I overestimated my height today...

[Lynusann]

Ok, so I overestimated a lot of things today, but I also learned the importance of a scissor jack...

I popped into a Springs junk yard today because a girlfriend desperately needs a new valve cover for her XJ since hers is warped badly. They had ONE XJ that had the engine still in it and the cover was good, so I grabbed my sockets, changed shirts and swapped heels for tennis shoes and went back in. The problem was, with all the various other parts that had been removed, the engine was tilted back and pressed up against the firewall, in addition to being propped up on various rims making it sit far higher than normal.

Managed to get 2 bolts off in the front before realizing I couldn't reach any further. Quick assessment of the area and I found 3, yes it required 3, relatively "flat" gas tanks stacked on top of one another and I managed to reach the rest of the bolts in 15 min. Valve cover still wouldn't budge. One more dang bolt wedged up against the firewall that I couldn't reach because of the tilted engine. So I then spent nearly 45 minutes trying to rock the engine forward and simultaneously wedge a drive shaft under it to leverage it so I could get to the bolt...with no luck. Sadly, that part is 100% accurate.

I was so ticked off I couldn't fetch such a simple part that I nearly left in a huffy mood, only stopping when a guy in the office said he'd loan me a scissor jack. I am fairly certain I stared at him blankly for about 30 seconds trying to understand how something so simple completely evaded me. Walked back in 20 minutes later with part in hand and covered in grease. On the plus side, I was entertainment for about 8 different people who stopped and gawked while I somehow balanced on top of those stacked tanks. And I've now learned an important lesson for myself....I need to start carrying a step stool with me to junk yards as well. Score one for the short blonde! And the part wasn't even for me :lmao:

[Brody]

Thanks for the funny story! We are seldom entertained by any of the guys stories from the junk yard..

Should you need a stool, Matt (Mattzj98) has a really nice pink one that Scrat (Chris) gave him. Matt had raised his Jeep again, (Oh...he isn't short, BTW) and when he tried to get in it after the new lift, split his jeans. Now he has the cute little pink stool. Doesn't sound like you fit the pink stool category, but Scrat can tell you where he go it...

On a serious side, if you carry one of those tool boxes that you can also stand on, that works, too, as does a drywall bucket, which is what I use a lot.

[Brad]

Nice job! :thumb:

[Brody]

x2!!! Nice job shortie!!!

X3 :thumb:.....and this seems to be a rather touchy couple of subjects for Robyn (blond and short) as I was forcefully (had to defend myself) reminded of the other day when she was over. Thought I was opening up a huge can of whoop ass...Me and my big mouth.....:lmao::lmao:

[Java]

too cool. :cool: wish I could get my wife to go pull parts for me... or just to get the lefty loosey thing down...

[Lynusann]

Thanks for the funny story! We are seldom entertained by any of the guys stories from the junk yard..

Should you need a stool, Matt (Mattzj98) has a really nice pink one that Scrat (Chris) gave him. Matt had raised his Jeep again, (Oh...he isn't short, BTW) and when he tried to get in it after the new lift, split his jeans. Now he has the cute little pink stool. Doesn't sound like you fit the pink stool category, but Scrat can tell you where he go it...

On a serious side, if you carry one of those tool boxes that you can also stand on, that works, too, as does a drywall bucket, which is what I use a lot.

I have a little craftsman case that isn't more than a few inches thick, so standing on it wouldn't do me much good.

Funny you should mention a pink stool. I was black friday shopping back home with family and my dad and I walked into Sears tool department. They had this huge pink tool cabinet and tool chest. I've wanted a pink tool set in my garage since! :lmao: I could totally rock a pink stool!

[MelloYello]

funny story. nice job!

[Popsgarage]

How is it you did not have about 30 guys asking you if you needed a hand?!?!?! Is chivalry dead down south, or what!?!?

[Heather]

I think next time you should post progress photos! :lmao:

[Lynusann]

How is it you did not have about 30 guys asking you if you needed a hand?!?!?! Is chivalry dead down south, or what!?!?

I don't think I've ever once had someone help me in all the times I've been to junk yards...but I also don't go with the expectation of someone helping me. Most of the time people just stare :lmao:


I think next time you should post progress photos! :lmao:

If it weren't for all the expletives coming from me, a video would have probably been far more amusing lol

[Robert B]

if she went to the one i went too 90 plus % of the ppl there are mexican mexican as in dont speak english or barely do lol .......at least thats what i see when im there >.>

[Hypoid]

I don't think I've ever once had someone help me in all the times I've been to junk yards...but I also don't go with the expectation of someone helping me. Most of the time people just stare :lmao:

If it weren't for all the expletives coming from me, a video would have probably been far more amusing lolMaybe your concealed carry wasn't. If that were the case, I'd give you some room. :D

EDIT: Good job getting it done! :thumb:

[Brody]

Pete - I'll see you Friday

What? I say something wrong?:eek: ME???

