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Update on Bob's Salvage in Phoenix

CarnivorousChicken

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2020
Total Posts
329
Total likes
155
Location
Mexico City
**Wrote this for the SOHC4 board but pasting here as well in case anyone is interested.

Back in Phoenix, thought I'd post an update. The back yard at Bob's is, sadly, almost completely gone, with most bikes removed and scrapped. I had my eyes on a 350F with a complete and intact set of carbs, but they are gone. There are still quite a few bikes back there in the Honda section, but maybe 1/20th of what was there before. A few 750s with roundtop carbs, a 750 Hondamatic, a later 550 with decent exhaust. Saw a CL160 or maybe CL175 tank in really great shape just sitting there on the ground, but most of the twin stuff was in the middle of the yard and that whole section is gone.

They closed the third yard, and brought some of the stuff into the parking lot (where there is no longer anwhere to park, but parking is out front) and the first yard. The first yard is harder to navigate because there's more stuff there, and the SOHC stuff is now behind some of the other stuff from the second yard.

I was bummed when I saw that second yard and especially when I saw that those 350F carbs were gone (although I am pretty sure there are a few more sets in the carb bins...). Because a tech company is moving in, the land is worth millions now apparently. Dunno what the longterm plan is in terms of staying open and what will remain. But at least the dude who sells hot dogs with Rat Fink painted on his cart was still there.

*Forgot to add: they are still acquiring bikes, including through insurance companies totalling bikes. And they had just received 6 KZ900s/1000s, including at least one Z1...
 
Things like this are discouraging. The Tampa area hasn't had a decent bike salvage yard in decades, and like drag strips they seem to close but no new ones come along to replace them. I really miss being able to go into the one that used to be in Tampa and just walk the aisles looking for a complete bike or the parts I needed, and even most of the car salvage yards won't let you walk the lot anymore. We only have one you-pull-it yard of any decent size. Stuff like this - property being sold for the high money value as development marches on - is making all kinds of stuff disappear in the name of profit. You can't blame the property owners like Bob's because the money is too good to turn down, but it's still discouraging to see the salvage yard go away.
 
LongDistanceRider said:
Damn, I hope there's some stuff I want to find still. I'll be there Saturday.
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There's still a ton of stuff in the first yard, although most of the Honda's there are SOHC 4s -- at least closest to warehouse. If you're looking for something specific I might be able to help find it, and of course they can too if they're not too busy. But they also have huge racks of old exhausts in the back, trailers full of engines and carbs, racks of fenders, and two warehouses with stuff as well, and they're pretty well organized. Pulling parts of scrap bikes looks like the first part of their busines to go, which is a bummer because it was the funnest (and could simultaneously be the most frustrating, depending on how stubborn those bolts are or how heavy the bike leaning on the one you want to get at is!).
 
CarnivorousChicken said:
There's still a ton of stuff in the first yard, although most of the Honda's there are SOHC 4s -- at least closest to warehouse. If you're looking for something specific I might be able to help find it, and of course they can too if they're not too busy. But they also have huge racks of old exhausts in the back, trailers full of engines and carbs, racks of fenders, and two warehouses with stuff as well, and they're pretty well organized. Pulling parts of scrap bikes looks like the first part of their busines to go, which is a bummer because it was the funnest (and could simultaneously be the most frustrating, depending on how stubborn those bolts are or how heavy the bike leaning on the one you want to get at is!).
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I'll be looking for the oddity pieces for the SL350K0 like the muffler heat shields. Plus bits for the SL350K1 and the CL350K0 since there's pairs of all 3.
Travelling with tools and large empty suitcase. Hopefully I'll find stuff.
 
Can someone check for CB450 K0 muffler brackets and maybe a right air filter? I don’t care about the filter material condition. I’m good for whatever you want to charge me for the favor.


‘69 CB350
‘68 CB450K0
 
Definitely ask those guys -- not sure what you'll find in the walls of exhaust in the back of the first yard, but there are some exhausts in the second yard as well. Dunno if you'll find much for the SL, but some of the guys there (Manny and Eric) have a pretty good lay of the land.

The bikes that are left from the third yard are in the parking lot. They came from a yard in Rye that went up in smoke, but it specialized in dirt bikes more than street bikes, so there might be SL stuff there. There were two picked apart CB450s in that yard and a CL450, and I am pretty sure the CL had complete exhaust (with rot in the mufflers) but not sure about the CB450. But if they can't tell you where the SL stuff is or 450 stuff, it'd be worth looking in there. The first and second yards don't have much by way of CB450 stuff, maybe none, AFAIK -- but again those guys might know otherwise.

Good luck and happy hunting. There was a lot of mud when I was just there and may still be some, of course especially if it rains. If Rod is there he's got some good stories.
 
CarnivorousChicken said:
Definitely ask those guys -- not sure what you'll find in the walls of exhaust in the back of the first yard, but there are some exhausts in the second yard as well. Dunno if you'll find much for the SL, but some of the guys there (Manny and Eric) have a pretty good lay of the land.

The bikes that are left from the third yard are in the parking lot. They came from a yard in Rye that went up in smoke, but it specialized in dirt bikes more than street bikes, so there might be SL stuff there. There were two picked apart CB450s in that yard and a CL450, and I am pretty sure the CL had complete exhaust (with rot in the mufflers) but not sure about the CB450. But if they can't tell you where the SL stuff is or 450 stuff, it'd be worth looking in there. The first and second yards don't have much by way of CB450 stuff, maybe none, AFAIK -- but again those guys might know otherwise.

