Selling Your Car To The Scrap Yard

Owning a motor vehicle can be beneficial if you need to travel to work or school throughout the day. The same vehicle that helps to make your life more convenient can become a burden when it is no longer operable.

Disposing of an old vehicle can be challenging. You can't just put your car out by the curb and have the city take it to the dump. In fact, vehicles contain chemicals and components that cannot be disposed of in a traditional landfill. Working with a scrap yard is your best bet when it comes to getting rid of your old vehicle.

Check scrap metal prices.

To help you get an idea of what your vehicle is worth, you should check scrap metal prices before towing your old car to a scrap yard for vehicle salvage. Vehicles contain a lot of metal that can be recycled and used in manufacturing and industrial processes. This means that even though your car doesn't run, it still has value.

A salvage yard will weigh your vehicle and subtract the approximate weight of non-metal components. This number will then be multiplied by the current price of scrap metal to determine how much your vehicle is worth. You can make a little extra money and reduce environmental contamination by sending your car to the scrap yard.

Check for valuable parts.

Auto repairs can be expensive. Many drivers turn to used parts to help reduce the costs associated with keeping their vehicles running. Salvage yards serve as retailers for these used parts. Many inoperable vehicles will still have parts that are functional.

An experienced mechanic can take a look at your old car and determine which parts might have value for a scrap yard. The presence of salvageable parts will bolster the value of your vehicle to a scrap yard.

Get your documents in order.

Selling your car to the scrap yard is much the same as selling a vehicle to another driver. You will need to provide documentation that shows you are the owner of the vehicle. This documentation typically includes a photo ID and your state-issued title and registration.

If you are unable to locate the title for your vehicle, a scrap yard might accept a few consecutive years of registrations listing your name as the vehicle owner instead. Contact the salvage yard near you and ask what type of documentation is needed to complete the sale of your disabled vehicle.