I had a service manual to a Duesenberg model J. I found it in a garage I was cleaning out in San Francisco. The Pebble Beach Club was in town and there was a guy standing next to the Duesenberg. I said to him do you know who owns this car. He said he did and he ask me why. I said I have a manual that belongs with this car and I handed it to him. He asked me how much I wanted for it. I said I don't want anything for it. This manual belongs to this car and the man who owns this car. It belongs in his personal library. So I left the manual with my name and my address. About two months later I received a special thank you card from the man and his wife from Flagstaff Arizona. Sometimes it's not about money. Sometimes it's about returning things to where they belong. The position to which they are most powerful in the universe. There is an honor among carboys. It's like taking care of a sacred shrine. Maintaining the legend. Doing the right thing. I knew damn well that the manual had no business being on the internet. There is a greater good. Bragging rights.
Jonah Cottrell what comes round goes round you keep being like that you will have your duesenburg sometimes that guy will remember you and he will help you if you need a part if you do find one you did the right thing I had a brand new trunk panel the trim that goes from taillights to tail light it was brand new old stock my buddy has a 68 barracuda drag car and I gave to him it was no’s I think I could have prob got 300 or more for it but I looked at his and it had a few dings in it nothing serious but I thought it’s no good for my 67 and he helped me a lot with my car he’s a mopar mechanic and I said take it he couldn’t believe I would give to him but he was always very fair to me as to what he charged if he even charged me sometimes what comes round goes round like I say you help me I will help you
I’m no mopar guy but I find myself watching his videos a lot . I’m a boomer and relate to what Tony is talking about. I’ve run a parts yard/ late model repairables/ auto body/repair / auto sales/ hot rodder buyer and builder. For 40 yrs, can never get done learning new things.. I now feel blessed to own 20 acres to store cars on . I’ve got to start treating each car I own like a Indian parting out a buffalo .lol 😆 .
Right...and two years later of a piece of shit sitting in your back yard, your down to a cut up body that you have to haul off.. 500 trips to the ups store...
@Atomic Litter Box - I guess when you systematize everything & you scale up you create efficiencies? Doesn't sound like he made out too badly. Essentially you let the wide reach of the WWW be your sales associate... all you need is people looking online for parts that have a market, to know exactly what you're selling, and to neither out-price nor under-price your service (it IS a service you sell, essentially as the parts value is purely arbitrary.)
Thank you for explaining the whole “bolt” thing. Years ago I was teaching two young friends of mine (twin brothers, 17ish) and laughed at me when I expressed the importance of the bolts and nuts of the car we were taking apart should be diligently put back, if possible, in the same spot it came out of so we wouldn’t loose or loose track of where they went. 10 years later one is a journeyman mechanic and the other is a voracious hobbyists and both are very careful with the bolts and nuts of a project. Thanks for explaining your wisdom to the plebes, Uncle.
Haha I'm gonna go play a lottery ticket. This vid got interrupted by a phone call from a buddy and in the conversation he wanted to confirm "3 lines is grade 5 , 5 lines is grade 8 right"...yup. Then I see this comment.
You know what? Even extremely well stocked hardware stores may not have all the rare bolts you need. I do a lot of biz with one and even if they have what you need it can take a LOT of time to find it. Time is money and in case you have not noticed the level of customer service has slipped quite a bit over the last 30 years.
@lol bad kid I bet he's related LOL that's a pretty rare name. I was on Facebook, and I saw this guy with the last name Bottema... there was a guy with that name that was famous in BMX bicycles back in the 80s,so as a joke I asked the guy if he was related... He came back and said yes he was a cousin haha.
Sounds like coach Higginbotham. He was my shop teacher. He would say the same thing more decades ago and I care to admit to. But I turned 16 early enough in the '80s to cash in on those bumper crop of 19 60s and '70s muscle cars before they shot the moon in price. I agree 100% with you and I encourage specifically in the old car hobby the new blood because as we all get older and do less with it expire eventually. We need to be able to pass that on to the next generation. History and value will be lost otherwise!
@@seanfagan6998 Education standards are way higher now than they were in the past. You missed the point of the original comment, young people are plenty smart but the motivation is not there partially because of the lack of mentors.
Had a bit of a brain fart while describing shipping an 8.75 center. It actually gets broken down and sent in two large flat rate boxes. It can ALSO be shipped intact if wrapped in cardboard with the yoke, drain plug and one cap removed to make the weight. And, yes..that is a Flange Bolt, but it has a distinctive profile
I don't know how to do it but I've seen on other posts where the comment was "pinned" so it stays at the top of the comment list. You may want to do that. As always, great video! Ride on Tony!
Don't forget Greyhound Package express. If you're not in a rush, they'll stuff up to a 100lbs worth of car parts into the bellies of dem interstate busses. Shipped a 79 lb. W123 Benz 4 speed manual gearbox this way for $76 from Portland Oregon to Melbourne Florida.
pallets are good too,in the days when the transport companies where at war on prices you could ship a whole pallet from Perth western Australia 3000 odd kays to Sydney australia...the equitant of Los angles to new york ish
@Sebastian Cowley I thought Greyhound had stopped doing freight. It's good to hear they either still are, or have started again. I'm older than dirt, even older than 'The Unc'! When I needed speed parts back in the days before UPS or Fed Ex, (no, they have NOT been around, forever), the way to go was Greyhound. I have sent/received stuff from all over the US. Lots of stuff you can send with NO packaging, if it is clean. All it needs is a tag securely attached to it. It used to be the best/cheapest way to ship tires. There was no USPS flat rate, and the Post Office was expensive for shipping. Greyhound was the ONLY way to get speed parts in small town Oregon in the '60s & '70s.
Not all terminals accept freight, they have a location section on their site. Buy a veterans advantage discount card ( anyone can get it , about $40 per year) and get %25 off freight. Greyhound only limits to the longest dimension (108" max) and 100#, however the terminal personal are easily bribed ( crummy job, lots of abuse from travelers ) if you are a little over. EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, thanks
Had a bad experience with greyhound. Ordered a seat last Christmas for my satellite sundance and it still hasnt arrived (was a bench seat btw). Idk how they lost a large seat like that but its been a headache and i cant seem to get my seat
@@georgedennison3338 So true. One of the first jobs I had as a teenager was to go to the Greyhound depot in Kansas City and pick up shipments. They had a huge shipping center at the time.
Couple things to factor in... - Quality of pictures makes a difference! If you have Bad pictures of a Good part, the customer will pay you like it's a bad part. - Quality of the part that you are selling. If someone else is selling a Pristine part, and you have an OK part, factor your pricing accordingly. - Rarity of the part. If you usually can find 10 or 12 of a part, put are selling one that you can only find 2 others, and they are 1000 miles away. Price up accordingly. - When responding to a request on a forum for a less than 20 dollar part, always let the potential customer know that you have the part, and the shipping might cost more than the part, ...so if they are looking for anything else, just ask - you might have it, and can add it on to the order. - Use links or references to the rest of your items for sale, so that the customer can browse, and see that you know what you're doing with your part business. - Do your research on the parts and use words that people commonly use to describe a part. Always use the actual part name if you know it, but try to include another 'slang' name that a mechanic or enthusiast might use. - Always try to list the variants of cars that the part will fit. - Use a secure payment system. Paypal is your friend and will protect you from scams, and charlatans. - Record your transactions, shipments, and tracking number (It's a good idea to snap a photo pf the box with label, on the day that you ship it) - You aren't going to make a profit on every part that you sell, so when you have a rare/valuable part that you know you can make Good money on, get your price for it. - Make sure that the parts are properly drained and dry before you stick them in a box and they make a mess for someone and the shipping company to clean up. - For big parts (engine block, trans, diff), let the buyer arrange the shipping so you don't waste an excessive amount of your own time on it. - * The biggest thing, is that you Have to Pay Yourself for your time too. Be aware that if you spend an hour picking, photo, listing, packing a part - that it better be worth what an hour of your time is worth. I know too many people who spend 50.00 worth of their time, selling a 20.00 part.- Don't be afraid to tell people that you have a minimum order $, or that for a specific part, you will have to add some shipping and handling to the order, to cover the cost of preparing it for shipping. I think that's it. ;-)
Very nice description David, alot of things mentioned here that would otherwise be learned the hard way I appreciate you . I can tell your a smart man, Roy
I’ve tried to sell detail parts like those fuel pump bolts and small parts that make cars original and people think it’s stupid, but they don’t realize those parts are important when someone complains they can’t find what they need. I just say “well?” What I have learned is many people are fickle, and they are bullshitters.
Very True Brother.. stay at it... I'm a former employee of Classic Industries.. case we ever spoke my name is JD.. Just Dodge or Just Darts.. I've been asked so many countless times for original parts.. and also got in trouble for telling car owners my honest opinion and where I would look.. Cheers from Southern California..
