Learn to recognize the smell of burnt oil and/or burnt transmission fluid. Either forewarn of coming problems. Smell the dip stick on both. Open an oil filler cap while the engine is running. Does it have blow-by? If so, be prepared for major engine problems. At the least, the vehicle will need rings. Is there a lower or upper end engine knock? Same deal…Not good! How ’bout an anti-freeze smell. More than likely the vehicle has a bad head gasket. Get the point yet? Take a mechanic along if you aren’t versed in these things. They will know what to look for to save you money.
Locating some is simple enough, they can usually be found online or in the local yellow pages. There is almost always many 2001 chevrolet impala in each town or the surrounding areas regardless of how remote the location is.
Every town has at least one junk yard, which it is commonly called an auto salvage yard because they salvage the parts. Some parts on these vehicles are not functional, but even the most dilapidated vehicles have something that is useful on the inside or outside.
Even though part of the engine is dead doesn’t mean the entire thing is. The car battery may still be good, the alternator, air conditioning unit, belts, cam shaft, and so much more can be sold because these are items that are frequently sought out by individuals. So it is a good idea to take advantage of that by placing a sign in front of your yard or an ad in the paper. That is if you know how to safely remove the car parts on your own. If you do, then you can maximize your profit on the car because many individuals seek out salvage engine parts before they will go to the auto parts store and buy new ones.
In fact, many lives are saved this way. People go in for routine checkups; the doctor orders routine tests, and lo and behold there is a problem. If it would have been caught later on it might have become a bigger problem. It is the same thing with your car. If you take your car in to the mechanic to check out the car parts; you can very easily catch something early on in the game.
However, once you find a salvage auction you still need to know what to do to get a good vehicle for a cheap price. The way the auction will normally work is the gates will open at a specific time and you will have about 2 to 3 hours to go around and check out the vehicles you are interested in. This is when you can pop the hood and start the vehicles.