Heath and safety bullshit

[Rusty Pelican]

Well a hobby ive had since I was 18 is over , finished , no more . Always loved scrapyards , rummaging about in rusty old shite has been a real hobby , I used to have " scrapyard days " where I would tour all the local yards of which there was quite a few looking for anything interesting , helpfull when running really old shite as it was possible to work out what would " retro fit " from another car onto mine.

Most yards have gone now but one was still the same being able to rummage and poke about for hours , I been using this yard for 25 years , know the owner really well , even bought my Commer from there.

Popped up there today for a theraputic rummage and im not allowed up the yard , no one is , Heath and Safety has said no general public can have access as its a dangerous place . FFS this is just plain fucking stupid , he cant get insurance for public entry anyway so just put up a disclaimer , wether this covered him or not im unsure , result is if i want anything i have to tell him and he goes and gets it , I DONT KNOW WHAT I WANT TIL I SEE IT

To say im pissed off is an understatment , I knew this was coming as ive seen other yards go to this system of pre removed stuff

Fuck health and safety , i want some fun in life

CUNTS

[Station]

I have never returned to a scrapyard if they have to get the part for me. A couple have done that, I'm half the reason is because they think people are stealing from them.

[flat4alfa]

Big yard near me has been granted the PHI, it's not a new thing that, but:

 

This year the powers-that-be dictated that all cars must be now at ground level.

 

All cars must been kept with bonnets shut.

 

All public and personnel must wear hard hats.

 

 

So! Now I don't have to clamber up stories of cars to the top - hurrah!

But, now I just do my back in, leaning down into the car that has its tub on the soil.

But! As I'm into the odd hat, I feel like Bob the Builder now, and that's a good thing

[trigger]

I went my local scrappy a few weeks back, Whip Street Motors, I had to don a hard hat and fluorescent jacket just to walk to the warehouse where they keep their wheels, I felt like a right prat, The chap said everyone has to wear them now as soon as they get on premises.

[Guest]

To be fair I'm all for not stacking cars, remember needing a bonnet for something and it was inevitable that they'd always be the bottom car on a double stack and completely stoved-in from people using it as a step. I wonder how much scrapyards would make if so many of their parts weren't wrecked in the yard?

[Rusty Pelican]

To be fair I'm all for not stacking cars, remember needing a bonnet for something and it was inevitable that they'd always be the bottom car on a double stack and completely stoved-in from people using it as a step. I wonder how much scrapyards would make if so many of their parts weren't wrecked in the yard?

This yard is still allowed to stack so thats not a H@S issue but your right its dodgy and annoying , he was telling me that if he has a small fire in the yard he has to write it down and inform some authority ( cant remember which one ) that he has had this fire but its now out , He replied what about cutting engines out with my gas plant , get loads of little fires then ?! , Yep write it all down then phone up

What 50 times a day , piss off.

Also told me that his dad that lives opposite the yards office can get a newspaper and burn it outside without issue as its nout to do with the yard , He however , if the paper was removed from a scrap car and set fire to 15 ft away on the yards drive he could get a 2 grand fine ,

I just dont get it

[Station]

I lost my fear of heights and gained a great climbing ability thanks to cars stacked four high. Even getting up there with a bag full of tools.

With most scrapyard owners being total miserably twats, I'd probably feel the need to apologise for knocking over his cars and nearly killing myself.

[simmo]

A couple of years back I was weighing in a diesel Mondeo into Colnbrook, I thought it was a little odd when they gave me a high viz tabard at the check in on the bridge. Once in the yard I got approached by a couple of HSE bods and "did I mind answering a few questions?" It would have been bit awkward to refuse as I couldn't really go anywhere. The chap asked a couple of sensible Qs then the old biddy started, she asks:

"has this vehicle got a full tank of petrol ?"

me "no I drained it",

her "how did you drain it"

me "syphoned it through the pump appature" and showed her and also told her it was diesel anyway, so not likey to blow up Hollywood style

her "does everyone drain tanks"

me "I would think so; what with the cost of the stuff"

After many other Qs I got a bit bored and answered to one that most of the scrap guys just spike the tank and catch what they can, she looked genuinely horrified, which made her colleague smirk and when she said she hoped that they were using the correct earthing strap, both me and matey laughed.

[HillmanImp]

I was in a abandoned scrapyard down Long Lane near Beverley about 15 years ago having a sniff around and I climbed into a 1950's Vauxhall (I think) on the top of a stack when it fell forwards off the stack. I have NO idea how I got out of it, but the next thing I remember I was on the ground next to it with it lying on the floor.