I have had people tell me point-blank that original parts are crap, because they can go get the same thing from one of you guys like Yearone or from you at Classic Industries. There is a time and place for reproduction parts, but so many of these classic cars are no longer with us there are millions of good original parts out there. These were and are American cars and should not be Chinese shitboxes. Keep American cars, all American.
Prairie State Auto Restorations I know exactly what you mean. I needed a single bolt for the rear axle bracket on my Puma. It's a tiny bolt, M10 X 40 or something like that, fine threaded, but here's the thing: it has a washer cast into the head AND a huge captive washer on it. Totally impossible to find, the people who had broken cars for parts hadnt thought to remove those brackets, they took the axle off, left the brackets on and sent the brackets and body to scrap. I was offering people down the other end of the country to give me just one bolt for ten quid and they were refusing me because they were so adamant that they weren't posting parts because of scammers these days. I ended up lucking out and finding a fiesta sat in a fire station being used for their training. I went in there and asked them if I could take the bolt, and they let me in there to get it for free. I felt really bad for taking it for free though, so I put some money in their little charity box on the way out. In ten years I can tell you that those little bolts will probably be going for about £20 because they're so exposed to road salt and so easy to round by accident.
@@F6HemiCharger the Orginal parts are made so much better.. you know that.. and trust me i do.. I don't work for Classic Industries anymore.. I quit them, because I needed to care for my Father in Austin Texas.. and they would not let me miss days.. it's a Rotten place to work.. Zero Customer service or concern for quality standards, Customers would tell me that emblems would fade in normal weather, cars like mine, real daily drivers. I have there tail light bezels in my 68.. the black paint chips off.. cause it's painted over there cheap chrome.. my old 68 has original ones that are still chrome and black.. dash bezels that chips etc.. mean while they want almost 500$$ yup.. I was the most popular agent there, almost every single Car tv show had direct contact with me.. 10k to 16k a day in sales.. and they wouldn't let me have time to care for my sick Father.. I use Classic if I absolutely have too.. my Old boss is super cool.. and still gives me my discount.. peace.. keep at please.. still looking for my 68 hood emblem.. it's also the 70 and up swinger emblem.. script font Dodge.. 270 model 4 door Dart emblem.. just I'm case.. God bless..
Uncle you my friend are a genius and this is why i pay close attention to the things you say, you have gone much farther down the road than i have. Thank You for what you share, and please do not stop doing it !!
Regarding "fair minded people". Older mopar guys are usually pretty fair, younger guys are not. It was night and day buying/selling mopar parts and then switching to some turbo DSM stuff in the mid 2000's. No shows, low ballers, dreamers, scammers - it was a nightmare and I realized how much better and stand up the older muscle car people were and are in comparison. Just putting that out there for someone that wants to do this for other genres of cars.
I've had Nothing but Awesome luck with Fellow Mopar A Body owners.. wheels and tires, Radiator with shroud, Carburetors, and then Engine and Trans, manifolds more Carbs, air cleaners, keep em on the road has always been the Mopar way cause we were the only source for parts.. little to no aftermarket support.. it's better now.. but come on.. it's still thin.. cheers from Southern California 68 Dodge Dart Daily driver everyday and Everywhere..
Glad that you had that experience with the old-time Mopar guys. Maybe it was my bad luck, but I met a lot of sharks- to the point that it put me off the hobby for a long time. Now that I'm retired I'll be getting back into it- but carefully.
You're 110% right and it applies to anything project related. I bought a 1960 Craftsman rollaway toolbox at an estate sale in 2002. With it came some old Buick OEM shop manuals. I went online, flipped those and made my money back plus some. So, the box paid for itself in a day and I even had money for paint and to clean it up and make it look decent. I then sent in a photo to Sears and was featured in the Craftsman Club newsletter with my photo and story. Sears paid me $50. I then went to the local Sears with the article and said to the manager, "You have a tool box like this?" The manager and the clerk looked and said, "Holy S------, it's you in the photo!" I was a minor celebrity that day and the manager said, "Hey listen, anything you buy tonight, 25% off on top of the sale prices". I cleaned up---this was when you could easily get USA made Craftsman tools, so I went to town. So your theory is spot on. Whatever is "junk" or "unwanted" for you has a use. As my father used to say, "there's an ass for every seat". How true.
Great Clip Tony. I'm retired from the Post Office and handled, both shipping and delivering, a lot of what you are talking about. A dashboard pops to mind, along with tires, exhaust, rims, gas tanks(new...can't mail one that smells like gas) and other parts. Flat Rate is the way to fly! Just a point on your packing tape, though. The cheap dollar store type tape doesn't stay stuck very well in cold weather....the colder it gets, the more it wants to let go. Sometimes worth to spend a little bit more......customer like it when the package is still closed when it delivers! ;-) Keep the videos coming, can't wait for the next one!
...I rarely use flat rates...I find most of what I ship won't fit in them..seems they are always "off" in one dimension...for example, the small ones are often wide enough, long enough..but not "deep" enough to hold anything...then when you move up to the next size, it is usually more expensive than using your own box....
@@dyer2cycle That's very true. There is quite a variety of flat-rate boxes now, but it would just be impractical to have a box size to fit everything. But if you are sending a box full of lugnuts or or other small, dense items, it's a bargain. An over-sized air cleaner, not so much.........although, if something can be be dismantled a little bit more, even if it doesn't fit in a Priority box, flat-rate or otherwise, but will fit in two boxes,it can avoid the over-sized fees that get added and sometimes be cheaper going in the two boxes......sometimes it takes an extra trip to the Post Office if you don't have your own scales. And if you can get the help you need at your PO, try one near by. There are people out there who will help you figure it out, but not always where you want them
"never under estimate an Italian on a mission" Uncle Tony quote of the month. Now I understand how I got the tenacity I have: my Italian uncle! My Uncle was 1st Gen Sicilian-American, AND my Godfather. Let me tell ya, nobody takes being a Godfather more serious than a Sicilian. LOL
@@stuborowski5301 It took three months to get 71 cuda fenders that I paid a lot for. Last time ever using them. Didn't realize that they were constantly moving them into and out of the bellies of different buses to make it half way across usa. One bus doesn't go from Indiana to Nevada I guess. Did have a little damage to them that the seller gave a small refund for, good guy. He also said never again on using that system. Its seems easier picking those items up by myself. Road trip!
@@56redjets I suppose it depends on where you live. I had a pair of '65 Coronet fenders shipped to me from GA to MA and it took a little over a week. I've done road trips for parts too, but I only do that for heavy or a lots of parts.
@@stuborowski5301 Sounds good. In my experience neither the seller nor I could find out where these were in the system, some kind of glitch. The only reply I was getting from GH was 'its a big box ,and it would be hard to steal, Im sure its somewhere'. Great. Midwest to las vegas shouldn't take 3 months. Also their could only be 1000 insurance on the pair. 1971 oem cuda front fenders in great shape def sell for more. Never again, GH Express.
From my experience if the part on your project is worn out then the same part is worn out on every car of the same make and model. You have an incredible amount of patience to pick the bones. My car hobby record has always been to buy high and sell low.😊
Now there’s the truth for the 99%. I’ve never been skeptical of uncle tony up to now. But unless you don’t have to hold down a full time job and don’t boot your family to the curb this kind of success ain’t gonna happen.
When I was in my late teens I worked a second job for a guy that built a business of selling used snowmobile parts. He only specialized in Polaris Indy snowmobiles. The man owned the business for fifteen years and is now happily retired at a young age.
The ways I was brought up, miss those days. Unfortunately location location, location... even with internet these days it's easier to move stuff, unfortunately there's people that are just too cheap from where I'm at or don't want to buy stuff because it's too far. Most people rather buy a cheap part off line and bolt it on, rather then find the right part and not mess with it. Most of the collectors around me have scrapped their stuff in the last 3 years. I just want to cry because the hours I've helped some of them people save the unsabable, use every part possible, leaning over the years and just seeing the stuff get scrapped in the end.
Partly because of the huge price break they give Chinese sellers. I've heard US sellers on ebay can be undercut on price because the US seller pays higher shipping fees than someone shipping the same article from China.
@@caduceus33 The UN sets international postal rates. Even though China is the second biggest economy in the world the UN classifies them as a third world country, so they get subsidized by the USPS for US shipping.
@Chris Freemesser If only that was the reason. The reality is, the USPS was forced to pay the employee retirement costs, (I believe, it may have been something else), for 75 years, in advance. Every other US agency gets to pay the same cost, year by year, but there was/is a push to privatize the USPS by Repubs, and causing an artificial loss was/is a strategy to push the USPS towards privatization.
@@georgedennison3338 that's right Congress interfered with what was a fairly well run operation. USPS does an amazing job and Congress had no legitimate reason for any of their dictates.
The USPS is responsible for the pensions of all civil servants which always keeps them in the red, and anyway, I don't mind my tax dollars going to support the mail service. Fed-Ex and UPS are much higher.
