As automobiles become more complex and older vehicles lose their appeal due to poor fuel economy, safety, and emissions performance, more of these autos are piling up in backyards. With this being said, if you’re car can be saved with a simple auto body painting done professionally, then a visit to the scrap yard isn’t necessary.
The owners either don’t have the time to make repairs, don’t have the incentive, don’t know what to do, or can’t find anyone qualified to make repairs in their budget. The complexity of late-model vehicles can leave you with a no-start issue that makes your vehicle virtually worthless. If it is an electronic problem, the sky is the limit on how many hours have to be expended in pinpointing the specific source of the problem. When it comes to older vehicles, unless it is a special collectible model, you will probably be on the fence about what to do with it for a long time. Below, we have compiled some tips to help you get money for junk cars.
1. Sell it to a Local Buyer
When it comes to a non-running vehicle, you really can’t put it up for auction on eBay and expect it to do well. If the buyer can’t make a visual inspection in person to figure out what it is worth, they are not going to make a strong offer. Finding a local buyer is easy if you display the vehicle near the street with a “for sale” sign and low price. You should be prepared to blow them away with the value they can potentially make by parting out your vehicle or the potential of getting it going if they have some mechanical skills. Swear out an affidavit and have it notarized that states exactly what happened to take you to the point of the no-start issue. This may help the buyer see that you are honest about the nature of why you are selling it.
2. Search for Junk Car Buyers
Aside from the ordinary private local buyer, there are also a select number of businesses that pay good money for junk cars, just search ‘best wreckers close to me‘ to find out where they are. Places that buy junk cars may have a used parts business or scrapyard that they can at least obtain a premium for the platinum in the catalytic converter and bulk weight of the crushed car. You can call around to recyclers and ask them who offers cash for scrap cars. You may get a lot of cash for old cars, also you will have the eyesore removed from your property.
3. Online Junk Car Buyers
Online businesses that are dedicated to finding and buying non-running vehicles are easy to find. Simply search online for national companies that work with a network of regional junkyards. They may act as a referral service that takes a cut of the profit when the regional buyer comes to collect the non-running vehicle. These companies are usually better financed and able to make stronger offers on late-model vehicles that have running problems. Just type “sell wrecked car” into any search engine and see what comes up. If you don’t like the offer, don’t sell it, plain and simple.
4. Part Out the Vehicle
If the vehicle is relatively new or has rare collectible parts, selling the parts may be worth the time expended in doing so. You can list the individual parts for sale on auction platforms like eBay. Be prepared to sit on the parts for a while and wait for the right buyer. You might also want to sell miscellaneous parts like relays and wiring together as a fail-safe package deal. Package taillights, turn signals, fog lights, and headlights together to provide an incentive for higher bids even when the buyer really needs only one of the items. Because people are looking for deals, in general, it is always best to make whatever you are offering to look like it is more value for their money.
5. Get the Car Running for Quick Resale
If you are able to get the car running well and inspected, that will help you obtain the highest prices. Few individual used car shoppers have the time to work on a vehicle with mysterious repair issues. If you pinpoint the problem to a particular part that may solve the problem, it is always best to try finding a low-cost used replacement. Doing whatever you can to rig it into running will help you fetch a solid price. In some cases, you may have to run a jumper wire from the battery directly to the starter if it is having complex ignition lockout problems or has a bad starter.
