Replacing Your Older Car's Damaged Armrest
If one of the armrests in your old car has the stuffing sticking out of it, then you will be happy to know that you can buy a replacement from a local salvage yard for a reasonable price. Automotive salvage yards are a great place to buy inexpensive replacement parts for older vehicles and can be a fun place to wander around as well. However, shopping at a salvage yard is a bit different than shopping for parts at a dealership or an auto parts store. In order to help you navigate your first trip to the salvage yard, here are the main things you need to know:
Call Ahead Before Visiting Salvage Yards
Since each salvage yard will have different cars on their lot, you can save yourself a lot of time and some gasoline by calling each business in your area and asking if they have parts for your vehicle available. Most salvage yards have an inventory database containing all of the vehicles currently sitting on their yard. Their database will also tell them if they have similar vehicles that may have a similar part to the one that you are looking for. For example, a Chevy Malibu may have the same armrest as an Oldsmobile Cutlass of the same year.
Bring Your Toolbox to the Salvage Yard
One of the ways that you save money by buying an armrest for your car at the salvage yard is that you will remove the part yourself instead of paying to have this done. The process of removing an armrest is fairly simple, but you need to bring along your toolbox to complete the job. To remove an armrest, you will need a selection of screwdrivers and possibly a ratchet and socket set.
Remain Flexible About Fabrics and Colors
Finally, you must realize the finding a replacement armrest for an older car can be a challenge, so the process will be a lot easier if you remain flexible about the fabric or color of the armrests you find. Your car's model may have been manufactured with many different interior fabrics and color shades. For this reason, you might only be able to find an armrest in a similar color or different fabric than your car's interior. In this case, you can always purchase an armrest cover for a more uniform look or select the option that is closest to the original interior of your car.