Good one Tony, a classic, not because anyone could duplicate this, in fact they most likely won't, but it's the MINDSET you need, the Mental Model, the Focus and Intention. Anything is possible for the man who refuses to listen to reason.....
We have a 66 coronet right now and the little pieces is what's killing us! Cars extremely solid I'm from wv! Love the channel! I'm 22 and daily a 77 oldsmobile to work every day that's a job within itself I live for this shit man!
23:03 the look in your eyes ;on the hilarity of shipping a cast iron cylinder head flat rate PRICELESS!!; skip to the postal worker in a surgeon's office ; I felt my gut ripping open when I picked up this package....🤣🤣🤣🤣
Worked as a prep guy in the family's body shop for a few years and I don't know that much about engines. Uncle Tony your like the uncle with the mechanics shop and you have an vast amount of knowledge and an indomitable drive to help guys and gals like us. Please keep it up. Merry Christmas.
I've been doing this for years and the guys who know what's up will get weak in the knees and throw money at me when they walk by my booth and see all of my itemized factory hardware. This video is full of good poop and my big take away was heating the shipping envelope. Thanks for that pearl!
I've done this for years and after awhile the cars and parts find you. The people that complain about it don't put the time in. I've gone to peoples houses at 1am because that was the only time they had to score a deal on a car or parts. Become friends with real estate agents, bought or got for free a lot of stuff that "needed to be gone" to sell the house. I got a 87 suburban that I drove home for $500 because it had to be gone before the open house that weekend. I have a tow dolly and a bunch of spare tires from and salvage yard for the cars I deal with.
I freaking love this guy!! I've never seen someone so excited about shipping boxes. However I understand. Sometimes to make money you gotta do what ya gotta do. By the way. The How To Make A Living Off Of RUclips video will probably get a shit ton of views. This guys a genius . ✌
I have a similar passion for 1980's BMW's. I was in the 1980's BMW game for 11 years. I wish I had the space to part out old BMW's still. I love seeing how much trivial knowledge Tony has for vintage Mopar's because I can relate. Keep making content Tony!
I wanted to save a rusty Dart but it was too far gone. So now that I parted it out I’m getting called asshole, left and right, but a guy in Texas parts out cars in much better condition for a living doing like 10 cars a week, and no one even pays attention...
I understand how you feel, but we cannot save them all. I don't like cutting up old cars either, but we have had to cut up our share of cars just to save others. The most recent one I felt bad about with a 73 Charger SE. The body was good, but the frame and Floors were Swiss cheese. Ended up getting another 73 SE back on the road with horrible body panels and sold what was left with some someone else that needed some roof and other random sheet metal. I made a video of that parts car on my channel last year at some point, but who knows where it is. It's lost in my channel somewhere with the other 300 + videos. It's one of those videos that pops up once every 3 months when somebody makes a comment on it
I bought a tote for $150 because it had a 70 unsilenced air cleaner in it. It also had a date stamped carb and idle stop solenoid in it from a 340. The idle stop solenoid was worth $475 to a guy who was restoring a hemi car. It was just another little part in the bottom of the tote and it was the most valuable part in there.
Ha! I had a similar deal. Bought a milk crate full of distributors for $25. Found a pristine 1970 Hemi Prestolite at the bottom. Flipped it for a quick $500
Mate, please dont listen or take on board the tossers. My family were in the automotive business for around 30+ years. How you value a car took me back to the days when we, as a family used to do exactly that. You are 110% spot on, anyone who says otherwise is a tosser.
Uncle Tony...YOU DA MAN!! Learned a lot.. I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to do what you do, but I have my passion.. Thank you for the tips and the enthusiasm!! Hats off to you sir!!
Sent a set of cast aluminum 17" rims thru Fastenal today... $125 is all, and they gave me the pallet. Lots of the stuff I swap out and work into deals pays for the parts I actually want.
I've become addicted to this channel. My neighbor from age 11-16 and also a guy further down the block were Chevy gurus, similar to how you are with Mopars. I always stayed around them and either got in the way or helped the best I could. This channel makes me want to start a project at age 40. I'd love to have a muscle car I built myself.
This is how I attempt to pay for my habit,and some bills for the last 12 years plus. I love your insight and tips! Also started my youtube channel with walk arounds on my cars and part outs.
Thanks UT. I had got away from selling parts on eBay for awhile once the shipping prices got out of control. USPS had "if it fits it ships" for $5.00 and then discontinued. Many thanks for the great ideas.
Your point of know your subject is very important. The common vs. the rare is not really addressed here but maybe equally important. You had a huge customer base by choosing the A body and the parts interchange factor. Much easier to capitalize and reduce a car to zero like you spoke of. Alternatively the low production can be worth more, net bigger gains. Or is it? If it takes you longer to sell due to a limited market, you hold it longer. sitting on that part(money)means you don't have the gain yet and by the time you do it may not be worth a nickel more. You might have sold three of something more common and made a better return. You can't cover it all in one video no matter what you do. Great video. Thanks for sharing
I'm not a smoker but you take holding that sig to a whole new level, an actual art form, an extension of your hand, part of your being. In the vid where you were grilling you hugged yer wife and flipped yer sig in such a fluid motion I had to watch it twice maybe three times to see it. Almost slight of hand. You car knowledge is truly fascinating, I'm mesmerized. But your smoking etiquette takes me back to a time when it was just taken for granted that people smoked and style was everything. I wish you didn't for your health but that doesnt mean I dont appreciate your mastery of this lost art. Love
Tony, I never learned so much in 27 minutes. You are some sort of a genius, without a doubt. I am sending this video to a friend with a 533i BMW setting in his yard for years.
Again uncle your so correct , I applied the exact same method when I bought and sold rims for my project 96 f250. My bud had a 97 f250 7 bolt pattern which I paid $200 for because I wanted the wrangler duratracs . After I seen a set of steelies for my 96 8 bolt p/u I paid $80 for I was able to sell the 7 bolt rims for $40 which reduced my original tire cost to $160 . Not bad for a old truck and keeping the cost down . Sure I sat on the rims for a 3 months , but it put $$ in my pocket and cut costs into my project . Cheers
UTG back at it with top quality and good info as always! I take a guy seriously when he's excited to talk about something, and I could see it. I have a similar hustle to afford this addiction lol. When I go to the U-Pull-It yards, I check for classic cars or trucks and snag the nick nacks or intricate parts, or stuff I see value in. Square body Chevys are a great cash cow. Recently found a less than mint cluster with rust on the gauges, broken clock and hazy lens. Paid around $10 and within 2 weeks sold it for $100. :) Paid for the parts I got for my Explorer, the gas for the trip and put a few dollars in my pocket. Also emblems, badges are a good investment and I ALWAYS sell those for cheaper than the lowest prices. Turn $5 into $50 or more usually in a week. Biggest downside to online selling is shipping. A lot of people pass if shipping isn't included in the price, or more than say $10. At any rate (Thanks you got me saying that now lol) it's just doing gods work and helping keep classics alive.
A teenage kid friend of mine needed money for tech school , so he had a 750$ car he turned into 3500$ over the course of the summer. The dismantling was the easy part , the hardest part was dealing with idiots. By that I mean the people who wouldn't show up, or try to cut your prices to pennies on the dollar. Heh I was always getting a message from him on the latest deal on something he sold about the idiocy of the customer.
If It Fits It Ships - Ive Shipped ATV rear Fender plastics through usps , Complete 2 Stroke atv engines - minus oil of course lol Uncle Tony Is a Hero !!!
Never thought of it this way, I haven't done much of this but I've always wanted to get more at it. Just waiting to be done with school what I normally mess with is the 73-87, 88-98 GM Trucks, I daily a 96 and I'm assembling a garage full of parts to revive a wrecked 1993 2WD model, same way with you tony, These vehicles are everywhere, lone parts are everywhere I've had them for years. Thanks for the advice.
Usually I'm against parting restorable cars out and getting parts like that bolt from junkyards. Let's be honest though you probably give some advice with every part sold or potential customer that contacts you. Furthermore you aren't doing this for sleazy money, I believe, you're never blasting around in Ferraris or Lamborghinis from profits. So in this case I thank you, sir. You're helping keep the Mopar dream alive while keeping your life financially stable.
This video is some of the best economic advice out there that applies to almost any collector, picker or used market for anything. UTG hit it out of the park. Especially not painting it as an easy get rich quick scheme for the purpose of getting lots of views. He tells it like it is in that it requires hard work, long hours and lots of persistence. And thinking outside the box (although lots of boxes ARE harmed using these methods... lol).
Brilliant video Alpha, one of your best. There was a period between jobs, that I bought and sold lots of stuff, car parts, electronics, etc. and discovered the same thing - the USPS is your best bang for the buck. Extremely useful info.