 

Is one of those moments I look back on sometimes and wonder how I have made it this far. Scary monkeys. At the time I was so young I was not even fazed though and i happily climb onto stacks now in active yards as they have not been languishing there for 20 years.

[cobblers]

I was at the local yard the other week, who up until not long ago stacked cars 2 and 3 high, and they don't mind people going in.

 

They've been bought out a while ago and have stopped stacking cars, but still amuse me sometimes. I went in with a mate after a set of escort steelies. The bloke pointed to an escort in front of the building and said "theres probably a wheel brace in the boot, just take all the wheel bolts out and kick it off them" So we did, and as I suspected all but 1 wedged in the wheelarch so they needed to get the forklift over anyway!

 

Had a few scary moments there years ago when they still stacked stuff - None of the cars have fully fallen off, but I've been sat in the car on top robbing a pocketful of fuses while someone opened the tailgate of the car underneath, causing the top car to slide forwards and down the front of the bottom car into the stack of cars infront.

I got out of that fucking sharpish (and left my bloody screwdriver)

 

 

You're right that they waste some right money by ruining stock - I got a hardtop off an mx5 (£300 ish) for £30 because some dopey sod had smashed a dirty great hole in it.

It had been removed from the car and was left in a bush behind it, and the MX5 was left with the top down, obviosuly ruining the interior but also the fairly valuable mk2 soft top, cos with it folded down the tonneau area just filled full of water and rotted it.

 

Some places are a lot more careful with stuff - I'm quite pally with the lads at a french breakers who don't let people in. Massive big yard full of cars which they take stuff off "to order" and will try and keep cars watertight for as long as possible, store panels in bubble wrap and generally runs a proper business!

 

Over the years he's realised that the shite I buy off him isn't worth his time getting off the cars, so when he see's me he just nods me into the yard and I get on with it. He even dragged a saxo into the old barn at the bottom for me, and I drove my car down, parked side by side and swapped every bit of the interior over whilst it pissed it down outside.

 

It's so frustrating not being able to have a wander and come back with an armful of random tat that caught your eye. If my local yard closed to the public I'd be gutted - I'd have to start buying sidelight bulbs and fuses again!

[Lankytim]

I visited an old haunt of mine recently, Copes of Earlswood, south of Birmingham. I hadn't been there for years and was fully expecting it to be gone or in the grip of a heath and safety lockdown.. Nope, cars still stacked 3 high in a foot of mud and I was free to rummage to my hearts content. Great!!

[dollywobbler]

Ah, Copes. My Skoda Estelle died there!

[Albert Ross]

I use one here in Doncaster. Stacked 2 high, I wander around, keeping out of the puddles and dogshit. I get to see all the old stuff first, down in the "keep out" section. I drive the Land Rover in, park next to what I want, use my tools, my own compressor and crane, cause them no trouble, and get credit............... All because I helped them get an engine out in a hurry one sunday for a cash buyer...... They were busy, I wasn't, and it got me in the back door!

 

The other one, up the road, is an H&S nightmatre, but I still got to wander round the stores with one of the blokes as I was looking for a random rad hose. Cost me nowt, as I Identified something he was looking for! (Sierra bits)

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

My local scrapyard is appalling. I've been visiting it for 4, maybe 5 years and some of the cars have been there since 2005 at least. In spite of that they seem overly keen to cube some less 'weathered' cars. I don't get it.

 

 

This 405 was in their yard for ages with virtually no useable parts.

 

I'm not sure what the deal is with scrapyards tidying up their acts in the name of health and safety, but it doesn't seem to be happening here. Is it a case of some yards giving a shit and others not?

[pogweasel]

Scrapyards can fuck off anyway.

Always staffed by miserable, oil-stained BNP members who go out of their way to be as obtuse as possible.

Every part you want is either fucked or a hundred quid, it's always raining and you're guaranteed to get run over by a maniac with a forklift or mauled by the malnourished angry dog they keep chained up until you arrive.

[brammy777]

There is only one scrapyard around here I would regard as any good now, and that is Padworth Breakers. The Chineham one has now decided to not let people in, and you have to ask for parts at the front. So I wont ever be going back there. They stack cars two high, which I presume is why they do not let the public in anymore. Padworth actually cant stack cars in around 90% of the yard because its on a steep hill. The cars start at the top of the hill, and slowly descend down the hill to the crusher. Works out rather well in my opinion. They always seem to get interesting stuff in as well.

