Entire list of cars at a pull-a-part.

Hey guys,

I'm looking to see weather or not I'm wasting my time. (I'm an electrical engineer by trade and training and I'm looking for motivation, or help, to design a web sight. Being that large software projects are not my strong suite)

I've written a script that will pull every car from the Pull-a-part web sight and put it in to a CSV file. I'm thinking of building a web sight that will list every car seperated by yard location so that some one could prepare a shopping list before they go. (Unless your weird like me and find it enjoyable to walk up and down every isle looking for the odd, different and diamonds in the ruff)

Would this be some thing that would be of help?

Note: you can take a CSV file import it in to any spread sheet program and sort the list how ever you want. (I usually sort by row number and date on yard to observe new stock)

Here is an excerpt from a file:

Make , Model ,Year ,ROW # ,Location ,Date on yard

ACURA , INTEGRA ,1988 ,215 ,Jackson ,11/27/2010

AUDI ,4000 ,1983 ,211 ,Jackson ,11/05/2010

BMW ,3 SERIES ,1993 ,207 ,Jackson ,10/19/2010

BMW ,3 SERIES ,1992 ,215 ,Jackson ,11/27/2010

BMW ,3 SERIES ,1986 ,208 ,Jackson ,10/21/2010

BMW ,5 SERIES ,1990 ,210 ,Jackson ,10/27/2010

I can only do pull-a-part right now. I have looked in to doing pick-n-pull as well.

What do you think?

If you can build the site with low initial investment, I say go for it.

But I'd bet that there is a high percentage of weird folks who love walking up and down every aisle.

Especially on THIS site.

I didn't understand most of what you said, but...

U Pull and Pay has their inventory listed by location on their web site. Because of this, they're pretty much the only yards I visit now. Just nice to know they at least have the car you're looking for before you set out.

I used to really love going to the Pick N Pull just to see what they had and to waste the afternoon, but I have less spare time now. I want to get in, get what I need, and get out.

http://www.upullandpay.com/

If that kind of info was available for more yards I'd be a happy camper.

Take care,

Ed

I'll agree that it's fun to just walk through and play gearhead archaeologist in a junkyard, but when I want a specific part for an older car I want to drive daily, it'd be seriously cool to just know where the berkelely to go to find it. My A2 Golf GTI has been off the road for more than a year, because I need to replace all the "big bumper" plastic crap that I shattered after hitting some debris on the highway. I saved up enough to buy a new (reproduction) front bumper cover, but I still need the grille, plastic front fender flares, and stock fog lights to get my car back to where it was before the trash strike.

I'm too ignorant about digital media (including how to build websites) to tell you whether or not it would be profitable, but as a junkyard junkie, it sure would be nice to find a way to get what I need when the car's not a long-term "restoration project". I wish you well.

I always get the list from the pull a part dudes, and then get distracted by large american cars, and whatever I can shove a turbo motor in.

car-part.com ???

10-15 years ago, i could have probably told you every car and it's general condition at my favorite junkyard.. this wasn't just any junkyard- it's a family owned yard that's been in business since the 50's and has well over 100 acres of cars and trucks ranging from the early 1900's to the current model year, loosely arranged based on the era it came from. the front and to the north was later model stuff, classic stuff from the '50's and earlier were in the middle front, muscle cars and other 60's and 70's cars were at the middle back (separated by manufacturer), pickups and heavy duty trucks like busses and semi's were off to the left, and the imports were way back in the northwest corner- literally about 1/2 mile from the front of the yard because no one ever wanted anything from them..

i'd go there every couple of weeks just to walk around the place- i didn't care if it was the middle of July and 100 degrees or the middle of January and -10. it was fun to just walk around and see what got picked from the various cars since the last time i was there. i also found some cool stuff that way- clutch pedals and linkage for my 76 Monte Carlo in a 74 El Camino ($20), brand new multi leaf springs for my 71 Nova just laying in the trunk of another Nova ($50), a set of Trans Am GTA wheels with good tires ($100) and about a million other things i can't really recall right now. i never really spent a lot of money there- they are known world wide and will ship anything anywhere- but i was there enough that they'd give me sweet deals on things.

pk386 wrote: I've written a script that will pull every car from the Pull-a-part web sight and put it in to a CSV file. I'm thinking of building a web sight that will list every car seperated by yard location so that some one could prepare a shopping list before they go.

Pull-A-Part already does this on their site, though. Unless I'm reading what you're wanting to do wrong.

qdseeker wrote:

pk386 wrote: I've written a script that will pull every car from the Pull-a-part web sight and put it in to a CSV file. I'm thinking of building a web sight that will list every car seperated by yard location so that some one could prepare a shopping list before they go.

Pull-A-Part already does this on their site, though. Unless I'm reading what you're wanting to do wrong.

I think you are. IIRC, you can search for a particular car on the PAP site, and it will tell you if they have one. You can't actually see a list of all the cars, which is what he's putting together. So instead of just looking for what you want, you can scroll the list and you might find something that you forgot you were looking for.

16vCorey wrote: You can't actually see a list of all the cars, which is what he's putting together.

http://www.pullapart.com/Inventory/SearchDetail.aspx

The above link, if it works, is doing a search of Honda Civics at the East yard. It shows that there are seven 1990 Civics there. Just doesn't go into detail about color and stuff.

But it does break down every car on the lot. Now if he is going into detail, that would be cool (if you're needing a color-specific part), but that would be a lot of work because he'd have to inventory every car at every location in person.

I just wish the lqk sites around here would inventory

No sense in re-inventing the wheel. If you already have (or can get) the lists as CSV or spreadsheets, import them into an Access database. From there, you can either build the front end in Access, or if you prefer to sling SQL, then use ODBC to enable access to other applications.

pick n pull has their inventory online: http://www.picknpull.com/check_inventory.aspx

The BMW 325i is a little tricky to find b/c it's listed 3 or 4 times ... but it's not a horrifically bad experience.

In reply to novaderrik:

sounds like a good place, Whats the name and where is it?

Gearheadotaku wrote: In reply to novaderrik: sounds like a good place, Whats the name and where is it?

French Lake Auto Parts in Annandale, MN.

known affectionately as Junktown, USA.

http://www.frenchlakeautoparts.com/

one other cool thing about the place- they know pretty much every professional wrestler from the last 40 years, and one of the kids (if someone in their 40's can be called a "kid") in the family that owns it started his own professional wrestling league- the French Lake Wrestling Association, or FLWA... also, he and a couple of his buddies were on the Jerry Springer Show about 10 years ago, and they have an autographed pic of Jerry displayed proudly in the office when you first walk in. i guess they had one of the biggest and best brawls in the history of the show, what with their 'rasslin background and what not...