2001 Trailblazer, 2000 Windstar and 2001 Jeep Cherokee traded in under the Federal "Cash for Clunkers" program headed for the crusher.

getting paid for the vehicles traded in under the 3 billion dollar Federal Cash for Clunkers program they are turning over the vehicles to auto recycling facilities and scrap yards.

What a suprise today when they brought down a load of vehicles including a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, 2000 Ford Windstar and 2001 Trailblazer. Three beautifully well maintained vehicles with moderately low mileage that will be destroyed because the Federal government somehow thinks that this is saving America money.

I do not know a high school or college student, low income family, single working parent or any other average Jane (including myself) who would not mind the opportunity to purchase one of these used vehicles. But as you might already know the Cash for Clunkers program mandates that the engines on these vehicles are destroyed and that under no circumstance are the vehicles resold; they are destined for the crusher.

So now these vehilces will be processed here at our facility just like all other salvage and wrecked vehciles. Fluids drained and other contaminating substances removed, all salvageable body parts and other miscellaneous parts stocked for resale and then off to the crusher to be recycled.

So if any of you out there are searching for a reasonably priced, well maintained used vehicle to get you to and from work or school and are having a hard time coming up with the money or finding a good vehicle think of the 750,000 used, running vehicles like these that were destroyed in the past few months and your hard earned tax dollars that fueled this genius plan.

The dealers then have an execution order to kill the engines of the trade in vehicles with a solution of sodium silicate. This mass killing of engines has left used engine communities across the nation, including the one at East Coast Auto Salvage, horrified and fearful.

“These engines have done nothing to deserve this!” exclaims the 2003 Trailblazer engine that resides in B1 at East Coast Auto Salvage. “These are good running engines that could have provided transportation for people in need of a ride. Not everyone can afford a new car; many people need used engines to keep their vehicles running. That is what we are here for.”

Just today the Wall Street Journal released an article about the increase in demand for the Sodium Silicate solution that is used in the execution process. It describes the killing process and in particular the experience at a dealership in Kansas:

At dealerships across America, mechanics accustomed to fixing engines are battling for the chance to ruin them. "Everybody wants to go first, so I'm probably going to have to make them draw straws," says Jim Burton of Randy Curnow Buick Pontiac GMC in Kansas City, Kan. As service manager, however, he might reserve that thrill for himself. "I can't wait," he says.

Over the weekend, half a dozen mechanics gathered around three clunkers marked for death at Jim Clark Motors in Lawrence, Kan. As Loris Brubeck Jr., the dealership's president, held a stopwatch, the sodium-silicate solution took two minutes flat to kill a 2002 Ford Windstar, and just a few seconds more to kill a 1999 Jeep. But a 1988 Dodge van lasted more than six minutes. "Sometimes those old engines, they're the hardest to kill," says Mr. Brubeck.

“As if the killings themselves weren’t bad enough it is just sickening the great pleasure that these mechanics and dealers are taking in performing the execution,” says the 2000 Expedition Engine that resides in Z2 at East Coast. “These motors are just like us. They probably still have a lot of life in them but the government decided that they should be put to death, it’s a shame really.” 

The article in the WJS describes the effect of the Sodium Silicate:

"The heat of the operating engine then dehydrates the solution leaving solid sodium silicate distributed throughout the engine's oiled surfaces and moving parts," says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication. "These solids quickly abrade the bearings causing the engine to seize while damaging the moving parts of the engine and coating all of the oil passages."

“Reading this makes me cringe, what a horrible way to die,” says the 2004 Durango Engine that resides in A10. “It could have been any of us really; it is just a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Indeed these engines from these “clunkers” don’t stand a chance. Approximately 250,000 vehicles have already been destroyed under the program and if the senate approves more funding another 500,000 or more running engines will be killed. This obviously reduces the number of good used vehicles available on the market and because of the engine destruction will also reduce the number of used replacement parts available for consumers.

“This program just doesn’t make any sense to me,” says the 1998 Deville engine that resides in Z3. ”Valuable resources were used to create us in the first place and the resources used to produce new vehicles costs more in the long run than keeping us old engines running until we naturally expire. All of this killing seems unnecessary and I am glad that I am not a tax payer right now because I don’t see how this is a benefit to the consumer.”

