$400/hr flipping car parts

[random_user]

I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would work.

What you would need:
1. basic portable tool set, craftsman has nice sets ~$200
2. some free time
3. cheap u-pick auto parts yard(s)
4. internet capable cell phone

How it works.
1. go to the u-pick yard and size up what potential high $ parts are avail.
example: you find a wrecked 2002 F-650 truck and see that most of the engine is still there.
2. use your phone to check ebay prices, and find the alternators are $899 new, so used price is around $450.
3. buy the alternator for $50
4. list it on ebay for $450 BIN
5. $400 profit for 1hrs work

A nice enhancement would be to inventory several good yards, then spend a couple hours researching before you go pull parts.

 

[hitch]

This won't work.

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?...Accessories&_odkw=alternator&_osacat=0&bkBtn=

You might get away with selling it FAST for $100.

Maybe if you also do other car parts. But who wants to spend hot sunny days at a junk yard getting dirty.. lol

 

[entreprenuer]

I highly appreciate this post because I am learning to become an automotive technician myself. I usually buy broken cars and fix them and flip them. But this method is quicker and easier.

I will definitely use this method when I get the chance.
thanks and rep added

 

[pasdoy]

its nice, but you need to know what is hot or not. name of pieces, shit like this. Usualy there is already some skilled people doing this. They usualy have a formation in mecanic, which I havent.

What is important of this thread:
Get a fucking degree in sokmething and start making real good money! lol

 

[entreprenuer]

This won't work.

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?...Accessories&_odkw=alternator&_osacat=0&bkBtn=

You might get away with selling it FAST for $100.

Maybe if you also do other car parts. But who wants to spend hot sunny days at a junk yard getting dirty.. lol

ok, thats very true. In this case you would be lucky to make a quick $100.

but;; there is thousands of other parts you can sell. Imagine pulling an entire flowmaster exhaust system for $25 and selling for $200. And you can do this with various other parts. Some might make very little; but some will make alot.

Imagine pulling a diesel out of 01 Ford. You would probably pay $250 at u-pull-pay and could make $600 no problem assuming it doesn't work. If you can rebuild motors youre in for some big money selling remanufactured motors on ebay.

This method would be more for people who work on cars. Wont work for everyone

 

[hitch]

Imagine pulling a diesel out of 01 Ford.

lol, I guess I'm too lazy. I've done a lot of selling on ebay. I've actually made a lot of money selling car parts (MAF sensors I bought from china for $15 and resold for anywhere from 60-100)

This technique is labor intensive but it will work. You have to find what is the market calling for.. and when you do, the profit margin will go down slightly. So at the end of the day, you'd prolly make about $20/hr. That's not really worth it unless you truly do enjoy doing that sort of thing.

 

[alex1]

So the scrap yards are being run by people who do not know about ebay? And who do not know about real sellable value of used parts in the cars they are receiving?

 

[hitch]

So the scrap yards are being run by people who do not know about ebay? And who do not know about real sellable value of used parts in the cars they are receiving?

Some yards sell on ebay ~ most don't.

This is the thing.

You-pull it places usually don't setup ebay sales page. These type of places are run by a few people who tow in cars to their final destination, then eventually sell the scrap metal to recyclers after they've been sitting X amount of time. They don't pay people to remove parts, thats why you can get them for cheaper.. you are you're own labor force.

Traditional scrap yards have a labor force they pay minimum wage. When you call to get request a part, they have someone go remove it (or the parts are removed and cataloged upon arrival) .. they have more overhead and they sell the parts for more money.. these types of yards are becoming more common on ebay as they see the potential. (prolly someone who went in and offered to setup an online sales funnel for a percentage of the sales)

 

[random_user]

its nice, but you need to know what is hot or not. name of pieces, shit like this. Usualy there is already some skilled people doing this. They usualy have a formation in mecanic, which I havent.

What is important of this thread:
Get a fucking degree in sokmething and start making real good money! lol

You don't need a degree to buy low/sell high, you just have to know what things are worth, or able to look up completed auctions. This can be applied to many areas, even yard sales or Goodwill stores.

 

[fl1guy2]

Great job using your head but there are a lot of downsides. Car scrap yards are cheap, but they're nowhere as cheap as your thinking. Plus everytime I've ever gone to a scrap yard like your talking about, I've noticed that people take random ass small parts from everything. So while it'll look like the whole thing, more than likely, it'll be missing 25% of the small parts.

Oh yea, and there's a lot of scrap yards that won't let you walk around. You have to go to the office and ask them if they have the part your looking for. In my area 3 out of the 5 good yards are like this. I go to these places about 2 or 3 times a month. (never know when you'll find something good though)

You'd probably have better chances flipping used tires.