Sometime when I am not busy and the weather is cooperating, we can go to the junkyard. You need to pull some spare junk together for some trail stuff anyway...It is interesting what can be found...

[Squshiee1]

i once found and empty bottle of oxicodone, if Thats how its spelled in the front seat of a trooper that had clearly been muddling and eventually sunk into a lake.

[Lynusann]

:thumb: I would attribute that to the fact your blonde and a chick. They are probably dumbfounded and just waiting for the "I can't find the blinker fluid" comment :) Props to you! I'm still scared of the junkyard

At one point, I was brandishing a driveshaft (while trying to wedge it under the engine to prop it up) and cursing loudly...that might have been part of the reason no one approached lol


Sometime when I am not busy and the weather is cooperating, we can go to the junkyard. You need to pull some spare junk together for some trail stuff anyway...It is interesting what can be found...

If that invite was for me then I'm game. Junkyards are like a game of seek and find for me! :lmao:

[Stephen]

Nice! Pics or video next time!

:D

[Lynusann]

haha, ok, next time when I traipse in there in my heels with tool box in hand, I'll have a video camera in the other...I'm sure that won't garner even more reaction than I already do :P

[Popsgarage]

I'm still scared of the junkyard

Nothing to be afraid of Robyn. As I'm sure Lynnsy can attest to.

[Lynusann]

Nothing to be afraid of Robyn. As I'm sure Lynnsy can attest to.

I'm actually afraid of one of those cars falling on me while I'm under it :eek:

[Popsgarage]

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

[Jim]

Glad it worked out!

Reading the thread title, I expected to see carnage photos of a rig trying to get into a garage and the garage opening just wasn't high enough...

[Brody]

Reading the thread title, I expected to see carnage photos of a rig trying to get into a garage and the garage opening just wasn't high enough...

Chris and Matt Feeney seem to have a propensity for doing this, but are too embarrassed to post pictures. I think there a few other folks on the forum who have altered either their rig or the garage opening...I need to repair Matt's roof rack again (again..yes) for the same reason. Me, hell, I just run into the damn door . I ran into it right after I redid my front end/stinger and had to replace two panels...then paint them, of course. Now I have to tuck point some stone work, paint and recaulk where I tagged the side of the garage when I backed up the rig the other morning in the dark....and no pictures from me, either....

Don't worry about the Darwin thing in the junk yards. Simply take a good look around and you will see that you are one of the few people there not stumbling around slack jawed, drool running off your chin, and your fly unzipped....

[Popsgarage]

X2 on what Pete said, ladies! I've seen more than my fair share of this myself. Hell, I've done it a time or two myself.:lmao::lmao:

[Lynusann]

[I]Don't worry about the Darwin thing in the junk yards. Simply take a good look around and you will see that you are one of the few people there not stumbling around slack jawed, drool running off your chin, and your fly unzipped....

I suppose I can attest to that. I've seen a lot of questionable looking folks around the yards I've scavenged. http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Drooling/drooling-2.gif
The first time I went into a junk yard I was completely by myself...and to make it worse, I was in nice black slacks, 4" heels, and a WHITE suit jacket. So I got stared at the whole time I was walking around, like they thought I was lost. The stares got worse when I started pulling random parts without any tools or changing clothes..and I came back in w/ like 5000 ft of air tubing, a fan shroud, and 2 sun visors. Now I just expect the slack jawed looks :lmao:

[Popsgarage]

No slack jawed looks, but I might have stared a bit. But then I'd have come over and asked if you needed a hand.:D:D

[Brody]

I was telling LaDawn the same thing....:lmao:

There is a lot of booty (of the car kind) to be had at junk yards. For instance:

All those expensive fuses and relays under the hood in the fuse box
Worm clamps: The imports like Mercedes and Volvo all use stainless steel
Specialty vacuum fitting, especially the weird little ones that are multi port and/or step down for the hard vacuum lines
Aircraft style interior lighting: a lot of tricked out vans in the yards have these nice little lights
Nuts and bolts for your make and model. I make regular runs to the yard to grab loose nuts and bolts, most of which I don't have to take off...
Accessory radiator fans. Again the imports and the expensive American cars have some really good single and double fans
Oddball dash panels and the little knobs for the heater /air controls that always fall off and vanish. Toyotas are notorious for theirs...
OBA A/C compressors. There are lots of York compressors in the yards. They are used on a huge number of American cars.

[Popsgarage]

Way to true, Pete!

[Hypoid]

The first time I went into a junk yard I was completely by myself...and to make it worse, I was in nice black slacks, 4" heels, and a WHITE suit jacket. So I got stared at the whole time I was walking around, like they thought I was lost.
Yeah, I think I would have stared. Then, I would look around for the hidden camera.

