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What do you do with old parts?

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XC92

Proven Member
1,570
357
Jul 22, 2020
Queens, New_York
Like everyone else here over time I've accumulated a bunch of old parts that were replaced as part of either routine preventative maintenance or after replacing a broken or defective part, and I'm wondering what to do with them and what folks here do with them. I realize that it depends on what kind of part and the condition that it's in, so I'm just looking for general advice and ideas.

For example, I have 2 old front wheel hubs left over from a bearing and hub replacement on a non-DSM car. The bearings were interference fit so they're obviously useless (although the cleaned up ball bearings work well with my nephews' chutes toys), but the hubs are still serviceable. I replaced them because new ones weren't that expensive and the car had over 150k on it so I figured what the hell. Is there a market for such old parts and is it worth even bothering with it if it's just a few bucks?

From the same job, I also have a still serviceable CV axle whose outer end I destroyed by pounding on it too hard to get it out of the hub, which mushroomed it, which a local shop had to grind and press to get off. But the rest of the axle is likely fine, especially the CV joints. Any market for that?

I also have old inner and outer tie rods, ball joints, a starter, master cylinder, etc., some with life left in them, others clearly junk. What are my overall options with such parts? My guess is a combination of Craig's List, eBay, this and other cars' swap and for sale forums and maybe sites dedicated to such exchanges and sales, junk yards, local recycling centers, and the garbage.

There's also repurposing some old parts as tools, e.g. an old clutch disc's hub if the splines are still good, to use when rebuilding a trans.

But if anyone has more specific advice, and insight as to which kinds of parts tend to still be saleable and which are best to recycle or throw out, I'd appreciate it.
 
I have a huge collection drowning in dust bunnies in my basement. From time to time I grab something I may need, but for the most part they sit. Never know when a random part will be needed, or a piece of a part to fix an otherwise working unit.
 
Unless its truly useful mine go in the trash. I have on occasion replaced a part with a new one and rebuild the old one and put it on the shelf. Calipers come to mind.
 
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I have also been hoarding parts from pick n pull. I especially go for wiring looms and OEM screws and fasteners that are in good shape. For pieces that I know have no marketable value I keep them in my garage and label them.

Marketable pieces I sell them here and on craigslist. Although I STILL have an M4 carbon fiber duckbill spoiler I pulled off my wrecked Volvo. Seriously how stingy are BMW owners on aftermarket parts??? I'm selling for 1/3 it's value. I digress


Parts that I deem unusable I just pile up and take to the metal scrapper near me once a year. They have to be unpainted and scrubbed of dirt, they don't charge me for recycling and sometimes give me money depending on the metal.
 
I have a huge collection drowning in dust bunnies in my basement. From time to time I grab something I may need, but for the most part they sit. Never know when a random part will be needed, or a piece of a part to fix an otherwise working unit.

If I had a basement (or garage, attic, storage locker, etc.), then that's what I'd do. Unfortunately at present I have none of these, only a storage container in a neighbor's back yard on borrowed time, and I'm going to have to take it out of there by spring, if not sooner.

If I had to I could stash it all in our several cars and getting creative with closet space and under beds, but that's not going to work out long-term.

Parts that I deem unusable I just pile up and take to the metal scrapper near me once a year. They have to be unpainted and scrubbed of dirt, they don't charge me for recycling and sometimes give me money depending on the metal.

Is that how it usually works with scrappers and junk yards, they need it to be in decent condition? Or just scrapper, not junk yards?
 
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If I had a basement (or garage, attic, storage locker, etc.), then that's what I'd do. Unfortunately at present I have none of these, only a storage container in a neighbor's back yard on borrowed time, and I'm going to have to take it out of there by spring, if not sooner.

If I had to I could stash it all in our several cars and getting creative with closet space and under beds, but that's not going to work out long-term.
I've been there. When my wife and I had an apartment, I ended up renting one of those public storage spaces for my extra broken DSM and all the parts so I didn't have to junk them all. Came close.
 
Junk yards I think take them as is? Unsure. I have a metal smelting plant close to my house. I live near Boeing, which is probably their main supplier so maybe that's why they want good condition metal? I think it just makes their job easier. They only dunk bigger pieces in the acid bath so with smaller pieces I try to just run a metal scrub brush bit over it. I'd rather metal be reused then sit in a filth pit.
 
All that steel is just hoping for an exciting new life as a shovel, or deck furniture. If it’s something that can be rebuilt, like a steering rack or pump, and rebuild parts are still obtainable, saving it is an option. Old wearing parts like u-joints, CVs, suspension parts with non-replaceable rubber parts: these are what’s known in the industry by their technical name- scrap.
All that you possess will in equal measure possess you.
Recycle and be free!
 
There is a scrapper on my street, so I just leave anything I have no use for out by the street. It's usually gone within a couple hours.