But again, great idea, just keep them coming and eventually one of them will be a million dollar idea! And your 1 idea closer to it so keep it up!

 

[sWesUn]

My buddy used to make a killing selling bike parts. He bought salvaged bikes at auctions, took them apart and made 4-5 the price he payed everytime. Most of this is done during the warmer months. So if you are handy, its definitely possible.

 

[pasdoy]

You don't need a degree to buy low/sell high, you just have to know what things are worth, or able to look up completed auctions. This can be applied to many areas, even yard sales or Goodwill stores.

sure you dont need a degree to buy low and sell high. Age on this website is around 14 yrs old these time. But to know what to market, you need one. Go alone in a scrap and try to find some good parts alone.

But I agree with you, everyone can buylow/sell high, we are educate din this world. Try to find the perfect thng to buylow/sellhigh. It wont be here you gonna find the perfect items.

 

[random_user]

My buddy used to make a killing selling bike parts. He bought salvaged bikes at auctions, took them apart and made 4-5 the price he payed everytime. Most of this is done during the warmer months. So if you are handy, its definitely possible.

I bought an old 1974 Suzuki motorcycle for $75 and parted it out on eBay, grossed over $1600. Had people all over the world emailing & bidding.
Not every bike has margins like that, mostly old 2 stroke streetbikes.

 

[kimmer551]

Most of the junk yards in Tacoma Wa have computerized inventory, and they know the prices!

 

[random_user]

Most of the junk yards in Tacoma Wa have computerized inventory, and they know the prices!

Yes, some areas don't have any cheap u-picks.

I have heard some parts of KY and NC have real cheap u-picks.
Some have an "all you can carry" for $50 day, and it's easy to carry $1000 of parts if you know what you are doing. One guy put a set of leather buckets worth $800 plus some high $ stuff on a hood and drug it out. He took orders beforehand and cleared $1500 for a few hrs work.

 

[MoreMoneyMoreProblem]

Yes the pick and pulls are a great way to earn some side cash in between projects. I live in South Carolina and we have a couple big pick and pulls around here but most charge you out the ass but there is one down the road from me that I pulled a pair of Sony Explode 6 1/2's out of and got the price of $5 for them... These just had a little bit of dust on them from sitting in the yard for a year or more. Anyways I cleaned them up with a little water on a rag and used them for about a month. In the end I threw them up on Craigslist and got $20-25 for them. So with 5 minutes worth of work I made about 2.5 - 3 hours worth of minimum wage.

Now that I think about it I do have some extra cash I may go down to the pick and pull and see what I can find to resell. I know I have seen a $1000+ running Integra engine for $450.

 

[ed_banger]

Other things to think of (I'm a gear head, and tune cars)...


Tuners often are looking for upgrades when they make their cars more powerful. Often times there are OEM upgrades (meaning swapping a part from a newer car of the same model, or swapping parts from the "sport" or "luxury" model of the same car) that people are looking for.

Things like injectors, turbos, body kits, brake calipers, etc.

If you find a niche (like a specific car) with a cult following, read up on their forums, find out what upgrades they do that are common, and then keep your eyes out for those parts.

Like Nissans with their SR20 motor swaps. They'll swap the SR20 Nissan motor from one car into their own, or they'll turbocharge their non-turbo SR20 with the turbo bits off of a turbo SR20.

These you can usually sell on the car forums for-sale section.

 

[Canuck]

If you think the yards don't know the value of parts, you're high.

I'm sure you can grab some good deals here and there, but they rip out anything that's worth good cash and sell it themselves.

There's one yard not far from my place where I go every once in awhile, and anything of value is in the main office for sale. They also strip stuff of value and sell it to local mechanics.

 

[ed_banger]

If you think the yards don't know the value of parts, you're high.

I'm sure you can grab some good deals here and there, but they rip out anything that's worth good cash and sell it themselves.

There's one yard not far from my place where I go every once in awhile, and anything of value is in the main office for sale. They also strip stuff of value and sell it to local mechanics.

Anything that is of value to the general public.

I know that I can get injectors for $10/each from almost ANY car at the u-pulls near me. I then grab the injectors from the turbo cars, and sell them to people with non-turbo cars who are adding a turbo.


You go after the niche parts that are known/wanted only within a particular make/model of car.

 

[MoreMoneyMoreProblem]

You really just have to search for whats valuable in the yards... Don't look for things that everyone else would be looking for but niche items. I know in the yard down the road from me I got priced $35 on an AEM Fuel Rail for an eclipse. This is a $179.99 part brand new and can sell it on CL for at least $100. Like I said I wasn't thinking of the mark up I could make on these... but now the wheels are turning!