Thought it would be helpful to put the date in the title for this one. I think we've reached a point where junk yards are going to be less helpful to folks fixing these cars than they used to be.

Over the past few years I've noticed both a sharp decline in quantity and quality of thirdgen F-bodies that make it to the junk yard. I think there is something about the 40ish year mark. Any thirdgens that seem to make it to the lots around here (KY) are absolute junk. Occasionally a gem will appear that was clearly a barn-find estate clear-out situation, but that's maybe once every 1-2 years. Even 4th gens are getting rare.

Glad the aftermarket support for OEM pieces has picked up, hopefully those prices come down

 

Probably more viable to find cars being parted out on marketplace or local third gen groups at this point. Junkyards around here get f-bodies a couple times per year but they're picked clean fairly quickly. Used parts from Hawks has been hit and miss for me, often the quality of what I get is marginal for the rather premium prices they want.

 

Here in the northeast, I started seeing the decline of these cars in the local junkyards about 20 years ago and pretty much non-existent 10 years ago. It coincides with also not seeing these cars on the road anymore, a lot of which is likely due to rust killing them up here. Once the car platform is no longer being daily driven, the junkyards have no reason to keep them since there are so few customers looking for those parts. All that we really see up this way these days are the nice ones that have been preserved or restored. I very rarely see a daily driver, or even a clapped out one still on the road.

There are the specialty junkyards, like Hawks who sell and ship to a large market throughout the country. There are a few others around. It's a specialty market that they reach through online sales.

Agreed that it's nice to see more and more reproduction parts available. although the quality on many of them isn't great.

 

I've witnessed the same problem here in the middle of Canada. I've had 3rd gens and 1st gen S10 trucks all my life. Our local wrecker (one of the largest in Western Canada) used to have rows and rows of those models, then it was dozens, then a few, and the last time I went there I asked about a specific 3rd gen I had seen sitting for years and they informed me they had crushed it. When I asked why they said no one is coming in for those parts anymore. It made me sad.

 

same here in northeast PA i see maybe one or 2 everytime i go picked over usually. saw a mint 91 TA there with the tail lights still in it early 2025, crushed now. the thing about facebook is they compare what they have to a perfect NOS item on ebay and expect the same price. asked a local guy about a radio and heater bezel, asked for 120, it was ungluing itself and cracked in multiple places, prices as of recently make me not wanna finish this interior

 

I got several for a Camaro but I think they’re slightly different than the Firebird ones.

 

I'll second this. I live in CT and haven't seen a 3rd gen in a junk yard in 20 yrs also. I barely see them on the road! I asked around years ago and they were like they just crush them when they come in. There's no market according to them. I have an 82 TA and have had really good luck w hawks for parts. There's a guy on eBay that just does f body's. Its something like Camaro parts world. That's been really good. I feel like the majority of repro stuff is crap. David Ts has been miserable to deal with. I've never dealt w third gen ranch. Shipping body panels is miserable. I got a used fender for my 82 (they're different due to the ground effects) and it was $90 and 110 to ship. It got a little dinged up in shipping and needed more work as a result. I've also had luck on Craig's list. That's how I found a dude in the middle of the state that had a massive amount of parts. Like a wear house full. I was like a kid in a candy shop. He even had 2 89 TTAs in the back. There's no way they've seen daylight in 15 yrs. I feel like you just need to be persistent in the search and you can find what you need.