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Q My car is the definitive old banger, but it's given me great service and I want to keep it running as long as possible.

I've even learned quite a lot about maintenance and repair from tinkering with it.

These days it needs more and more new parts, and it's started to get expensive, so I have been wondering about going to a breaker's yard to source them.

Would you recommend this?

A In general, yes we would. For cosmetic parts, bits of bodywork and spares, a breaker's yard is an ideal solution - and you'll learn even more about maintenance.

Many yards have staff with excellent technical knowledge who will be able to point you in the right direction. Usually you can check what is available over the phone, but the old-fashioned scavenging hunt around a junkyard can still reap rewards and is tremendous fun.

However, some parts deteriorate quickly when left outside, so avoid things like rubber hoses, starter motors, belts and alternators.

But many yards remove such items and keep them properly stored inside, so it is still possible to find excellent used examples. And to anyone still wary of visiting a yard, we'd say: "The rest of your car is used, so why not the replacement parts?"

4:24pm Thursday 6th March 2008

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