My brothers been in the parts game for over 20 years. He's still on ebay, dan's gears. I remember hitting up junkyards with him when i was 15. He knew what to look for what would sell. Had served 6 years in the navy as a nuclear engineer and had a degree in mechanical engineering. Knew how to pull rear diff, trans etc, inspect, test and sell. I believe he's actually got some NP 833 parts listed right now!! haha.
have to do a lot of research, scan through all the hotrod, peterson's mags, etc, know what's hot, what will sell, what's rare and in demand. I remember my brother had boxes of differentials lined all over his apt, packed and ready to ship.
Great video uncle Tony, we've been in the car business (mostly mechanics) since the 1920's . 4 generations so far. We know cars, but the RUclips thing puzzles me, how to get the views up etc. Cant wait to see that video
I work in the golf business which obviously is vastly different then the automotive world, however I have had great luck with the specific concept mentioned about asking them to pay what they think is fair. I do many things for members that don't have a published price, most of the time by using this method I end up getting paid more then I would have asked for otherwise.
Man, Please quit smoking. I smoked for 45 years and got 1and 1/2 lungs to show for it. I get out of breath putting on my clothes. I know it's hard. I tried several times before I quit. I did it with Chantix but whatever it takes for you, you will thank your luck stars when you quit for good. Love your channel and can't wait for new videos.
Oooo Oooo Oooo I bolts , I'm doing brakes on my 04 Pontiac and had to replace the strut bolts that mount to the spindle which I can't find anywhere other than the junkyard
I used to be a DUSTER - DART - CHALLENGER nut but got involved with PT CRUISERS now for their retro appeal,great cargo space and fuel economy. Its time to start collecting a few of these to part out in the future as well.
@6:19 "The car was sacred" use every part! Long story- I'm a Minnesotan native- rode old beat up Ski Doo snowmobiles as a kid. Moved south when I grew up and forgot about that. 20 years later- found the junk I rode then is cool and collectible now (sort of like old Mopars were a dime a dozen at one time?) and traced the remains of the first Ski Doo I ever had at age 13- all that was left was half the cowling in a rock pile. In that cowling was the ignition cylinder with the key broken off in it! I recovered it, and got a key made, and it now lives in another machine I found and dragged from the woods. :) Bottom line is if there is ONE PART you can salvage for someone, it is worth it!
Watching this kinda makes me regret not parting out my old Expedition when the head gaskets blew on it. Many of the parts on it were PRISTINE, and I sold it for $400. I was already experienced with Ebay and shipping too, having sold some thrift store finds on there.
I know from playing car mechanics simulator 2018 video game selling parts is vital to making the garage successful just like in real life this is worth the knowledge
I’ve said this many of times on your videos but I’ll say it again, I love your content man I hope you never stop making videos. Thank you uncle tony and uncle Cathy
Tony you have a point I am starting to do this with third gen hemi's I can buy a set of SRT exhaust manifolds for 150 and sell them for 200 and I learn so much about the cars
My niche was BMW E36 and E39s. Since there were often special tools needed that we're too expensive to buy for one job I would always try a part on Craigslist first and offer to help install for extra $$. EBay was beautiful for small mailables.. I also hooked up with a couple of junkyards, would pick, document and sell their parts WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY FOR THEM, and split with the owner paying him cash money
So many car guys have no clue what a rusty parts car is worth. Love making good cash on a car my friends think is useless. As many times as I show them they still think it's a fluke.
great video man ! some people just dont understand about needing parts that are hard to get now days... I work on my own cars and I bought 2 different cars a civic and a integra the previous owners deleted the power steering pumps but left the power steering racks in the cars.. the steering racks in both cars went bad so I decided to install manual steering racks in both cars since there was no power steering pumps... I installed the rack in the first car and got under the dash and realized that the u joint that connects the steering wheel to the rack wouldn't work on a manual rack.. I hunted for that little u joint and found only 1 guy on Ebay had one and he wanted $75.00 for this joint for a manual rack.. i had to buy it to finish my steering rack job and it worked... my 2nd car I installed the manual rack in I ran into the same problem and that same guy had another u joint for $75.00 so I bought it lol.. --get this though-- the u joint for a power steering rack was $20- $30 bucks and this guy knew this u joint for a manual rack was super hard to find unless you wanted to pay $400.00 for it from the dealership. So the seller knew he was gonna get that $75.00 for that joint no problem but I'm so glad he had it because I would of been out of $300- $400 for a small u joint...
Makes perfect sense, I'm restoring my car and was looking for a small power seat controller from 94 and it's worth 50 bucks on ebay because only 2 years used that style of switch. Dont want to put a raggedy autozone brand switch. Therefore storing parts makes sense.
I am so glad you posted this video, I have been trying to figure out if I should part out my 1970 Barracuda, sell it the way it sits or fix it up, you may have helped me decide.
uncle Tony ive been binge watching your videos lately and i even watch some during my lunchbreak too, im a young tech working for the stealership and i have learned a great deal from watching your videos, keep up the great work thank you sir
Tony I tried to ship a USPS flat rate priority large box today with a tiny 1” bump in the top and they wouldn’t let it go! They said I changed the shape of the box and I would be charged extra. How did you manage to send yours or is your post office just more lenient?
For a few years I targeted MGB's, specifically the heads...and specifically one casting number. Why? They were only built for two years but would fit and improve any year from the early 60's to 1980. I would buy the good cores for around $100 or so, clean, magna flux and vac test them, port/polish the bowls, add new valves, unshroud the chamber, surface and k-line the guides if necessary. I'd then resell them to hobby racers all over the world for around$800. I had about two hours and another $100 in parts into it...so a nice profit. Also, they were my winter projects so they kept me occupied when it was -10 and snowing outside for 3 months! That money would go to help fund my 1970 Challenger and 1973 MGB projects which are now complete and running. Now the cores are so hard to find and expensive it's not really worth it...in addition to aluminum heads now being sold at such a low price that the OEM iron is no longer desired as much by guys looking to save weight.
I do that same with ford trucks in Texas. actually leaned quite a bit about them by taking them apart. done well enough on them to buy myself a lot of tools a new Lincoln mig and most of the parts for the 62f100 I have.
I had a service manual to a Duesenberg model J. I found it in a garage I was cleaning out in San Francisco. The Pebble Beach Club was in town and there was a guy standing next to the Duesenberg.
I said to him do you know who owns this car. He said he did and he ask me why. I said I have a manual that belongs with this car and I handed it to him. He asked me how much I wanted for it. I said I don't want anything for it. This manual belongs to this car and the man who owns this car. It belongs in his personal library. So I left the manual with my name and my address. About two months later I received a special thank you card from the man and his wife from Flagstaff Arizona. Sometimes it's not about money. Sometimes it's about returning things to where they belong. The position to which they are most powerful in the universe. There is an honor among carboys. It's like taking care of a sacred shrine. Maintaining the legend. Doing the right thing. I knew damn well that the manual had no business being on the internet. There is a greater good. Bragging rights.
You get it
That a boy thumbs up youre correct
@@jasonjohnson2250 Where are you going to find a manual that tells you how to adjust the Bendix brakes on a 1931 Duesenberg?
I want a model J so badly it's not funny maybe one day. It was very nice of you to do that.
Jonah Cottrell what comes round goes round you keep being like that you will have your duesenburg sometimes that guy will remember you and he will help you if you need a part if you do find one you did the right thing I had a brand new trunk panel the trim that goes from taillights to tail light it was brand new old stock my buddy has a 68 barracuda drag car and I gave to him it was no’s I think I could have prob got 300 or more for it but I looked at his and it had a few dings in it nothing serious but I thought it’s no good for my 67 and he helped me a lot with my car he’s a mopar mechanic and I said take it he couldn’t believe I would give to him but he was always very fair to me as to what he charged if he even charged me sometimes what comes round goes round like I say you help me I will help you
I’m no mopar guy but I find myself watching his videos a lot . I’m a boomer and relate to what Tony is talking about. I’ve run a parts yard/ late model repairables/ auto body/repair / auto sales/ hot rodder buyer and builder. For 40 yrs, can never get done learning new things.. I now feel blessed to own 20 acres to store cars on . I’ve got to start treating each car I own like a Indian parting out a buffalo .lol 😆 .
Whatever is worth doing is a pain in the ass.
Yup.
Right...and two years later of a piece of shit sitting in your back yard, your down to a cut up body that you have to haul off.. 500 trips to the ups store...
Tit's or tires, it's worth it! Me, love it all but am mostly a FMJ (body type) guy. Go bent bar cars
@Atomic Litter Box - I guess when you systematize everything & you scale up you create efficiencies? Doesn't sound like he made out too badly.
Essentially you let the wide reach of the WWW be your sales associate... all you need is people looking online for parts that have a market, to know exactly what you're selling, and to neither out-price nor under-price your service (it IS a service you sell, essentially as the parts value is purely arbitrary.)
If you are willing to take the pain in the ass lol
Thank you for explaining the whole “bolt” thing.
