Used Parts---What to do with them ??

[VinceF100]

I am OLD... Therefore I think differently than many youngsters out there. My Daddy always told me to save the "old parts" just replaced because you never know if there will be another World War !! His logic was, if the part functioned when replaced then it could be reused in an emergency. So I have parts that I don't know what to do with. Save them? Toss them? Recycle them? Sell them? .........Original Carbs, tie rods, drag links, fuel pump.. to name a few.
Any suggestions? Or am I just to old ?

[1972hiboy]

I totally understand where you are coming from on this, I find myself to be the same way. however after a bit of time our homes and shops turn into "that " place the neighborhood talks about. I manage a fleet maintenance shop and I always want to keep good used parts around for the 'in a bind' type of scenario. Modern shop practices and inventory management tells us to get rid of the excess. Which I think for mechanically inclined people its hard to do because we naturally think "we can use this later". The best advice I can give it this. Componets that can be re-conditioned or re-built and returned to service on a truck or car again does hold value in the fact its still a useable part. Parts that are of a "one-time use" that are removed from service on a vehicle becasue they are worn out are ok to recycle. steering parts, old belts, spark plugs are cheap and easy to come by these days, clear the clutter of stuff you can get at the parts store down the street, but still feel like you are keeping that "cushion" of backup parts by keeping the stuff you can acually re-use. Honestly though, if there is a next world war you or I will be vaporized long before we need to throw a used worn out tie rod back onto the old truck in the backyard so we can drive to god knows where to safety.

[Mancar1]

This old guy still has a few parts in the stockpile, but I have gave a lot of them away. Steering columns, breather assemblies, mirrors, starter, radios, carbs, ect. ect. ect.
Trying to part with my shop's stockpiles so my kids won't have to deal with it.
Not easy giving stuff that I have hoarded for years away, but at least now I can move around in the house and shop.

[Ranchero50]

This. I've hoarded stuff so long that it's no longer desirable... Now that my truck is done my only hoarding is repair or wreck parts. The rest is hanging on the shed wall as trophies or shoved up in the rafters.

Last year I tossed @ 20 flywheels from '60's Fords because I got tired of moving them. That opened the flood gates, all sorts of stuff got tossed and I eventually had enough room to pick the 20 x 40' shed back up and start using it for active storage and not hoarding.

[sargentrs]

Same here. In the process of rebuilding my truck, I acquired a complete front suspension, new rear bumper, different engine/tranny, and replaced a host of other parts with modded or rebuilt parts. Wound up, also, with an extra hood, fender, drums/hubs, drive shaft, x/m's, etc. Hung onto them all for close to 3 years, tripping over them when I went digging for parts to clean/refurb. Had a good friend that got in a bind for cash so I offered for him to bring his trailer to the house and load up a scrap run. Once we loaded up the first piece, and it was a struggle I admit, we wound up loading up over 1600# of miscellaneous junk and he made some pocket money (scrap was up to 12 cents/lb at the time). As a side benefit, I was able to walk all the around my "pile o' parts" for the first time in years without tripping. Probably another 1000# accumulated since then. Somebody started this "pay it forward" thread a few years ago but it never went anywhere. Seemed like a great thing to do but I guess too many people were "hoarders" like us at the time. It's been 3 years so maybe they've gotten treatment for our disorder and will revive it. https://fordification.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65519

[VinceF100]

Thank you Gents !! It's good to learn I am not the only one out there with this problem. Will take the advice and salvage what I can for scrap metal. Hey-- a $ buck is a $ buck !!. Wish you all well with your projects. !!

[tsherry]

Unless the parts are quite unique and really do have a potential use in the future, I'm getting rid of them. I've been moving these 'used' parts around for 30 years and they'll never be used.

I'm tired of wasting space and time with them. Recycle liberally.