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  #1  
Old 12-04-2005, 06:14 PM
Coming back from burnout
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: in the Pacific Northwest
Posts: 2,274
Christmas Miracles..What was your greatest find, or "Gift",at a junkyard, ever?

A True Christmas Miracle!!!!
I spent the last two weeks with my 85 300D, my faithful main ride, out of commission and up on jackstands when I found 2 cracked CV boots on my rear axles when I was doing maintenance.
After I finally pulled the axles,I found water in the CV joints. I also found out there was no way I would ever get boots on them without dissassembling and rebuilding them.
On top of that when I finally opened my rear axle CV joints up and dissassembled them Thursday night and found them way out of spec.. I was bummed and knew I was heading for big money...
Then I started to look for rebuilt units on the Internet Friday and was looking at 400 bucks..New tires are due soon also, and would set me back another $300.I was discouraged and tired. It wasn't the money, so much as the fact that I always believed in my faith to "Imagineer" my way out of anything with this Car......

Friday night after work, at 4:30 pm, I was heading to Home Depot in my daughter's 88 Corolla, (which I think sometimes weighs less than me) when a traffic jam took me askew and down a road I rarely went on.
I saw the U Pullit Yard with the 78 300D in it I had pulled body parts off of a year ago, but had long forgotten because most of the car's mechanical parts were useless on an 85 300D.
It was 22 degrees out but I do remember the car had been incredibly well maintained and had a US Naval Academy sticker on it. So I got out, paid my 1.00 entry fee and decided to take a longshot..
I found the 78 300D mounted on two tire rims , 26 rows down and 7 columns to the left, just as I remembered it. I took a peek under it and almost had an apopolectic attack.
There underneath the car were two axles with almost brand new boots!! The yard was closing in fifteen minutes. I instantly recognized the axles as correct and didnt even bother to look up the part numbers.
How much did the yard owner want? "$30.00, buddy, but you better get here early 'cause were closing early tomorrow 'cause of the weather! "
Saturday morning I was at the yard when it opened at 8 am and had the axles in my hands by 10 am.
When I got them home and pulled gently on the CV boots on one of them I was astounded!
The metal lip on the cans was pure sheet metal grey with no patina. The oil in the CV cans was fresher than Brand new oil! These joints were probably brand new replacements that might as well have been virtually sitting " on the Shelf " of Daimler Benz factory works parts department in an oil paper sealed box!
My car is needless to say back on the road already.

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  #2  
Old 12-04-2005, 06:22 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: California
Posts: 2,068
Probably a fresh, uncracked #17 603 head for $70.
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  #3  
Old 12-04-2005, 06:27 PM
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Blue Point, NY
Posts: 25,396
Quote:
Originally Posted by speedy300Dturbo
Probably a fresh, uncracked #17 603 head for $70.
...........now that is definitely a miracle.
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  #4  
Old 12-04-2005, 06:59 PM
lietuviai's Avatar
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: SW WA
Posts: 5,744
A buyer for my 87 300D who would give me what I paid for the car plus what extra I have put in it so far.
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84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012
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  #5  
Old 12-04-2005, 07:01 PM
TheDon's Avatar
Ghost of Diesels Past
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 13,285
i need to find a yard here with some w123's
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  #6  
Old 12-04-2005, 09:29 PM
Hit Man X's Avatar
I LOVE BRUNETTES
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: FUNKYTOWN
Posts: 9,087
Thumbs up

Complete No 18 head (lifters, cam, injectors, etc) and updated vac pump for $250, now I have two heads and a parts car. lol My garage is looking like a swap meet.

Tons of factory BMW turbo stuff, got the entire setup for about $225 on a 1/2 price day at PickNPull... manifold, turbo, tubing, oil filter housing w/ cooler, wastegate, intercooler, Motronic, etc. The turbo fetched over $200 alone on Evilbay.

KKK turbocharger for the SD, $30. NO shaft play at all.

560 rear foot rests that match my maroon interior for the SDL... PRICELESS But seriously, those came with a big pile of other bits I picked up such as switches, a few GP relays, some Beckers, and other misc bits for $60.



