Car breakers

[Gragson]

Might be a long shot.. Does anyone know any half decent car breakers in north bucks or beds?
I've politely messaged 8 ebay sellers who are listing the car I want parts from, 2 monosyllabic replies saying no and stiffly ignored by the others.

Times were when you could go with your own tools, remove the bits and pay at the office, seems they have all moved to online and putter says no!

 

[brightspark]

not allowed to now . insurance wise and all parts have to be stripped and fuel and oils removed before they can be scrapped

 

[LiftedDisco]

@Gragson - what are you looking for?

Smiths of Bloxham - might be a bit of a treck for you but it’s a proper old yard with plenty of puddles and you take your bits off yourself.. definitely worth a visit!

 

[Gragson]

Cheers for that, I might have to look them up for future ref, its for new type VW beetle parts.
But I have come across a beetle specialist breaker in Rugby who has most of what I need at reasonable ££

When I was a lad there used to be a fair few breakers around, the motorbike ones were great, loads of bits for a few quid
One of the biggest locally was run by a bloody fearsome woman, she knew her stuff and always gave a good price first so if you haggled you would get the wrath!

 

[gordon stephenson]

There is a big Vehicle "recycler" near me, I think he is the chairman of the vehicle recyclers association, Not allowed anywhere near the cars, ask at the counter and they look through the computer stock, if the part you need is already in their store you get it straight away, or take it from a vehicle and come back later, The price he charges you would think he was selling gold bullion!!!,

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Don’t understand breakers nowadays, they don’t seem to actually want to sell anything. I messaged one about something a couple months back and got a reply at 9pm saying call this number, I did and he went off the handle that I’d called him at 9pm, not 2 minutes after he asked me to ring. Gave up and just made a new part

 

[Stupoty]

Does hendon count ? They are very organized from my experience, might be worth a ring

 

[Bullet2012]

What are you looking for, we have an old school breakers near me, not sure what the current rules are (Covid) but I may be able to get a look for something specific

 

[Beeezer]

if your venturing to rugby is desborough in distance, theres frank beals a proper walk round take your own kit place.
worth a phone call.

 

[gaz1]

you still can around here

always did enjoy the scrappers hunting for parts

 

[Country Joe]

Does hendon count ? They are very organized from my experience, might be worth a ring

View attachment 279458

How embarrassing - I still pass by quite close to that place, and used to live just up from the "Chandos Arms" (was called the "New Chandos" back when I lived in the same road!) but have managed not to notice it - and I "mooch about" quite a bit - everywhere I go!

Well, I thought I mooched about quite a bit, but maybe I'm going slowly blind!
Despite now living in the sticks, it's nice to know about it - thanks @Stupoty.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[pedrobedro]

Might be a long shot.. Does anyone know any half decent car breakers in north bucks or beds?
I've politely messaged 8 ebay sellers who are listing the car I want parts from, 2 monosyllabic replies saying no and stiffly ignored by the others.

Times were when you could go with your own tools, remove the bits and pay at the office, seems they have all moved to online and putter says no!

You just need to find a car that you need the bits off and take them when nobody is looking. They did with the front end of the Fiat 500 my mate's daughter parks outside her flat in broad daylight. Bonnet wings headlights arch liners and some engine ancillaries as well.

 

[droopsnoot]

Does hendon count ? They are very organized from my experience, might be worth a ring

View attachment 279458

Strangely, I was just watching the last ever episode of "Waking the Dead" (they've been repeating on "Drama" recently) and that looks like the entrance to the scrapyard featured in the programme.

Slightly O/T (well, not as O/T as talking about TV shows) I've just heard that my local dismantlers is closing down soon. They went downhill once they stopped allowing people to walk around - I bought loads of stuff from there that wasn't quite what I wanted, but would do the job, just because I could have a look on other vehicles and find similar items. They were taken over a few years back by a national chain, and now apparently they're "rationalising" or something.

 

[James1979]

The walk around ones are getting rare. I think it’s the insurance. Must be a nightmare thinking about it, having unknown 3rd parties turn up and start working on unknown cars with untested skills and tools. Especially in the days of battery grinders.

I don’t particularly like the parts counter ones but at least they take the bits off reasonably carefully. Many times I’ve gone to car after car for a part to find some idiot has smashed what I need off because it was in his way.

The DIY ones were good for working out how stuff came apart without trying it on your own truck first!

 

[tom2207]

You just need to find a car that you need the bits off and take them when nobody is looking. They did with the front end of the Fiat 500 my mate's daughter parks outside her flat in broad daylight. Bonnet wings headlights arch liners and some engine ancillaries as well.

land rover doors are another thing thats prone to vanishing too.
and cats off all sorts of things , I remember when it was spare wheels that vanished when they were stored under cars ,,,,

 

[dobbslc]

I've been to Metro breakers in Hendon in the past and they were ok but expensive. You also have to completely forget all your manners and just pile in at the counter or the eastern Europeans just jump the que.
I used to love going to the breakers in Watford with my old man, he'd be taking parts off a Reliant Robin or old Mini while I was climbing over scrap cars stacked 3 high

 

[brightspark]

i once went in to a local scrappy to get a leaf spring of a mk2 escort van there was 2 cars piled on top so i asked him to lift em off and he wouldnt right greedy miserbale tw...ts . so i just stuck the jack under the van and jacked em up and the top 2 fell over got the spring out and he came over ranting . i just said ohh well i did ask and stick your spring if thats your attitude and went and got one somwhere else