Years ago I was teaching two young friends of mine (twin brothers, 17ish) and laughed at me when I expressed the importance of the bolts and nuts of the car we were taking apart should be diligently put back, if possible, in the same spot it came out of so we wouldn’t loose or loose track of where they went.
10 years later one is a journeyman mechanic and the other is a voracious hobbyists and both are very careful with the bolts and nuts of a project.
Thanks for explaining your wisdom to the plebes, Uncle.
Haha I'm gonna go play a lottery ticket.
This vid got interrupted by a phone call from a buddy and in the conversation he wanted to confirm "3 lines is grade 5 , 5 lines is grade 8 right"...yup.
Then I see this comment.
You know what? Even extremely well stocked hardware stores may not have all the rare bolts you need. I do a lot of biz with one and even if they have what you need it can take a LOT of time to find it. Time is money and in case you have not noticed the level of customer service has slipped quite a bit over the last 30 years.
Mentoring the young guys is what we need more of in every occupation and trade so many are lost and discouraged
I had a teacher in tech school with your last name.
OTC Cleveland Ohio
@lol bad kid
I bet he's related LOL that's a pretty rare name.
I was on Facebook, and I saw this guy with the last name Bottema... there was a guy with that name that was famous in BMX bicycles back in the 80s,so as a joke I asked the guy if he was related... He came back and said yes he was a cousin haha.
These young people are not 1/10th as smart as generations past. They have been dumbed down too much.
Sounds like coach Higginbotham. He was my shop teacher. He would say the same thing more decades ago and I care to admit to. But I turned 16 early enough in the '80s to cash in on those bumper crop of 19 60s and '70s muscle cars before they shot the moon in price. I agree 100% with you and I encourage specifically in the old car hobby the new blood because as we all get older and do less with it expire eventually. We need to be able to pass that on to the next generation. History and value will be lost otherwise!
@@seanfagan6998 Education standards are way higher now than they were in the past. You missed the point of the original comment, young people are plenty smart but the motivation is not there partially because of the lack of mentors.
Had a bit of a brain fart while describing shipping an 8.75 center. It actually gets broken down and sent in two large flat rate boxes. It can ALSO be shipped intact if wrapped in cardboard with the yoke, drain plug and one cap removed to make the weight.
And, yes..that is a Flange Bolt, but it has a distinctive profile
Uncle Tony's Garage any ideas on USPS boxing a pair of extractors to Australia ?
That's PhD.level Intel Unc.And Epstien didn't kill himself.
@@Russeljfinch can you weld......if so cut them into about 30 or 40 smallish pieces....
@@Russeljfinch There is International Flat Rate shipping, but will still be expensive to Australia. Look on usps.com and it will tell you more
I don't know how to do it but I've seen on other posts where the comment was "pinned" so it stays at the top of the comment list. You may want to do that.
As always, great video!
Ride on Tony!
Don't forget Greyhound Package express. If you're not in a rush, they'll stuff up to a 100lbs worth of car parts into the bellies of dem interstate busses. Shipped a 79 lb. W123 Benz 4 speed manual gearbox this way for $76 from Portland Oregon to Melbourne Florida.
pallets are good too,in the days when the transport companies where at war on prices you could ship a whole pallet from Perth western Australia 3000 odd kays to Sydney australia...the equitant of Los angles to new york ish
@Sebastian Cowley
I thought Greyhound had stopped doing freight. It's good to hear they either still are, or have started again.
I'm older than dirt, even older than 'The Unc'! When I needed speed parts back in the days before UPS or Fed Ex, (no, they have NOT been around, forever), the way to go was Greyhound.
I have sent/received stuff from all over the US. Lots of stuff you can send with NO packaging, if it is clean. All it needs is a tag securely attached to it.
It used to be the best/cheapest way to ship tires. There was no USPS flat rate, and the Post Office was expensive for shipping.
Greyhound was the ONLY way to get speed parts in small town Oregon in the '60s & '70s.
Not all terminals accept freight, they have a location section on their site. Buy a veterans advantage discount card ( anyone can get it , about $40 per year) and get %25 off freight. Greyhound only limits to the longest dimension (108" max) and 100#, however the terminal personal are easily bribed ( crummy job, lots of abuse from travelers ) if you are a little over. EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, thanks
Had a bad experience with greyhound. Ordered a seat last Christmas for my satellite sundance and it still hasnt arrived (was a bench seat btw). Idk how they lost a large seat like that but its been a headache and i cant seem to get my seat
@@georgedennison3338 So true. One of the first jobs I had as a teenager was to go to the Greyhound depot in Kansas City and pick up shipments. They had a huge shipping center at the time.
Couple things to factor in...
- Quality of pictures makes a difference! If you have Bad pictures of a Good part, the customer will pay you like it's a bad part.
- Quality of the part that you are selling. If someone else is selling a Pristine part, and you have an OK part, factor your pricing accordingly.
- Rarity of the part. If you usually can find 10 or 12 of a part, put are selling one that you can only find 2 others, and they are 1000 miles away. Price up accordingly.
- When responding to a request on a forum for a less than 20 dollar part, always let the potential customer know that you have the part, and the shipping might cost more than the part, ...so if they are looking for anything else, just ask - you might have it, and can add it on to the order.
- Use links or references to the rest of your items for sale, so that the customer can browse, and see that you know what you're doing with your part business.
- Do your research on the parts and use words that people commonly use to describe a part. Always use the actual part name if you know it, but try to include another 'slang' name that a mechanic or enthusiast might use.
- Always try to list the variants of cars that the part will fit.
- Use a secure payment system. Paypal is your friend and will protect you from scams, and charlatans.
- Record your transactions, shipments, and tracking number (It's a good idea to snap a photo pf the box with label, on the day that you ship it)
- You aren't going to make a profit on every part that you sell, so when you have a rare/valuable part that you know you can make Good money on, get your price for it.
- Make sure that the parts are properly drained and dry before you stick them in a box and they make a mess for someone and the shipping company to clean up.
- For big parts (engine block, trans, diff), let the buyer arrange the shipping so you don't waste an excessive amount of your own time on it.
- * The biggest thing, is that you Have to Pay Yourself for your time too. Be aware that if you spend an hour picking, photo, listing, packing a part - that it better be worth what an hour of your time is worth. I know too many people who spend 50.00 worth of their time, selling a 20.00 part.- Don't be afraid to tell people that you have a minimum order $, or that for a specific part, you will have to add some shipping and handling to the order, to cover the cost of preparing it for shipping.
I think that's it. ;-)
Very nice description David, alot of things mentioned here that would otherwise be learned the hard way I appreciate you . I can tell your a smart man, Roy
@@royderouin7510 - I learned some things the hard way. ;-)
I likewise very much appreciate this information. Thank you so much
I’ve tried to sell detail parts like those fuel pump bolts and small parts that make cars original and people think it’s stupid, but they don’t realize those parts are important when someone complains they can’t find what they need. I just say “well?”
What I have learned is many people are fickle, and they are bullshitters.
Very True Brother.. stay at it... I'm a former employee of Classic Industries.. case we ever spoke my name is JD.. Just Dodge or Just Darts.. I've been asked so many countless times for original parts.. and also got in trouble for telling car owners my honest opinion and where I would look.. Cheers from Southern California..
I have had people tell me point-blank that original parts are crap, because they can go get the same thing from one of you guys like Yearone or from you at Classic Industries.
There is a time and place for reproduction parts, but so many of these classic cars are no longer with us there are millions of good original parts out there. These were and are American cars and should not be Chinese shitboxes. Keep American cars, all American.
Prairie State Auto Restorations I know exactly what you mean. I needed a single bolt for the rear axle bracket on my Puma. It's a tiny bolt, M10 X 40 or something like that, fine threaded, but here's the thing: it has a washer cast into the head AND a huge captive washer on it. Totally impossible to find, the people who had broken cars for parts hadnt thought to remove those brackets, they took the axle off, left the brackets on and sent the brackets and body to scrap. I was offering people down the other end of the country to give me just one bolt for ten quid and they were refusing me because they were so adamant that they weren't posting parts because of scammers these days. I ended up lucking out and finding a fiesta sat in a fire station being used for their training. I went in there and asked them if I could take the bolt, and they let me in there to get it for free. I felt really bad for taking it for free though, so I put some money in their little charity box on the way out. In ten years I can tell you that those little bolts will probably be going for about £20 because they're so exposed to road salt and so easy to round by accident.
Yep
@@F6HemiCharger the Orginal parts are made so much better.. you know that.. and trust me i do.. I don't work for Classic Industries anymore.. I quit them, because I needed to care for my Father in Austin Texas.. and they would not let me miss days.. it's a Rotten place to work.. Zero Customer service or concern for quality standards, Customers would tell me that emblems would fade in normal weather, cars like mine, real daily drivers.
