Scope out some car shows in your area or neighboring cities in order to meet other car lovers, and discover potential vehicle sales. There are a lot of informed people that may know of a good classic car being sold. Asking around lets others know what you are looking for so speak to people and get to know local car enthusiasts. A connection can always come in useful later.
One of the classic stories about my dad is his first vehicle. Because his mom certainly could not afford to buy him a car, and the money he made on side jobs and summer employment was not going to get him a car, he got very crafty. He went to the junkyard, bought four junk vehicles, and took the good parts to form one working vehicle. Every time he needed maintenance done, he would go to the tallahassee toyota and either find the part in good condition or refurbish a semi-decent part. Through all this work, he became very good at truck repair, which made him very proud. He tells stories about cruising around town with his brother in tow like the two of them were the president and vice president in this beat up old Ford.
Speak to an auto mechanic and ask for advice. The chances are that they will use a salvage yard. Ask them where they go. You have to take the time and effort to do the research. If you simply drive around you will not find what you want and at the end of the day you are probably going to come back empty handed.
You can also check with local repair shops that sell used tires. These places will likely only take the tires if they are in good shape, but most repair shops know how to repair flat tires and make them usable again. Before you begin negotiating a price, visit the shop to find out what they typically sell a similar sized used tire for, and use that number as your negotiating point.
The next step is really getting your auto parts store open and running. This is the most exciting and the scariest part of the business. This is your big debut and if you mess it up, people will remember it for a long time. This can make it really stressful, but if you have really worked hard at it and have thought of everything that could happen, you will be OK and have a great experience.
Especially for older cars or antique vehicles being restored, used car parts may very well be the only answer to your parts needs. You may not find any auto supply outlet with access to car parts for a ’49 Studebaker pickup or a ’32 Ford, but you may very well find salvage yards with cars that are being sold for parts.
