The recycled aluminum in a car accounts for less than 10% of its total weight but accounts for 50% of its scrap value. A large amount of this aluminum is found in the engine. This makes the engine one of the more valuable parts of a junk car. However, most people don’t scrap their engines unless there is no demand for it because most rebuilders will pay more for used engines for sale that don’t run than a recycling center will pay for the scrap metal.
So how do you get rid of a junk car and get any remaining value out of it? Keep reading to learn about your options, from auto scrap to recycling.
Part It out
If you have mechanical know-how and time on your hands, then you can take your car apart and part it out. You’ll want to carefully dismantle the car so that you don’t cause any damage.
Once you have the car taken apart, you can start the process of selling each piece individually. When you sell the engine, you need to inform potential buyers if it works or not. Some mechanically savvy buyers may be interested in working on it and getting it running again.
Consider listing the parts online on Amazon, eBay, or some other website or app. You could also put the word out at local car clubs or swap meets.
If your engine doesn’t run, you can sell if for the value of the aluminum. Most engines a mixture of aluminum steal, but the aluminum is worth more. Keep in mind that removing an engine is a complicated and time-consuming task.
If you decide to pay someone to remove the engine from the car for you, it could end up costing the same amount that you can sell it for.
Cash Buyer Service
There are plenty of car buying services that will help you recycle car parts for cash. These services make it easy to get rid of your junk car. All you need to do is fill out a questionnaire that asks about the make, model, year, and condition of your vehicle.
Many of these services will then take your car and part it out themselves. Because of this, you can get more for your car when it’s in better condition.
You’ll then get an instant cash offer. It’s best to shop around and get a few offers to compare. Any reputable service will offer to tow the car away for free.
Scrap Yard
If you don’t have the time or patience to part the car out or look for a buyer, then you can call up your local junkyard. They’ll give you an offer for the vehicle based on its weight and metal content. This means that the bigger and heavier your vehicle is, the more money you’ll get for the vehicle.
Get Rid of Your Auto Scrap
If you have a junk car on your hands, then you have several options for getting rid of it. If you want to get the most for your vehicle, considering parting it out. Then you can sell the engine and the auto scrap separately.
Check out the cars section of our blog for more auto-related articles.