Junkyard complete truck... what should i get?

Justa231v6

I plan on visiting a few yards on a trip i am doing in a couple of weeks. What are the unobtainium parts that i should be looking for?

Is that anything that you just cant find anymore or that are long term hunts to locate? I recall a video on youtube referencing things but I would rather it written for internet searches where it will direct people here.

OGMB2K

Justa231v6 If you find a windshield washer reservoir bottle and bracket, pick it, you can sell it to me ..

MazdaMitch

Something to think about because I used to visit yards a lot and see Mazdas a lot but now I do not see any.
So think about this do you remember the old Datsun 720s, how about even a Chevy LUV?? You don't see those anymore in the junkyard at all.

That's all dried up and the Mazdas are heading the same direction.

Pull-A-Part yards are pretty cheap so if I were you I would just collect things if you plan on keeping these trucks for a while or if you have several and you want to maintain them just collect parts.

Get the stainless around the windows.
Get door glass
Rear window glass
Valve covers or even cylinder heads
Harmonic balancers if they're in good shape
Thermostat housing
Driver side coolant pipe
Wiper motors
Wiper linkage if it's in good shape
Good chrome door handles and mirrors
Good rear view mirror
Low mileage transmissions
All of the AC lines
Good dash pad
The list goes on.

Cusser

MazdaMitch Get the stainless around the windows.
Get door glass
Rear window glass
Valve covers or even cylinder heads
Harmonic balancers if they're in good shape
Thermostat housing
Driver side coolant pipe
Wiper motors
Wiper linkage if it's in good shape
Good chrome door handles and mirrors
Good rear view mirror
Low mileage transmissions
All of the AC lines
Good dash pad
The list goes on.

I agree: just finding a 1986-1993 B-Series in a parts yard is getting tough. Last year I visited local one, listed one such truck (was B2600i); I needed a solid rear window glass, that truck had a broken slider one. No tow mirrors, no ECU for Axel Breaker, all I pulled was a part from the mostly-missing console.

15-20 years ago the yard had up to 6 such trucks, I used to pull parts and resell them, or keep for myself as spare or future use (like PS gearbox, cluster with tach). I could use company's FedEx rates, made shipping economical.

Now my pull list might be:
3-spoke metal steering wheel
combination switch
tow mirrors
AC push-in switch
AC condenser
good console

I've NEVER seen decent door panels. With the price of shipping these days, I rarely even try to sell what used parts I still have.

Mrcrowley

MazdaMitch I can't find a junkyard near me that has one last one I seen the old man wouldn't sell hole truck and when I went to get parts he had crushed it made me sick

Justa231v6

rear window sliders the same size? i know the 720 has a different size each. Solid vs slider

lizardkingjr

I see one about every two years in my local junkyard, maybe every 3 years. The first thing I look for is a clean, rust- and dent-free rear chrome bumper. I have yet to find one! The rear bumper I compromised on is a Toyota chrome one.

I take whatever I can find that's relatively easy to remove with the hand tools that I have. This is the result over time.

lizardkingjr

OldTrucksRock

For 3 months I've been using LKQ's 'find a vehicle' function, meaning I've had it set up to notify me by email when any B2000, B2200 or B2600 hits the local pick'n'pull junkyards.

Result? Zero emails. Where are the old Mazdas? Probably rotting behind someone's garage, just random luck if you find one these days.

lizardkingjr

OldTrucksRock

They met a fate far worse -- they met the crusher.

Axel-Breaker-Earl

OldTrucksRock For 3 months I've been using LKQ's 'find a vehicle' function, meaning I've had it set up to notify me by email when any B2000, B2200 or B2600 hits the local pick'n'pull junkyards.

Result? Zero emails. Where are the old Mazdas? Probably rotting behind someone's garage, just random luck if you find one these days.

There was a U-Pick yard in my town (they are still here but mainly just a recycler now) where they started putting the Mazda trucks in a locked fenced area, that the general public couldn't get to. After talking to one of the girls that worked there, it seems that they had a customer (from out of town) that would swing by every month or so, and buy most of the cars & trucks in this special yard, load them up and then ship them OUT OF THE COUNTRY! They went down to South America somewhere. The U-Pick yard got more money from those trucks & cars and since they were going out of the country, they could sell them whole. None of the self-serve junkyards will sell a car complete anymore......they usually change the title to a SALVAGED title......and you have to go through a process to get a regular title again.

MazdaMitch

Yep crushed!

Also don't forget doors and fenders.
Get everything you can if you want to keep this up and in case of crashes.

Red91EFI

Here in California they don't get rusty but what takes them off the road is our required smog checks every other year. Carb trucks have a hard time passing. My 1991 B2200 having EFI probably saved my truck from the crusher, especially with over 300,000 miles

Cusser

OGMB2K If you find a windshield washer reservoir bottle and bracket, pick it, you can sell it to me ..

Universal reservoirs, pumps, switch are available inexpensively as kits. I've added such kits to my old VWs, see in following photo.

Justa231v6

OGMB2K i need two of em, however i will be digging for them.

OGMB2K

Cusser Universal reservoirs, pumps, switch are available inexpensively as kits. I've added such kits to my old VWs, see in following photo.

Thanks, any ideas on which work best as far as fitment in these trucks? I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to fit and finish ..

Red91EFI

OGMB2K

I like to go with original equipment when possible. Since the wrecking yards have dried up I go on eBay and you can find most of these parts. I'm sure you'll find what you need. It'll be more expensive.......