I have there tail light bezels in my 68.. the black paint chips off.. cause it's painted over there cheap chrome.. my old 68 has original ones that are still chrome and black.. dash bezels that chips etc.. mean while they want almost 500$$ yup.. I was the most popular agent there, almost every single Car tv show had direct contact with me.. 10k to 16k a day in sales.. and they wouldn't let me have time to care for my sick Father.. I use Classic if I absolutely have too.. my Old boss is super cool.. and still gives me my discount.. peace.. keep at please.. still looking for my 68 hood emblem.. it's also the 70 and up swinger emblem.. script font Dodge.. 270 model 4 door Dart emblem.. just I'm case.. God bless..
Uncle you my friend are a genius and this is why i pay close attention to the things you say, you have gone much farther down the road than i have.
Thank You for what you share, and please do not stop doing it !!
"For the sake of being brief, don't wanna drag this on for days right???"
I dunno, I remember the 36 hour "Uncle Tonython"...
Good times...
NEWZEALAND
Wtf are u saying man!?
@@walasiewicz he went live for 36 hours straight lol
Cheers from Southern California... I got it brother.. No worries.. 68 Dodge Dart Daily driver everyday and Everywhere..
Flat rate boxes rock. I jammed a early Bronco steering box in one, wrapped it with tape and it went. Barley fit and it wasn't square at all.
Regarding "fair minded people". Older mopar guys are usually pretty fair, younger guys are not. It was night and day buying/selling mopar parts and then switching to some turbo DSM stuff in the mid 2000's. No shows, low ballers, dreamers, scammers - it was a nightmare and I realized how much better and stand up the older muscle car people were and are in comparison. Just putting that out there for someone that wants to do this for other genres of cars.
You got no idea what your talking about. Young kids pay up. Older guys are flakes scammers and ignorant
I've had Nothing but Awesome luck with Fellow Mopar A Body owners.. wheels and tires, Radiator with shroud, Carburetors, and then Engine and Trans, manifolds more Carbs, air cleaners, keep em on the road has always been the Mopar way cause we were the only source for parts.. little to no aftermarket support.. it's better now.. but come on.. it's still thin.. cheers from Southern California 68 Dodge Dart Daily driver everyday and Everywhere..
@@AtZero138 a bodies only members are amazing. I love buying from people there
Who raised that younger generation.
Glad that you had that experience with the old-time Mopar guys. Maybe it was my bad luck, but I met a lot of sharks- to the point that it put me off the hobby for a long time. Now that I'm retired I'll be getting back into it- but carefully.
Something is worth as much some one is willing to pay for it! Especially mopars!
This guy is a stoner mechanic
Mike Castleberry
Tony is not a stoner but he does support those of us who are.
Mopars suck ford a little better
It's either no car or Mopar baby
@@mikecastleberry9671 and a damn good smart one too
You're 110% right and it applies to anything project related. I bought a 1960 Craftsman rollaway toolbox at an estate sale in 2002. With it came some old Buick OEM shop manuals. I went online, flipped those and made my money back plus some. So, the box paid for itself in a day and I even had money for paint and to clean it up and make it look decent. I then sent in a photo to Sears and was featured in the Craftsman Club newsletter with my photo and story. Sears paid me $50. I then went to the local Sears with the article and said to the manager, "You have a tool box like this?" The manager and the clerk looked and said, "Holy S------, it's you in the photo!" I was a minor celebrity that day and the manager said, "Hey listen, anything you buy tonight, 25% off on top of the sale prices". I cleaned up---this was when you could easily get USA made Craftsman tools, so I went to town.
So your theory is spot on. Whatever is "junk" or "unwanted" for you has a use. As my father used to say, "there's an ass for every seat". How true.
I love Tony's description of parts and procedures. No bullshit, straight talk. Not trying to sell me crap, just info.
Great Clip Tony. I'm retired from the Post Office and handled, both shipping and delivering, a lot of what you are talking about. A dashboard pops to mind, along with tires, exhaust, rims, gas tanks(new...can't mail one that smells like gas) and other parts. Flat Rate is the way to fly! Just a point on your packing tape, though. The cheap dollar store type tape doesn't stay stuck very well in cold weather....the colder it gets, the more it wants to let go. Sometimes worth to spend a little bit more......customer like it when the package is still closed when it delivers! ;-) Keep the videos coming, can't wait for the next one!
...I rarely use flat rates...I find most of what I ship won't fit in them..seems they are always "off" in one dimension...for example, the small ones are often wide enough, long enough..but not "deep" enough to hold anything...then when you move up to the next size, it is usually more expensive than using your own box....
@@dyer2cycle That's very true. There is quite a variety of flat-rate boxes now, but it would just be impractical to have a box size to fit everything. But if you are sending a box full of lugnuts or or other small, dense items, it's a bargain. An over-sized air cleaner, not so much.........although, if something can be be dismantled a little bit more, even if it doesn't fit in a Priority box, flat-rate or otherwise, but will fit in two boxes,it can avoid the over-sized fees that get added and sometimes be cheaper going in the two boxes......sometimes it takes an extra trip to the Post Office if you don't have your own scales. And if you can get the help you need at your PO, try one near by. There are people out there who will help you figure it out, but not always where you want them
"never under estimate an Italian on a mission"
Uncle Tony quote of the month. Now I understand how I got the tenacity I have: my Italian uncle!
My Uncle was 1st Gen Sicilian-American, AND my Godfather. Let me tell ya, nobody takes being a Godfather more serious than a Sicilian. LOL
I never would seen all the rocky films
The shipping advice is a thing of brilliance.
I've shipped doors and fenders via Greyhound bus freight. Slow, but it gets there cheap.
@@stuborowski5301 It took three months to get 71 cuda fenders that I paid a lot for. Last time ever using them. Didn't realize that they were constantly moving them into and out of the bellies of different buses to make it half way across usa. One bus doesn't go from Indiana to Nevada I guess. Did have a little damage to them that the seller gave a small refund for, good guy. He also said never again on using that system. Its seems easier picking those items up by myself. Road trip!
@@56redjets I suppose it depends on where you live. I had a pair of '65 Coronet fenders shipped to me from GA to MA and it took a little over a week.
I've done road trips for parts too, but I only do that for heavy or a lots of parts.
@@stuborowski5301 Sounds good. In my experience neither the seller nor I could find out where these were in the system, some kind of glitch. The only reply I was getting from GH was 'its a big box ,and it would be hard to steal, Im sure its somewhere'. Great. Midwest to las vegas shouldn't take 3 months. Also their could only be 1000 insurance on the pair. 1971 oem cuda front fenders in great shape def sell for more. Never again, GH Express.
I've learned how to make my cigarette butt last as long as it possibly could and still smoke it
👍😆
Tony just uses them as incense it seems
From my experience if the part on your project is worn out then the same part is worn out on every car of the same make and model. You have an incredible amount of patience to pick the bones. My car hobby record has always been to buy high and sell low.😊
Lol...
Haha yup , so we would try to find the least worn one and deal with it....kinda sucked and you knew you were running on borrowed time , so to speak
Now there’s the truth for the 99%. I’ve never been skeptical of uncle tony up to now. But unless you don’t have to hold down a full time job and don’t boot your family to the curb this kind of success ain’t gonna happen.
When I was in my late teens I worked a second job for a guy that built a business of selling used snowmobile parts. He only specialized in Polaris Indy snowmobiles. The man owned the business for fifteen years and is now happily retired at a young age.
The ways I was brought up, miss those days. Unfortunately location location, location... even with internet these days it's easier to move stuff, unfortunately there's people that are just too cheap from where I'm at or don't want to buy stuff because it's too far. Most people rather buy a cheap part off line and bolt it on, rather then find the right part and not mess with it. Most of the collectors around me have scrapped their stuff in the last 3 years. I just want to cry because the hours I've helped some of them people save the unsabable, use every part possible, leaning over the years and just seeing the stuff get scrapped in the end.
bought some parts from you on FABO when I was getting my Duster going, was always great doing business with you.
Now we know why the United States Postal Service is like $6 billion in debt ;)
Partly because of the huge price break they give Chinese sellers. I've heard US sellers on ebay can be undercut on price because the US seller pays higher shipping fees than someone shipping the same article from China.
@@caduceus33 The UN sets international postal rates. Even though China is the second biggest economy in the world the UN classifies them as a third world country, so they get subsidized by the USPS for US shipping.
@Chris Freemesser
If only that was the reason. The reality is, the USPS was forced to pay the employee retirement costs, (I believe, it may have been something else), for 75 years, in advance.
Every other US agency gets to pay the same cost, year by year, but there was/is a push to privatize the USPS by Repubs, and causing an artificial loss was/is a strategy to push the USPS towards privatization.
@@georgedennison3338 that's right Congress interfered with what was a fairly well run operation. USPS does an amazing job and Congress had no legitimate reason for any of their dictates.
The USPS is responsible for the pensions of all civil servants which always keeps them in the red, and anyway, I don't mind my tax dollars going to support the mail service. Fed-Ex and UPS are much higher.
