How To Maximize Value for Your Junk Car

When you’ve been driving your car for a long time, it can be hard to admit the truth: it’s time to junk the vehicle. Whether you’ve been in an accident that’s taken your vehicle off the road, or your vehicle has simply come to the end of a long and happy life, it’s never easy to sell it for junk. When parting with your vehicle, you want to ensure you get the most value for it that you can.

To maximize the value you can extract from your vehicle, there are several steps to take. At Imperial Towing Inc., we’ve junked enough cars to know what to look for. Don’t junk your car without understanding how to make the most of this process; follow this advice to ensure you get the most you can for your vehicle!

Assess The Parts

Just because your car is too old or damaged to run doesn’t mean the whole vehicle is dysfunctional. A car is just the sum of its parts, and some of its parts will still have value. Before you ever junk your car, you need to always make sure you’ve assessed the parts throughout your vehicle.

There are often some parts that command a higher value than you’ll get from the average scrapper. If you do an assessment of your vehicle, you may be able to find parts that you can sell separately, increasing the value of your junk car. These are some of the best parts to check on your vehicle:

Wheels and Rims

Depending on the type of wheels or rims you have, you could find significant value. Different rim materials are more valuable than others, and you want to check your rims before you scrap the vehicle to ensure you won’t miss out on any extra profits.

Aluminum rims are the most valuable because of their lightweight, however, even steel wheels and rims can get you some money. These metal parts will always carry value, so don’t forget to check your wheels before getting your car towed away.

Doors

In any vehicle, doors are absolutely essential. They’re also complicated parts with many components that add up to a high total value. There are electrical components, glass, handles, and more that can be valuable to the right buyer. After crashes, there are many people who may want to buy an entire car door as a replacement, or you may be able to maximize the value by selling the parts individually.

Assess your doors to see if you have complete panes of glass, working lock and electrical systems, or large sheets of metal. These will help you salvage additional money from your old car.

Bumpers/Fenders

If you have managed to drive a car to old age without damage to the bumper, you will find an excellent market for this part. So many vehicles are in perfect condition except for their bumper or fender that got damaged in a small accident. These vehicles need replacement bumpers, and if you have one in mint condition, you could sell it for a great price.

Since bumpers are so frequently damaged, they’re in very high demand. Always try to sell your bumpers or fenders before you scrap the car, and you could get hundreds of extra dollars.

The Engine

Engines are the part that makes a vehicle run, and if yours is still in good condition, you may be able to make a sizeable profit by selling the engine before scrapping the car. There are many parts that go into a successful engine, and many engine rebuilders are looking for these parts, either together or separately.

If you have a complete running engine, this car is worth thousands of dollars. An engine rebuilder will likely inspect your engine before purchase to ensure it still operates, but even if it doesn’t, you will still be able to sell these parts as scrap metal separately.

Batteries

Every day, people are experiencing issues with their batteries. If yours is still in top condition, you could sell it separately to make a small profit. Even if the battery doesn’t work, removing it from the vehicle and recycling it separately can keep the harmful chemicals out of the environment.

Look Into Buyer Options

Once you’ve investigated all the parts of your vehicle and sold any that have an exceptional value, your car will be ready to send to the scrapyard. There are many ways to get rid of a scrap car, and you want to shop around to find the best options.

Sometimes you may be approached by private buyers who want to take your vehicle off your hands, but it’s tough to know whether you’ll get the best value from them.

You may be able to take your vehicle to the dealership you bought it at. If your vehicle is in working condition, they may take it to sell it again, but most junk cars are too old or broken to be worth much to a dealership.

Then your next option is to sell your car to a company that will take it off your hands as scrap. There are likely many such companies around your area, and it’s best to look into their rates and estimates beforehand.

Conclusion

By assessing the parts in your vehicle, you can maximize the value you will get in return for your junk car. Many parts carry value even if they don’t work anymore simply due to the cost of the material but working parts can be sold to buyers who need replacement parts.

When you’re ready to junk your car, you may be overwhelmed with all the options available to you. To help you simplify the process, Imperial Towing Inc. is here. We take junk cars and pay cash, regardless of the quality of the vehicle. Our tow experts can even remove your worries about transporting the vehicle; we’ll come to your property and take it right away.

To get the most value for your vehicle, take our advice and sell the valuable parts, then give us a call. We give the best rates on all junk vehicles.