Junkyard thoughts

Irony

What better way to spend Boxing Day than to go to the junkyard. No not the parking lot at the local shopping mall, the real junkyard. I was not the only one with that thought, so when I got to the yard, the parking lot was almost half full. A beautiful sunny warm (6 C) day perfect for junkyarding. I was looking for a pigtail for the reverse backup switch on the T5 transmission...shouldn't be too hard a task, since these transmission are also on Chevy S-10s and Blazers as well as Mustangs.

I love the junkyard since it appeals to my need not to waste anything and to get some value for my money. Two aspects are particularly appealing, the hunt for the right vehicle with the right setup and the challenge of getting that piece out without dropping a chassis on your head. Sort of like the poor man's version of Base jumping, risk and reward all at the same time.

It also sometimes feels like buying a lotto ticket. You pay a buck to get in and you potentially get a big reward if you can find the right vehicle and get the part out. Yesterday I spent a lot of time wandering and very little time harvesting, thus I had more time for my thoughts to wander and congeal into some firm forms:

1. Manual transmissions are not common anymore.

When I grew up, people who loved driving, and people without the extra money to buy a car with an automatic transmission dominated. If you didn't drive stick, you weren't driving, you were just pointing the vehicle. Why the change? I think it may represent two trends... cars are thought of now more as a commodity, like a toaster bought for convenience and low price, than an aspirational item as in the past. It is far more important for most adults to have the most up to date smartphone and technology device than to have a ride that is interesting and requires some decision making, such as when to shift from second to third.

The second trend may represent the auto industries response to the previous trend and their ability to decrease the thought needed to safely operate their vehicles. Thus the introduction of simple and cheap vehicles with automatics... no clutch to burn out, first servicing at 100,000km, change your oil at 7-1000km. Although this makes the vehicle easier to operate and own, it takes away from the awareness that motor vehicles are complex machines that are highly engineered and to operate well, needs some thought and care. Most cars now are built for obsolescence, which may not be bad if it is a Chevy Cavalier or Pontiac Sunfire. I suspect that there will be fewer common cars that will become collectibles in the future.

2. A lot of junkyard guys are new immigrants.

The junkyard is filled with all kinds of people from all over the world, who probably have a need to save as much money as possible and get the most value from their dollar. Hey I have no problem with this, being a first generation immigrant myself.

When I speak about going to the junkyard with my acquaintances and friends, they often look at me like I am talking about visiting Mars or Jupiter. Who goes to junkyards these days they seem to ask with their expressions. Well, I think a visit to the junkyard is eyeopening and it completes the cycle from car purchase to car burial. In general, if we knew more about how we got things and what happened to them we might be better off.

3. The wrecked cars represent a lot of human life and possibly death.

Looking at the crushed and smashed-in vehicles, I wonder about what those cars have seen and experienced, all the families, all the trips, the work, all the ups and the downs. Just a thought. Don't want to be too morbid about these things, but can't help but wonder.

4. A lot of stuff at the junkyard is junk.

I have spent hours at the junkyard and I estimate that I have used about three bolts and two wiring pigtails that I pulled from vehicles. Not really good return on my time investment, but where else would I go to ponder and solve the problems of the world...or at least my world.

It cost what?

After acquiring an '89 Porsche 944 Turbo and having it appraised for the insurance company, Gary Savage, the appraiser saw the in progress Factory Five roadster and we got to talking. He made some really good suggestions in regards to the build and I got a lot of reassurance that I was on the right track.

We also talked about insurance for the vehicle in the build stage, particularly for loss or theft. I thought that this was a very good idea since there is a fair bit of cost involved with all that shiny and metally stuff. So, in preparation for Gary to complete an in-build appraisal I tallied up all of the costs and invoices that I have collected so far. I was delaying the task since I was afraid of what I would find.

But I girded the loins and manned up to add up all of those loose receipts floating around the garage. Wow, I should have bought a Porsche instead....it would have been cheaper....wait a minute, what's wrong with this story.

So the cost to date is about $45 grand, without paint and body work. Pretty much what I thought it would be with a non-donor build and almost 100% new parts. Since it is coming around to two years since the beginning of the build I am looking at it like a monthly car payment/lease with an initial down payment. So it works out to a burn rate of $800/month after the initial kit cost. So... nuts and bolts and fittings...hundreds of dollars....engine and transmission...thousands of dollars....fun and friends....priceless.

I wouldn't have done it any other way.