I'm out so much I hit deals constantly. The guys at the yards know me by name and divulge inside info to me on when they're expecting cars. It's great.
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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.
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  #7  
Old 12-04-2005, 11:41 PM
Professional smart ass
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 723
The coolest thing I found in a junk yard car was a quarter. ho hum.
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1981 300sd w/ 341,500 miles

http://www.wecrash.com/pics/ddda_banner.gif
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  #8  
Old 12-04-2005, 11:57 PM
sailor15015's Avatar
Reverse lights! Score!
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Posts: 1,184
It sounds like you have the most fun in junk yards. Your story about stripping down to your boxers and pulling a vac booster in freezing weather still makes me laugh. Wished I could find one around here but if my car is declared a total loss, I'll have all the parts I need. Congrats on your find.
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1984 300D 225K
1985 300D Donor body
1985 300D Turbo 165K. Totaled. Donor Engine. It runs!!!
1980 300SD 311K My New Baby.
1979 BMW 633csi 62K+++? Dead odo
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  #9  
Old 12-04-2005, 11:58 PM
JimmyL's Avatar
Rogue T Intolerant!!!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sunnyvale, Texas (DFW)
Posts: 9,675
Wasn't really a junkyard, but I bought a parts car for $250 (77 300D), and was quite pleased as it had brand new tires, new injectors and a nice interior, albeit the wrong color for mine. In the trunk, in a bag from performance products was a new timing chain, rail, two lower guides, 5 new Bosch glow plugs, a block heater element and a 617.912 engine manual (which I would love to trade for a 617.952 engine manual)
Doesn't make up for all the $ I spent on the smoker, but it is nice to be thrown a bone now and then.

Nice deals on the 603 heads, BTW...
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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John
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  #10  
Old 12-05-2005, 12:55 AM
Hit Man X's Avatar
I LOVE BRUNETTES
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: FUNKYTOWN
Posts: 9,087
Thumbs up

I find money all the time, found $4 in that SDL the 18 head came from. Bought me a few waters with it at the yard.

Always yank the back seats. There was a pair of sunglasses, a wallet, and some coins in my SDL.
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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.
[/IMG]
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  #11  
Old 12-05-2005, 12:59 AM
PRO VEGGIE CONVERTER
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Santa Maria CA 150mi North of LA
Posts: 680
I second that. every car I get, I pull the seats and carpets to clean, and I usually find $5-20 in change. Nice little rebate
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805-720-5057
1984 300D turbo 5-speed manual(daily driver)
ALL MY DIESELS RUNNING WVO
Everything is for sale for the right amount
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  #12  
Old 12-05-2005, 06:56 AM
Admiral-Third World Fleet
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Central FL
Posts: 3,069
A beautiful swiveling snap-on ratchet I found gratis laying around in u-pullit.

I must have bad karma because I lost it this weekend at upullit. I realized it yesterday when I was pulling the oil pan on my 240D. I had no way to get back there yesterday (all cars were kaput for some reason or other).

As for parts, I just picked up a perfect set of W116 euro bumpers for $50. I picked up a W116 rebuilt (aluminum can) climate control servo for $8. A complete "parts" 240D engine for $25 (with new water pump and rebuilt alternator).
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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)
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  #13  
Old 12-05-2005, 07:40 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Dakota
Posts: 1,590
The coolest thing I found was a 1951 Cadillac hearse with the back compartment decked out for having sex. That old hearse is still in the junkyard.
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1983 300-D turbo
1985 300-D turbo
1959 Harley Panhead chopper
1929 Ford coupe restored
I hang out with Boneheaddoctor at Schuman Automotive OBK#5
All liberals are mattoids but not all mattoids are liberal.
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  #14  
Old 12-05-2005, 08:27 AM
boneheaddoctor's Avatar
Senior Benz fanatic
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hells half acre (Great Falls, Virginia)
Posts: 16,007
I haven't spent enough time in junkyards to find any really good stuff yet....I feel like I've been missing out.

Best deal I found was about 20 years ago in a Mt Airey MD junkyard...found a set of doors for a Truimph GT6 + with the correct wing windows..(someone put Spitfire glass in mine)..and miricle of all miricles....since my locks were a bit worn out....the locks on this car matched the key for my car.......needless to say I scored all of them for spares.all for $40
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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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  #15  
Old 12-05-2005, 08:33 AM
Coming back from burnout
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: in the Pacific Northwest
Posts: 2,274
On a more serious side..

its a shame but with all this environmental and legal legislation that goes around in the uptight East Coast states where there are too many lawyers, U PULL IT YARDS are fighting for their lives............

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