Do you have an old car rotting away in your garage? Selling it to a buyer won’t get you much in return. No one that shows the slightest interest will be willing to pay much for it. Repairing it would be costly, that’s money you can put towards a new car.
So, how do you get the most out of your rusted old car? You can scrap your car. Junkyards will pay you for the junk, no matter the condition. They will strip it down and reuse the parts and materials they can salvage. Making this method environment-friendly because scrap yards use methods that don’t harm the environment while salvaging up to 80% of the car’s material.
But, before you recycle your old scrap car, there are certain things you need to do to ensure the car is ready for the process.
Take out your things
Inspect the car one last time. Even if you haven’t used it in years, you want to make sure that there are no personal items or documents in the car. Once you hand it over to the scrap yard, they will start processing it and you can say goodbye to anything you’ve left in the car.
Search the car thoroughly and check the glove compartment, under the seat, and in the trunk. You never know what you might have forgotten in the car.
Remove the license plate
You are legally required to get rid of the license plate when you transfer a car’s title. Furthermore, your DMV will require the license plate when you go to cancel the vehicle’s title.
Don’t rely on the mechanics at the junkyard to get rid of the license plate - you need to do it.. You don’t want to risk the license plate getting in the wrong hand and being used for any type of criminal activity. After all, it is linked to you. Therefore, remove it before the junkyard tows the car away.
Take out valuable parts
Have a mechanic inspect your car for valuable, working parts. You want to get the most for them and a scrap yard won’t give you much. Ask the mechanic for a rough estimate and search the online market for what other sellers are asking for the part. If you can wait a bit, you can shop the part online and get more for it.
Cancel the car insurance
You’ve likely already canceled the insurance since you’ve let the car rust away. But if you haven't, now is the best time. Why pay for something that you won’t be using? With the car going to the junkyard, there is no need for insurance on it. Some companies may even provide a refund if you paid the coverage in full. So, you can put the additional cash towards a new car.
Shop the car around
Don’t settle for the first junkyard you come across. Shop the car around, because you may find a better deal elsewhere. Knowing the condition of your car and its remaining parts is important. It helps you to ask for a better price. Look into that before you approach any scrap yard.
Besides trying to get the most money, look for a junkyard that is willing to take your car from your home. This way, you don’t have to spend money on having it towed to the yard.
As you shop around, another factor you want to consider is whether the scrap yard is licensed. Most provinces require the yards to have a proper license. Therefore, inquire about their license number and double-check it online, so you know you are working with a genuine dealer.
Get your paperwork in order
The scrap yard will require you to transfer the title of the car over to them before any transaction. Therefore, you will need all the vehicle’s legal documentation. Without it, most dealers will not take your car because they have no way of knowing it is actually your car.
Transferring the title over to the dealer is a vital part of the process. It dissociates you with the car, in case it is stolen from the scrap yard and is used for any criminal activity. The last thing you want is to be caught up in an investigation.
Final thoughts
The decision to scrap your car is just the beginning of the process. Before you decide on a scrap yard, you need to make sure your vehicle is in order for scrapping. To do that, you need to remove your items from it, have the paperwork ready, and remove the license plate. Then, can you look for a scrap yard that offers you the best deal. The whole process does require some time, but it will be worth it in the end as you will get the most for a junk car.