Got A Scrap Car For Sale? Learn How To Scrap Your Car + The value of it.

Blog/ Got A Scrap Car For Sale? Learn How To Scrap Your Car + The value of it.


AuthorSarah RobinsonCategory Junk Cars

Let’s say you want a new car and so, need to get rid of your old or damaged car…while making money off of it. How do you go about it?

You’d agree that taking the time to know what your options are before taking it to the junkyard or donating it is quite reasonable.

Your next questions are likely to be “Where can I scrap my car?” or “How can I scrap my car near me?”

Well, these days – thanks to the internet – scrapping a car for cash online is as easy and convenient as you can imagine.

How Can I Make The Most Money When Scrapping My Car?

Since you want to make as much money as you can, whether your car is old or damaged, you’d need the best option out there, right? Exactly. Indeed, scrapping a car for cash online instead of taking it to the junkyard will give you a better payout. Yet, there’s a lot you’d need to consider to get the best offer off of your car. Want to know how to scrap a car for cash online? Great! We’d tell you how in this article and also answer the important questions you might have. Ready? Let’s begin…

The Best Way to Scrap Your Car Online.

Bear in mind that scrapping a car for cash online is quite different from placing an ad for it in the newspaper. You can consider sites like eBay or CraigsList to sell your scrap car.

According to a Google study, it was discovered that about 75 percent of car sales online happen across state lines. This means that if you live in Oregon for example, you could end up selling your car to someone who lives in Miami. Since this transaction is done over a long distance, it’s quite unlikely that a buyer will come all the way to inspect your car before they buy it off you. Hence providing all your car details including pictures is very vital to getting the best offer for your car. However, if you’re looking to get an instant quote for your car, then SellMax is the best way to scrap your car. At SellMax, we buy scrap cars for cash. It doesn’t matter the state of your car. Whether it’s old, damaged or has high mileage, we’ll give you a competitive offer. That’s not all…we’ll come to you wherever you are, remove your junk car for free and leave you with a stack of cash. This means you won’t have to worry about selling your junk car to a junkyard and getting a low price. Amazing, right? Absolutely! Remember, your car parts might be valuable but so is your time. To make the most money off of your scrap car, you’d need the time and space to get that done. You’d also need to do your research to know how much your car parts are worth. With that done, you’d need to find a suitable buyer. For an easy and stress-free solution, contact us at SellMax.

How To Know When Your Car Is Scrap-Worthy.

A car doesn’t appreciate (unless it’s a classic). Once you start driving it, it loses value than when it was still unsold and parked.

So, what is a scrap car?

There’s a point when your car will no longer be worth being parked in a used car lot. Here’s when:

When Repair Costs Are Higher than Your Car’s Worth.

To get your check engine lights fixed in the USA can cost you an upwards of $400 every month. It’s even costlier if your car is an old model. Our advice…if you end up spending over $250 every month on fixing your car then you can as well scrap it for cash.

When Your Car Uses Too Much Fuel.

These days, cars have better fuel economy and it keeps getting better every year. If you’ve got an old car, you’re more likely to keep it running on gas and wasting a lot of money in the process. If this is the state of your car, it is scrap worthy and you deserve an upgrade. If your car is a gas guzzler you might want to checkout the california vehicle retirement program.

If It’s Totaled You Should Probably Scrap The Car

If your car got into an accident and repairing it costs more than what your car is worth then it’s totaled and a scrap car. If you’ve got insurance cover on your car then your insurer will give you an offer or cash payout to have your car replaced with a similar one [before the accident] in your state or area. If you don’t have insurance, just scrap your car for cash.

High Future Repair Costs.

Take a moment and consider how much it could cost to carry out repairs on your car in the next two to three years. Would your finances in those years to come be enough to cover the expenses? You can use the help of your mechanic here. Cost too high to afford? Then it’s time to scrap your car.

Where Do Most Of The Scrap Metal Go?

Ever wondered where all the scrap metal go after your car has been taken apart? Well, some are recycled and used in making new things that need those metals. Some or most get sent to China. China leads in consuming steel, aluminum and anything referred to as metal. According to American Metal Market, China was the first country to import over $1billion worth of scrap metal from America. Since this scrap metal is cheaper than new metal made from ore, China makes use of the metal in their buildings [skyscrapers], factories and telecom systems.

How Much Is A Scrap Car Worth?

“How much do you get for scrapping a car?” This is a valid question and we all know that. But first, let’s know what determines the prices of a scrap car. This will make it easier for us to evaluate how much a scrap car is worth.

  • Your Car’s Year/Make/Model The year, make and model of your car plays a crucial role in determining how much you’d get off your scrap car. Most scrap cars are worth up to 20 – 40 percent of their original value. Wondering how the year/make/model of your car determines its scrap price? Well, it’s simple…if your car is the latest model, unique or has high demands for its parts then you’ll get a high offer for it from buyers. That means if you drive a Nissan Altima [a common car] and it gets damaged, for example, you’re likely to get a higher scrap value than if you were driving a Dodge Neon. Also, the materials used for manufacturing cars keep changing from year to year. These days, it’s more common to come across cars made from less steel and aluminum and more of eco-friendly plastics. Let’s not forget that steel and aluminum play a huge role in determining a car’s scrap value.

  • Current Market Price of Scrap Metal.

