Ford salvage yards are the Mecca for cheap used Ford parts. Any standard car or truck junkyard is going to have some Ford, but there are places specifically dedicated to this classic American automobile manufacturer. At these yards, you can get salvage Ford parts at cheap prices from vehicles that have been junked. Below I’ll discuss how the Ford salvage yards near me work, where to find one, and share some tips.
Map of Ford Salvage Yards Near Me
For “Ford Junkyards Near Me” or “Ford Salvage Yards Near Me”, see the map below…
If you are not getting many results, there may not be any near you. Your best option is to search for your local auto junkyard. They should have plenty of cheap used Ford parts for you. If you are restoring one, you can also check for classic car junkyards and muscle car junkyards as well.
How Does a Ford Salvage Yard Operate
A Ford Salvage Yard efficiently operates by meticulously salvaging high-quality auto parts from Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles. With a vast inventory and a commitment to customer satisfaction, the yard offers a huge selection of genuine Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury parts to meet diverse customer’s needs.
Ford junkyards operate just like any other local business. They are privately owned and not actually tied to Ford Motor Company The Ford salvage yards near me do both the selling and buying of cars, trucks, and vans. Most of them just sell junked Ford’s for parts, but some of them sell repaired vehicles with salvage titles.
How Do Ford Vehicles Get in the Yard
All of these junked auto lots vary in business practices, but re-up their inventory the same way. They get their vehicles from private owners, insurance companies, and auctions.
When they get a vehicle from a private owner, it is often that it’s been sitting and rusting for a while and doesn’t run. The owner likely deemed the cost of repair to be higher than the value of the vehicle.
When the vehicle comes from an insurance agent, it is often that the car was deemed “totaled” in an accident. This allows the insurance business to get back some of the money they paid out on an insurance claim. This is often a great way to get salvaged parts for newer Ford’s.
Lastly, some of the vehicles will come from auctions. Salvo’s will bid on groups of vehicles and get several at once through auction. By paying a low auction price for a few Ford cars, trucks, or vans at once, they can really make a profit selling them off as salvage Ford parts.
How Junkyards Process Their Vehicles
Before a vehicle is put out to the lot, it generally will go through a standard set of processing. These processes are to meet government regulations regarding the environment. Fluids like anti-freeze, wiper fluid, gas, and motor oil are all drained. The motor oil is recycled while other fluids are repackaged and resold.
Some yards will extract the engine and the vehicle’s battery. If the battery is pulled, it will recharged and resold. When the engine is pulled it may get rebuilt, which is sometimes done by an outside vendor, and then resold with a warranty. If the car has some high-value parts still intact, many junkyards will pull them in advance and sell them online or via their warehouse. The parts that have high value are parts like starters and alternators that tend to corrode quickly when left outside in the elements.
How a Ford Salvage Yard is Arranged
The Ford salvage yards near me are set up by vehicle class. So cars, trucks, and vans each have a separate section. Vehicle model and year would be great, but it’s not very practical for the salvo to manage. Normally all the vehicles are arranged in rows, so you can walk through and find the used parts you need. If your local yard isn’t organized in some fashion it makes finding parts for your style of vehicle very difficult. This can waste a lot of time wandering around the lot.
Most yards put the most popular models stacked towards the front and the less popular ones in the back. You can find rare or antique vehicles in these yards, but likely they have been picked to the frame if they have been there for a while. Any general auto salvo should have a solid-size Ford section. Here is a list of what vehicle models you will find:
- Ranger
- Explorer
- Transit Connect
- Mustang
- Escape
- Fiesta
- Focus and Focus RS
- Taurus
- EcoSport
- Edge
- F-150
- Flex
- Bronco
- C-Max
- Transit
- Expedition
- Super Duty
- Pinto
- Fusion
- Windstar
- F-250
- F-350
- F-450
- Excursion
- Crown Victoria
- Freestar
- Freestyle
- Probe
- Thunderbird
If you are looking for old-school vehicles like a classic 60’s Mustang, a 50’s Thunderbird, or something high-end like a Ford GT…these will be much harder to find and get salvage parts for. It can be hit or miss depending on what you need. I have had luck finding used parts at the Ford salvage yards near me for my 1957 Thunderbird. From replacing a clutch to even finding a hard top to restore you can find some great parts.
Check Online or Call Ahead to Save Time
Before I go to the Ford salvage yards near me, I usually check online first for parts and if there isn’t a vehicle or part inventory. If not, I call them. Not all junk yards maintain an online inventory, but those that do make the process of finding salvage Ford parts easier. If you have to call you can ask questions such as: “Do you have a rearview mirror for a 1998 Taurus”? or “Do you have any Rangers out on the lot and what condition are they in”?
When you call a Ford yard, they will also know what models and years have interchangeable parts. They may even suggest pulling parts from a Lincoln, which is also a Ford brand.