A moment of silence will be held by all of the engines at East Coast Auto Salvage this evening in remembrance of those engines that could have lived on to help others but instead were brutally slaughtered by the federal government.

WSJ article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124934376942503053.html

Cash for Clunkers Information at http://www.cars.gov/ 

Matt, Brian and Tim are ready to help you find the replacement part you need!

Meet the sales department of East Coast Auto Salvage Inc. Not only are they good looking but they can also help you find the replacement part that you need for your car or truck. Don't be intimidated by their appearance, give them a call today and find out just how helpful they are.  1-800-231-9121

Here at East Coast we stock thousands of late model parts for both foreign and domestic cars and trucks. Whether you need a replacement engine or just a sun visor we probably have your part. And if we are out of stock we have access to instant nationwide parts inventory database searches and can help you locate the part you need in the blink of an eye. And do not forget that we stock and can order all kinds of aftermarket parts for your vehicle. So as you can see, when you are looking for a part, there is no good reason not to give us a call first.

Tim is our Sales Manager, Matt is our Production Manager and Brian takes care of eBay Sales.

These guys are just a phone call or an email away.

From all of us at East Coast Auto Salvage Inc. - We look forward to serving you!

Toll Free: 1-800-231-9121

Local: (860) 345-4591

Hours: Monday -Friday 8AM-5PM, Saturday 8AM-12Noon

E-mail Parts Request:

TIM: timecas@comcast.net

MATT: mattecas@comcast.net

BRIAN: brianecas@yahoo.com

Need to replace a wheel on your car, truck, van or SUV? Not sure how to begin? Below is a quick reference for how to find the size and type of wheel you have on your vehicle.

First you should know the kind of wheel you have on your vehicle. Is it aluminum or steel? What kind of a finish does it have?

See the photos below to tell the difference between kinds of wheels.

This is a photo of a steel wheel without a wheel cover or hubcap. Steel wheels are usually much heavier than aluminum and are black unless they have been styled or painted.

This is a photo of a steel wheel with a plastic wheel cover - also called a hub cap. If you look closely you can see the black steel wheel under the cover.

This is a photo of a styled steel wheel. The wheel is made from steel but formed into a design and painted. You will find this type of wheel most commonly on trucks and some Jeeps and SUVs.

This is a close-up shot of a styled steel wheel. It may look like aluminum at first sight but this is really just a painted steel wheel. You can see a little rust around the edges, this is another way to tell that it is steel and not aluminum.

This is an aluminum wheel with a normal finish. Aluminum wheels can have several kinds of finishes including polished, two toned and chrome.

This is an aluminum wheel with a chrome finish. Aluminum wheels can have several kinds of finishes including polished, two toned and chrome.

After you figure out what kind of wheel you have on your vehicle you will have to know what size it is. This can be done quite easily by looking at your tire. Below is a close up photo of the wall of a tire. You will find a sequence of numbers usually like this P###/## R##. The numbers after the R indicate the size or diameter of your wheel. The most common wheel sizes are 14-18 although they can be smaller or larger depending on the type of vehicle.

This is a close up photo of the wall of a tire where you can find the tire and wheel size. The size of this wheel is 16" (The number after the R - in this case R16)

Once you know the type and size of your wheel there are a few more details you should notice before you look for a replacement. First notice how many lug-nut holes you have in the center of your wheel. The lugs may be covered by your hub cap  or center cap which can be easily removed. The number of lug-nut holes will make a difference for some kinds of vehicles. Next, if you have an aluminum wheel you should notice the design. How many spokes or holes does it have? What kind of finish does it have. There may have been many different wheel styles put on the same model and year of  your vehicle. You should also be aware with both steel and aluminum wheels if yours has a tire pressure sensor.

Once you have gathered all of this information you are ready to begin looking for a replacement wheel for your vehicle.  

And you know a great place to start? Call us at East Coast Auto Salvage! We will certainly try to provide you with the replacement wheel that you need. But if for some reason we don't have we strongly recommend looking at your local Auto Recycling Facility before going to the dealer or another source.

Call us 1-800-231-9121

See our inventory online at www.ecautosalvage.com

Check our our wheels on eBay http://stores.shop.ebay.com/East-Coast-Auto-Salvage-Inc_Wheels-Hub-Caps_W0QQ_fsubZ5945862QQ_sidZ227815158QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322

When we sell body parts and interior parts we always recommend to our customers that they match the paint or trim codes off of their vehicle to the codes from our vehicle. You might be suprised just how many color variations both in paint and interior trim colors were produced Volvos. 

