The sun shone brightly and the sky sparkled bright blue as Jackson’s self-service auto parts yard, Tri-State U-Wrench & Save, opened for business at 8 a.m. Monday, April 30.
Customers brought their own tools and searched the 800-plus junked vehicles for the parts they needed. They used a little elbow grease and removed the parts from the vehicle prior to purchase.
Vehicles are organized into sections to help customers find the one they want. There’s a section for Jeeps, Dodges, GM trucks, GM cars, Chryslers, foreign vehicles, Ford trucks and Ford cars.
“It is a new idea for this area,” owner Donna Schuette told the CBJ earlier this year. “There are some similar yards in St. Louis and the Memphis area, but there is not another yard like it in this general area. This self-service method results in considerable cost savings for customers.”
David La, owner of Jackson’s Pro Auto Detailing, agreed. “I usually go to St. Louis for this,” he said as he and his father-in-law, Stephen Hendrix, removed parts from the inside of a Chevy 2000 LS. “It’s pretty convenient.”
There is a $2 entry fee which allows you to shop all day. (You can get your hand stamped if you must leave and return.) For liability reasons, you must be at least 18, sign a liability waiver, and you cannot wear sandals or open-toed shoes.
Most parts are sold “as-is.” However, mechanical and electrical parts come with a 30 day warranty because customers can’t tell if they work until they take them home and hook them up, Schuette said. If they don’t work, they can be exchanged.
A grand opening is planned for this Saturday, May 12. There will be a free lunch and drawings throughout the day. For more information, visit the Facebook page.
U-Wrench & Save Auto Parts, Inc., is located at 3310 Old Cape Road, across East Jackson Boulevard from Johannes Auto Parts. The phone number is 573-987-3322.