Wow just realized I watched a 27min video and felt like 10 min. Thank for all the great info!!
I swear Uncle Tony is the only youtuber I can watch a 20+ minute video from without falling asleep or getting disinterested.
Justin Wright SAME !
I could go to an all day seminar with him and never get bored
Holy cow you just made me realize I time traveled!
Good one Tony, a classic, not because anyone could duplicate this, in fact they most likely won't, but it's the MINDSET you need, the Mental Model, the Focus and Intention. Anything is possible for the man who refuses to listen to reason.....
We have a 66 coronet right now and the little pieces is what's killing us! Cars extremely solid I'm from wv! Love the channel! I'm 22 and daily a 77 oldsmobile to work every day that's a job within itself I live for this shit man!
23:03 the look in your eyes ;on the hilarity of shipping a cast iron cylinder head flat rate PRICELESS!!; skip to the postal worker in a surgeon's office ; I felt my gut ripping open when I picked up this package....🤣🤣🤣🤣
Worked as a prep guy in the family's body shop for a few years and I don't know that much about engines. Uncle Tony your like the uncle with the mechanics shop and you have an vast amount of knowledge and an indomitable drive to help guys and gals like us. Please keep it up. Merry Christmas.
Just watching Uncle Tony explaining how to ship parts using USPS was awesome! He really is focused on accomplishing tasks!
I've been doing this for years and the guys who know what's up will get weak in the knees and throw money at me when they walk by my booth and see all of my itemized factory hardware.
This video is full of good poop and my big take away was heating the shipping envelope. Thanks for that pearl!
I've done this for years and after awhile the cars and parts find you. The people that complain about it don't put the time in. I've gone to peoples houses at 1am because that was the only time they had to score a deal on a car or parts. Become friends with real estate agents, bought or got for free a lot of stuff that "needed to be gone" to sell the house. I got a 87 suburban that I drove home for $500 because it had to be gone before the open house that weekend. I have a tow dolly and a bunch of spare tires from and salvage yard for the cars I deal with.
I freaking love this guy!! I've never seen someone so excited about shipping boxes. However I understand. Sometimes to make money you gotta do what ya gotta do. By the way. The How To Make A Living Off Of RUclips video will probably get a shit ton of views. This guys a genius . ✌
I have a similar passion for 1980's BMW's. I was in the 1980's BMW game for 11 years. I wish I had the space to part out old BMW's still. I love seeing how much trivial knowledge Tony has for vintage Mopar's because I can relate. Keep making content Tony!
ROLL UP YOUR WINDOWS!!!
It hurts to see old cars or trucks get chopped up and parted out... wish you could save them all.
You can't save a car without a parts car . That's just the reality.
I wanted to save a rusty Dart but it was too far gone. So now that I parted it out I’m getting called asshole, left and right, but a guy in Texas parts out cars in much better condition for a living doing like 10 cars a week, and no one even pays attention...
If you can chop up one car to save 10 or 20 others then the sacrifice is all worth it.
I understand how you feel, but we cannot save them all. I don't like cutting up old cars either, but we have had to cut up our share of cars just to save others.
The most recent one I felt bad about with a 73 Charger SE. The body was good, but the frame and Floors were Swiss cheese. Ended up getting another 73 SE back on the road with horrible body panels and sold what was left with some someone else that needed some roof and other random sheet metal.
I made a video of that parts car on my channel last year at some point, but who knows where it is. It's lost in my channel somewhere with the other 300 + videos. It's one of those videos that pops up once every 3 months when somebody makes a comment on it
I bought a tote for $150 because it had a 70 unsilenced air cleaner in it. It also had a date stamped carb and idle stop solenoid in it from a 340. The idle stop solenoid was worth $475 to a guy who was restoring a hemi car. It was just another little part in the bottom of the tote and it was the most valuable part in there.
Ha! I had a similar deal. Bought a milk crate full of distributors for $25. Found a pristine 1970 Hemi Prestolite at the bottom. Flipped it for a quick $500
Mate, please dont listen or take on board the tossers. My family were in the automotive business for around 30+ years. How you value a car took me back to the days when we, as a family used to do exactly that. You are 110% spot on, anyone who says otherwise is a tosser.
Uncle Tony...YOU DA MAN!! Learned a lot.. I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to do what you do, but I have my passion.. Thank you for the tips and the enthusiasm!!
Hats off to you sir!!
Sent a set of cast aluminum 17" rims thru Fastenal today... $125 is all, and they gave me the pallet. Lots of the stuff I swap out and work into deals pays for the parts I actually want.
I've become addicted to this channel. My neighbor from age 11-16 and also a guy further down the block were Chevy gurus, similar to how you are with Mopars. I always stayed around them and either got in the way or helped the best I could. This channel makes me want to start a project at age 40. I'd love to have a muscle car I built myself.
This is how I attempt to pay for my habit,and some bills for the last 12 years plus. I love your insight and tips!
Also started my youtube channel with walk arounds on my cars and part outs.
Thanks UT. I had got away from selling parts on eBay for awhile once the shipping prices got out of control. USPS had "if it fits it ships" for $5.00 and then discontinued. Many thanks for the great ideas.
Tony literally talking about my dream job. Nothing jazzes me more than tearing things apart and organizing them and assigning numbers to them.
Knowledge is power in this case knowledge = CASH $$$$ !!!!! UNCLE TONY RULES !!!!!
I hate seeing cars and parts being turned to a soup can, I can't stand ppl hauling good stuff to be recycled, when it can be used!
Your point of know your subject is very important. The common vs. the rare is not really addressed here but maybe equally important. You had a huge customer base by choosing the A body and the parts interchange factor. Much easier to capitalize and reduce a car to zero like you spoke of. Alternatively the low production can be worth more, net bigger gains. Or is it? If it takes you longer to sell due to a limited market, you hold it longer. sitting on that part(money)means you don't have the gain yet and by the time you do it may not be worth a nickel more. You might have sold three of something more common and made a better return. You can't cover it all in one video no matter what you do. Great video. Thanks for sharing
I'm not a smoker but you take holding that sig to a whole new level, an actual art form, an extension of your hand, part of your being. In the vid where you were grilling you hugged yer wife and flipped yer sig in such a fluid motion I had to watch it twice maybe three times to see it. Almost slight of hand. You car knowledge is truly fascinating, I'm mesmerized. But your smoking etiquette takes me back to a time when it was just taken for granted that people smoked and style was everything. I wish you didn't for your health but that doesnt mean I dont appreciate your mastery of this lost art. Love
MoPars are sacred like the buffalo. 🐃🙏
Before he cuts up a car, he says a short prayer of thanks to the Mopar for its sacrifice!
22:19 that's how you flick your butt without anyone noticing
Tony, I never learned so much in 27 minutes. You are some sort of a genius, without a doubt.
I am sending this video to a friend with a 533i BMW setting in his yard for years.
Fantastic video uncle Tony! And if the whole RUclips thing goes to shit for some reason, your next step will be 'motivational speaker ' 👌
This has become my morning coffee and evening glass of something channel. I’d subscribe again if I could Uncle Tony
Again uncle your so correct , I applied the exact same method when I bought and sold rims for my project 96 f250. My bud had a 97 f250 7 bolt pattern which I paid $200 for because I wanted the wrangler duratracs . After I seen a set of steelies for my 96 8 bolt p/u I paid $80 for I was able to sell the 7 bolt rims for $40 which reduced my original tire cost to $160 . Not bad for a old truck and keeping the cost down . Sure I sat on the rims for a 3 months , but it put $$ in my pocket and cut costs into my project . Cheers
Made a lot off parts locally but never thought of the USPS method. Love the advice on that, lol.
I’m a licensed dismantler in Utah and I can tell you he’s spot on.
Thanks UTG.........you just stimulated the economy of every nation (especially the U.S.). The President owes you a high five.......at least a beer!
I got whole cars I bought for one part to put my Roadrunner together maybe that's something I should look into
UTG back at it with top quality and good info as always! I take a guy seriously when he's excited to talk about something, and I could see it. I have a similar hustle to afford this addiction lol. When I go to the U-Pull-It yards, I check for classic cars or trucks and snag the nick nacks or intricate parts, or stuff I see value in. Square body Chevys are a great cash cow. Recently found a less than mint cluster with rust on the gauges, broken clock and hazy lens. Paid around $10 and within 2 weeks sold it for $100. :) Paid for the parts I got for my Explorer, the gas for the trip and put a few dollars in my pocket. Also emblems, badges are a good investment and I ALWAYS sell those for cheaper than the lowest prices. Turn $5 into $50 or more usually in a week. Biggest downside to online selling is shipping. A lot of people pass if shipping isn't included in the price, or more than say $10. At any rate (Thanks you got me saying that now lol) it's just doing gods work and helping keep classics alive.
This is the content I want to keep seeing. Never forget your roots
A teenage kid friend of mine needed money for tech school , so he had a 750$ car he turned into 3500$ over the course of the summer.