This is a general guide of where to locate the paint and trim codes for your late model Volvo. We do not have a list of the coinciding names for the colors - but if you are at least able to match the numbers when purchasing a part you will take the guess work out of trying to match colors. 

Below I have listed a few examples of Volvos we have in inventory. The location of the VIN plate is different between models of Volvos. Sometimes it is easily accessible on the top of the fender apron and other times it can be hidden down on the inside behind the battery. See examples below.

On all of the late model Volvos we deal with, the interior trim code is always the four digit number located on the middle right side of the VIN plate. The paint code is the first three digits of the number below it.

On the 1998 Volvo S70 GLT the VIN Plate is located on the drivers side fender apron. On this plate you can find the paint and interior trim codes for this Volvo.

On the 1998 Volvo S70 GLT the paint code is the three digit number located on the middle right side of the VIN plate. The interior trim code is a four digit number right above the paint code.

On the 2004 Volvo XC70 the VIN Plate is located on top of the drivers side fender apron. On this plate you can find the paint and interior trim codes for this Volvo.

On the 2004 Volvo XC70 Cross Country the paint code is the three digit number located on the middle right side of the VIN plate. The interior trim code is a four digit number right above the paint code.

Call us with all of your Volvo parts requests - we have a lot in stock and will be happy to help you out! 1-800-231-9121

Tweet! Follow us on Twitter

Over the years we have received many requests from our customers to let them know when a certain model of vehicle comes in so they can get a hard to find part they are looking for. It has been hard to keep track of who is looking for what and remembering to contact them. But we have discovered in Twitter a great way to communicate with our customers or anyone who is on the lookout for parts from certain years/ models of vehicles. We will be posting most of our new inventory to our Blog which will also feed to Twitter.

What is Twitter? I am sure that you have heard about it in the news, or maybe from your teenage kid. Yes, it is another social networking site but as I have discovered it can be a great tool for business also. Twitter allows us to post information that we think will be important to our customers and anyone can "follow" us, meaning that they can see our posts. You can receive immediate updates about our inventory, sales, coupons etc.

For example if you are looking to replace a front seat in your 1999 Saab 9-5, and we are out of stock, or don't have the color you need, you can subscribe to our Twitter page and when we a 1999 Saab 9-5 rolls down the hill and into our inventory we will post an update and you can call us to request your seat or any other part you need.

If you subscribe to our Twitter feed you can also receive updates on any industry news, parts guides or events that we post on our Blog. It is a great way to stay connected without being part of a mass email list or social network that requires a lot of personal information.

If you haven't tried twitter yet it's easy, give it a try. When you sign up make sure you follow us at http://twitter.com/ECAutoSalvage

VIN Location on Vehicle

Beginning in 1980, all vehicles sold in the United States have a 17-digit serial number. The eighth digit from the right end identifies the model year of the vehicle.

• Years 1980 through 2000 are designated by a letter from A to Y.
• The letters I, O, Q, U, and Z are not used because they can be easily confused with a number or another letter.

Beginning with 2001, numbers are used to designate the model year.

eBay Gold Powerseller and over 2,000 positive Feedback  - As some of you may already know, since 2005 we have offered a selection of our best parts on eBay. Over the years we have worked our way up to Powerseller Gold status and have a positive feedback rating of over 2,000. We have found eBay to be a very good market as it enables us to reach out to customers across the country instead of just locally. The biggest challenge has been finding a way to accurately list and offer the thousands of late model used OEM parts that we have in inventory, we often have more vehicles rolling in the door than we can put up on eBay. That problem has been solved in part by an automated system that helps us better manage the thousands of parts we have listed and a full time staff member that is dedicated to maintaining our online inventory.

Now over 5,000 Quality Used OEM parts for your vehicle - The good news for our customers is that we have more parts than ever available for direct purchase on eBay and we are listing more every day. If you haven't checked out our eBay store please do so today. You can find us at http://stores.shop.ebay.com/East-Coast-Auto-Salvage-Inc  If you see any part on eBay that you would like to purchase please consider giving us a call to order. We usually can save you at least 10% when you place your order over the phone. Our nationwide toll free number is 1-800-231-9121 and our local number is (860) 345-4591.