[CreepingJesus]

I had reckoned a few years ago, that the move to modernisation was driven purely by money. If the owners invested in all the licences they could get, then they'd be able to move more into the lucrative recycling biz, and f*ck the loyal punters.

I'm not sure it's exactly the case - but looking at the U-Pull-It, which is the remnants of Watson's in Inverkeithing, it's hard to say anyway. In theory, being given the car to pick apart on a concrete apron, sounds fantastic. But actually booking the car, and the time, the deposit, the penalties for not turning up/over-running your time slot...utter bollocks. In practice, it seems to have more to do with putting you off going, than H+S. I used to use them, but no longer. Their loss. I can buy parts brand new, from factors for not much more than they're asking.

And I know well enough how ridiculous some measures taken in the name of H+S can seem; I experience plenty in my working life (Asda's newer RDC has nothing stacked over head-height, yet you'll get bollocked for not wearing a hard hat in the warehouse...). But I console myself that the bulk of them have saved many lives over the last 36 years, and that's worth the nonsense. Well worth.

[Richard]

U-Pull-It still have very attractive prices listed on their website but I phoned Inverkeithing asking about a diesel fuel pump, £10 on the website, and I was quoted £60.

[gtd2000]

With the advent of the internet and eBay etc when you actually need to source a part it's often cheaper (and cleaner) simply buying online.

 

Some of the prices (as mentioned above) quoted by scrappies these days are completely out of touch with reality

 

I needed a new N/S wheel dearing for my Hyundai Coupe a couple of months back, so I thought the simple thing would be to buy a knuckle assembly and swap it over myself. I expected that to be around £25 plus postage. All of the quotes I received from breakers were in the £75~85 range plus postage Took the car to the local garage to supply and fit a new bearing for £85 + VAT.

 

Are people really this stupid these days that they would actually pay these prices at the scrappies

 

My local scrappy S&I Thompson in Galashiels used to be very good for a bargain or two but from my experience they are totally over priced now.

 

A mate and I used to regularly peruse the "insurance" section for cars that could be repaired easily (stolen recovered etc) at a hefty discount from the normal selling prices, this was possible around 8 years or so ago but now you could easily pick up the same thing at the auctions without any damage and still save money

 

I still go to the scrappies for tyres (always go for the new spare wheels) and "as new" batteries.

 

The U-pull It idea sounds good but I've never been.

 

When I'm over in Florida I go to a breaker yard who charges you $1 for entry (maybe this is a work around for insurance?) and you strip the part yourself.

 

This one here: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sarasota+florida&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.177128,78.837891&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Sarasota,+Florida&ll=27.213095,-82.468202&spn=0.00354,0.004812&t=h&z=18

 

Prices are very low indeed - a whole suspension strut assemby is normally $9, calipers $10 (they don't rust or seize in FL either) so it's definitely worth a trip to those type of yards.

 

Will be over that way for the winter if anybody needs anything

[Cavcraft]

The best scrappy in Chester packed up about three years since. Very friendly, very well priced and you took what you wanted off yourself. He jibbed it because of the H&S laws and the E.A getting on his case, amidst rumours of another yard always grassing him up for minor things. Oh, and he also HAD to buy pre-depolluted cars from salve auctions so that was costing loads more than just buying them from the general public.

Furbers (near Whitchurch, Shropshire) is hard to find but an absolute belter of a place and I think you can still wander round and remove your own stuff.

 

Most yards will be forced into having 'proper' car stacking systems which aren't much safer than climbing on cars.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My first scrapyard experiences were going to Cross Keys in Lydford On Fosse (zummerzet) and Roly Smiths in Somerton, both in the 70's with my old man. Thousands of Anglias, 1100, Minis, Jags etc. I started going on my own around 1979/80 as a car mad nipper. The massive pile of cars at Smiths (still going, as is Cross Keys) was a thing of awe - probably 100 cars in a huge pile. The challenge was to crawl through the pile, at the bottom........ . I must have been fucking mental.

 

Other yards? Smiths at Bloxham is still good. Quite cheap and whilst there are no stacked cars, there's no health and safety bollocks. High Viz? Hard hat? Fuck off!! They'll tip cars over with a fork lift so you can whip a diff or a box out. Helpful staff, most of whom are part of the Smith clan anyway. Harry Bucklands in Cheltenham is quite good as well. LC Hughes in Bicester isn't much good now. They've branched into other things and the scrapyard - which used to be a massive place - has withered on the vine. It just graveyard quiet with the same mouldy wrecks that were there in 2006. No more double stacking and only half the yard full.