If you amass a decent amount of metal parts, you could post a free ad on FB marketplace or Craigslist.
 
If I replace or upgrade a serviceable part, I clean it, tag it, and bag it for the future rainy day. I bought a small tuff shed, sealed it from dust and rain, and put in a nice shelving system to organize all my parts in milk crates. I aspire to one day have a treasure trove of parts like Jafromobile.
If it looks like a hammered bag of crap, I salvage what I can off it and depending on the size and material it's made of, it either goes with me to the metal scrap facility down the road or in the nearest dumpster.
Occasionally if I'm accumulating a bunch of parts that I'm not sure of keeping or scrapping, my neighbor likes to sift through it and repurpose some of it in some strange and amusing way.
 
I had a huge collection before I moved. It was partially because you never know when you might need them and partially because I wanted to turn the block from my first car into a coffee table and the crankshaft into a lamp, but when we moved I decided it was time to clean house. The functional stuff got listed as free, you pay shipping and the non-functional stuff made its way to the local metal recycler. I've been keeping that cycle up ever since. It's being kept for an ongoing project, it's free to anyone who wants it, or it's in a pile to go to the recycler. Nothing gets kept "just because" anymore. And I'm ready to make another recycling trip this week.
 
I'll post them for free pick up on Facebook etc.

If no one wants them they go on the trash.

Their value is determined by length of time they would be in storage divided by price. 1 year = $100. If it's not worth $100 it's not worth storing for one year

If you really want to be a hoarder you should buy used rubber maid totes and stack them in your back yard with parts inside them
 
I think a question like this boils down to 3 things that you have to decide for yourself:
  1. Am I a saver or a thrower?
  2. What kind of space do I have?
  3. How rare is the car and/or the part?
I tend to be a bit of a saver. I have a fairly large garage that I built suspended shelves from the ceiling with the threaded rod. I bought some grey bins and I can store parts up and out of the way (at least they're not in my backyard like chrysler kid said!!) . I'm starting to notice to that many 1G parts are NLA from Mitsu (plus I own a Starion - so everything is NLA!!). So, that said, I have a good stash of parts, but I try not to go crazy either. I don't want to be one of those guys that has isles you have to walk through just to find things. It's a balance I guess.

As far as selling goes I put stuff here first, if it doesn't sell here I go to eBay since it's a wider market. I just don't like all the eBay fees. I'm not on FB, but I've heard really good things about FBmarketplace. I've had little to no success on CL, it just doesn't seem like anyone is on there anymore.
 
Since I have nowhere to put any saved stuff long-term I'm forced to be either a thrower, seller or give-awayer--preferably seller, of course.

And really my original post was asking what to do with stuff that you can't keep because there's no room, or don't want to keep because you have no use for it. I guess I should have been clearer.

E.g. eBay, CL, local scrap dealers and junk yards, swap meets, online sell/buy/swap sites, etc.
 
Sort of all about how much effort you want to put into it. Unless you have very valuable parts (generally not the case with most repair and maintenance items) then you’re better off spendIng your free time either getting your car running better, or doing something else entirely that you like. This would be different for someone who has a big garage or shop, and cycles through multiple dsm projects. I’m sure they will chime in here.
 
It's less about making some money off of these parts than getting rid of them in a way that maybe helps others, as some probably still have some life in them.

If I throw them out, no one benefits from them. If I give them to a junk yard or scrapper, someone might eventually make use of them, but the junk yard or scrapper will mostly profit from it.

Selling it directly, though, assures me that they'll likely get to someone who can use them, with a bit more money in my pocket. Win-win? Assuming I find buyers, of course.

Mostly, though, I just need to get rid of these parts as I don't need them or have the room for them. Living in a smallish apartment is like that. I was lucky enough to have a neighbor who let me keep them in her backyard, but that option's going away soon, as was the ability to store my car in her driveway while it wasn't driveable. Thankfully it's driveable now so I've solved that problem.
 
Thanks. As you know it still has issues and should not be driven except when absolutely necessary, but yeah, it's a car again. Hopefully the hardest parts are over. People tell me that rebuilding a trans is a nightmare, but somehow that doesn't faze me, compared to an engine or bicycle wheel. I just need some time and the space to get it right.
 
For me the difference is that engine rebuilding has loads of resources for information, plus often you need a machine shop for the critical work. Plus it’s sort of like one assembly times four. Trans has always Been more mysterious to me. And autos; forget it!
The part I’d worry most about an MT rebuild is properly diagnosing what’s worn out or out of spec on the existing one. Miss replacing one little spring that needs it and you’ll be left wondering why it’s not all better.
But more power to you. If you’re confident and committed, I have no doubt that you can get all the parts and info to get it done right and driving sweet. I’m sure there will be plenty of other dsmt members cheering you on like I will. Many of them can actually help, too.
 
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