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GREENSBORO — The best one ever was when the guy carried the entire front end of an Oldsmobile up to the counter.

Huffing, puffing, sweating, groaning — no one could believe he’d made it.

“It liked to killed him,” said Joey Haithcock , who works at GAPCO U-pull-it auto salvage yard on Burlington Road.

That’s the kind of scene you sometimes see at a “U-pull-it,” where all-you-can-carry specials help draw customers to the lot. And it’s becoming more common.

Used to be, a junkyard was a place you roamed around until you found the part you needed. Then came computerized inventories, and junkyards became more like outdoor auto parts stores, where workers tracked down the parts for you.

Now, it seems at least some junkyards are coming full circle.

Chris Cooper , who owns GAPCO, began offering the U-pull-it service a few years ago, alongside his existing full-service yard.

Not everyone wants to pull their own parts, but some do. “It’s just kind of a candy store to some of them,” he said.

The massive yard has been in his family for generations, and he’s seen plenty of changes in the salvage yard business.

When many people think of a junkyard — most in the business prefer “salvage yard,” by the way — they think of a U-pull-it. And that’s the way it used to be.

“Years and years ago, just about all of them were,” Cooper said. “People came and pulled parts and went on down the road.”

But over time, many such businesses changed to full service.

The problem with “U-pull” is that people would pull off not only the part they wanted, but any other part that happened to be in their way. For salvage yards stocking more recent models, that’s an issue.

Michael Guarglia , president of Tri-City Auto Salvage , a full-service yard, said it comes down to a business decision determined by inventory.

“We just want professionals taking off the parts. You can’t just 'rip and tear’ anymore,” he said. “The value of the vehicle is just too high.”

For now, the U-pull-it yard is still in the minority, at least in Greensboro. But Cooper said there’s something of a national trend toward U-pull-it. People like bargains.

“It’s getting bigger all the time,” he said. “It’s kind of recycling back to the way it used to be.”

He started the U-pull-it yard because he had plenty of room and could keep cars around as long as they had parts that someone might want. Business has been steady so far, he said.

A dollar — and a signed waiver — gets you in.

On the wall is a sign.

“Items Not Allowed In The Yard. Jacks. Gas torches. Chop saws. Pets. Alcohol. Drugs. Cameras.”

A complete engine costs $75. A radiator, $30. A muffler, $10.

A white board promotes the special: “35.00 All you can carry.” A line underneath adds clarification: “Your hands.”

Although feats of strength like the Oldsmobile front end are unusual — they still have a picture of the giant chunk of metal at the desk — it’s not uncommon for people to load up with parts.

“These guys are relentless,” said employee Mike Anthony .

Outside, business is steady as people pick their way through the long rows, stepping around the mud and ice. A loader carries the carcass of an SUV down a long aisle of cars.

For the vehicles, this is truly the end of the road. Some are sitting high on rims that hold up the frame, others are seemingly sinking into the dirt. Some are little but frame, a few hoses and wires dangling.

On the ground, there are parts everywhere, gaskets and hubcaps, and wire harnesses and radiator hoses.

There are even a few surprises: On one row, a stuffed panda sits under the front bumper of a nearly unidentifiable car.

Close to the entrance, Kuda Kumbula found the part he needed: a turn signal for his ’89 Acura. He’d thought about replacing the car after graduating college recently, but it still runs good and gets good mileage.

“This part right here is five dollars,” he said, hefting the light. “At the dealer? Seventy-five, eighty. All you’ve got to do is screw it in yourself and you’re done.”

Kumbula is surprised that more people don’t do it.

“You can literally rebuild a car for 200 bucks,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know about it. You’ve got to be a little bit handy, but it’s nothing hard.”

And with a quick tug on the signal, he’s done.