 

Deatons in Staveley near Chesterfield have plenty of stock but can be on the pricey side sometimes. But I've been going there for years and it's the closest.

 

U Pull It can be funny on prices. Their website gives prices for stuff which then doubles or quadruples when you go to pay. Mind you, £40 for a complete 16v alloy head with cam and stuff isn't dear. It's a much better working environment than most muddy shitholes.

[Mr Lobster]

I've not been in a scrapyard in about two years. Not had any need. As above, most bits can be sourced via ebay for the same sort of price and it saves having to deal with the grunting mongs that run them. That said, I did get a load of stuff for our Suzuki Alto - engine earth strap, two virtually new Yokohama tyres and wheels, sidelight lense and a few other bits and bobs for £25 a while back from a yard near Accrington which was happy to let you have a wander.

 

The big yard that used to be full of really old stuff near me decided to stop letting people in a few years ago so I haven't been back since. At some stage I need to motivate my ass into getting into some French yards, that'd be much more interesting.

[Owain-328i]

I havent been to a yard around here for 6 months so im not sure what the deal is at the moment. But last time i went on a yard tour, i still had 3 walk-in-and-wander style yards within a 15 mile radius of my house

[CreepingJesus]

U-Pull-It still have very attractive prices listed on their website but I phoned Inverkeithing asking about a diesel fuel pump, £10 on the website, and I was quoted £60.

Exactly. I looked a while back, with a view to picking up some spares for the Mondy. The stuff you'd tuck away for when it was needed; aircon bits, alternator, power steering pump and rack. Smallish but vital bits. I'd be cheaper buying a scrapper and paying to keep it in a council lock-up for a year than going their way. Doesn't make sense at all.

Thomson's in Galashiels used to be good - so much stock! Anyone been to Sports Car Services at Ratho lately? Bet it's gone the same way.

[fotorabia]

have to admit i got a telling off for having climbed 4 high back in Whanganui to have a look at the visor on this..needless to say..scews were rusted solid and i became a rather dangerous mission..and even tho we're mates with the management..we still never ended up getting it..bugger..

[whitevanman]

/\/\ That place at Ratho was fuck off expensive 10 years ago.........feck knowa wat it would be like now

[catsinthewelder]

We've got a few good yards out here in the sticks although they suffer more than their fair share of oddness. Theres a Peugeot breaker tucked out on a farm in the middle of nowhere, except next door his brother runs a scrap metal business, they haven't spoken for years and the scrap merchant will try to take his brothers customers if given the chance. I had a very confusing week after phoning the scrapyard, assuming that it was one business, "is that the peugeot breaker", "yes" , "can I get x y and z", "no worries" etc..

 

Turned out the breakers was a good professional outfit and the scrapyard had a few cars festering around the edge of its main metal recycling business, but they were in fairly secure 2 high stacks and freedom to climb was granted

 

They were great value too, charging cheap prices for the bigger bits and actively encouraging me to strip small bits of trim for free, they even knocked a doorpin out of a car for me on noticing that I had one missing, knocked it into place on mine all for free

 

I did have to keep the boot shut though as I'd been pre-warned that they wouldn't be over happy that I'd just come round from next-door

[CortinaDave]

U Pull It is a huge disappointment to me now - when they opened the prices were very good, and I took advantage of their buy a whole car and strip what you want service on a couple of occasions.

 

Now though, they've cranked up the prices big time, and IMO totally destroyed what was potentially a great earner for them. I fancied a leather interior for the cougar - looked on the u pull it site and they wanted £450 to strip a T plate one they had. Bugger that. I can buy one MOTd and on the road for that money. A real shame that the greed monster has hit the management and theyve shot themselves in the foot.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Agreed on U Pull It. I've bought and stripped 6 cars there, but that was when a good breaker with plenty of morsels was £150, like a mint scrappage 1995 525i with perfect leather and four good boots on alloys. Now they want £400 for some wankstain L reg 320i with piss stained grey cloth and shit alloys, plus another £75 to pull the worthless engines out, plus VAT on top. So that's £557 is it then Lads, to buy a car in bits minus the bodyshell, catalyst and battery when i can buy a complete example with an MOT from Egay for £350.

 

Yes, that makes perfect sense.

[Barry Cade]

They've started selling a lot of complete cars at U Pull It in Inverkeithing, some are cheaper than the strip yourself breakers, but still dearer than the auctions or Ebay.. I was tempted by a mint Volvo 850 with full history for £350 though..