Bargain Hunting

I like bargains. They are a great way to stretch your resources. They are especially nice when the things you need to buy are horribly expensive to begin with...like auto parts.

A couple of years ago, MiddleChild (Happy Birthday!) backed the truck into the car that the kids use, a '97 Accord Sedan. Being that we bought the Honda well-used already and it already came with a few dings, I thought nothing of the dent in the trunk's trim panel.

Silly me.

MrsNewbius started taking a serious dislike to the dent once it started rusting a little. And, she was not quiet about it. It even made the "Honey-Do" list of things she WANTS DONE.

Soooooo.....I started looking for the part. New and unfinished, it is ~$229. Used, from an online parts recycler, $100 to $200 depending on condition and no guarantees on color.

Local shops and parts houses don't carry cars that old any more.

{SIGH}

By chance, a local mom-and-pop shop directed me to a place nearby that doesn't really advertise. A "pick-your-part" junkyard back in the hills. The kind of place where the "roach coach" has a line, the dog has scars, and the forklift driver has a record. A long record.

So I head on up, not expecting much but willing to get dirty in an effort to save a buck or two.

Or two hundred.

:)

They had the same year car. The exact model. The exact color. And the trim panel was nearly pristine.

Net cost, including the entry fee? $12.00

I love a bargain.

Pax,

Newbius