One of the weirdest parts I’ve ever sold was a soft top off a VW Cabrio. It was rough — sun-bleached, torn, not something you'd ever put back on a car.
Normally, that kind of part gets stripped down and recycled. If something can’t be safely reused, we don’t list it for sale. That’s our standard.
But this guy messaged and asked if we still had it. He wasn’t looking to install it — he wanted it as a template to make his own soft top. He was sewing it from scratch and needed the original for reference.
That’s when it hit me — this is why salvage matters.
People think salvage is just wrecked stuff or junk cars. It’s not. A salvage yard is basically a warehouse of raw materials and ideas. You’ve just gotta know how to look at it. Yeah, some parts are worn or damaged. But even then, there’s often something in them worth saving — a bracket, a bolt pattern, or in this case, a blueprint.
At VDUB HUB, we only sell parts that pass our inspection — no guesswork. If it’s not usable, it’s either parted down or recycled properly. But every now and then, a unique request like this comes in. And it reminds us: even when something looks done, it might still help build something better.
So no, we don’t sell junk. But we do see potential — because that’s what this industry is all about.
Want to see more and hear more about my auto part adventure? CLICK HERE