Selling Your Car To A Salvage Yard? Here's What You Need To Know

That old ride served its purpose for a lot of years, but now it has finally, officially kicked the bucket. Unless your car is a classic and will be valuable to a potential buyer because of it, about the only way you will get anything out of a dead car or truck is if you sell it to a salvage yard. If you have never sold a vehicle to a salvage yard before, it is likely you have some questions. Here are a few of the most common questions first-timers usually have about selling their vehicle to a salvage or junk yard. 

How much will a salvage yard give you for a vehicle that's not running?

There are a lot of variables that come into play when determining what a junk car will bring you from a salvage yard. Some of the factors affecting the price will include

  • the condition of the body of the car
  • the make and model of the vehicle
  • your location
  • the weight of the vehicle
  • if the vehicle still contains most of its motor and engine components 

While there is no set rate for a junk car in most cases, you can usually rely on an old junk vehicle bringing you at least a few hundred bucks. 

Why are salvage yards willing to pay for junk cars?

The answer to this is salvage yards need many vehicles, running or not, to build enough inventory to cater to their customers. There is a major market for used vehicle parts because for one, they are cheaper, and for two, sometimes replacement parts bought new are nowhere near as good as originals. 

Do you have to have the vehicle delivered or will they come and pick it up?

In most cases, if you call up a salvage yard and tell them you have a vehicle you would like to sell that is not running, they will set up a time when they can come to you. Therefore, you will not have to pay any extra expenses to have the vehicle delivered by a towing service if you live within their towing zone. 

Is it okay to take some things out of the car before you sell it to a salvage yard?

Before the salvage yard technician makes you an offer, you are welcome to pull off whatever you like, whether it a good battery, seats, or otherwise. However, once you have received an offer and agreed on that price, you should only take components from the car if you clear it with the buyer first. 

For more information, talk to a professional like Fox Valley Iron Metal & Auto Salvage Inc.


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