We know what many of you must be thinking: Catchy story title, but who are they kidding? Anyone who’s ever been to a junkyard knows it’s one dirty place—certainly nowhere you’d find these so-called jewels.
Yes, that’s true. But have you ever seen a raw, uncut diamond? When it comes out of the ground, a diamond looks no more spectacular than an ordinary rock. It takes a knowledgeable jeweler to see its core beauty and craft it into a magnificent gem.
The same holds true for many of the parts circle track racers can find in a salvage yard. Sure, they may look shabby and worn on the outside, but underneath that layer of grime lies considerable value just waiting to be uncovered by a knowledgeable, skilled mechanic.
And that’s the purpose of this article, to transform you from just one of the many junkyard prospectors into an informed explorer who can regularly stake valuable salvage claims. They do exist, and we want to help you find those junkyard jewels.
To do that, we turned to a few experts: Tony Martinez of Memory Lane Collector Car Dismantlers in Sun Valley, California; and Bob Carpenter, the longtime racer and contributor to our Saturday Night Buildup series. We asked these men to impart some of their salvage-yard and circle track racing experience to you. We obviously do not have enough space in one article to cover all the parts salvaged by racers, so we’ve tried to touch on some of the major components while providing you with some good general guidelines about what to look for on your next salvage mission.
Full Service or Do-It-Yourself?
The first thing you should know about the world of auto-parts salvage is that there are two types of yards: full service and do-it-yourself. The basic distinction: in self-help yards you look for parts, while a full-service yard will do the searching for you. It’s a matter of time versus money. How much time do you have? How much money do you have? Which is more valuable to you?
At full-service yards, experts will pull the part and call you when it’s ready to be picked up. If you opt for a do-it-yourself yard, realize that those yards are usually loosely organized and finding particular items may require sifting through hundreds of cars and parts.
”When racers come to a full-service yard like ours,” explains Martinez, “we remove the part for them, and they are ready—stripped for them—when they show up.”
Another factor to weigh when deciding whether to use a full-service or do-it-yourself yard is based on your knowledge and experience with the part(s) in question. If you are not sure what to look for, which parts interchange with one another, or how to judge one part superior to another, you can always rely on the experts. No matter which type of yard you choose, you will need to have part-interchange information. Many books are available that can tell you which types of parts fit on your particular race car. Of course, if you go to a full-service yard you won’t have to worry about that, or even inspecting the part for damage and wear—that’s all taken care of.
“Racers should always have a warranty on salvaged parts, even if they have to purchase it,” says Martinez. “I know at the Pick Your Part chain (a do-it-yourself yard) a warranty is part of the admission price now—part of the purchase price. But a lot of self-service yards don’t include it and charge extra for a warranty.
“It’s always best to have a warranty in case a racer mistakenly takes the wrong item, or something doesn’t fit. That way he can exchange it.”
Frames
One popular item circle track racers look for at salvage yards are frames. Depending on what class you race in, “frame” might mean practically the whole car. Then again, even Grand American Modified classes require racers to run a stock frame clip and build around it. So regardless of how much of it is actually utilized, most Saturday-night racers will need a stock frame to at least serve as the base of the race car, if not the entire car. But what are the best frames for circle track racing?
If your class allows it, Camaros are a popular choice, mainly ’70-’81 models. A commonly used frame in Street Stock is the Chevelle—primarily anything from 1969 through 1976. However, because Chevelles are popular, they are becoming harder to find. In response to the scarcity, frames from mid- to late-’70 Cutlass, Regals, and Monte Carlos are being employed more and more in circle track racing. Those models are becoming the next generation of Street Stocks.
When inspecting salvaged frames, try to take one off a car rather than one that has already been stripped. That way, you can see if there was ever any major body damage.
“Make sure the car doesn’t look like it’s had a major accident where the front end is wrecked or the frame might be bent or tweaked,” says Martinez. “Look at the front. Make sure there’s no repair work that has been done to it as far as heating (the metal), or where it was straightened or repaired.”
Be sure to inspect all the welds and any stress points where suspension pieces will be mounted, like upper control-arm plates and lower arm saddles. Check the orifices as well, and make sure they haven’t been rounded out over the years. Also, beware of rust and the part of the country where the frame originated, or any part, for that matter. Climatic conditions can play a major role in the life of a part. “On the East Coast, it’s harder to find a good solid frame on an older vehicle than it is out in a dry area like here in Southern California,” says Martinez.
“Anywhere it snows in the winter, they put salt on the highway. These people drive on the salt for years, so many of the undercarriage parts are all rotted.
“I’ve gotten a rearend housing before sent from back East,” Martinez continues. “The nine-inch Ford rearend housing was so pitted up with pores from the rust, it was useless.”
Engines
When talking about engines for circle track racing, one phrase dominates the landscape: small-block Chevy. And for the most part, racers run 350s. But did you know that when looking for a salvaged engine or block, some Chevy 350s are better than others?
“Your best 350 engine core, or block, to start with would be one with ‘010’ as the last three digits of the casting number,” says Martinez. “And that’s located on the left rear of the block. It would actually be visible behind the driver’s-side cylinder head on the block.
“Those blocks are an earlier casting. It’s a heavier block with better water jackets and thicker cylinder walls. Just the best small-block ever made.” Martinez admits that some mechanics may debate him and say certain combinations they’ve concocted are better for racing. But as a standard, if you can, get the 010 blocks.
So what if you’ve found a few 010 engines at the yard, and you’re trying to determine which one is best? Well, if you want the engine and not just a main cylinder block, make sure the engine rotates freely and is not seized. “I would also take the oil cap off and make sure there’s no mucky brown color, like from condensation or water, indicating a possible problem,” says Martinez. “That would tell you that it has a cracked head or something like that.”