The dismantling was the easy part , the hardest part was dealing with idiots.
By that I mean the people who wouldn't show up, or try to cut your prices to pennies on the dollar.
Heh I was always getting a message from him on the latest deal on something he sold about the idiocy of the customer.
Saving cars one piece at a time! Love it!
If It Fits It Ships - Ive Shipped ATV rear Fender plastics through usps , Complete 2 Stroke atv engines - minus oil of course lol Uncle Tony Is a Hero !!!
I just noticed the Mattis knifehand poster....nice
Just an average honest guy we need more people in the world like Uncle Tony
Thanks for the resourcefulness there's value in everything many can't see
Never thought of it this way, I haven't done much of this but I've always wanted to get more at it. Just waiting to be done with school what I normally mess with is the 73-87, 88-98 GM Trucks, I daily a 96 and I'm assembling a garage full of parts to revive a wrecked 1993 2WD model, same way with you tony, These vehicles are everywhere, lone parts are everywhere I've had them for years. Thanks for the advice.
Words from the wise, knowhow and common sense. Great job
Usually I'm against parting restorable cars out and getting parts like that bolt from junkyards. Let's be honest though you probably give some advice with every part sold or potential customer that contacts you. Furthermore you aren't doing this for sleazy money, I believe, you're never blasting around in Ferraris or Lamborghinis from profits. So in this case I thank you, sir. You're helping keep the Mopar dream alive while keeping your life financially stable.
This video is some of the best economic advice out there that applies to almost any collector, picker or used market for anything. UTG hit it out of the park. Especially not painting it as an easy get rich quick scheme for the purpose of getting lots of views. He tells it like it is in that it requires hard work, long hours and lots of persistence. And thinking outside the box (although lots of boxes ARE harmed using these methods... lol).
Brilliant video Alpha, one of your best. There was a period between jobs, that I bought and sold lots of stuff, car parts, electronics, etc. and discovered the same thing - the USPS is your best bang for the buck. Extremely useful info.
My brothers been in the parts game for over 20 years. He's still on ebay, dan's gears. I remember hitting up junkyards with him when i was 15. He knew what to look for what would sell. Had served 6 years in the navy as a nuclear engineer and had a degree in mechanical engineering. Knew how to pull rear diff, trans etc, inspect, test and sell. I believe he's actually got some NP 833 parts listed right now!! haha.
have to do a lot of research, scan through all the hotrod, peterson's mags, etc, know what's hot, what will sell, what's rare and in demand. I remember my brother had boxes of differentials lined all over his apt, packed and ready to ship.
Great video uncle Tony, we've been in the car business (mostly mechanics) since the 1920's . 4 generations so far. We know cars, but the RUclips thing puzzles me, how to get the views up etc. Cant wait to see that video
I work in the golf business which obviously is vastly different then the automotive world, however I have had great luck with the specific concept mentioned about asking them to pay what they think is fair. I do many things for members that don't have a published price, most of the time by using this method I end up getting paid more then I would have asked for otherwise.
Man, Please quit smoking. I smoked for 45 years and got 1and 1/2 lungs to show for it. I get out of breath putting on my clothes. I know it's hard. I tried several times before I quit. I did it with Chantix but whatever it takes for you, you will thank your luck stars when you quit for good. Love your channel and can't wait for new videos.
👍👍👍👍
It ain't easy when your ADHD.
@@vincej4319 I know but it's worth it!
Oooo Oooo Oooo I bolts , I'm doing brakes on my 04 Pontiac and had to replace the strut bolts that mount to the spindle which I can't find anywhere other than the junkyard
Uncle Tony Rocks! Thanks man!
I used to be a DUSTER - DART - CHALLENGER nut but got involved with PT CRUISERS now for their
retro appeal,great cargo space and fuel economy. Its time to start collecting a few of these to part out in the future as well.
@6:19 "The car was sacred" use every part! Long story- I'm a Minnesotan native- rode old beat up Ski Doo snowmobiles as a kid. Moved south when I grew up and forgot about that. 20 years later- found the junk I rode then is cool and collectible now (sort of like old Mopars were a dime a dozen at one time?) and traced the remains of the first Ski Doo I ever had at age 13- all that was left was half the cowling in a rock pile. In that cowling was the ignition cylinder with the key broken off in it! I recovered it, and got a key made, and it now lives in another machine I found and dragged from the woods. :) Bottom line is if there is ONE PART you can salvage for someone, it is worth it!
The Inspector General of the United States Postal Service approves this message....most of it, anyway.
Uncle Tony deserves an Oscar 🏆 for sharing some of his knowledge and experience with the common guys.
I've been parting out GM G Body vehicles for the last 20 years. I highly relate to this video. Most of your points are spot on. Good video!
Watching this kinda makes me regret not parting out my old Expedition when the head gaskets blew on it. Many of the parts on it were PRISTINE, and I sold it for $400. I was already experienced with Ebay and shipping too, having sold some thrift store finds on there.
I know from playing car mechanics simulator 2018 video game selling parts is vital to making the garage successful just like in real life this is worth the knowledge
I’ve said this many of times on your videos but I’ll say it again, I love your content man I hope you never stop making videos. Thank you uncle tony and uncle Cathy
Tony you have a point I am starting to do this with third gen hemi's I can buy a set of SRT exhaust manifolds for 150 and sell them for 200 and I learn so much about the cars
My niche was BMW E36 and E39s. Since there were often special tools needed that we're too expensive to buy for one job I would always try a part on Craigslist first and offer to help install for extra $$. EBay was beautiful for small mailables.. I also hooked up with a couple of junkyards, would pick, document and sell their parts WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY FOR THEM, and split with the owner paying him cash money
Really like how you made sure the entire car for used!
You can save more by using "regional rate boxes" from the USPS. They are available for free from the postal service. You have to order them on line.
So many car guys have no clue what a rusty parts car is worth. Love making good cash on a car my friends think is useless. As many times as I show them they still think it's a fluke.
I'm usually a car guy but we were buying H2's and selling parts all over the world . My brother knew those bikes inside out I just followed him .
great video man ! some people just dont understand about needing parts that are hard to get now days... I work on my own cars and I bought 2 different cars a civic and a integra the previous owners deleted the power steering pumps but left the power steering racks in the cars.. the steering racks in both cars went bad so I decided to install manual steering racks in both cars since there was no power steering pumps... I installed the rack in the first car and got under the dash and realized that the u joint that connects the steering wheel to the rack wouldn't work on a manual rack.. I hunted for that little u joint and found only 1 guy on Ebay had one and he wanted $75.00 for this joint for a manual rack.. i had to buy it to finish my steering rack job and it worked... my 2nd car I installed the manual rack in I ran into the same problem and that same guy had another u joint for $75.00 so I bought it lol.. --get this though-- the u joint for a power steering rack was $20- $30 bucks and this guy knew this u joint for a manual rack was super hard to find unless you wanted to pay $400.00 for it from the dealership. So the seller knew he was gonna get that $75.00 for that joint no problem but I'm so glad he had it because I would of been out of $300- $400 for a small u joint...
Makes perfect sense, I'm restoring my car and was looking for a small power seat controller from 94 and it's worth 50 bucks on ebay because only 2 years used that style of switch. Dont want to put a raggedy autozone brand switch. Therefore storing parts makes sense.
I am so glad you posted this video, I have been trying to figure out if I should part out my 1970 Barracuda, sell it the way it sits or fix it up, you may have helped me decide.
uncle Tony ive been binge watching your videos lately and i even watch some during my lunchbreak too, im a young tech working for the stealership and i have learned a great deal from watching your videos, keep up the great work thank you sir
Tony I tried to ship a USPS flat rate priority large box today with a tiny 1” bump in the top and they wouldn’t let it go! They said I changed the shape of the box and I would be charged extra. How did you manage to send yours or is your post office just more lenient?
"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity" AMEN !!!
Tony never let go of that fuel bolt during the entire video. He is a national treasure.
For a few years I targeted MGB's, specifically the heads...and specifically one casting number. Why? They were only built for two years but would fit and improve any year from the early 60's to 1980. I would buy the good cores for around $100 or so, clean, magna flux and vac test them, port/polish the bowls, add new valves, unshroud the chamber, surface and k-line the guides if necessary. I'd then resell them to hobby racers all over the world for around$800. I had about two hours and another $100 in parts into it...so a nice profit. Also, they were my winter projects so they kept me occupied when it was -10 and snowing outside for 3 months! That money would go to help fund my 1970 Challenger and 1973 MGB projects which are now complete and running. Now the cores are so hard to find and expensive it's not really worth it...in addition to aluminum heads now being sold at such a low price that the OEM iron is no longer desired as much by guys looking to save weight.
I do that same with ford trucks in Texas. actually leaned quite a bit about them by taking them apart. done well enough on them to buy myself a lot of tools a new Lincoln mig and most of the parts for the 62f100 I have.