It’s possible that you won’t bother about this normally but knowing the current scrap car prices per ton is another important factor in determining how much your scrap car is worth. Even if your car isn’t damaged or worth salvaging, it can still be turned into scrap metal. On average, a car contains about 2,400 pounds of steel and 3000 pounds of aluminum. Think that’s a lot of metal? Well, all that metal will end up sold and recycled. We’ve previously mentioned how steel and aluminum play a large role in a car’s scrap value. Hence, your car’s scrap value is dependent on the rate of demand and supply of these metals. This means if the supply for steel and aluminum is high then the prices will be high. This rate of demand and supply will change every year and would depend on your local market.

  • Your Car’s Condition. The condition your car is in will determine what the buyer will need to do with it. Will your buyer be able to fix it and re-sell? Will they tear it apart and sell the parts? Or will they have it turned into scrap and sold? This means you can get a higher value for your scrap car if your car is fixable than when it’s beyond repair. If the current market price for your car’s model is also high, then that’s a great plus too. But if the cost of fixing your car is too high, you won’t find a willing buyer that will offer you a good price for the car. In the same light, if your scrap car is too damaged to be put on the road ever again then selling it for its parts to a cash for junk cars service will be the most likely option.

  • Your Car’s Location. Where you and your car are located [more of your car’s location] also play a role in determining the scrap car value. The price of scrap metal differs from state to state. If your car is commonly driven or the parts are popular in your area then it’s also a factor in determining scrap value for your car. Finally, the distance between the junkyard in your area to your car’s location needs to be put into consideration as you’re likely to bear the costs of towing or transporting your car to the junkyard.

  • Demand for Car Parts. Let’s say your scrap car is old, damaged or not worth fixing. This doesn’t stop your car’s parts from still holding some value. How? Well, your car’s parts are still removable from the battery, the engine all the way to the tires. These parts are good for recycling and resale. The market price for your car parts depends on how high or low the demand is. The lower the demand, the lower the price. If you find out that others driving the same car with you seldom need to fix their cars, demand is low. If your scrap car is rare and finding the parts are difficult then demand is high. If the parts for cars similar to yours get resold frequently, then demand is high. Also, you need to know that there are some car parts which hold more value than other parts. This means if your tires, headlights, suspension and other exterior parts still work, then your scrap car will hold more value. But if the important parts of your car are missing then your car will land a low offer. Putting all these factors into consideration, there are two things to take out. First, you now know the answer to the question, “When does the scrap car price rise, and when does it fall?” and you can see that scrap car prices are not stable. This constant fluctuation in scrap car prices affects the offers you’d get when you try to scrap your car at different junkyards. Let’s not get started on the headaches gotten from haggling prices and getting very low offers that would make scrapping a car very unattractive.

What Are The Most Valuable Parts On A Scrap Car?

If your car has gotten old or is badly damaged from an accident then you should take advantage of scrapping these valuable parts:

  • Catalytic converters: The catalytic converter is needed to help reduce the harmful gases emitted into the atmosphere and holds a lot of resale value.
  • Car bumpers and fenders: Your car’s bumper is responsible for lowering the damage done to your car in low-speed accidents. If your car bumper is in good condition, it will fetch you some couple of hundred dollars. For the fenders, they protect your car’s wheel wells and undercarriage. Fenders will also fetch you some few hundreds of dollars as well.
  • Tires and rims: The larger your car tires and rims are, the bigger the resale value.
  • Car Battery: Selling this might not fetch you so much cash but recycling it with Epsom salt and distilled water can help prolong its lifetime to over 5 years.
  • Built-in GPS: This is one of the most expensive car parts according to carpart.com. Selling the built-in GPS of your car will make you a good amount.
  • Tailgate: This is worth a few hundred dollars and higher if customized.
  • Airbags: Airbags are like shock absorbers and protect you when you get into an accident. You can make about $250 off an unused airbag. For a used one, you can still make a few hundred.
  • Windshield wiper hands: These They’re worth more than the car battery.
  • Doors and windows: They’re as important as the car bumpers and can be sold separately.
  • Mirror and electrical components: These are comparable to the doors and windows in terms of value.
  • Air conditioning and radio: If your radio’s technology is up-to-date, you’d get a good price for it. For the Air conditioning, it’s the same thing. You can even still make some fair money off an unused Air conditioning.
  • Motor oil and oil filters: Even if you don’t make money off of them, take them to authorized centers to have them checked.

We know how difficult it can be when it comes to parting with your car. It’s hard to let go but we do know that knowing these parts of your car that are valuable will help make it easier.

Find Your Car’s Worth Using Our Scrap Car Value Calculator.

Every offer given to you by SellMax is guaranteed. We won’t just give you a scrap value price for your car, we’d give you an offer based on your car’s model, make and year. We make selling your car for cash easy. With the details you’ve provided, an instant quote will be provided…it’s that easy. After you accept our offer, we’d locate you to take your scrap car off you…we tow for free! We’d leave you with the same offer you received with our calculator…no hidden fees, no stories. So, instead of bothering yourself with local junkyards or trying your luck with dealerships, why not get into a guaranteed, working relationship with us? We’ve partnered with well-known scrap car parts recyclers who have an unending need for damaged cars. Let’s emphasize the fact that we do all the work. You won’t need to leave the comfort of your home or couch. We’ve got an excellent rating on our professionalism and customer service from our past and ongoing customers. These are people like you that trusted us and we never let them down. Well, this can be you too [and we want it to be so].

To get started, make use of our Scrap Car Value Calculator now to see what your car is worth.

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