“The only thing that has really changed over the years is how we catalog the items,” says Jeff Bazinet, son of company owner Bill Bazinet. “We used to write everything down on an index card and file them in a big file cabinet. Today we just type all the information about the part and where it is stored into our computer. It’s especially convenient when somebody calls and we can quickly search on the computer and find out if we have it in stock, instead of having to put them on hold and go thumb through the card catalog.”
Transmissions are the biggest movers on the lot. Rebuilt or straight off a vehicle, the cost can be a fraction of what a customer would pay for a new one. The same goes for headlights, steering wheels, alternators and even cup holders.
The “do-it-yourself” mechanics have dropped off in the past years as vehicles have become more difficult to repair, but professional mechanics who can offer their customers a used part for a fraction of a new one keep the business alive.
From the 400 to 500 cars they take in every year, thousands of parts go out the door. What remains of the vehicles is stored out back for a year or two in case any additional parts can be salvaged. They are then stacked, hauled off to the junkyard and crushed.
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- Various pulley’s of all sizes, shapes and model types hang from the wall.
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- Ellery Phillips strips parts from an engine that will eventually be cataloged into a computer and put on a shelf that is attached to the computer file so it can be easily found when a customer asks for that particular part.
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- Recently removed flywheels are stacked up waiting to be cataloged and stored.
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- Radio’s from a variety of makes and models are stacked up around the showroom
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- Some of the thousands of rim’s that are stacked, packaged or still on vehicles throughout the yard.
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- Engines and engine parts cover just about every square inch of the floor, walls and ceiling in one section of the first floor.
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- After being stripped of the majority of parts that can be salvaged, vehicles are set out to pasture for up to a few years before being stacked and shipped off to the junkyard.
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- Tires line the inside of several tractor trailers used for storage as well as a variety of other locations on the premises.
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- Alternators sit on shelves taking up an entire wall in the showroom.
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