Scrap worth of a car

**MetalRecyclingBiz** · 11-06-2011, 02:25 PM

If you have the time and don't care so much about the quick buck, taking your time selling a vehicle (if it's somewhat decent) can really pay off.

Around here, if you offer parts off a vehicle, on craigslist for example, people will just come and pay for specific parts. They come take the parts off themselves too. $20 for a mirror, $100 for the bed of a truck, a few bucks for the lights, etc.

It can take a little bit of time depending on where you're located and the seasons of course, but I saw my friend part out a beat up old dodge truck and ended up getting over $1,000 for it in the end, probably took like a month until it was down to half a frame and the bed at which point that part of it went to the scrap yard.

The quick buck usually always wins, I know, but if you don't need the quick cash it might be worth giving it a shot to part out the old junk cars/trucks.

**eesakiwi** · 11-06-2011, 06:24 PM

It all depends on how far down you scrap the cars too.

Me, if I could get a line of cars, ie 1 a day.
I'd use my compressor & air tools & set up a area with 55 Gallon drums & scrap them down to their basic metals, Iron, copper, brass, stainless & Ali.
I'd remove the glass without breaking it, plastic interior & separate the metal from it, strip carpets, cut off roof & scrap the inside.
Remove the bonnet & boot, scrap the inside of them, unbolt the engine & Gbox & driveshaft & diff & suspension.
Remove car off them, remove anything under the hood & starter, alternator & wiring, rubber etc.
Separate all that & save them up.
Cut the sheetmetal body up into less than 900mm long peices.
Then once I have enough stuff, spend a day just scrapping down the individual parts so I get good & quick at it.
Once I have a 55Gal drum full of its individual materials, brass, copper, ali & heavy steel & bolts etc, sell it. Dump the rubber & plastic into my (& anyone elses) wheelie bin for free disposal

**Gripandflip** · 11-14-2011, 10:22 PM

My father-in-law took a rusted 1965 truck frame with the motor, tranny, and rims to the local salvage yard last week and got $290 for it. Not too bad for old metal just sitting out in the field rusting away.

**Bigblue12v** · 11-15-2011, 06:55 AM

Focker clear your PM inbox. Tried to send you a PM but your box is full..... Need to talk to ya.
Thanks
Eric

**Focker** · 11-15-2011, 09:06 AM

got it all cleared up man.

**Area67** · 11-17-2011, 07:45 PM

That is some excellent analysis and I do not have much to add, personally I love cars. The cat, the radiators,the rims,the wiring, the parts all add up nicely. Plus I never have to buy anti-freeze ( put the used stuff in a five gallon bucket and the dirt settle at the bottom), batteries,tires and I run the gas out of the cars in my non-fuel injected cars with proper see through filters (before and after the pump). The car can be nicely filled with small items,nuts and bolts,nails,cans and they get heavy!!

**skylinejack** · 11-17-2011, 08:42 PM

$15 - $25 per rim? Am I reading this right? I'm talking about regular ol steel rims sold for scrap. Weight ranges between 18 and maybe 25 lbs. per rim. Tractor trailer rims are not in this category. I'm with PartTime on this one here. I'll sell ya all mine for $10 too.

**IdahoScrapper** · 11-17-2011, 10:12 PM

smh...

**KzScrapper** · 11-18-2011, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

smh...

I get a kick out of the delayed chuckle when I come across one these ^^ acronyms and have to go looking...*light bulb above head*

**Catfish Bob** · 11-20-2011, 05:06 PM

Guy at church was telling me that the church sold a old beat school bus that still ran and drove to a fellow church member who just so happened to be a scrapper.
The guy bought the bus for 1k drove it straight to the scrap yard and got 2,100 for it.

**Focker** · 11-24-2011, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Catfish Bob

Guy at church was telling me that the church sold a old beat school bus that still ran and drove to a fellow church member who just so happened to be a scrapper.
The guy bought the bus for 1k drove it straight to the scrap yard and got 2,100 for it.

I think he was alittle high on that price.Because big stuff they pay you less a ton because they have to cut it up and all of that.

**PartTimeScrapper** · 11-20-2011, 05:55 PM

HMMM thats bad karma if you ask me. I hope he put $210 in the collection plate

**Ohscrapper** · 11-20-2011, 06:00 PM

A place near me takes whole cars for last i looked 270 or more per ton. So a decent vehicle could make you around 300 or more but you gotta figure your trailer cost and the infamous gas money.

**dmm2442** · 11-22-2011, 01:24 PM

Took in a 92 ford escort today. I stripped just about everything off of it. Stirpped it wieghed in right around 2200. I get 155 a ton around here for stripped cars.