Dumpster Diving Finds

[Mustang1167]

Since power washers were brought up I'll tell my little story. I picked Up a husky power washer off a curb one day that needed a new cord. I cut off the bad section and added a new end on it. Started it up and the hose blew about 30 seconds into washing my truck. Ok, went and bought a new hose. Start washing the truck and a plastic piece inside of the gun broke. Now I'm kicking myself for not spending the extra $10 on the hose with a gun attached. I buy a new gun and about 1 minute into washing the truck the pump gave up the ghost. The wife had a good laugh over it and still brings it up.

 

[Two Speed]

Every once in a blue moon I score something that somebody has dumped into the steel bin at work.
Of the non-typical items, a handful of made in England wrenches, Snail, Bedford, Jenbro and a very comfortable deep offset double box end wrench made by "Eagle Brand", this one just happens to fit the withworth nut on my Record vice swivel. And most unexpected/unusual/out of place, an LNER wrench (London and North Eastern Railway 1923 - 1948).

Alex.

 

[gearhead1]

I've been doing it all my life. It was because I didn't have any money as a kid, now it's such a habit.

I found some 5' I-beam sections, the welded a shop press out of them.
I've retrieved countless push mowers, got them running and used them or sold them.
Had a storage rental unit while our house was being built, the dumpster would be full of clothes all the time - virtual infinite grease rag supply.
Constructions sites have big enough pieces of lumber to use, made a set of shelves from dumpster diving wood.
The list goes on and on. If I can use it, I'll take it.

 

[jd_1138]

I once found a near mint '81 Honda Urban Express moped in a dumpster. I cleaned the carb and tuned it up. Ran like a new one. That was in like 1998. I think I sold it for $200.

 

[maxcarp709]

A few months ago,I was headed out to work,and when I pulled around the corner from my house I spied this bright red roll away chest sitting out with some other trash on the curb.I pulled over and gave it a look and saw that it had a badge that said Power Kraft,was dirty as sin and that a couple of the drawers were tweaked and not closing all the way.I jumped out of my truck and loaded it up gingerly,since a couple of drawers would not close,and made a beeline back to my house.I unloaded it into my garage and headed off to work.When I got home,I spent a minute looking it over,then went in and crashed out after another grueling 10hr shift.The next day I went out to my garage and checked out my new found prize.After looking at it ,I got busy with a scrubby sponge and some dish washing soap and scrubbed the outside down with a lot of elbow grease.After a little it started to look pretty good,so I worked on the 2 drawers that were tweaked with a block of wood and a hammer.When I got done it looked like this.

 

[MikeF2316]

My only excuse is I was around 8 at the time. They must have come out of the stock room of the local autoparts store. I can't imagine anyone else holding onto them for so long and then throw them away. I was only reminded of the carnage a couple years ago when we were cleaning out his garage and I came across a couple of the boards nailed to the back of the work bench.

Don't feel too bad about that. If everybody had kept them, the remaining ones wouldn't be so desirable today.

I threw out a lot of old parts from a Volvo 123 GT. It had hit a tree, back when it was only a couple of years old. My father bought it for the engine and overdrive transmission to upgrade his 120000 mile 122s without overdrive. It turned out there was nothing wrong with his original engine - we didn't know, but it didn't really need rebuilding. So all the other parts we saved were stored in the garage in an area up high built for the purpose. The 122 got rusty and was sold, then the parts sat for years with no car to put them on. Nobody wanted them, and after about 15 years they all went to the scrapyard, for $50, as I remember. Now I know of 2 ongoing 122s restorations, and a bunch of those parts..

Even that original rust free body would have been easily repairable...

 

[Craptain]

Here the local LEO dump old evidence bags and items in the landfill. I usually get a call when they do it. Last time it was a **** load of gold jewelry and tools. once a year it happens.

Round here it goes to auction and usually fetches good prices.

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