Our PnP pulls the wheels and puts the cars up on sets of 2 wheels welded into a stand sort of deal - VERY stable. Shake the car HARD if you're worried about going under it - believe me, the yard has already done that so THEY know it's safe to go under. Always wise to check in that manner.

I make it a point to show the counter guys every nut, bolt, and screw I take from a car when I strip a part. I can wander the PnP as well as another conventional yard here as they know my face and know I won't take ANYTHING they don't know about. Strict honesty pays off - they'll often tell me "No Charge" for some little gizmo that they were going to crush anyway.

The trick is to be friendly and honest and develop a connection with the yard. They want your business and they want you to tell others to use them, too, so if you make it possible for them they'll trust you and treat you right.

We moved here 11 years ago so I had to start over making these relationships. Back in MI I could walk into pretty much any yard in our area with nothing more than a wave of the hand to let them know I was there (they need to know you're there for safety reasons). Same deal - absolute honesty. Mom told you "Honesty is the best policy" and she was right.

Some yards won't let me in or treat me like I treat them - I don't use them and keep my $$ in my wallet. They evidently don't need me and I ABSOLUTELY don't need them.

Dan