Wrench heaven! Yards let customers do work

"Dogs," Steve Espinoza says, studying a wrecked 1996 Beretta. "I got dogs, and they jumped on the panels and broke 'em."

This is a green-gray model with white pitting on the wide-open hood. The car's interior isn't the right color to match that of his own '89 Beretta, so he'll search further among the hundreds of cars, trucks and vans.

Meanwhile, the North Salt Lake man explains about the dogs. He and his friends have an Airedale rescue service, saving terriers that otherwise could be doomed.

"Usually all the pounds work with us and we get them for free," he adds. They treat any health problems the dogs might have and find new homes for them. But Airedales traveling in cars equals dogs jumping to the windows, scratching or breaking the plastic door panels.

"I'll do my strip mining," Espinoza says, indicating the vast car graveyard. If he can find panels of the right color he'll remove them and pay $13 each, rather than buy from a dealership. "That beats $40 they want for a new panel."

The scene is the Pick-n-Pull wrecking yard, 585 W. 3300 South. Here, customers can peruse an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 totaled, used-up, abandoned or just no longer needed vehicles, from relatively new SUVs to the occasional classic from the 1960s, and everything between.

They are all colors from rust to taffy-new. They recede to the distant white wall, hoods up, bodies propped on wheel rims, sides rusted or recently cleaned before some disaster, headlight missing, engine parts hanging out, bumpers askew.

A yellow map the cashier hands you shows how the acres of vehicles are arranged: mini-trucks at the southwest corner, then north to Toyotas, the Datsun-Nissan section, Hondas, Hyundai and "Misc Japan." That's one of five long rows.

Other rows have sections labeled "Big Trucks & Big Vans," "Camaro," "Small Ford," "Misc Euro," model after model.

On the rear of the yellow map Pick-n-Pull describes itself: " 'We're the Cheapest, Easiest Way to Buy Auto Parts!' YOU Pull the Parts, YOU Save the Money!"

Or, as the adjacent Spanish explains, " 'Somos los Mas Bartatos y la Manera Mas Facil Para Comprar Partes de Automovil.' Usted Saca las Partes, Usted Ahorra Dinero!"

When you register inside, pay a $2 entrance fee and sign the disclaimer about not blaming them if you drop an engine block on your foot, they hand you the map and turn you loose. You can bring your own tools or buy them from the company. A wheelbarrow to tote heavier parts is available for $1 rent. Use an engine hoist for free.