I used to love ..... breakers yards.

axisus

I started driving late 80s, and my first 7 cars were all minis. I loved modding them, engine stuff, other mechanics, interior, exterior etc. I was always down breakers yards looking for interesting bits and pieces, sometimes whole engines an other times just interesting fittings, handles etc.

There were about 5 yards that were easy to get to, and they would all stack cars up, often three high in great long rows. Back then there was no health and safety, you were free to roam, clambering up and down the stacks, hanging off the front trying to get something off, jumping from car to car. It really was great fun back then, just like some sort of adults adventure playground! The best one was massive, it was stuck in the woods, surrounded by trees. Loads of interesting nooks and crannies, fascinating old vehicles in a right state, busses, lorries, a real aladdin's cave of intrigue. 

Sadly it all changed over time, they all got shut down eventually. 

Iamnobody

Yeah the old breakers were fantastic places. You've summed it up nicely.

Motorhate

There was a massive one in Edmonton, North London that I used to frequent almost every other weekend, trying to get the numerous old bangers that I'd bought roadworthy. They were indeed a health and safety nightmare and there is no way on earth they'd let you clamber over them the way we did back in the day.
I'd imagine a lot of thieving would go on for the smaller parts too. I've got a mate who runs a motorcycle breakers yard and it's huge and although you're not clambering over huge stacks of bikes, it's still interesting walking round and rummaging for various parts.

Dominic

Could be creepy -I remember looking at front-ender that still had teeth and hair in the dashboard 
Ah ,yeah ,those sure were the days !!

tone1

I can remember walking home with a complete carpet on my head for my mk2 Escort...happy days

paulnb57

Like you I loved a good scrapyard where you could clamber about in old cars looking for interesting bits........shame they are so controllled now....

historyisjunk

I'd have to admit that my idea of a good holiday would be driving around a series of good junk yards; esp some in the USA where they still seem to exist as they used to here (I have few friends....). Though it would probably also make me sad as I'd be finding all kinds of great bangers I wish I could save.
I think Rainham in Essex used to have some fine examples, though never managed to get there.

Unfortunately I found most of the ones I visited pretty unfriendly, possibly because of theft & there was also the ever present dogs & their "relics" to watch out for.
As well as the H&S they are probably better as they are now from an environmental point of view. The oil, anti-freeze & battery acid are better sucked out & properly disposed of rather than soaking into the ground. On the other hand I think some places just shred cars now with relatively little parts recycling which seems wrong.

mike_l

There used to be a fantastic breakers in Earith, but it went years ago.

There's still a few around, but are massively controlled these days of 'elf'n'safetee.

axisus

All my old ones are gone Not a single one left.

Bridgehouse

Lol - came expecting @HarrySeven content but there's nothing here??

StanleyAccrington

You're so right. Not many of them around now. And some of the prices they ask for some parts are plain daft. Not such a cheap option for fixing or making mods to your motor. ( A note to all you single lads out there.....all of this motors/ looking around scrap/dealers yards tends to end when you get married).

Dominic

Breakers parts so dear now that its cheaper to buy unbranded pattern parts from Euro Parts
the only bits they do cheap are the bits nobody needs

57Deluxe

all the bits you wanted were always 4 cars up in the air though...

bluechargeboy

I forgot about all that lark! Mk2 Fiesta bonnet hinge...Scirocco wing mirror....many a fine clamber and forage. We used to buy cars based on how many scrap ones could be found in the yard, which is the opposite of my car-buying criteria now.

I once bought a whole broken Talbot Samba just for the tyres and rear bumper; it was cheaper than buying the parts separately!

axisus

57Deluxe said:

all the bits you wanted were always 4 cars up in the air though...

That was a good thing! I loved all the clambering around

HarrySeven

Bridgehouse said:

Lol - came expecting @HarrySeven content but there's nothing here??

Ahhhh...scrap yards, tat shops...the good old pre-interweb/eBay world...I could wax lyrical for hours...

Best not, eh?

Bridgehouse

HarrySeven said:

Bridgehouse said:

Lol - came expecting @HarrySeven content but there's nothing here??

Ahhhh...scrap yards, tat shops...the good old pre-interweb/eBay world...I could wax lyrical for hours...

Best not, eh?

I was counting on it!

Disappointed.

PolarityMan

They were great, I used to do all my boss battles there.

TheBlueWolf

@Motorhate which one was that?

I still live in Edmonton,  on the corner of Montague Road and the A406. The scrap metal yard is a two minute walk from my flat.

Interesting if useless fact; the scrapyard featured in the last episode of "Stig Of The Dump".

Motorhate

@TheBlueWolf believe it or not, it was about a 5min walk from where you live. Next door to the scrap yard there was the breakers. I used to work in a in what is now the White Arrow warehouse. Burberry's the clothing manufacturer was in there in the early 80s. The breakers was next door to the scrap yard, you would actually go down Montagu Road to get in there. It looked a lot different to what it does now back then. The flyover and a lot of other stuff wasn't built back then.

By the way, if anyone lives near Thurleigh Airfield in Bedfordshire, there's a huge amount of classic cars that have been sitting there for years, ready for the crusher. There's uproar among car enthusiasts. I can see why ...

historyisjunk

That place in Beds is incredible. Would be interesting to know where they came from. If they are going to be crushed it seems strange they've been sorted into makes & models. Hope some people will get a chance to get something better out of them than scrap. Thanks for posting.