Some parts have a core charge. This is common with re-manufactured parts like starters. You pay the core charger upfront. When you turn in your used part, it is refunded. If you bring your old part with you at purchase time, there will be no core charge incurred. This is assuming that the old part can be rebuilt. In some cases, like brake shoes, they can be damaged to the point of no repair. In that case, you would not be refunded the core charge.

Auction Houses: Auctions are great places to search for used car parts. People dislodge the parts of their cars and these are sold online to the highest bidder. The best way to locate auctions for the car-parts you want is browsing for the auto part itself. If you search for car part auctions, you’ll get innumerable results. So first detect the part of the car you want and then verify which auction sites are listed for it. You may have to pay a small shipping charge unless you order a bulk.

After collecting and storing all junk, you have to find a place to dispose it off. An ideal place to do so is landfill. Find out where they are located and read about their policies. There are some places which require special dumping permits. So make sure you are well-informed about special conditions and requirements pertaining to your area.

For those who live near a car junkyard, this can be a cornucopia of grand river kayak rentals. However, this can be quite time consuming, especially in large junkyards. You may have to search through hundreds of vehicles before finding the right part. It is also dirty work so wear old clothes. The advantage is the price. You can usually get the part you need at rock bottom prices and many junkyard owners will negotiate. Be sure to check out the part carefully as you can rarely return a non-working car part.

If you think junkyard dogs are mean, just go write yourself a book, get yourself a literary agent, sell your book to a publisher, then sit yourself down at your computer and get ready for the abuse that’s about to be poured upon your sinless head–even if you’ve written a bestseller.

One special warning: the growth of the counterfeit parts industry is causing fits for retailers and consumers. If you suspect that you have purchased a bogus part, return it to the retailer for a full return. One more good reason to learn what a company’s return policy is before you do business with them.