What Kind of Salvage Ford Parts Can You Find?
You can find mirrors, doors, handles, windshields, panels, axles, exhausts, intakes, and more. At times you may even find absolutely brand new auto parts. This happens when an owner tries and fix their vehicle, buys a bunch of new parts, and then still can’t get the vehicle to operate. They just junk the car for cash and never take off all the new parts they bought. If you are savvy, you can also keep your eyes out for popular parts that people look for on Ebay Motors, this includes after market parts, body kits, and expensive part upgrades.
Knowing Where to Find the Parts You Need…
Having an understanding of Ford in general will be helpful. If you need an air intake for a 2011 Ranger truck, you can pull one off a 2007 Ranger. The parts are the same and you can cut down on the time you spend scavenging. So the better you know the brand, the better your junk yarding experience will be.
You may even find specialized junkyards dedicated to specific models. For example, there is a Mustang salvage yard near me, that only deals in Stangs. They are highly specialized and are picky about their inventory. These are the go-to places for Mustang restorations. So while they won’t have parts for your F150, they are exclusive to Ford Mustangs and have some amazing Mustang junkyard finds.
What Happens After a Ford Gets Stripped at the Junkyard?
When a car or truck is stripped down to the bare metal frame and all the value has been sucked from it…what remains gets sold to a scrap metal yard. This allows the auto salvo to both make room on the lot for new inventory and squeeze the last bit of value out of the junked vehicle. They will get money for the going rate of steel, aluminum, and precious metals that are left. It is one of the final stages in the vehicle recycling process.
A well-run auto salvo can move through and clear out inventory semi-annually. Pushing cars through from buying, parts salvage, to scrap metal. A poorly run yard leaves the vehicles stripped on the frame in the lot. You will know these poorly run salvos as soon as you see one.
1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 – Just saved from a scrap yard by a Vintage Seller
Buying Used Ford Parts
Getting used parts can be cheap, but not everything that glitters is gold. Before diving into pulling parts, you should understand the risks vs the rewards.
Pros of Buying Salvage Ford Parts
If you want to save money, used auto parts are the way to go. There are lots of great deals like side mirrors for $15, a back door for $60, alternators for $18, and a fully tested and recharged battery for $13. If you are doing a restoration project, it’s sometimes your only option for finding parts that aren’t manufactured anymore.
If you plan on getting an expensive part you can get a warranty on it. The cost may vary depending on the part of the yard, but normally $10 to $15 per part is standard. The warranty will allow you to return a used part if you take it home and it doesn’t work. Most yards don’t offer cash back and there is normally a 30-day return policy.
The beauty of a Ford junkyard is that you will find parts assembled by Ford. So in other words, original parts. This is advantageous if you are doing a restoration. Also, it adds a level of trust to the quality of the part since you know that some dummy didn’t tinker with it or fabricate it.
Cons of Buying Salvage Ford Parts
When you buy used car parts, you need to throw caution to the wind. You have no insight into how these parts were used. This is why you should consider a warranty on high-priced parts. Any part you pull from a vehicle should be carefully examined and tested, but you can never have 100% certainty.
Another downside is finding exactly what you need. If you come across a poorly managed auto salvo you can spend hours looking for parts they don’t even have on the lot. This is why you should really call ahead and assess the situation.
Tips For Selling Your Ford to an Auto Salvage
Ready to junk your car for cash? Before hocking it to the auto salvage, consider the following:
- Siphon the gas and save it for yourself
- Empty your glove box, side panel compartments, trunk, and pockets on the backs of your seats
- Cancel the insurance, registration, and plates (The junk yard will charge you to do it)
- Clear any PII in the vehicle if it is made after 2008
- Know the value of your vehicle before you sell it and know its scrap steel value.
Before doing business with a junk yard you should assess how to get the most value from your junked vehicle. It may be beneficial to remove valuable components yourself and sell them. You also may need to understand why most salvages will start negotiating the value of your vehicle by offering you the scrap steel weight. If your vehicle still runs, you will want to negotiate a price higher than the scrap metal value.
Resources for Ford Vehicles
- Ford Motor Company Homepage
- Ford Wiki
- Reddit r/Ford
- The Official Ford Forum
- The Official Ford Truck Forum
Ford Salvage Yards Near Me – Wrap-Up
Ford junkyards are great for anyone looking to save money on used parts. Even if you don’t have a junkyard specializing in Ford near you, any good auto junkyard will save you money on parts. If you consistently use a junk yard for your maintenance and/or restoration you will save hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars in the long term. It’s also an opportunity to find cheap parts and sell them online.
Before you go junking your Ford or buying parts for it, knowing how these businesses operate is essential. Most yards do honest business, but be aware of shady practices in the event someone is trying to pull a fast one on you. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That’s what I’ve learned from the Ford salvage yards near me.