Accurate listings with photos of parts - We specialize in accurate eBay listings with complete descriptions of the part and actual photo of the item that you will receive. We know that some used parts sellers on eBay use stock photos to represent the parts that they are selling and that this can be confusing to the seller. Providing a photo is particularly important when dealing with interior or body parts where the seller wants to see the condition and color of the part that they are buying. We take pride in our listings and being able to offer photos of the items for the buyer to see. Some of our best selling parts on eBay this last month were interior parts including Power Window Switches, Sun Visors, Interior Door Panels and Seats.  All of these listings had photos and descriptions that tell about the donor vehicle and interior trim codes and color so there were no surprises when the customer received their part.

Nationwide and International Shipping - We can ship almost any part anywhere in the country and we can ship many parts to countries around the world. We ship small parts like tail lights, door mirrors, alternators, temperature controls and radios with UPS Ground within the US and with USPS internationally. Larger parts such as car seats, doors, engines and transmissions we ship with UPS freight to the US and Canada.

Check out our eBay store http://stores.shop.ebay.com/East-Coast-Auto-Salvage-Inc we are adding hundreds of new parts daily!

Customer: Hello, I am looking for a 3.0l engine for my 2000 Toyota Camry and I was wondering what you have in stock?

Tim: California or Federal Emissions?

Customer: I live in Massachusetts.

Tim: Yes Sir, it doesn't matter where you live, we need to know the emissions standards for your Toyota Camry, Federal or California? You can find this information under the hood on an emissions sticker or engine ID plate.

Customer: Well I purchased the car in Indiana and my wife has been driving it for two years and we've never been to California . . . .

Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little bit at the end but at least once a week we get a phone call along these lines. People are looking for their own engine parts and then they are thrown for a loop when we ask them if they have  Federal or California emissions.

I don't blame people for being confused; it doesn't make sense that the engine of a vehicle would be built two different ways, one to meet the standards for a single state the other for the entire nation. And to add to the confusion both California and Federal vehicles can be found in all parts of the country. In fact it seems that the various standards have created a lot of distress within the automotive manufacturing industry as well. President Obama explained some of the challenges presented by the different standards yesterday in his address in the Rose Garden:

Car companies might then face three different sets of overlapping requirements, one administered by the Department of Transportation, one administered by the EPA, and still a third administered by California and 13 other states. This proposed national policy, under the leadership of two agencies - and bringing together 14 states, 10 companies, as well as auto workers and environmental groups - changes all that. The goal is to set one national standard that will rapidly increase fuel efficiency - without compromising safety - by an average of 5 percent each year between 2012 and 2016 . . .

Some people are upset that the new fuel efficiency regulations do not mandate the inclusion of hybrid technology, but I do not think that hybrid is right for everyone. I believe that with a higher national standard that innovation will lead the way to produce fuel efficient vehicles with different kinds of technology. How this innovation is funded is a whole other issue, not one I am about to discuss this afternoon.

So will setting a national standard be a good thing in the end? Well, it would seem that for the environment and the efficiently of producing parts to meet one standard instead of several would be beneficial. But there are a lot of car-enthusiasts that feel like a part of our "American Freedom" is being taken away.

Well, that does bring up a good point. What about the sports cars, those designed for speed and recreation and maybe not daily driving? Will these nationwide emission standards affect the production of these vehicles?

And then what about safety standards for vehicles? Will we be compromising our safety for the sake of fuel efficiency? President Obama says that safety will not be compromised but it's hard to understand that when the safety of a vehilce is directly related to it's weight and weight is directly related to fuel efficiency how it could not have an effect. When I think of it this way I am terrified to think that the government could in inadvertently (or deliberately) affect our safety for the sake of fuel economy and I fear for my unborn children.

There are a lot of indications that sport cars, SUVs and even pick up trucks will be harder to get in the future and that the owners may be forced to pay a luxury tax. That signifies to me that the standards are only enforced to the common-folk, middle and lower class and that the right to disregard fuel economy and/or safety can be purchased. This doesn't feel right either, if I agree to give up my SUV for a more fuel efficient vehicle why should the next guy be able to buy his way out of it. Well, because he has more money, that's why.