If you are lucky enough or have the time to take the engine apart by pulling off the head, try to measure the bore size. Ensure that it’s not already too big for your application. Of course, sleeving is an option, but that can be expensive and make it more difficult to obtain proper compression, unless you are an experienced engine tuner. Also, check for pitting on the cylinder walls and pistons. Of all the parts you’ll be salvaging, the engine is the most valuable part of the race car—so take your time to find the right one.
Control Arms and Spindles
With all the incidental bumping at local circle tracks, most racers need their fair share of control arms and spindles. This is also an area in which racers have found unique answers to class-rule interpretations. It is not uncommon to see a Chevelle with Ford Galaxy control arms and Chrysler ball joints—or similar combinations that have proven to work well together. The reason is because some rules state “OEM parts only,” yet they don’t stipulate which make and/or model of OEM parts can be used. To any racer looking to maximize the full extent of the rules, that means any factory part is legal.
If your rules don’t restrict this type of mixing and matching, try to find Ford Galaxy control arms—they have about a ½-inch-wider wheel track. For this reason, you may even see racers use right-side-only Galaxy control arms for better turning stability.
As far as spindles go, the best ones to salvage are the 12-inch units off ’78-’96 Caprices or Impalas. Those allow for bigger brakes on your race car. Eleven-inch sizes also are available for those cars, but hold off for the sturdier 12-inch ones, which are primarily found on old police cars and taxis.
As with all parts found at salvage yards, make sure you inspect the control arms and spindles carefully. If you can, look for cars with rear-end damage and low mileage. This should mean the control arms have seen little wear and aren’t damaged. Don’t try to cut corners—replace all the perishable components before trying to race on your new parts.
“I’d recommend on any control arms to replace all the bushings with new ones,” says Martinez. “Do not use, I stress, do not use any old ball joints, tie rods, idler arms, or bushings. I’ve seen too many accidents happen because guys used worn-out parts—trying to save a buck. And then they just wind up with bigger problems.”
Rearends
For most racing classes, we are really only talking about one rearend: the Ford nine-inch. “If your racing class allows floater axles, it’s a must,” says Martinez. “That way, if you break an axle, you don’t lose the wheels and end up going over.”
The Ford nine-inch also is the strongest and easiest rearend to build. With a little ingenuity, some racers can make a GM 12- or 10-bolt work, but why bother? The Ford nine-inch is readily found at salvage yards and has an abundance of parts available for rebuilding. They do, however, come in many size widths, so, in addition to looking for a rearend that fits your suspension (leaf or coil spring), get the right width for your race car. Again, you should check the parts-interchange books to see what widths will most easily bolt to your car.
Still, chances are you will have to do some fabrication work to mount most rearends. But the key here is function, not form. Who cares what the car will look like? Just try to get the best race setup. “It’s not like on a street car, where the tires have to fit within the fenders,” says Martinez. “In a Stock Car, a guy might want to go a little wider to get a better track.”
Finding the exact ratio you want won’t be easy, especially for short trackers, so if you’re planning to rebuild the rearend, get the right width and worry about the ratio later. If you are racing Hobby Stock and want to bolt on a rear end, try to pull the cap off right at the salvage yard, and inspect the pinion shaft gears to ensure they aren’t too worn or damaged. Also, look for any seepage from axle seals. If the rearend is still on the car and you can see grease around the spindle, the axle bearing may be bad.
Like frames, rearend housings are exposed to the elements and can be heavily corroded, especially on cars from cold, snowy climates. Stay away from any rearend with a severely rusted housing.
Sheetmetal and Bumpers
Earlier, we suggested seeking out damaged cars, especially in the rear, when searching for parts that have the least amount of wear. When it comes to finding quality sheetmetal, however, often the exact opposite is true. Who cares how many miles a car has on it—just so long as it has clean, relatively rust-free sheetmetal. There’s plenty of it out there, which is good, because most Saturday-night racers will need it.
“As far as bumpers go for Street Stocks, you want to run either Ford Fairmont or Chevy Camaro aluminum bumpers,” says Martinez. “They’re lightweight, durable, and very easily adaptable to most cars. Most of them have an inner structure that you’ll want to remove. Take that off and leave it at the wrecking yard.”
In many classes, racers choose to fabricate their own sheetmetal, but as long as you’re at the yard looking for other parts, grab some spare quarter-panels and doorskins. “Your typical Street Stock racer is going to go through a number of these panels through the years,” says Martinez. “So go ahead and pick up a couple extra; that way you have them. And if you’re trimming one, why not trim two at the same time? That way, you’re not searching through salvage yard after salvage yard on the Sunday following a rough Satur-day night because you have to race next Saturday.”
Steering Boxes
Power steering boxes are another popular item salvaged by circle track racers. For dirt tracks, quick-ratio boxes are especially coveted. Quick-ratio steering boxes off Camaro Z28s and Formula Firebirds will interchange on most GM cars, but as always, double-check with a parts-interchange book before you buy.
As far as wear goes, stay away from boxes with rusted or corroded housings. It is tough to know what’s happening inside a steering box, but if it’s still installed, you can look for clues based on the condition of the car. “Don’t try to find it on a car that looks like it has 300,000 miles on it,” says Carpenter. “Go to a car that looks like it’s in fairly good shape but with a crushed rear. That’s where you’re going to find the good parts under the hood.”
Once you get the steering box free from the car, you can inspect it further. You want it to turn and have a little play, but not too much, or the gears may be worn. As with rearends, no matter what shape you find a box in, you shouldn’t expect to just bolt it on and go—at least not if you want to run quickly and safely.
“If a racer salvages a power steering gearbox, they should actually send it out and have it rebuilt,” says Martinez. “You don’t want it leaking or something like that. The main thing is to have the proper core first—one with the correct ratio you want to use.”