If you managed to pull parts and keep that jacket clean...:bowdown:

[Lynusann]

Yeah, I think I would have stared. Then, I would look around for the hidden camera.

If you managed to pull parts and keep that jacket clean...:bowdown:


Bawhaha! "Candid camera"??

And my jacket was dirty when I left...I had a black mark from where I carried the fan shroud over my shoulder :lmao:

[dannanw]

I would have to agree on stare part, and the clean part! But too agree with the help out thing....and a pissed off woman swinging a DS around cursing, humm yea I might of stood back a bit.....now I have to figure out how to get my wife to go to a JY.

[ColoJeeper]

Gonna start taking my camera to the junkyards.....

[Lynusann]

I would have to agree on stare part, and the clean part! But too agree with the help out thing....and a pissed off woman swinging a DS around cursing, humm yea I might of stood back a bit.....now I have to figure out how to get my wife to go to a JY.

I can't have been THAT scary. I'm just lil ole me :P


Gonna start taking my camera to the junkyards.....

And just what do you expect to capture?

[ColoJeeper]

Video of some crazy blonde in heels waving a driveshaft around and cussing at jeeps while doing a balancing act on three old gas tanks... :lmao: Then I'm going to win 10 grand on AFV.

[Lynusann]

You might want to share money with said blonde or she might come after you with that DS :lmao:


Edit: Wait...who said anything about crazy though????

[Brody]

In that case, I will extend the invite to both you and Robyn. We will just have to coordinate on a time frame. I'll also clue you both into the basic "well, I am not really hunting for anything in particular, but I may just find XXXX" stuff to bring. I bring this last pretty much any time I go to a yard, even if it simply to see what they have kicking around that is new....

[Popsgarage]

Edit: Wait...who said anything about crazy though????

You have to be a "little" bit crazy to go to the junkyard by yourself and swing a drive shaft around and swear at a Jeep. I mean, it's a inanimate object, what's it gonna do, fight back?:D:D

[glacierpaul]

Gonna start taking my camera to the junkyards.....:lmao:

[glacierpaul]

:lmao::lmao:
You might want to share money with said blonde or she might come after you with that DS :lmao:


Edit: Wait...who said anything about crazy though????

[Hypoid]

I took a page from your playbook today. I stacked a couple tires under a transmission so I could get the Transfer case. I just wanted to share that you inspired the thought process.

From now on, if I stack parts at the junkyard, I'll be doing the Lynnsy. :cool:

[Popsgarage]

:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

[Lynusann]

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! Its better than me dragging a step stool to all the yards lol glad I could inspire you!!

[Popsgarage]

You can't possibly be that short, Lynnsy.

[Hypoid]

You can't possibly be that short, Lynnsy.Sometimes the vehicles are that far off the ground. On Saturday, I held the wheelbarrow so a bud could climb into the engine bay of a full size Bronco. I think the fenders were up to my sternum.

[Lynusann]

You can't possibly be that short, Lynnsy.

Haha! I have 3 step stools in my house for different rooms. However, I have had renters living with me before that were shorter than me. One was 4'11". That's pretty short. Glad I at least broke the 5' barrier.


Sometimes the vehicles are that far off the ground. On Saturday, I held the wheelbarrow so a bud could climb into the engine bay of a full size Bronco. I think the fenders were up to my sternum.

Agreed! My YJ is hard enough to get into the engine bay without it being on stands. Those junk yard vehicles get stacked pretty high!

[Brody]

From now on, if I stack parts at the junkyard, I'll be doing the Lynnsy.

Cool. Now we have two maneuvers names after two short (ish) blond women who wheel! A Robyn and a Lynnsy...

Nothing wrong with being short (ish). You don't bump your head on junk nearly as often, for one thing.

One of the best rock climbers in the whole world is a woman, Lynn Hill, who is about 5'1" tall...

[Lynusann]

Ok...now I'm curious...what is A "Robyn" :lmao:

[Jackie]

"Punch it Judy"
(hit the skinny pedal and keep on goin')!

[Brody]

What Jackie said only she didn't mention the 'get the hell outta my way' part...

The new noun/verb/adverb came about on a trail run not too long ago when Robyn had people diving off into the trees and crying for mercy....:D

[Brody]

Wasn't the story I heard and I heard that from the survivors.....:eek:

[Brody]

Uh unh...no way. That has been very heavily edited for public consumption.....I see you also got the first couple of steps of Chris' 'Jiggy Juggy' dance thing going on. I thought for some strange reason that he (and the Jiggy Juggy dance) were a lot more graceful. That sorted that bit of thinking right out.

Quote from LaDawn just now " Damn, Robyn looks like she is going like a bat out of hell!":lmao:

[Popsgarage]

A Robyn and a Lynnsy...

:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:ROFLMAO

[Popsgarage]

Damn, Robyn looks like she is going like a bat out of hell!

Damn , Robyn, were you in a hurry to get somewhere???