vehicles being restored, used car parts may very well be the only answer to your parts needs. You may not find any auto supply outlet with access to car parts for a "49 Studebaker pickup or a "32 Ford, but you may very well find salvage yards with cars that are being sold for parts.

Most salvage companies have “hot lines” that connect them with other companies. These are used to transfer information, such as requests for specific car parts. That means that you don"t have to hop from salvage yard to salvage yard in search of your car parts. You can simply check out a single salvage yard. If they don"t have what you"re looking for, they"re likely to find it from another dealer via the hot line.

You can often remove the car parts yourself to save even more money.

Newer models are especially difficult to find, but not impossible. Wrecked vehicles are often sold to salvage yards by the insurance companies where the autos are sold for parts. That means that you might find vehicles that are only a year old, or less.

Finding used car parts may take a bit of time, but you"ll may find rare parts and dealer parts at incredibly reduced cost.