An automobile graveyard is a salvage yard that buys totaled or end-of-life vehicles to harvest usable components. Mechanics and rebuilders visit these yards to extract engines, body panels, and rare trim pieces before the remaining chassis is crushed for scrap metal. The inventory is typically organized by make and model, though older yards leave cars rotting in fields.
I spent all Saturday walking the automobile graveyard trying to find an intact fender for a 1998 Cherokee.
Always bring your own tools and penetrating oil when pulling parts from these yards, as the bolts have usually been rusting for years.
Also heard as
- junkyard
- salvage yard
- wrecking yard
- breaker's yard
Related terms
Parts car
A non-running or damaged vehicle purchased solely to harvest components for another build.
Barn find
A vehicle discovered in long-term storage that is often covered in dust and sold in as-is condition.
Car part
A distinct component or assembly used in the construction, repair, or modification of an automobile.