So does the government regulation really help to improve our overall fuel consumption as a nation or just increase disparity between classes?  I personally feel that a nationwide emission standard is a step in the right direction toward a more environmentally responsible American made vehicle however I wouldn't want to see a tax imposed on vehicles with lower gas mileage or a compromise in safety standards. I hope that a new kind of American dream car can be created, without compromising our right to safety or the choice for recreation.

At least we know what one benefit will be when the new standards stake effect, when you call us in 2020 looking for a engine part for your 2012 vehicle Tim won't have to ask you "Is that California or Federal?" Huh?

Jim Counts Speaks to the Crowd at the 2009 IT Show

If you are an auto recycler and were not in Southington this weekend then you missed a great event. The "Meet Us At IT" Show that took place on Friday and Saturday was packed with educational seminars, workshops, a lively trade show and great food.

East Coast Auto Salvage Inc. was in attendance as well as other auto recyclers from New England and around the country.

One of the highlights of the show for us was the inspirational seminars given by Jim and Robert Counts of Counts Consulting www.countsconsulting.com.

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut when it comes to the way we run our business and the way we approach sales. It can be difficult to take a step back a really analyze if what we are doing is the most efficient and productive way or if it is just a bad habit.

The Counts brothers make you rethink your approach to daily operations and costs of production. Here at East Coast we will be re-thinking some of our systems business organization and hopefully be able to make some changes to improve our operation.

Another highlight was the seminar on Hybrid vehicles given by Craig Van Batenburg of ACDC, Automotive Career Development Center, www.auto-careers.org. He brought to our attention that there are already 1.4 million hybrid vehicles on the road in the United States and near 2 million worldwide.

Crain Van Batneburg of ACDC speaks about hybrid dismantling.

Just today in the Wall Street Journal an article was published about the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid which has been revamped to better compete with Honda's leading hybrid, the Insight. Toyota aims to sell 300,000 to 400,000 of the new Prius world-wide per year.

This growing population of hybrid vehicles means some big changes for the automotive recycling industry. Just like any other vehicle a Hybrid also has an end-of-life. In fact a few hundred thousand hybrid vehicles have already been in accidents that have rendered them inoperable. So what happens to these vehicles? They must be broken down and properly disposed of. But by who? Well automotive recyclers of course.

As you may guess dismantling a hybrid requires different knowledge and safety procedures than with a traditional gas powered vehicle. Van Batenburg has made a career out of training automotive professionals how to work on these vehicles.

If you own a hybrid and have had to replace a part I am sure that you are very aware that the cost from the dealer can be astronomical. The more auto salvage yards that are able to properly dismantle hybrid vehicles and salvage the good parts for re-sale, the better off the consumer will be in the end.

The seminar that we attended was informational and encouraging but was not an official training. We hope to bring hybrid dismantling to East Coast Auto Salvage in the near future. When we do we will be sure to post to our blog, so be sure to check back often.

The third extremely exciting highlight of the show for us was the release of the Parts Hotlines e-commerce system for auto recyclers.

The Parts Hotline is a system that has a history of over two decades of connecting and matching inventory from auto recyclers from across the country. This has allowed the recyclers to locate out of stock parts for their customers in an instant.

Hotlines has now developed a system that will bring the recyclers inventory right to the consumer in a live on-line search with the ability to purchase over the web.

The main website for this nationwide parts search is www.partshotlines.com. If you are a consumer and have not checked out this site yet it is not to be missed. If you are an auto recycler and not a hotlines member then you can not afford to overlook this opportunity.

The other part of the new system that Hotlines is offering to recyclers is the option of installing a live ecommerce store on their website that allows the customer to look up the part they need, order it and pay for it all without ever picking up the phone.

We know that there is a growing demand by consumer to be able to purchase auto parts on the web in this manner, but as an auto recycler we have faced many challenges while trying to populate our inventory to online market places like eBay and Amazon.

Currently we only list about 2,500 parts in our eBay store (East Coast eBay Store). Part Hotline will allow us to make our 100,000 part inventory available 24/7 to our retail customers. We hope to have this new e-commerce store installed on our website www.ecautosalvage.com  by the end of this week. As soon as we do we will be sure to let you know.

Overall the IT Show 2009 was a great success. We took away a lot of great information to help improve our business. The event also helped raise thousands of dollars for charity, specifically the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Hartford Children's Hospital. To see more photos and details of the event please visit www.meetusatit.com.

Clam Bake at the IT Show