Good luck and happy hunting. There was a lot of mud when I was just there and may still be some, of course especially if it rains. If Rod is there he's got some good stories.
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I'll be sure to ask them. Weather predictions look good, no rain and the low temps are about what the high's are here. It'll be nice to touch metal that doesn't freeze the hands.
 
Okay, these are pictures I just got from LDR - he said "K5 450 and K3 350. Seat pans are rusty but intact. I can pull them tomorrow if someone wants. Have them text me." Text Jim at 408-239-9580 and make sure you tell him who you are (VHT member name at least)

0ZmWCLR.jpg


hpII2Yv.jpg


PTBRf4a.jpg
 
Bumping this for more to see because Jim will be at Bob's Salvage for a few hours today, so if anyone is interested in either of the seat pans in the pics above you have a short window of hours to text him about it.
 
Tom, Had to laugh. When I stopped to look at the last photo in post #10, all I could see was the 100's of bike in a pile with your signature "All the bikes I've owned since 1968" at the bottom. Looked a photo caption!
 
Troy said:
Tom, Had to laugh. When I stopped to look at the last photo in post #10, all I could see was the 100's of bike in a pile with your signature "All the bikes I've owned since 1968" at the bottom. Looked a photo caption!
Click to expand...

LMAO, didn't think about it that way! Yeah, that's a pile of bikes... literally.
 
LDR,do you have a report on how your time over at Bob's worked-out ? I hope you brought a helper..

I'm glad that it's in AZ. and it doesn't rain much there so it will save some of those bikes that have been sitting open for decades.
I would like to plan on going there sometime;when I do,I'll be sure to bring a toolbox,a Large container of WD40 and my small Harris oxy/acetylene portable torch. ;)
 
Got home last night, dog tired. I spent @5 hours at Bob's Sat. plus a couple on Friday. Friday was just wandering about getting a feel for where everything is now. There's lots of stuff there but it takes searching, mostly in the second yard. I looked for the CB450 cam chain tensioner for Tom but all 5 were hard as rocks. Tried removing several advancer units from 450's and 350's but they're all frozen on the cam. I did go into one trailer for electrical and came out with a SL350K0 horn switch/left switch pod, CB/CL350 left switch pod and hopefully the bottom half of a SL350K1 horn button. I'll need to remove the one I have and see if it is, couldn't find the top half of that switch. Also a set of early CL350 bars came home with me. $40 for everything.
It seems that most of the SL stuff was in yard 3 which has been scrapped and crushed. There's little rhyme or reason to the organization so it takes lots of time just wandering and looking, not a quick visit unless you need late model stuff and even that's a challenge. They have warehouses and trailers full of stuff. The "electrical trailer" I wandered thru was mostly engine parts but I did see several CB360 type switch pods and some wiring harness.

Hint #1: wear boots, jeans and long sleeve shirt. It's a dangerous place for anything less. Work gloves aren't a bad idea either for when you need to move stuff around.

Hint #2: If you go and spot something that you want to retrieve later take a picture of the group of bikes it's in and a scenic shot for where you're standing. I found a 350 skid plate Friday but no tools so Saturday I went to retrieve it and couldn't find it anywhere.
 
LongDistanceRider said:
Got home last night, dog tired. I spent @5 hours at Bob's Sat. plus a couple on Friday. Friday was just wandering about getting a feel for where everything is now. There's lots of stuff there but it takes searching, mostly in the second yard. I looked for the CB450 cam chain tensioner for Tom but all 5 were hard as rocks. Tried removing several advancer units from 450's and 350's but they're all frozen on the cam. I did go into one trailer for electrical and came out with a SL350K0 horn switch/left switch pod, CB/CL350 left switch pod and hopefully the bottom half of a SL350K1 horn button. I'll need to remove the one I have and see if it is, couldn't find the top half of that switch. Also a set of early CL350 bars came home with me. $40 for everything.
It seems that most of the SL stuff was in yard 3 which has been scrapped and crushed. There's little rhyme or reason to the organization so it takes lots of time just wandering and looking, not a quick visit unless you need late model stuff and even that's a challenge. They have warehouses and trailers full of stuff. The "electrical trailer" I wandered thru was mostly engine parts but I did see several CB360 type switch pods and some wiring harness.

Hint #1: wear boots, jeans and long sleeve shirt. It's a dangerous place for anything less. Work gloves aren't a bad idea either for when you need to move stuff around.

Hint #2: If you go and spot something that you want to retrieve later take a picture of the group of bikes it's in and a scenic shot for where you're standing. I found a 350 skid plate Friday but no tools so Saturday I went to retrieve it and couldn't find it anywhere.
Click to expand...

Jim,you had quite an adventure there all by yourself;you needed someone there to help you move some of those bikes on top of piles of other ones.
I'm surprised they stacked them on top of other bikes like that.
I'm glad you found a few items,although it was a big chunk of time you spent sorting through lots of stuff. Glad to hear you didn't get injured,working on your own.
 
bilbikek411 said:
Jim, you had quite an adventure there all by yourself, you needed someone there to help you move some of those bikes on top of piles of other ones.
I'm surprised they stacked them on top of other bikes like that.
I'm glad you found a few items, although it was a big chunk of time you spent sorting through lots of stuff. Glad to hear you didn't get injured,working on your own.
Click to expand...
If any needed to be lifted off then I would have gotten one of the yard guys with a tractor to do it. Everyone is friendly and helpful where they can.
 
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